The Reckoning Book Reviews

AUTHOR
John Grisham
SCORE
4
TOTAL RATINGS
6,821

The Reckoning by John Grisham Book Summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham's most powerful, surprising, and suspenseful thriller yet • “A murder mystery, a courtroom drama, a family saga.” —USA Today

October 1946, Clanton, Mississippi

Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite son—a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning he rose early, drove into town, and committed a shocking crime.  Pete's only statement about it—to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, to the jury, and to his family—was: "I have nothing to say." He was not afraid of death and was willing to take his motive to the grave.
           
In a major novel unlike anything he has written before, John Grisham takes us on an incredible journey, from the Jim Crow South to the jungles of the Philippines during World War II; from an insane asylum filled with secrets to the Clanton courtroom where Pete’s defense attorney tries desperately to save him. 

Reminiscent of the finest tradition of Southern Gothic storytelling, The Reckoning would not be complete without Grisham’s signature layers of legal suspense, and he delivers on every page.

Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM!

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Book Name The Reckoning
Genre Mysteries & Thrillers
Published
Language English
E-Book Size 2.4 MB

The Reckoning (John Grisham) Book Reviews 2024

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Painfully long. A disjointed and painfully long book. Disappointing for a John Grisham novel.

The Reckoning. Despite this novel’s strong opening with a compelling plot and interesting characters, the story line collapses with an abundance of irrelevant information. The most disappointing Grisham novel to date.

The Reckoning. Great great read. Lots of information about the war times kind of bogged me down, but otherwise I love this book. It was a different type approach taken by a great writer. Can’t wait to read the next John Grisham book. David.

F***ing Brilliant. The story is grabbing and nerve rattling. Every page a roller coaster of emotions leaving you in the edge of your seat. So wonderfully written. John Grisham for president.

You think you know, but....... Mr. Grisham artfully juggles his story so even avid readers stay a bit confused about where the plot is going. His depiction of life in rural Mississippi is spot on for those of us who were raised there and the war experiences described are so realistic I had to remind myself this is not a biography. I gave this one four stars because I found the lawyers less brilliant than other Grisham characters, but I still heartily recommend it as a great read.

An awesome story.. The weaving of the storyline was masterfully done. Bravo

Total snooze fest. I usually love John Grisham. This book a long winded snooze fest It went on and on with extra fluff. Terrible

Excellent. Excellent read. Although very sad and misfortune for the kids.

Disappointing. I love John Grisham and have all his books. I had a very hard time getting through this one. I hated the sequence in which it was written. The war stories were too long. It had a very unsatisfying ending. This is the only Grisham book I own that will be donated to the library.

So conflicted.... Imagine this: bottom of the 9th inning, the teams are tied. The game has had everything, from masterful pitching to heroic and timely home runs. It all comes down to this...the star closer stares down the opposing hitter, a grizzled veteran at the plate for his last at bat. The pitcher winds up, and then pulls a Colt .45 out of his pants and shoots the batter in the forehead. Prepare yourself for a masterclass in storytelling, although quite slow, and anticipation that you have rarely experienced. Just go ahead and quit reading before you get to the last 25 pages. Story: A- Finale: F

The reckoning. Not one of my favorites by This author. It seems as it the ending, which contained an explanation for the entire plot was an afterthought put together in an effort to provide a justification. Disappointing for sure.

Worth the read. Good

Hard to finish and depressing. I am a big Grisham fan, and this was my first real disappointment with his work. The war stories were completely unnecessary to the story. The ending was very sad and not at all satisfying. Side note: I don’t think John Grisham likes people anymore. This book was a very pessimistic take on humanity from all angles.

The Eckoning. Somewhat disjointed at times and hard to follow. Not one of the better Grisham stories and I’ve read most all of his novels. Still an interesting read; I just didn’t like the ending.

Not the usual edge of your seat. There was way too much dead air in this story. I was bored stiff for very long periods. Sorry but I can barely give this one 3 star.

TOO LONG. Well that's 1 week of my life I'll never get back. Wretchedly long winded.

What went wrong. I bought the book despite the poor reviews. As it turns out, I agree with all the reviews – they were accurate.

The Reckoning. I could not put this down. From the minute I picked it up to the minute I finished it. 2 days. The plot is amazing, the characters rich and luminous. Passion, ethics, history and everyday people woven into a tapestry of life and sorrow. Bravo to the author.

Not his best work.... Wasn’t sure where this story was going, and the ending just confirmed my thoughts. The story has its moments, but just never hit its stride.

