John Grisham: The Racketeer (September 2023)

The Racketeer is an intricately plotted book on the themes of a miscarriage of justice and the desire for revenge.

It is related in the first person by former attorney Malcolm Bannister who, whilst working for a law firm, got tricked into involvement in a money laundering scheme on behalf of what he thought was a legitimate company. By the time he realised it was too late to extricate himself. The criminals, adept in these activities, had covered their tracks. Malcolm, it is relevant to point out, an African American was subject to the full force of the law and the FBI threw the book at him.

Sentenced to 10 years in a federal prison, he lost his liberty, his career, wife and son, the firm who employed him are implicated and his morally upright father holds him in contempt.

He comes up with a plan to get his own back by cooperating with the FBI in solving the murder of a judge and his secretary and in return obtain a new life with reward money, witness protection and a new appearance after plastic surgery.

Malcolm had other agendas and John Grisham kept us guessing throughout the many twists and turns in his book.

The use of the first person narrative gave us an immediate connection with the main protagonist though one of the group felt the characters were a bit one-dimensional and found the book rather flat. Without wishing to give the plot away, there was a suggestion from another reader that greed got in the way.

John Grisham’s knowledge of the law and the penal system are clearly demonstrated in the Racketeer as is sympathy for the underdog taking on powerful corrupt forces which added to our appreciation and enjoyment of the book.

Most of the group were familiar with John Grisham through screen adaptations but we thought that, judging by this book, we would read him again.

4/5