Rating: 
Summary: Not his best......but a good read anyway!
Review: Comparing this to Grisham's earlier work, The Brethren fails to stack up. Written a bit too simple, and lacking the punch & suspense I've come to appreciate from him, this is not his best work. But, I will continue to buy any new Grisham novel and give him the benefit of the doubt.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome!
Review: I have read every single book John Grisham has ever written (including The Chamber yuck). Once again he has turned out an outstanding book worthy of staying up until 3 in the morning to finish it. This book did not have the on the edge of your seat feeling as some of his other books have had, but it is still an incredible book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for good, exciting reading. Two thumbs up! Can't wait for the next book to come out.
Rating:
Summary: Where's the ending?
Review: I am a great fan of Grisham's work; but, I was very disappointed with the ending of The Brethren. I always look forward to the trademark blockbuster endings but this book didn't seem to end...it just faded away.
Rating:
Summary: the concept is good, but...
Review: mr. grisham fails in his writing. this is the first book of mr. grisham's that i have read. the story line was very good but i felt as if this was written for a 12 year old child. the chapters divide nothing. paragraphs jump from one scene to the next with out warning. some of the characters are barely developed. it seems to me that mr. grisham rushed through this book just to get it done. i did the same when i read it. if you decide to buy this book, buy the paperback edition.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Grisham's best...
Review: John Grisham's books are usually great - I remember whizzing through "The Chamber" and "The Testament" in a night or two. "The Brethren" didn't do that for me. The problem with "The Brethren", as I see it, is it's lack of creditability. The stories isn't connected and intertwained in a proper way. And, as many people have said, the ending was a let-down. Grisham had built up to a climax. But it never happened. It seems like he have been pushed to release the book at a particular date, and that he just had to end the book to meet that date. A better ending would have improved the book quite a lot.
Rating:
Summary: Not one of his best....
Review: but still a good, quick read. Good beach or travel material. Not the typical page-turner, finish in the wee morning hours that Grisham has written before. Interesting story line, but I think that I expected more. His other books, while being a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-chair novels, seemed to be at least a little believable and highly suspenseful. I don't know if I just didn't click with the characters in The Brethren, but I just wasn't as interested in finishing this book as some of his others.
Rating: 
Summary: good, quick read
Review: I enjoyed this book. I've been a huge Grisham fan for a long time and I thought this book was an interesting turn for him. I enjoyed the two separate plot lines and waiting for them to intersect. The characters were interesting, the judges were all men lamenting what they lost on the outside, but trying to make up for it through their little scams. Their dirty lawyer is completely predictable. The CIA/presidential race is comical, espeically in light of the upcoming election. I thought overall that this was an enjoyable and quick read. It certainly isn't as heavy as the Rainmaker or A Time to Kill as far as raising your social consciousness, but I found it on the same par as the Firm or Pelican Brief in regards to story line. I would recommend it to all.
Rating:
Summary: standard Grisham
Review: Whether that's good or bad depends on your point of view. First off, I don't rehash the plot in my reviews, you can read the synopsis for that. It's a review not a book report. The plot is a little weak yet plausible. As others have said, it more or less says the government is corrupt and people can be bought. Grisham does a great job with character development in this book though. I don't always have time to read straight-through or even in 2-3 days so I sometimes forget something about a minor character that may turn out to be important later. He seemed to know exactly where I would stop each time as every time I picked the book back up, Grisham would remind me about the characters. I normally would find keeping the 3 judges straight hard to do but the author gave them their own stories wonderfully. While this was not paticularly exciting, I did find it to be a good read and it will definitely be worth the price of a paperback. It has been better than the last couple so hopefully Grisham will give us some great reading again like his first couple of books.
Rating:
Summary: By far Grisham's least inspired work
Review: To me The Brethren was like going to the amusement park to hop on the newest roller coaster, waiting in line for 3 hours, and then finding that the ride is nothing more than a train going around a flat track. The Brethren is the story of three ex-judges who rule their prison and reprise their once respectable status by holding judgment over jailhouse disputes. All three are nearing the age of retirement and facing the idea of either dying in prison or being released to a life of destitution. This in mind, the three cook up a can't fail plan to extort huge amounts of money from rich men foolish enough to fall into their net. At the same time there is a story about a congressman from Arizona who is hand selected by the head of the CIA to be the next President. His strong support of the military, innocent looks, and impeccable record make him a shoe in to with the race. It doesn't take more than two chapters to realize that these stories are going to converge in a very predictable manner, with very predictable results. What's really sad about this book is that there isn't any character to care about. And the final payoff does nothing but leave you wanting to return the check for insufficient funds. John Grisham has written a number of very engaging and readable books (A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Partner). But each time I read a new Grisham, I ask myself why he has such a hard time recapturing that magic. Perhaps it's because he is trying for quantity and not quality.
Rating:
Summary: Crime Pays!
Review: I really enjoyed reading Grisham's earlier novels. I did not enjoy this one. This novel followed the same new pattern that Grisham uses...crime pays. This novel does nothing more but reiterate that the American Government is crooked and in the end it is all right to do wrong, because heck, you will get away with it. If you really have to read all of Grisham's novels go ahead, but, it's all claptrap.
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