rack-e-teer: one who obtains money illegally, as by fraud, extortion, etc.
This summer I read and enjoyed John’s baseball novel, Calico Joe (Check out my blog). I haven’t read one of John’s legal thrillers in awhile, so I planned to read his new one as soon as I got my hands on it.
Sunday afternoon, October 21st, I finished John’s very fine, new book. It’s a true reading pleasure. I wish I could have started reading Friday after work and finished by Monday morning, but I didn’t get to it; my schedule wouldn’t allow such a wonderful reading experience. However, I’m giving you a heads up: I would choose to read it just that way.
I declare John Grisham: the Master of the Weekend Entertainment Novel.
The Racketeer is excellent. Vintage John at his best. I’m reminded of the intrigue of The Partner, woven into the jailhouse lifestyle of The Chamber, though not as dark. But mostly, I reflect on the fun I had while reading his Pelican Brief, which was stunning when it landed in 1992. The new form of fiction John created with A Time to Kill and The Firm, became a readers’ habit, and was later copied by so many less natural writers, is alive again in The Racketeer.
The Racketeer, Malcolm Bannister aka Max, is in jail. He’s not guilty, yet his life has been ruined. John is at his clever best, as Malcolm/Max strikes out on a plot of revenge. The Racketeer is John’s Count of Monte Cristo, the all time classic novel of revenge. Move over Count, Max is playing your game.
I’m not going to go into the plot, read for yourself. If you like John, but haven’t read him in awhile, read this one. If you want to escape with a fun-filled weekend, The Racketeer is for you.
You might just finish by revisiting your Grisham bookshelf. See if there is one you haven’t read yet, or we might see you at Lemuria, searching for those Grisham’s you’ve missed. The Racketeer is so good, it makes you want to go back and reread a favorite.
In The Racketeer, John Grisham is at the top of his game. What’s next?
Signed copies of The Racketeer by John Grisham, Doubleday, October 23, 2012, $28.95
The Racketeer is our October First Editions Club Pick along with Three Day Affair by Michael Kardos.
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