Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida (1)
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa (2)
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (1)
- England (3)
- France (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Wednesday, December 11, 2019
"Windy" Murder Mystery Gets a "Meh" From Me
6:12 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
A Bataan death march survivor, 43-year-old Pete Banning has been home in Clanton, Mississippi for a year. As a war hero, a cotton farm owner, a husband, a father, and a quiet, serious man, he's respected among the townsfolk. It comes as a complete surprise, then, when Pete walks calmly into the Clanton Methodist Church and shoots Dexter Bell, its popular pastor. When asked why he murdered the 39-year-old minister, Pete simply replies, "I have nothing to say." Everyone is baffled by the crime, which has them all asking, "What makes one good man kill another good man?"
This simple, but intriguing premise is at the heart of John Grisham's 2018 novel, The Reckoning. The story recalls Pete's life and military service, all en route to explaining his role in Dexter's death. Although the novel rambles on for far too many pages, its compelling premise kept me reading. In spite of the wordiness (or "windiness" as Grisham likes to say), I definitely wanted to know why Pete did what he did. I can't say I felt a lot of attachment to the characters in this one, though. Nor did I find its finale satisfying. Overall, The Reckoning is a sad, depressing read that's well-written, but boring and not very memorable or enjoyable. My conclusion? Meh.
(Readalikes: the war chapters reminded me of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand)
Grade:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)


Reading
Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce

Listening
The Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
-
-
-
-
-
Favorite Mysteries I Read in 20243 hours ago
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Never Reviewed3 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Review: The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers12 hours ago
-
-
Not Nothing19 hours ago
-
-
Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey20 hours ago
-
Takahashi, Yuta "The Chibineko Kitchen"23 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Week In Review #73 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
Sunday Post #5611 week ago
-
January 2025 Reading Wrap Up2 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October3 months ago
-
Review: The Duke and I5 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus6 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!


Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ▼ 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
0 bookworm(s) said...:
Post a Comment
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!