Not what I was expecting.... I’ve been a fan of Grisham novels for a very long time now. They don’t need to be edge of your seat legal thrillers, such as Skipping Christmas. My own issue, bull your book as it should be read. Amazing story. Keep them coming please! Always the week of my birthday.

Pointless. Entertaining enough leading up to the dastardly deed, then, aside from some historical backfill having little place save for absence of plot, we slog several hundred pages further on the same unflinchingly predictable trajectory hoping against hope for a meager plot twist to put us off the already crumb less trail but finding instead only the muster of collective wheezing offered the limpest of Hail Mary plot chucks attempting to achieve in its final ten pages what it could not in its previous 644..finding legs to run this shaggiest of dogs.

The Reckoning. It is too gruesome and drags you through pages of grief without a satisfying ending

Kind of a slog. I enjoyed the first section, tolerated the second and only finished the book because I’d invested time and wanted to see what the big reveal was going to be. Ended up being underwhelming and a disappointment. I say this as a lover of John Grisham. This was not my favorite.

Semi good. The story of the murder was completely under-developed and didn’t come to a conclusion. Many, many plot lines left hanging. I would rate that part of the novel a negative 3 stars. It could have been great. Sadly it wasn’t. The middle of the novel describing the Japanese/American conflict was extremely well written and held my attention. Stirred many emotions: fear, anger, sorrow, anticipation, etc. I could easily rate the Bataan death march narration 5 stars. The difference in the different sections is why over-all I rated this book at only two stars. It felt like Mr. Grisham reach the minimum number of required words for this book, so he ended it. Right then. Right there. No tying up loose ends. Lazy, sloppy writing, in my opinion. Could have been the beginning of a trilogy, one of the great American novels. What a shame it wasn’t developed.

Really good book!😛. Really good book!🤪

A war has few happy endngs. I was so disgusted with the bad reviews based on the lack of a happy ending I could puke. If they were exposed to battle, there are serious reasons why few vets can talk about it. Here are two war stories from my family that were not in the book and there were several more. Eugene Roper was my Dad’s first cousin. He stayed with the Roper’s in Kansas when he went to business school - was older than Gene and our families were close. Dad’s parents lived on a 50 acre farm in Missouri and could not support him in college. I was born when my mother was about 30 and most of these two stories are her words. I am 81 as I write this. I have vivid memories of both men. Gene earned a degree in electrical engineering and was drafted by the Army before he got a job. He wound up in the Philippines for a time. When the US surrendered to the Japs he did the forced march to the coast now known as the Bataan Death March. The book covers it well. I am sure Gene experienced all the atrocities the Japs had to offer but he survived. However, this is not a happy ending. The healthy prisoners were sent to the Japan mainland and put in slave labor camps. They were moved around as needed until they were liberated at the end of the war. In the interim, our family received Post cards with Japanese and English on them telling us he was treated well and well fed. All the while the men were working hard labor on a starvation diet. It must have taken a very long time to move these emaciated men to the Hospital ships. In any case Gene, malnourished and diseased, died at sea. His cremated remains were buried at home in Kansas. Haskel Coker was drafted as low as it goes and being a farm boy it was Stevie assumed he could handle blood and gore with no problem. However, there are limits and this is a story of man’s inhumanity to man within the US Army. He was sent to Germany. My uncle Hack was assigned to a unit that went into the battle fields when the fighting was over and picked up body parts for burial, cremation or some other means of disposal. Plus, human bodies decompose slowly like any animal, it is grim, and the odor is putrid. A fellow I worked with had seen action in Korea or WWll and heard us talking about this Great War movie we had seen. He told us all Hollywood war movies were sanitized. The next day he brought snap shots he had taken of bloated dead enemy soldiers laying on the side of the road as he was marching to the next battle. “The odor is missing” he said. “The movies will always lack the reality of being there. Anyway Hack could not keep his food down and when he complained they accused him of “gold bricking.” He finally collapsed from malnutrition and woke up in a hospital. He told my mom that he was certain he had died and gone to heaven - everything was white and there were angels (nurses) in the room. Hack was not reassigned so I am sure he was given a dishonorable discharge. His treatment by the army was not so different than Genes’ treatment by the Japanese in-the labor camps.

Disappointed. I have always been a Grisham fan. This is the first review I’ve ever written and it is only because I don’t want anyone wasting time reading this book. This is the worst book I’ve read in my life

Boring - run away from this book. Quite possibly Grisham’s worst book. Really, I wish I hadn’t started it.

