The Racketeer
Monday, April 1, 2013 at 8:08PM 
The Racketeer
John Grisham
Doubleday
$28.95 Hardbound, available in e-book format
I inherited this book in a way. My Dad was a huge John Grisham fan and always pre-ordered his books. His library has a whole section of John Grisham books. The book arrived after my Dad passed away. I think he would have liked this one.
If you are a Grisham fan, you know that his novels typically come from a lawyer's point of view. The story takes an odd twist as the lawyer finds himself on the wrong side of the gavel and faces many years in prison for his lack of better judgement. When a federal judge is murdered, Malcolm Bannister decides it is time to play the ace up his sleeve and informs the FBI that he knows who the killer is but wants his freedom in exchange.
The story takes us through the intricacies of witness protection, the mob and a variety of less than savory characters along the way. Grisham is a master of character and plot twists. There were so many that I wasn't sure who to believe or who to trust before the final twist was revealed. I must admit that Grisham played all his cards close to the vest, and had this reader flipping the pages to find out not only who killed the judge but Bannister's role in the deception.
The author's note at the end of the book claim the book is a work of fiction with almost nothing based in reality. Grisham says research was not a priority and long paragraphs of fiction were used to avoid fact finding. I tip my hat to the writer who can pull off such a work of fiction that keeps one turning the page to find out what happens next, believing every word must have come from some basis in truth to seem so real.
Dad, this one belongs on the shelf with the rest of the Grisham library. Thanks for ordering it.
Florida, John Grisham, Maryland, The Racketeer, fiction, lawyer, legal, witness protection
Reader Comments (1)
The book starts slowly so much so that the first 100 pages are on the verge of being truly boring. But then knowing John Grisham, you plod and soon hit pay dirt! You’re sucked up into an edge-of-the seat suspense thriller and like the hero in the book; sleep and food become ancillary to knowing what happens next in the plot that the hero and his friends hatch in jail and let fly by the skin of their collective teeth. The reward is their freedom, new identities and a pot of gold. Will they succeed and how is what this book is all about. Totally enjoyable!
If you have a long boring journey ahead, I suggest you buy the book but not read until you travel – you will be so engrossed you won’t even realize you've arrived. Fantastic! May his (John Grisham’s) tribe live long, prosper and produce more such books!