I’m not a detective, nor do I play one on tv. But I do enjoy a good game of cat-and-mouse, as long as I’m a spectator and not playing the role of either cat or mouse. Sometimes, I’ve been known to figure out the “whodunit?” before the big reveal.
In The Racketeer, John Grisham returns to his roots with a true detective story, a guessing game of epic proportions, a storyline with more twists and turns than a Dallas highway interchange. That’s a lot, for those unfamiliar with Texas highways. See what I mean?
(somewhere, a civil engineer is sitting at his or her desk, smiling smugly and nodding, This makes perfect sense. But I digress.)
I’d grown weary of his formulaic writing somewhere around The Brethren. I loyally slogged through The Testament, The Last Juror, The Confession and The Appeal hoping to recapture some of the magic I’d experienced early in our relationship. I tried to enjoy his diversions as I waded through A Painted House and Bleachers. I plodded through Skipping Christmas though I hated it from the beginning. And I really did try to feel justifiably angry at “the system” as I read An Innocent Man. I’d reached the point where I’d walk through the bookstore and see his latest release and think, “John Grisham, I’m just not that into you any more.”
Until I read this book.
Perhaps it’s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps I just needed some “brain candy” after a theologically serious and deep read. Perhaps this book was just *that* good. Whatever the reason, I haven’t been this taken in by one of his legal thrillers since The Partner. That’s a long time, friends.
We’re introduced to Malcolm Bannister, a small-town lawyer unfairly imprisoned. Malcolm is an all-around good guy, solid, smart, articulate and well-mannered. It’s hard to believe a guy like him would ever get wrapped up in something illegal, much less be convicted and thrown in jail. But Malcolm has a secret: knowledge that he uses to his advantage. He plays his hand perfectly, and soon the FBI is twisting arms and making deals along the judicial ladder to not only release Malcolm but provide him with an entirely new life: a new identity, new appearance, new job, and new future.
Except for one thing: the Racketeer.
We soon discover that not is all as it seems. Who’s telling the truth? Who can we trust? Questions like these keep the pages turning quickly, the mental gears turning and churning to put all the pieces together.
Light and fun, not too serious, and definitely no hidden agenda or moral imperative, this book is great entertainment, perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.