The Reckoning by John Grisham grabbed me from the very beginning. One morning Pete Banning, a favorite in Clayton, Mississippi, walked in and shot his pastor and went home. When the sheriff came he calmly handed over his gun. As he was questioned by police, his family, a jury, his only remark was “I have nothing to say.” 

I had no idea where this story was going until the end. We come to learn of Peter and his story, of his time in the jungles of the Philippines during World War II, of his family relationships. We follow his sister and children as they try to come to grips to what Peter has done. I became invested in the characters and following their lives so at times this was an emotionally difficult read. 

I really enjoyed the look into the death penalty. The story also shows the lasting effects on many from just one choice of one person