I read several Grisham novels early in his career, quit for several years, then tried to get through The Rooster Bar. I quit reading about halfway through, partly because I didn't care for any of the main characters. I thought I'd try his latest, The Reckoning, mainly because it takes place in Ford County, where A Time To Kill was set. I made it to the end, but found only the section concerning WWII really interesting. There was no doubt you would learn why certain things happened at the book's end, but the story seemed so disjointed, and the characters all pretty one-dimensional, I didn't really care. These two latest Grisham books weren't up to the standard of his earlier works.

I read all of Mr. Grisham's novels and look forward to each release with anticipation. But none before have held my interest as much as The Reckoning. My uncle through marriage is a survivor of the Bataan Death March. He never spoke of his experiences. Not a history buff, I had no understanding of the atrocaties of this war. This novel was spellbinding from start to finish.

If I were a writer and knew that I would have to give up money if I didn't have a "book" on my publisher's desk by a date certain, and time was up, this is the kind of load of crap I would dish up. What passes for a plot is meaningless: the whole book is fleshed out with WW II history that needn't be narrated as fiction, and arcane minutiae of criminal and civil procedure that couldn't be more boring and, moreover, is woefully inaccurate. I actually felt that I'd been tricked into reading this steamer by being bamboozled by Grisham's reputation, on which I can't comment. BORING!!!!!!

Great plot, a bit of history added....however I pretty much had it figured out not long into the book. I feel it was one of his “easier” reads. I have read them all!!

John Grisham always seems to find the humanity in changes in life. This one breaks your heart in what war does to a man, his community and his life. There is always more to lose even once the battle is over!