The Racketeer by John Grisham

Genre: Fiction

Pages: Paper

Publisher: Dell

JAGS: 6

Malcolm Bannister, a former attorney, is convicted to spending 10 years in federal prison for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A federal judge and his young mistress are found dead with no evidence or apparent motive, and Malcolm Bannister knows who has done it. The only problem, Bannister is in jail, and the FBI has no leads.

Everything has a price, including the ace up Bannister’s sleeve as he plots with and against the FBI for an early release, and to catch a killer. You see, Malcolm would love to help out the FBI, but as the man who is known as the Racketeer, everything has a price, and sitting behind cell bars makes his information all the more valuable.

This is a typical Grisham novel about the redemption of a wayward lawyer who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, except that The Racketeer isn’t as nearly as predictable as Grisham’s previous Courtroom dramas. The Racketeer is a fast-paced read with more than its share of plot twists. Out of all of Grisham’s novels, this one by far is better than most, and has the potential of Hollywood movie magic. Quick weekend read.