Status
Checked out
Genres
Collection
Publication
Dell (2000), Edition: First Printing, 464 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER They call themselves the Brethren: three disgraced former judges doing time in a Florida federal prison. One was sent up for tax evasion. Another, for skimming bingo profits. The third for a career-ending drunken joyride. Meeting daily in the prison law library, taking exercise walks in their boxer shorts, these judges-turned-felons can reminisce about old court cases, dispense a little jailhouse justice, and contemplate where their lives went wrong. Or they can use their time in prison to get very rich--very fast. And so they sit, sprawled in the prison library, furiously writing letters, fine-tuning a wickedly brilliant extortion scam--while events outside their prison walls begin to erupt. A bizarre presidential election is holding the nation in its grips, and a powerful government figure is pulling some very hidden strings. For the Brethren, the timing couldn't be better. Because they've just found the perfect victim. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from John Grisham's The Litigators..… (more)
Media reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Only a few megaselling authors of popular fiction deviate dramatically from formula--most notably Stephen King but recently Grisham, too.
User reviews
LibraryThing member CaptKirk
Not bad. It was a little weird in some spots, but overall, pretty good. Probably not my favorite, but it held my interest.
LibraryThing member loveseabooks
Another enjoyable story by Mr. Grisham.
Again, Mr. Grisham has not disappointed me with this story. In the Brethren the author took me on a journey into a political campaign, and how the government can control an election. The characters of the three judges' and their activities were believable.
Again, Mr. Grisham has not disappointed me with this story. In the Brethren the author took me on a journey into a political campaign, and how the government can control an election. The characters of the three judges' and their activities were believable.
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What I appreciated about John Grisham is that each new book that he releases takes me into a new world and I always learn something from his stories. The Brethren is a super story. Enjoy it, it's a wonderful book. Show Less
LibraryThing member tetchechury
Another solid effort by John Grisham. He knows how to write the legal thrillers very well, and always does a good job with them.
LibraryThing member nderdog
Great book! One of my favorite Grisham novels, it's a really intriguing story that sucks you in.
LibraryThing member sookmei
Great representation of how great planning works! However, your target market for any planning should be selected carefully ;-)
LibraryThing member LBT
Good, fast, easy read for the middle of the night when you can't sleep and your mind is fuzzy.
LibraryThing member dickmanikowski
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
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member jaypoxx
The book tried to be exciting and how it ended was ugly.
LibraryThing member hermit
This book is well written. The author has weaved two story lines that are tied together extremely well and the the two premises are very interesting. Three imprisoned judges pulling off for them what appears to be a safe blackmail scheme. And the CIA buying the Next president of The USA. Finally
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Grisham is back on his game for thiss book is funny and easy to read. It is better than his last two. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecw0647
Grisham has to be one of the most cynical authors writing legal fiction today. Everyone is corrupt, thinking only of himself, and money rules.
The "Brethren" are three ex-judges who have been incarcerated in a minimum security federal prison for a variety of avaricious crimes. While in prison, they
A subplot, that becomes mixed with the affairs of the Brethren concerns Teddy Maynard, director of the CIA, who, appalled by the fall of communism and the concomitant reduction in military spending, conspires to find a candidate of suitable malleability, whom he can groom to be the next president. Aaron Lake, handsome, widowed, a light drinker, with no political baggage, seems the perfect choice. Just to be on the safe side, though, Maynard has Lake followed everywhere. By instigating terrorist actions at the appropriate time, and collecting huge amounts of money from weapons manufacturers who stand to reap huge profits from Lake's sole campaign promise: to double the defense budget; Maynard assures that Lake soon has a commanding lead over the vice-president, the previous front runner. Maynard will stop at nothing, including orchestrating a murder, to realize his dream of controlling the president.
While following Lake, Maynard's agents discover he has a PO Box hidden away. They "borrow" the mail - notice the CIA has already been involved in several gross violations of the law, all in the name of national security - and discover to their horror that their "perfect" candidate is conducting a surreptitious correspondence with a young man looking for a wealthy male gigolo. We know that the young man, Ricky" is really the creation of the Brethren. The Brethren, always careful, learn who "AL" really is, and see a huge windfall in the making. What better extortion candidate than someone running for president. Soon they realize that there is a third party involved, a very powerful group of men, but they are determined to make the most of the situation. The ending, which I won't reveal, is less a blockbuster than a revelation of Grisham's sordid view of the world.
