"The Racketeer"

I have always been a fan of John Grisham's books, however I am an avid fan of many authors so I haven't read a number of his books published in the last five years or so. I enjoy Swedish authors, Asian stories as well as American writers. For Christmas I received one of his newest novels, "The Racketeer". I was out of new books to read so this was a welcomed gift.

I am not crazy over new electronic gadgets such as the Kindle because I enjoy the smell and the graphics of a new book. Viewing his colorful picture was like looking at an old friend I haven't seen in a while.

I drove right into this one as it grabbed me right from the beginning, signs of a great read. It starts off with the main character Malcom Bannister, an attorney who is presently serving time for a crime he had really not committed. Yes, he made some mistakes such as not looking deeper into a client's integrity status and trusting folks he shouldn't have. He was pressured by the U.S. Attorney's office to plea or his partners in the small firm he worked in would be indicted. They had nothing to do with the case. He did recognize it as a bluff and went with a trial got convicted and sentenced to ten years for a set of white collar crimes.

Mr. Bannister is a smart man and gains even more experience as a "jailhouse lawyer" while serving his time in a fictional "federal camp," in Frostburg, Maryland. I really enjoyed the places that were a part of the book since I live in the Washington D.C. Metro area and have been to many of the small cities and towns he mentions in the book.

The story has you wondering from the first chapter, what is Mr. Bannister doing and why? You do understand his contempt for the "Fed's," since their need to prosecute him and look good without really getting to the truth ruins Mr. Bannister's life. The wife and son who he loved so dearly are lost to time and the need to move on.

The author keeps you guessing and wanting to read on to try and figure out who's who and what part do they play in the main characters new life plans. It at first seems this man will do the ten years he had been sentenced to with no way out. The twists and turns make you want to read deep into the night (which I did), and just when you think you know his plans the story takes a wild spin.

I don't want to spoil it for you so, I will now end this review. It is not a long book so heavy readers like myself will go through it quickly. I enjoyed it and I believe it would make a great movie if, the script follows the book as it is written.