The Racketeer

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: JD Jackson

Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered.

Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five.

Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judge’s untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland.

On paper, Malcolm’s situation isn’t looking too good these days, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The judge’s body was found in his remote lakeside cabin. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied.

What was in the safe? The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge Fawcett’s death. And the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday....

Nothing is as it seems and everything’s fair game in this wickedly clever new novel from John Grisham, the undisputed master of the legal thriller.

©2012 Belfry Holdings, Inc. (P)2012 Random House Audio

Boring

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Don't really know where the 5's are coming from on this book. Mal or Max is not a very likable guy. The story is hard to follow but still very predictable and the narrator sounds like he's getting payed by the minute. I almost wish they would have put Max back in prison.

Grisham is back!

For those of you who think he never left, let me refer you to "The Litigators," which I am sure was ghost written with or by someone else. But this "The Racketeer" is great.

It's great within the genre. It is pure entertainment -- a page turner, the kind of plot you want to believe but almost cannot. By the midpoint, if you haven't figured out the keystone to the whole thing, it's okay, because the unfolding is great fun. Even if you did figure it out, it is fun watching the details fall into place. The pace of the revelations is careful and effective.

If I have one criticism, it's Bannister's dealings with Nathan. There is something unnecessary there, and I find the disturbance-level to be a little bit outside the genre. There is an underlying beat of "revenge" in this story, but really there is no revenge and there is certainly no revenge to be had on Nathan. The violence and the flip treatment of the guy is a tad overboard. I expected a justification for Bannister's treatment of him, but none was there.

Except for those portions, the book is a romp -- a smug, high-stakes caper replete with shady characters and likeable bad guys and a pinch of environmentalism added to its appeal. It sort of feels like a 1980s episode of Miami Vice. Cars, boats, and private planes.

The narrator nailed the attitude of the main character/narrator. At first, I thought it was going too slow, as others have mentioned, but in time, I fell into the cadence of the reader and found his voice pleasant and appropriate. He attempted no stupid female intonations, and that was a good thing.

There are some odd things that don't quite line up for me in the plot. I found Bannister's meeting Vanessa in the prison visiting room a little unlikely. When they get together the first night, they act like long-time lovers. I also find the FBI's stupidity a little too cliché and convenient. The original deal struck between them and Bannister seemed too sweet, too quick and very unlikely, though I may be wrong and these things may really go that way.

The ensemble of characters is interesting but very much kept in the background of Bannister. Of course the woman is gorgeous, but they and some other background people who help facilitate the ordeal are nearly nameless and very forgettable.

I guess the takeaways here would be -- trust no one and Robin Hood was not a crook.

Suspend disbelief and you will enjoy this tale.

Would you listen to The Racketeer again? Why?

No, I never listen to a novel twice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Racketeer?

The ending but I would not give away the ending to describe it.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene in the Mexican prison.

Any additional comments?

An incredibly complicated plan is hatched in prison by a wronged lawyer who was serving a long sentence because he was the fall guy in a scam. For the plan to work, all actions by the protagonist must be perfectly timed and initiated. Fun fantasy. Not as good as most of Grisham's work but fun nonetheless.

Awkward

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I listened to this selection while taking some long trips for business. I had nothing else to do, so I suppose time spent doing anything is time well spent.

If you’ve listened to books by John Grisham before, how does this one compare?

It felt awkward. I have never been an African-American man, but neither has John Grisham. Crossing ethnicities in this instance just seemed insincere and awkward.

Which scene was your favorite?

Cannot really think of one- the scenes were all very descriptive and made the settings of the scenes very believable and "alive" so the writing in general was really good.

Do you think The Racketeer needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. All summed up just fine in the end. No need to add to it.

Any additional comments?

The character of Malcolm/Max seemed odd and awkward. He was an African American male but his words sounded wrong coming out of his mouth. Some of the inner dialogue seemed really bleached out. Of course, because I am not an African American male, I would defer to someone who is an African American male to give his opinion on this- but it felt like all the other Grisham characters trying to be another ethnicity. The narrator did an excellent job and had a beautiful, almost melodic tone as he read. I would enjoy this narrator again and will look for works where he is reading.

Must Read

Loved the book, narrator was awesome! All kinds of twist and turns. Kept my attention, which is hard to do.

Not up to Grisham standards

What did you like best about The Racketeer? What did you like least?

The story was okay, with lots of twists and turns, but character development lacked, it just felt unpolished. The narrator was amateur at best.

Would you be willing to try another book from John Grisham? Why or why not?

Absolutely. Have read them all.

How could the performance have been better?

Room for improvement. Sounded more like a father reading a bedtime story - well not really even that good. Not professional and polished. Flat and emotion challenged!!

Could you see The Racketeer being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Samuel L. Jackson - he's got that "attitude" thing, much like our Malcomb

Grisham books always a good read

What did you like about this audiobook?

It was not a predictable tale. Until the end, one doesn't know what will happen to all of the characters.

Typical Grisham

Would you consider the audio edition of The Racketeer to be better than the print version?

Good story, a lot of the old John Grisham pag turner, low profanity, no graphic sex. One reason i enjoy reading his books.

I do weary of Grisham's continual haranguing of law enforcement. I am not sure what his beef is with law enforcement in general and our prison system in particular. As a retired law enforcement officer i know he is way over the top on his descriptions of the ineptitude and conniving of the cops. There are some bad eggs but they bug the regular honest dedicated officers far more than they bother the public. I just wish he would just give it a rest!

What other book might you compare The Racketeer to and why?

All of his really great early classics

What about J.D. Jackson’s performance did you like?

Excellent!!!!!

excellent story

What made the experience of listening to The Racketeer the most enjoyable?

great storyline & character development. The ending surprised me and I appreciated the twists and turns.

Compelling Story Unfolds Continuosly

What did you love best about The Racketeer?

Every sentence leads you to wonder what will this fact mean moving forward. John Grisham's storyline is incredibly engaging. You can't wait to hear what comes next.

What did you like best about this story?

You can't imagine any aspect of the story because it's never been told before. The characters are unique and unknown.

Would you be willing to try another one of J.D. Jackson’s performances?

No. Nothing personal but I don't hear this voice reading the story. A Grisham-like voice would make it perfect.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Layers of criminals interwoven.

Any additional comments?

I will read the book because the voice isn't working for me.