The "Brethren" are three ex-judges who have been incarcerated in a minimum security federal prison for a variety of avaricious crimes. While in prison, they
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procure the services of Trevor, a greedy little lawyer who agrees to act as the go-between in a dirty scheme to extort money from gay men who are fearful of being outed. Trevor bribes the prison guards to look the other way while he "smuggles" in forbidden documents and deposits their ill-begotten proceeds in an off-shore bank account. It's all very sordid.A subplot, that becomes mixed with the affairs of the Brethren concerns Teddy Maynard, director of the CIA, who, appalled by the fall of communism and the concomitant reduction in military spending, conspires to find a candidate of suitable malleability, whom he can groom to be the next president. Aaron Lake, handsome, widowed, a light drinker, with no political baggage, seems the perfect choice. Just to be on the safe side, though, Maynard has Lake followed everywhere. By instigating terrorist actions at the appropriate time, and collecting huge amounts of money from weapons manufacturers who stand to reap huge profits from Lake's sole campaign promise: to double the defense budget; Maynard assures that Lake soon has a commanding lead over the vice-president, the previous front runner. Maynard will stop at nothing, including orchestrating a murder, to realize his dream of controlling the president.
While following Lake, Maynard's agents discover he has a PO Box hidden away. They "borrow" the mail - notice the CIA has already been involved in several gross violations of the law, all in the name of national security - and discover to their horror that their "perfect" candidate is conducting a surreptitious correspondence with a young man looking for a wealthy male gigolo. We know that the young man, Ricky" is really the creation of the Brethren. The Brethren, always careful, learn who "AL" really is, and see a huge windfall in the making. What better extortion candidate than someone running for president. Soon they realize that there is a third party involved, a very powerful group of men, but they are determined to make the most of the situation. The ending, which I won't reveal, is less a blockbuster than a revelation of Grisham's sordid view of the world.
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LibraryThing member swl
Such a disappointment after enjoying The Last Juror so much. There is not a single likeable character in this book. It is impossible to care about who gets caught at their misdeeds. I'll admit that the twin plots - a purchased presidency and a porn con run from jail - were intriguing enough to
In romance writing, there's a rule that if the hero and heroine could settle things by one long and honest talk, then your conflict is not adequate. In the same vein, Lake's little predilection could have been solved early on without any of the ensuing drama, after the reader buys into the (not-terribly-credible) world JG describes. This is a rookie mistake and it was definitely distracting.
And again with the sailing/desert island fantasy! Enough, I beg you, JG!
Is it possible that this book was ghost-written? A few times recently I've noticed such disparities in the quality of books by well-known authors, esp. those who are publishing frequently. And I've heard rumors (eg Koontz)...somehow I wouldn't have guessed JG would do it though.
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sweep me along, and everything was techincally competent and well-enough paced.In romance writing, there's a rule that if the hero and heroine could settle things by one long and honest talk, then your conflict is not adequate. In the same vein, Lake's little predilection could have been solved early on without any of the ensuing drama, after the reader buys into the (not-terribly-credible) world JG describes. This is a rookie mistake and it was definitely distracting.
And again with the sailing/desert island fantasy! Enough, I beg you, JG!
Is it possible that this book was ghost-written? A few times recently I've noticed such disparities in the quality of books by well-known authors, esp. those who are publishing frequently. And I've heard rumors (eg Koontz)...somehow I wouldn't have guessed JG would do it though.
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LibraryThing member JoAnnSmithAinsworth
At first I thought there were two different stories in the book. There were so many characters, I started getting mixed up. About 2/3rds along, the two stories merged and made sense. The ending was a surprise for me.
LibraryThing member Icefirestorm
A crime reaches from inside prison to the outside world with potentially far reaching consequences. Unfortunately, once I got a little way into it, I found the story quite predictable.
LibraryThing member Anagarika
One of Mr. Grisham's best. A good read.
LibraryThing member horacewimsey
One of the better Grisham stories.