All work and no pay. Such a masterful storyteller. Thus the 2 stars. But the book? Such a bunch of stray threaded words haphazardly thrown in between two covers never knotting together to form any bond. An incredibly depressing book at that. I assumed the end was going to make all the dreary, heartbreaking, unbelievably sad sentences enter-twine and sew a warm quilt of a story that I was so glad I wrapped myself up in!!! Boy was I wrong. Left out in the cold with a thread bare, tattered blanket!! 100% predictable ending. What a waste of a story that could have been one to retell for ages. Had he spent 1/10th the time on the ending product as he did building the war story this might’ve been a real winner. Where’s the old Grisham? I miss him. He was a fabulous writer! Remember a Time to Kill? #itstimeforagoodending I had plenty of shockers for this book’s final chapter. None were as predictable as this.

The reckoning. Twisted yarn. Sad, tragic, depressing, and somewhat predictable ending. Not an enjoyable read.

Couldn’t let it down. I am far from an experienced novel reader and takes a lot to keep me engaged in a one. However, from page one this book grabbed me and kept me in suspense until the final few pages. Grisham’s ability to provide a great overall plot while at the same time educate on the brutality our soldiers endured in Part 2 made this a definite page turner that was impossible to let down.

I Could Not Finish It. I am a huge Grisham fan. I have read every novel he ever published...save this one. I had to lay it down midway through the book. He does a great job as usual with character development, but it was just too graphic for my taste. I get it that the author is making a statement against capital punishment and the horrors war, which I too am against. But I don’t need to see it in something that I want to read for leisure. I didn’t expect it, and I was disappointed. But, that’s just me, and I look forward to reading his next one, The Guardian.

The Reckoning by John Grisham. For those of you who loved Grisham and The Firm, The Pelican Brief and The Client, forget THIS. Over the years, his books have become much less thrilling and much more maudlin and even gory. This book was the worst yet. I am finished - won’t read another Grisham again.

Solid. A solid read.

The Rekoning. This was an absorbing novel. Lots of unexpected twists. The writing is a bit uneven but thought provoking and different than the usual books by Mr. Grisham.

Meh. This book had potential...started strong, lots of mystery. But it quickly became redundant and left me wondering where it was going. Then the middle took a totally different tone, which I didn’t hate, but again was wondering how it would tie in. Only to get to the very end of the book and still wondering what the middle had to do with anything. The end result was like, wow I just wasted three days of my life lol the “big reveal” at the VERY end turned out to be super predictable and I just put the book down and shook my head, thinking “that was it??” Not his best, and I love John Grisham.

The Reckoning. This story is vividly presented. The details capture the reader to the point that it cannot be put aside for meals or for sleeping. I felt compelled to continue reading in order to find out what would happen next. Each character took on an identity that will live with you for many months after the book is finished. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in solving plot twists and reading a story based on real historical events. Mary Muir

The Reckoning. Forced myself to finish the book and expected a better end. Historically accurate though .

The reckoning. Not his best

The Reckoning. Absolutely the most riveting, spellbinding book John Grisham has ever written. This is historical fiction at its VERY FINEST!!! I read some very negative reviews before I bought this book, some people wanting a refund, very disappointed with the ending. Real life doesn’t always end well, so write your own novel if you can do better. I’d never let a bad review stop me from reading one of Grisham’s novels. I’ve read them all, I’ll continue to read anything he writes. My father was captured in the Ardennes Forest in December 1944, and remained in German POW camps until his liberation in April 1945. As a little girl, I listened to his stories wide-eyed. He never berated his captors; the Germans knew the war in Europe was over, and they were starving too. Some even gave their overcoats to American prisoners who were freezing. In this book, I was equally enamored reading about the Bataan Death March. My mouth was open, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I wanted more. The Germans did nothing to torture my father or his fellow prisoners like the Japanese tortured theirs, and I am very thankful my Dad came home basically unscathed. He’s still with us now at 97 years old. Thank you, Mr. Grisham, for allowing me to see, hear, and feel what it was like for those men who actually marched, many to their deaths, so that I can live free in this God-anointed land we call America. Waiting anxiously for your next novel!

Unbelievably Bad. It’s amazing how consistently John Grisham’s work has declined in quality as time goes on. Once one of my favorite authors when he first came out, he has devolved into a husk of his former self. Maybe that’s attributable to some lame ghost authors of his recent work, but he ultimately bears responsibility for his brand. None of the characters were particularly well developed, and they acted contrary to reason and certainly didn’t pursue some basic legal strategies I would have employed. He should be embarrassed at this work product.

Disappointing. I am a HUGE fan. It started out good, lagged big time through the middle. And ended, ok. I will be more cautious before buying next Grisham book.

