Some books start with a thrilling event that just sucks you into the story. Some books start so slowly that you lose interest. This is neither of those.

The Racketeer starts with a lawyer in prison. Of course he claims to be innocent and that seems to be the case. He is serving 10 years but has a plan to get out much sooner. Mildly interesting but you want to know more.

John Grisham is a master story teller and knows how to keep you reading. A bit more of the story becomes apparent as you move through the book. What seems to be a clever and simple plan and takes advantage of several coincidences to get out of jail turns into a more complex plot than first imagined.

There were a few sections that seemed to go on a bit too long. But in retrospect I see the importance of these parts that seemed to drag a bit. There were parts that just seemed merely interesting but these too played an important role in the story (and were also interesting enough that you would keep on going.)

First you think you understand what the lawyer’s get out of jail plan is and then you realize it is more complex (or maybe he is just doing stuff than makes no sense). But at some point some actions begin to make sense and then you see the plot.

It is an enjoyable book. If the lack of action at the beginning bothers you, keep on going. It is a good book. Enjoy!