The Racketeer

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: JD Jackson

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Nothing is as it seems and everything’s fair game in this “deeply engrossing thriller” (The Washington Post) from the undisputed master of the legal thriller.

“The Racketeer is guilty of only one thing: keeping us engaged until the very last page.”—USA Today

In the history of the United States, only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five. His body is found in his remote lakeside cabin. There is no sign of forced entry or struggle. Just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied.

One man, a former attorney, knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and why. But that man, Malcolm Bannister, is currently residing in the Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland. Though serving time, Malcolm has an ace up his sleeve. He has information the FBI would love to know. Malcolm would love to tell them. But everything has a price—and the man known as the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday.

Critic reviews

“Exhilarating . . . surprising . . . ingenious.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Grisham at his best: tilting at injustice . . . A satisfying, deeply engrossing thriller in which different forms of justice are ultimately served.”—The Washington Post

“Fast-paced . . . with enough startling plot twists—and changes of scenery, from Miami to Montego Bay and beyond—to surprise even the most suspicious reader.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Tautly plotted.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Devious fun . . . almost impossible to keep up with.”—New York Daily News

“Precisely plotted . . . Grisham is back in top form.”—Publishers Weekly

“[A] complex tale of cat and mouse . . . Evenly paced, smart legal thriller—trademark Grisham, in other words.”—Kirkus Reviews

slow at first and then POW !! your hooked !

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Being a devout Grisham fan, I have high expectations. As usual, it took some ground work, but once the action and story started to unfold.....it was captivating! I cared about the characters and was intrigued and entertained as it all unfolded.

Greatly enjoyed the story

Both my wife and I greatly enjoyed this well-crafted story. I was especially pleased that all the loose ends were tied by the conclusion. While I have read/listened to most of Grisham's novels, this is the best of his stories since "The Testament." Glad to see this popular author back in full swing.

Better than the last reviewer liked it. I thought of it as the book version of the movie “ The Sting”

The book was two stories in one with the transition between stories not very smooth. Good guys are not always good and bad guys not always bad but usually with bad lurking nearby

Great story!

Loved this legal thriller with all the twists. It stayed interesting all the way to the very end!

Excellent

The story was engrossing and the narration was some of the best I’ve heard, definitely worth a credit!!