Great novel. Great read

Very boring. Don’t bother. Boring, slow, depressing. Very predictable ending.

One of Grisham’s Best. After a couple so-so books, The Reckoning is one of John Grisham’s best novels. However, a word of warning, the second part of this book is a harrowing depiction of the Bataan Death March I found very difficult to read. That is not to say it’s bad, it’s just not what you would come to expect from a John Grisham novel. I also dare you to put it down once you get to the last 100 pages. The ending is one of his best.

I couldn’t put it down.. This was a book with believable, colorful, characters. Starting at the beginning you were gripped by the personalities. Grisham‘s use of time manipulation was very skillful.We started in The present. He took us to the past. We finished once again in the present. Pete was torn by something he felt he had to do. Throughout the novel, we, the reader, we’re always trying to guess why he did what he did. I am thankful that all came out at the end. I highly recommend this book and would be surprised if anyone could read it without putting it down.

Worst Grisham book. Sooo slow and boring.

Mailed this one in. If the three elements of a novel are plot, character development, and context, this one is 90% context. If you’ve read any of Grisham’s other Southern gothic novels or, for example, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” you can skip the first (after the obligatory premise/plot chapter) 300 or so pages about life in the old rural South. Then, if you’ve read much of anything about WWII in the Pacific and the Japanese treatment of POW, you can skip the next 500 or so pages about that. It could have been taken verbatim from any number of sources with a little cut and paste about Grisham’s protagonist. The “climax,” if one can call it that, was a predictable disappointment. Not sure how I got through one, save that I’ve read most of his other books and loved his early work. Oh well, time to move on. Goodbye old friend.

The Reconning. Just a terrible read. Story put together poorly, outcome predictable and mostly filler from start to finish.

The Reckoning. This book was like taking a tumble down the long side of a jagged and bumpy mountain: smashing up against boulders and with brutal fractures along the way but none hard enough to finally end the stream of pain that Ludlum wrote in. No smooth grassy spots to give one a sense of relief either. The tragedy begins at the top and continues all the way to the bottom to end in a somewhat soft and unceremonious thud.

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Long and detailed. So much detail and the Reckoning doesn’t become clear to the very end...anti-climatic

Worst Grisham novel. So so negative. I have loved all his books except this one. Stick to courtrooms! Positive was stories of the war were good as I have never heard that take on it. That part is the only star I give. All other books I have rated for him have had 5 stars

The Reckoning. Great read that kept you spellbound until the end.

I reckon I’ll pass.... Interesting departure from Grisham’s pure vanilla LEGAL thriller. A lot less thrilling and more of a murder mystery. I’m guessing he has exhausted everything possible in the vein that made him famous; I absolutely loved The Rainmaker! This will be my last novel from John unless I see another work strong enough to fill a film as exciting like Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee in The Client. LUKEWARM at best.

Best in a long time!. John Grisham has been my favourite author for decades. The Reckoning is his best work by far! At times dreadfully sad, even sickening - but always compelling. If you’re looking for a light - hearted read, skip this!

Production blip. Too much like an historical documentary and less of a fictional drama. Over cooked details of the Pacific theatre of war. Have read all his previous novels and loved them. Still is my favourite author and looking forward to his next novel.

The Reckoning. Difficult to put down and suspenseful to the end!

Agree with tirzyj. The only redeeming part of the book is the middle section describing the horrors of WW2 in the Philippines. I didn’t know these details and it was difficult to read. But I’m glad to know it now.

The reckoning. I have read all John Grisham books and was so looking forward to reading this one. A big disappointment. I actually took the section about the war and skipped the whole thing. This was his worst book as far as I’m concerned . And don’t like how it starts with the murder and execution and then goes back years before.

Don’t even bother with this one.. Worst book he’s ever written. Not sure where to even start.

The Reckoning. I’m not one to write negative reviews, because to each their own; buuuut, I wanted to throw this book across the room at the end. The middle part was interesting, but the rest was a waste of time. Spare yourself, and skip this one.

Slow paced and predictable. Set in three parts, the best and fastest paced section is found in the middle. The last and longest section is tedious and you will need to skim through chapter after chapter of dull legal appeals and personal reflection before getting to the final 10 pages of ‘truth’ that was heavily foreshadowed in part 1. I enjoy JGs work usually but this was a miss for me.

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Summary of The Reckoning by John Grisham

The The Reckoning book written by John Grisham was published on 23 October 2018, Tuesday in the Mysteries & Thrillers category. A total of 6,821 readers of the book gave the book 4 points out of 5.

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