Book Review: “The Racketeer” by ‘John Grisham’ - ‘A Story of Revenge and Greed’

Source: Goodreads

John Grisham's legal thriller book The Racketeer, which had the first printing of 1.5 million copies, was published by Doubleday on October 23, 2012. It spent several weeks at the top of different best-seller lists and was one of the best-selling novels of 2012.

Introduction

Book name - The Racketeer

Author name - John Grisham

Language - English

Adaption-

Genre - Legal Thriller

Synopsis - Non-Spoiler Alert!

Lawyer Malcolm Bannister, age 43, is currently serving a ten-year prison term for money laundering. Malcolm frequently asserts his innocence in the offence for which he was found guilty and holds the FBI accountable for his unjust imprisonment. Malcolm sees his chance to be set free when Judge Raymond Fawcett and his secretary are killed.

Bannister strikes a deal with the FBI using Rule 35, which states that a prisoner may have his sentence reduced if he aids in the investigation of a federal crime. In exchange for his release, a prize, and witness protection, he claims to know who killed the judge and is willing to reveal that information.

He informs them that Quinn Rucker had a reason for wanting to assassinate and rob the judge after the federal government accedes to his demands. Fawcett had accepted a bribe from Rucker in the amount of $500,000 in exchange for dropping the narcotics charges against Quinn's nephew. The child was given a prison term in exchange for the judge accepting the money. Rucker promised to exact justice.

Rucker is coerced into making a confession by the FBI, and when he is charged with killing Judge Fawcett and his secretary Naomi Clary, the FBI frees Malcolm from jail. He receives cosmetic surgery, a new name—Max Reed Baldwin—a residence in Jacksonville, Florida, and a $150,000 reward. Malcolm starts to veer from the plans the federal government has for him and starts to follow his own agenda once he has his independence and the money. He declines the position they offer him. He visits Antigua, Jamaica, and the Caribbean.

About the Authors

John Ray Grisham Jr. is an American novelist, lawyer and former member of the 7th district of the Mississippi House of Representatives, known for his popular legal thrillers. According to the American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 28 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers, and his books have sold 300 million copies worldwide. Along with Tom Clancy and J. K. Rowling, Grisham is one of only three authors to have sold two million copies on a first printing.

Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, was published in June 1989, four years after he began writing it. Grisham's first bestseller, The Firm, sold more than seven million copies. The book was adapted into a 1993 feature film of the same name, starring Tom Cruise, and a 2012 TV series which continues the story ten years after the events of the film and novel. Seven of his other novels have also been adapted into films: The Chamber, The Client, A Painted House, The Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas''.

Personal Verdict

The Racketeer, the latest devilishly smart book by John Grisham. Another successful entry from a writer who has been producing them for more than 20 years.

One component of Grisham's fiendishness is his ability to shock readers, not just with narrative twists and turns (which he excels at), but also by shifting the emotional tone of the story. For instance, The Litigators was his most recent crime novel before The Racketeer. That book was pretty amusing. Not The Racketeer (unless you have a tendency to cackle whenever a crook outsmarts the FBI). Grisham writes in a straightforward, sparse style that rarely alters, yet he has the remarkable ability to make even the most absurd characters attractive and genuine. But despite how cunning and dishonest they may be, his main characters are virtually invariably men (or gals) in white hats

The main character in this story is Malcolm Bannister. Bannister is a helpless lawyer from a Virginian tiny town who appears to have misplaced his white hat. He is currently halfway through an arbitrary ten-year term in federal prison for violating the RICO act, which is another outstanding illustration of how the FBI misapplied that misguided law. He is 43 years old, African-American, and extremely intelligent. Oh, oh wow does he want to exact revenge on the FBI!

Quotes

“I guess under the right circumstances, a man will do just about anything.”
“I was guilty all right. Guilty of stupidity for allowing myself to fall into such a mess.”
“The real tragedy of the federal criminal system is not the absurdities. It is the ruined and wasted lives. Congress demands long, harsh sentences, and for the violent thugs these are appropriate. Hardened criminals are locked away in “U.S. Pens,” fortresses where gangs are rampant and murders are routine. But the majority of federal prisoners are nonviolent, and many are convicted of crimes that involved little, if any, criminal activity.”

Bottom Line

Let's just say that the book's title is sarcastic right from the bat. By the end, it's no longer ironic at all. And how Bannister gets there is where the real fun is. You're smarter than me if you can figure out how he does it before the entire storyline plays out.

By the way, Grisham also has a tendency to display his liberal, reformer side, and The Racketeer is no exception. He challenges the Federal Bureau of Prisons here. Be prepared to be shocked.

My ratings for the movie are 3.5 on 5.

You may buy this book from Amazon, The Racketeer

Written by - Melita Pinto