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The Reckoning
The Reckoning
Author: John Grisham
Pete Banning was Clanton's favorite son, a returning war hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning in 1946. he rose early, drove into town, walked into the Church, and calmly shot and killed the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murde...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780385544153
ISBN-10: 0385544154
Publication Date: 10/23/2018
Pages: 368
Rating:
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 55

3.4 stars, based on 55 ratings
Publisher: Doubleday
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review
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rmadland avatar reviewed The Reckoning on + 68 more book reviews
Not your standard John Grisham legal thriller fare. This is a story of Joe Banning who sets out one day to murder the town's local pastor? From there, Pete takes full responsibility, but will not relay what drove him to commit murder, after all this is a decorated war veteran and successful businessman.

We not only get the story of the trial of Pete Banning, but we get the full backstory of him being in the war and becoming a P.O.W. During the whole time reading, as a reader, I was guessing what drove Pete to murder.

Let's just say, that I thought I had it figured out, but the real reason was a twist in many way and I will leave it at that.
reviewed The Reckoning on
Meh! not my favorite J.Grisham book. The description of the war in the Philippines was tedious ( unless you enjoy history of WWII). Disappointing conclusion, too!
joann avatar reviewed The Reckoning on + 412 more book reviews
Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi's war hero. He was a from a prominent family and was a farmer, father, neighbor and member of the Methodist Church.
One morning, he walks into the Church and kills the Reverend Dexter Hill. He gives no explanation to anyone about his reasons for doing so. "I have nothing to say" was his only answer.
He goes to trial with really no way of winning the case. He will not answer to his attorney's, to his family, etc.
We are then brought through the history of the war that Pete went through before coming home. Pure horrendousness.
Then we are brought back to the family and all that they are dealing with.

This was well written. I am not a fan of warfare, so the lengthy discussion about the war in the Philipines was hard for me to get through.


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