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Although this is John Grisham book it isn't a courtroom drama, it's more of a family secret played out against the backdrop of 1930s and 1940s Missippi and the war in the Philippines. A local landowner and war hero drives into town, rocks up at the church and shoots and kills the local minister. He refuses to give a reason why he has murdered the preacher.
So you have the end of the book in the first chapter. We then work backwards to delve into the murderer's ( hero's?) past and work out how he came to this sorry end. Be warned there isn't a lot of joy in this book. It's a tale of grief, loss, mental illness, infidelity, the horror of war, loneliness and lost love.
I find it an unusual book in its structure and pacing. The pace varies from stagnant when dealing with Pete's long delays in jail to breakneck when describing his brutal army service in the Philippines. His war history is practically irrelevant to the main plot but I found this the most absorbing part of the book. If Mr Grisham were to write a well researched history of a war hero I would definitely read it. I took a while to get into the book but I am glad I persisted.
Overall I enjoyed the book despite some slack areas where nothing appeared to be happening. Mr Grisham writes very evocatively of his native southern states of the USA. So much so, that you can see both the physical beauty and the social cruelty in your imagination.
There is a twist in the tail, which I did not honestly see coming. In summation an enjoyable, unusually plotted and paced sad story.
Selected quotes..
"People were classified, and often judged, by their denomination. And they were certainly condemned if they didn’t claim."
"Meaness does not inspire loyalty."
"Hearing the truth is like grabbing smoke in this family"
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