An epic legal and historical drama by John Grisham. Set in post-World War II Mississippi, the novel begins with a shocking crime: respected farmer, war hero, and family man Pete Banning walks into a church and murders a beloved local pastor in broad daylight.

What makes the crime even more mysterious is that Pete refuses to explain his actions. Despite intense questioning from law enforcement, lawyers, judges, and even his own family, he repeatedly declares that he has nothing to say about the motive behind the killing.

As the story unfolds, Grisham takes readers through Pete's experiences during World War II and reveals long-buried family secrets, personal tragedies, and emotional scars that ultimately explain the shocking act. Blending courtroom drama, historical fiction, mystery, and family saga, The Reckoning is one of Grisham's most ambitious and emotionally powerful novels.