The Racketeer: A Novel

I enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down once I started reading. The author’s imagination is amazing and kept me guessing!

What you'll get in this one: the snappy characterizations and plot twists that make Grisham's legal thrillers so irresistible to his loyal fans. I received my book in the wee hours of release day, and stayed up reading the entire novel. It was too good to put down. Grisham wisely keeps readers guessing about how lawyer Malcolm Bannister may pull off a revenge scheme. I was hooked as soon as I grasped the basic plot. But this doesn't mean The Racketeer is flawless.. It took awhile for me to become fully engaged with the book -- mainly because Grisham took his time revealing crucial details and spent awhile describing prison life. Some of that is interesting and adds depth. But parts of the novel lagged for me. The Racketeer starts off with lawyer Malcolm Bannister describing his basic situation: he has been sent to prison for 10 years based on a sentence "handed down by a weak and sanctimonious federal judge in Washington, DC". I'm not giving away anything here because that info is revealed on the first page of my edition of this book (Kindle). Bannister has tried every appeal available. His wife, initially supportive, has left him. He misses his son. In short, his life is grim and depressing. Bannister can't imagine being incarcerated for 10 years, and he is desperate to get out. The reason he is in jail constitutes "a long story." but he is convinced he has been convicted of a crime he had "no knowledge of committing" (he does, however, admit to naivite' and stupidity which helped lead to his downfall). The rest of the details in the early half of The Racketeer mainly involved Bannister's carefully constructed plan to get out of prison, starting with info he knows about the murder of federal judge Raymond Fawcett. He says he knows who murdered the judge - and why. This is where I started to become intrigued, trying to figure out what if Bannister's plan will succeed- and anticipating the inevitable plot twists along the way. I also wanted to know how his conviction was connected to the murder of the judge. Bannister's exclusive information is what he plans to use as leverage. That's when I became impatient for Grisham to cut to the chase. But because of his writing style, still above par for many legal thrillers, I couldn't put The Racketeer down. Grisham doesn't give everything away at once. Information is revealed chapter by chapter. I wanted to know more. And I'm betting other readers will feel the same. I am not going to reveal any more about The Racketeer because I think there is enough info here to either interest potential readers and help them decide whether the book is of interest or not. I don't want to add spoilers or plot twists.

There are many ways to escape prison, and Malcolm Bannister, 43, is black, the only black ex-attorney at the Maryland prison campuses to escape. Malcolm is serving a ten-year sentence for his involvement in a crime he did not commit. Malcolm Bannister is now halfway through a ten-year sentence. He has come with some inside knowledge of events surrounding the death of a federal judge, which links to witness protection, drugs, Jamaicans, and some heavy bad guys. Bannister creates a charade of proof that enables him to convince the FBI to guarantee his safety, help him surgically change his appearance, and give him the reward money. Once he receives his freedom and reward money, he'll tell them about the judge's killer. Of course, the feds initially think he's just another inmate trying to get a Rule 35 ruling to get himself out of prison. Bannister is Grisham's longish, complex tale of cat and mouse. Every character in the book is believable, and though some of the plot turns seem improbable, the reader never quite knows whether things are going to work out for Bannister before he makes his plan work when he meets an accomplice and becomes involved in a lasting romance that leads to a new and most satisfying conclusion. There are plenty of surprises along the way. As ever, a solid, unflashy performance by Grisham. The book is an action-packed and riveting story.

I'm writing this bc I haven't bought a Grisham book that wasn't deeply discounted or free in YEARS. I bought this book after the NYT review-- I think it's the first decent review of a Grisham book in a long time (last I remember). I have been on and off again about Grisham's books, (mostly off for a long time) honestly nothing for me will be as good as A Time To Kill, or The Chamber, or as fun as The Firm-- but I have read most of what he's written-- and mostly been "eh" about Grisham for several years. Ok having said that-- as the title of my review states, this is a book you absolutely have to suspend disbelief-- especially if you are even remotely associated with the legal profession and if you're a lawyer - (actually even if you aren't) you will roll your eyes at some points-- but you WILL CONTINUE reading, because, as preposterous as some of the plot turns are, you will want to see where he goes with this. The main character stays in kind of a 'foreshadowing" mode throughout the story- you kind of think and sometimes know where this is going but because the main character is also 'unreliable' - you are left unsure-- so as a reader you wonder if the narrator/main character plots against his 'foes' while simultaneously doing the same to the you (the reader) --- I did think that was pretty interesting on Grisham's part. I can't explain this anymore without spoilers. FYI-- The NYT review was bizarre-- some parts of the review made no sense after i finished the book--and i re-read the review-- this line in particular referring to the main character-- "And Mal happens to be black. That fact seems to have nothing to do with the book until Mr. Grisham makes shrewd use of race later on. " --- what? i don't know what they meant by "shrewd" or "shrewd use" -- and after reading the book, it seems as though the NYT just read a synopsis and Grisham's afterword. This is not a book that will stay with you long after you've read it, but you know what? Sometimes that's just fine. This is NOT a 'legal thriller' in the sense that we are used to. (Grisham admits as much in his afterword). It's not one of his great books, but it IS PRETTY GOOD-- that's why I gave it 3 stars. IF this sounds like I didn't like the book please just take it as a disclaimer because: This is FUN Grisham. It's a commercial break. It's a page-turning novel/thirller/mystery and it's ENTERTAINING- much like I'm sure the invevitable movie will be. I did enjoy this, I couldn't put it down. I do recommend the book with the following caveat: - wait for a lower price.

A real page turner with a plot that is as suspenseful as it is imaginative. A pleasure to read and sorry when it ends. Once again Grisham proves to be a master of mystery. Highly recommended.

One who uses his brain and is bold. You cannot leave it to chance / circumstances. Good holiday read Subra

Consigliato a chi piace Grisham, da leggere in lingua per non perdere le sfumature sello slang confederato, copertina morbida come al solito...

The suspense is stunning, the storyline amazing. All filled with legal details. Well researched. It is a bit of a lengthy drag when Max deals with Nattie since the reader does not have a clue what he is getting at until at the end all is revealed. it overall a great book! Thank you

Grips the reader right from the start. Difficult to put down, and one of Grisham's best novels. When is the film coming out? .

John Grisham roza la perfección con su nueva novela. Es apasionante, adictiva, sorprendente y emocionante. Me la leí en un par de días!!