The Racketeer : A Novel

*Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five. *Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judgeвЂTMs untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland. On paper, MalcolmвЂTMs situation isnвЂTMt looking too good these days, but heвЂTMs got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The judgeвЂTMs body was found in his remote lakeside cabin. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied. What was in the safe? The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge FawcettвЂTMs death. And the Racketeer wasnвЂTMt born yesterday . . . Nothing is as it seems and everythingвЂTMs fair game in this wickedly clever new novel from John Grisham, the undisputed master of the legal thriller. Review Praise for THE LITIGATORS:'Grisham is brilliantly comic in a novel that is full of zest and brimming with memorable characters and rich storylines' -- The Sunday Times 'A superbly plotted legal thriller' -- Sunday Express Praise for John Grisham:'The best thriller writer alive' -- Ken Follett, Evening Standard 'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' -- The Times About the Author JOHN GRISHAM is the author of twenty-five novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and two novels for young readers. He lives in Virginia and Mississippi. *Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five. *Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judge’s untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland. On paper, Malcolm’s situation isn’t looking too good these days, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The judge’s body was found in his remote lakeside cabin. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied. What was in the safe? The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge Fawcett’s death. And the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday . . . Nothing is as it seems and everything’s fair game in this wickedly clever new novel from John Grisham, the undisputed master of the legal thriller. Review Praise for THE LITIGATORS:'Grisham is brilliantly comic in a novel that is full of zest and brimming with memorable characters and rich storylines' -- The Sunday Times 'A superbly plotted legal thriller' -- Sunday Express Praise for John Grisham:'The best thriller writer alive' -- Ken Follett, Evening Standard 'Grisham is a superb, instinctive storyteller' -- The Times About the Author JOHN GRISHAM is the author of twenty-five novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and two novels for young readers. He lives in Virginia and Mississippi. Suspense "The Racketeer is guilty of only one thing: keeping us engaged until the very last page."--USA Today #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In the history of the United States, only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five. His body is found in his remote lakeside cabin. There is no sign of forced entry or struggle. Just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied. One man, a former attorney, knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and why. But that man, Malcolm Bannister, is currently residing in the Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland. Though serving time, Malcolm has an ace up his sleeve. He has information the FBI would love to know. Malcolm would love to tell them. But everything has a price--and the man known as the Racketeer wasn't born yesterday. Praise for The Racketeer "Exhilarating . . . surprising . . . ingenious."--Janet Maslin, The New York Times "A satisfying, deeply engrossing thriller in which different forms of justice are ultimately served."--The Washington Post "Fast-paced . . . with enough startling plot twists--and changes of scenery, from Miami to Montego Bay and beyond--to surprise even the most suspicious reader."--The Wall Street Journal "Tautly plotted."--Entertainment Weekly When a federal judge and his secretary fail to appear for a scheduled trial and panicked clerks call for an FBI investigation, a harrowing murder case ensues and culminates in the imprisonment of a lawyer who imparts the story of who killed the judge and why. Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fogletree has just become number five. His body was found in the basement of a lakeside cabin he had built himself and frequently used on weekends. When he did not show up for a trial on Monday morning, his law clerks panicked, called the FBI, and in due course the agents found the crime scene. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies, Judge Fogletree and his young secretary. I did not know Judge Fogletree, but I know who killed him, and why. I am a lawyer, and I am in prison. It's a long story #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “ The Racketeer is guilty of only one thing: keeping us engaged until the very last page.”— USA Today • In the history of the United States, only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five. His body is found in his remote lakeside cabin. There is no sign of forced entry or struggle. Just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied. One man, a former attorney, knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and why. But that man, Malcolm Bannister, is currently residing in the Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland. Though serving time, Malcolm has an ace up his sleeve. He has information the FBI would love to know. Malcolm would love to tell them. But everything has a price—and the man known as the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday. Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM!