The Reckoning by John Grisham

"The Reckoning" by John Grisham - Too slow!

This book is published by Holder & Stoughton in 2018 and has 512 pages. 

Pete Banning, a war veteran and prominent cotton farmer from Clanton - Mississippi, kills Reverend Dexter Bell. Joel and Stella (his college going children) and Flory (his sister) and the entire county is perplexed. His wife is in asylum. Pete refuses to speak or defend himself and is executed.  

Why did he kill the Reverend? Why doesn't he defend himself? Why did he transfer his farm and house to his children before murder?

Story is set in 1946. It was the time of racial discrimination. Blacks were called Negros. They were treated as inferior. Some were even bonded. No one minded this. Sounds very strange today. With this backdrop, the story assumes a different meaning. 

A white man killing another white man is unheard of. A sensational murder trial with white man as accused and that too a farmer killing a respected Reverend is a scandal. In a county where nothing much happens, this is a juicy gossip.

The story, however, is slow, very slow, very very slow. Readers continue reading the book only to find out why Pete killed the Reverend. The answer comes at the very end. Readers have guessed it by that time and rather than coming as a surprise, it comes as a inevitable confirmation. 

The mood of the story is somber, atmosphere is drab. Things keep happening. Author opens a number of side tracks like Marianne, McLeash etc. but doesn't follow up. Rather than enhancing the story they lengthen it.

Why did I read this book? Author.

What did I like? Umm...

What I didn't like? Length, pace, predictability. 

AVOID.