The Racketeer by John Grisham

The Racketeer by John Grisham – Malcolm Bannister is a 43 year old disbarred lawyer serving a 10 year sentence for a breach of the RICO statutes that have been stretched far beyond their original intent to curb organized crime. Bannister has been convicted of money laundering allegedly being part of a conspiracy involving a shifty Washington D.C. developer and lobbyist. I doubt he would ever have been convicted in Canada of any criminal offence.

While Bannister is incarcerated in a “country club” Federal minimum security prison time is passing painfully slowly. Half way through his sentence his wife has divorced him and ended contact with his son. Friends and relatives hardly ever visit him. Only his father, Henry, comes monthly.

Bannister is a rarity among the white collar criminals being a black man.

He dreams of freedom while focusing on getting through another day of the 1,800 days left in his sentence.

Bannister is a bitter man who has lost his livelihood, his family and his future because of overzealous Federal prosecutors.

When Federal Judge, Ray Fawcett, and his much younger secretary are found executed in his very isolated cabin Bannister does not mourn.

The FBI investigation into the judge’s death falters as there is neither forensic evidence nor an identifiable suspect. Bannister sees a lawful escape from prison and a means to economic prosperity in Fawcett’s death.

Rule 35 of the Federal Court Rules allows an inmate’s sentence to be commuted if he provides the information to get an indictment of another person for a major crime.

Bannister entices the FBI to come to his prison with the promise to identify the killer of Judge Fawcett. With the FBI desperate to solve the crime Bannister is soon able to strike a deal for his release from prison and payment of a reward.

Bannister identifies a former inmate, Quinn Rucker, as the killer. When Rucker is indicted Bannister is freed and enters the Federal Witness Protection Program.

At this point the story becomes less predictable and more intricate.

Bannister proves a master schemer. With an abundance of time in prison he has meticulously plotted his strategy. It is brilliant legal work as he manipulates the Federal judicial system.

Unlike Confession it is not one of the Grisham books that will challenge how a reader views an issue. It is a book with an interesting, even sympathetic, lead character going after a system that had made him a criminal when he was only an ordinary lawyer helping a client buy property.

There are issues to be considered but they do not dominate the book. The Federal Justice Department’s abuse of the RICO statute and its crude treatment of prisoners should make readers fear being caught up in a legal system so focused upon conviction and jail.

In real life, while I believe Conrad Black was wrong in his actions in taking non-compete payments while running Hollinger he should not have been prosecuted. It was a potential civil fraud rather than criminal fraud. How the U.S. Federal Government went after him and included in the indictment individuals far on the periphery of the decisions on the payments while never pursuing the high profile Board of Directors who approved the transactions is a real life illustration of the questionable use of Federal Justice Department power and discretion.

There are darker elements to The Racketeer than some Grisham books.

Grisham is just as skilled as Michael Connelly in drawing the reader forward anxious to know what is on the next page. It is not a brilliant book. It is another good read from Grisham with yet another fascinating lawyer. Unlike The Black Box I liked Grisham’s ending. The Racketeer takes readers on a journey of revenge with a very clever lawyer.

I look forward to Grisham’s next foray into legal mysteries. I hope it will feature a lawyer back in the courtroom, preferably in the southern United States.

This is the first post in trio of posts involving John Grisham. My next post will list all the main lawyers he has featured.(Jan. 2/13)