LibraryThing member dekan
this one wasn't too bad. it is about 3 judges that were put in prison for one monetary reason or another and the scam they run from prison to bank some money if and when they get out. it also ties in the outside with a presidental election. the only thing that really sucked about this book was the
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ending. it just sort of stopped. i hate it when books do that. but is wasn't a bad read before that. Show Less
LibraryThing member lizamichelle1
Was a little confusing, too many characters for 2 different stories, that eventually became one. For me that is when it became more interesting. The ending was disappointing.
LibraryThing member EmScape
Three incarcerated judges conceive of a money-making scam they are able to run from federal prison: enticing closeted gay men to write to the fictional "Ricky" and "Percy" and then extort money by threatening to expose their predilections. Meanwhile, Aaron Lake is a senator selected by the CIA to
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run for President on a platform of doubling the defense budget (this was clearly written prior to the 2000 elections). The intersection of these two stories is entertaining as well as suspenseful as the CIA is expending a multitude of resources surveilling three bumbling elderly felons trying to figure out what they know and attempting to contain the fallout. Show Less
LibraryThing member ALincolnNut
In this, yet another John Grisham legal thriller, the author spins another exciting and exotic tale from the fringes of the American legal system. Telling the story of three former judges serving time in a federal prison, he paints an intriguing picture of the seedy underbelly of the prison system,
In Grisham's most satisfying book since "The Runaway Jury," "The Brethren" is a page-turner merging the story of these three disgraced judges with a partially rigged presidential election. Merging a tale of sex and politics, with the very active involvement of the CIA Director, the story moves at a fast clip, filled with twists and turns.
Unlike some of Grisham's other books, this one is less tied to the intricacies of the law. In fact, the main catalysts for the story are decidedly out of legal bounds, focusing on manipulation and extortion. The characters are economically drawn, in the style of a thriller, with perhaps only an alcoholic attorney as an intriguing, three dimensional personality.
Still, the book is entertaining and absorbing. If not Grisham's best, and it's hard to imagine that he'll ever top "The Firm," it is still an excellent book, a unique thriller with ominous overtones that heighten the suspense.
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where three people with legal know-how and moxie can perpetrate an extortion scheme under the disinterested noses of the minimum security guards.In Grisham's most satisfying book since "The Runaway Jury," "The Brethren" is a page-turner merging the story of these three disgraced judges with a partially rigged presidential election. Merging a tale of sex and politics, with the very active involvement of the CIA Director, the story moves at a fast clip, filled with twists and turns.
Unlike some of Grisham's other books, this one is less tied to the intricacies of the law. In fact, the main catalysts for the story are decidedly out of legal bounds, focusing on manipulation and extortion. The characters are economically drawn, in the style of a thriller, with perhaps only an alcoholic attorney as an intriguing, three dimensional personality.
Still, the book is entertaining and absorbing. If not Grisham's best, and it's hard to imagine that he'll ever top "The Firm," it is still an excellent book, a unique thriller with ominous overtones that heighten the suspense.
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LibraryThing member aketzle
Meh. I think I'm over Grisham. I liked several of his books, but once you've read a bunch of them, they're kind of all the same thing. Also, he tries to incorporate an element of international espionage/intrigue into this one, and it comes off as rather amateur. I don't think that's his forte.
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Domestic courtroom dramas he's great at. Show Less
LibraryThing member HenriMoreaux
An excellent story of a prison extortion scam, run by 3 ex-judges who now find themselves prisoners, that ensnares a far more powerful victim than they realise; an upcoming presidential nominee with powerful friends.
I found it to be quite a scintillating tale following the unfolding of the
I found it to be quite a scintillating tale following the unfolding of the
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extortion scam, how the victims were dealing with it as well as the seeming downfall of the alcoholic lawyer who acted as the outside contact for the ex-judges. Show Less
LibraryThing member RamzArtso
It was okay.
LibraryThing member diananagy
Another of my fave John Grisham novels!
LibraryThing member jandm
Great story, but let down by the unbelievable action of the CIA throughout.
LibraryThing member nancynova
The judges in prison set up a gay scam�and wind up reeling in a presidential candidate backed by the CIA. Very good
Subjects
Awards
Whitcoulls Top 100 Books (31 — 2010)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000
Physical description
464 p.; 4.16 inches
ISBN
0440236673 / 9780440236672