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Loading... The Brethrenby John Grisham
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. A typical Grisham read . . . meaning riveting and thoughtful. What starts out as two seemingly disparate tales (a pen pal extortion scheme operated by three judges inmates of a federal prison and a Machivellian scheme by the director of the CIA to fix the nomination process and secure the election of a previously unknown hand-picked candidate who will be controlled by the CIA director) come together when CIA finds that their candidate has been ensnared by the extortion ring. (  )dickmanikowski | Mar 25, 2009 |   One of the better Grisham stories. (  )horacewimsey | Dec 16, 2008 | Good, fast, easy read for the middle of the night when you can't sleep and your mind is fuzzy. (  )LBT | Oct 27, 2008 | Grisham Packs a Punch! Political scandals, judicial controversies and an extortion plan that will make three disgraced former judges very rich and powerful men make up this fast-paced thriller. The Brethren have waited for just the right time--the right moment. And that moment has come. While the country is distracted by a presidential election with its own ulterior motives, the three judges have targeted their next victim. I found this novel to be very entertaining and pure Grisham at his best. His characters are multi-dimensional, human and evil, and exploit the adage of "how far are you willing to go to get what you want?' Still, my favorites remain The Client and The Pelican Brief. Overall, John Grisham packs a punch and hits his target every time. Kudos! Cheryl Kaye Tardif, suspense author ( )cherylktardif | Jul 31, 2008 | A great book about extortionists working from a jail who inevitably uncover a secret about a U.S President. Highly recommend it thrillerlover | Jul 30, 2008 | 0.428 seconds to build listing  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0440236673, Mass Market Paperback)John Grisham's novels have all been so systematically successful that it is easy to forget he is just one man toiling away silently with a pen, experimenting and improving with each book. While not as gifted a prose stylist as Scott Turow, Grisham is among the best plotters in the thriller business, and he infuses his books with a moral valence and creative vision that set them apart from their peers.The Brethren is in many respects his most daring book yet. The novel grows from two separate subplots. In the first, three imprisoned ex-judges (the "brethren" in the title), frustrated by their loss of power and influence, concoct an elaborate blackmail scheme that preys on wealthy, closeted gay men. The second story traces the rise of presidential candidate Aaron Lake, a puppet essentially created by CIA director Teddy Maynard to fulfill Maynard's plans for restoring the power of his beleaguered agency. Grisham's tight control of the two meandering threads leaves the reader guessing through most of the opening chapters how and when these two worlds will collide. Also impressive is Grisham's careful portraiture. Justice Hatlee Beech in particular is a fascinating, tragic anti-hero: a millionaire judge with an appointment for life who was rendered divorced, bankrupt, and friendless after his conviction for a drunk-driving homicide. The book's cynical view of presidential politics and criminal justice casts a somewhat gloomy shadow over the tale. CIA director Teddy Maynard is an all-powerful demon with absolute knowledge and control of the public will and public funds. Even his candidate, Congressman Lake, is a pawn in Maynard's egomaniacal game of ad campaigns, illicit contributions, and international intrigue. In the end, The Brethren marks a transition in Grisham's career toward a more thoughtful narrative style with less interest in the big-payoff blockbuster ending. But that's not to say that the last 50 pages won't keep your reading light turned on late. --Patrick O'Kelley (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:23 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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