On an unremarkable morning in October 1946, Pete Banning, decorated war veteran and one of the town of Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite sons, left his farm and drove to the Methodist church and, without fanfare, shot and killed the minister, Dexter Bell. He returned home, offering no explanation for his action.
The mystery of why Pete shot Dexter Bell is the central focus of this story as every aspect of his life is examined. He had only returned the year before after having served in the Philippines and been captured by the Japanese and spent time as a POW and was missing, presumed dead before his miraculous rescue. The story gets the dynamics and tone of the era right, especially this Southern community and its residents. There’s family drama, courtroom action and small town politics that mix to make this a familiar Grisham brew. But the real heart of the book is the chronicling of Pete’s action in the Philippines, the part of World War II that rarely gets the level of attention given to the European and Japanese counterparts. It was brutally honest, graphic and enlightening.
I have mixed feelings about the story. While it was provocative in its start, it became sort of predictable once it progressed. I’m used to the author taking his time to establish time and place but even for him, this felt long and slow. The narrator was outstanding, though, and his cadence matched the period, so much that I had to speed up the audiobook to 1.5. Beck was masterful in his capture of all the colorful characters and the dialect of the region. I figured out the mystery early on, though the twisty angle to it made the ending extremely thought provoking, turning my opinions about everything upside down. It just took too long to get there. However, the historical aspect of the story when in the war setting in the Philippines was truly exceptional. I was riveted, even when Pete’s experiences at the hands of the Japanese were hard to stomach. It was a great history lesson.
Book Info
- Release Date: October 23, 2019
- Narrator: Michael Beck
- Audio Length: 17 hours, 36 minutes
- Publisher: Random House Audio
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Thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Fantastic review! I haven’t read this one yet, but it’s on my list.
Thanks, Darinda! Hope you enjoy💜
Recently I have had a love/hate relationship with Grisham. This book does sound intriguing though. I might give it a go. Wonderful review, Jonetta!
Thank you, Marialyce! I have the same relationship with him, too, as we go back to his first books. It’s been awhile since I’ve read one of his books.
I haven’t read John Grisham since the 1990s! I’m not sure why since I enjoyed the books I read but I picked up a few that I never could get in so never tried again. This sounds interesting though but I’m not sure if I would read him again. Excellent review as always, Jonetta! 💜
Thanks, Stephanie! I overloaded on Grisham in the 90s and then they started reading formulaic. I tried again with The Confession and it didn’t work for me. This one was really interesting but a bit long. However, the historical elements were outstanding.
You’re welcome! That sounds like what I did with James Patterson and Nora Roberts but I’ve not stopped reading Patterson’s Alex Cross series. I know Grisham is good, I think he’s the only author my dad reads. Maybe I’ll give him a try another day.
I’m not a big fan of Grisham to start with, so probably not my thing.
I loved his early works but drifted away years ago. This is my first book in almost ten years. It’s a bit different, not as much emphasis on the courtroom stuff and it’s obvious he researched the hell out of the Philippines conflict of World War II. It was highly educational.
Well, okay, now that sounds a little different, so I might check it out. I just got so bored with the courtroom themes. Though I do have to say, I got back into that trope with Steve Cavanagh’s books. 😀
Wonderful review, Jonetta!
Thank you, Brenda!
Wonderful review! I have not read a book from him in a while!
Interesting that it was set in the Philippines. Makes me want to take a dip into this work although I was so over Grisham’s books a couple of years ago because I find the narrative a bit predictive. 🙂 Good review though.
Thanks, Carl! Only a portion of the book is set in the Philippines, though it was the best part.
great review! But do you think its possible Grisham is a bit outdated in todays time? I haven’t read any of his newer books so am just wondering…
Thanks, Bibliogyan! It’s a great question. I’d need to know his motivation in writing this book. If his goal was to shine light on the World War II veterans who served in the Philippines, mission superbly accomplished. There was also an ironic ending I found deeply meaningful. His messaging was excellent but the journey there could have been shorter.
Hmn.. I understand 🙂
Great balanced review! I must admit I haven’t read anything by the author yet!
Thanks, Meggy! I loved his early stuff but just hope they’re not dated (don’t think so).
Wonderful review! I haven’t read this one yet, but it’s definitely on my TBR.
Thanks, Yvo! If you like historical fiction, you’ll probably like this one.
Great review Jonetta. I love the part about the war. Not sure if it fit with the rest of the story, but it was really interesting. I agree this was not his best book, but that twist at the end blew me away.
Thanks, Carla! I do think it fit perfectly as it really defined Pete. I thought I knew him but the segments in the Philippines made me feel differently about his outcome. And that ending…I had my suspicions.
Jonetta, You nailed the review. I liked it a little more than you, but I haven’t read Grisham in 20 years!
Thank you, Cameron💜 It’s been almost ten for me. I’m really looking forward to our discussion tomorrow!