Rating: 
Summary: Another Page Turner
Review: I liked this book but I'm beginning to see a trend. Grisham, a Southern attorney who has very few clients but lots of money, once again writes (in part) about a Southern attorney (Trevor)with very few clients and lots of money. They all seem to have off-shore accounts, too. I wonder if Grisham does as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Another great thriller from Grisham
Review: With three former federal judges in the Florida federal prison:one for skimming bingo profits, another sent away for tax evasion, and the other for a career ending drunken joyride. The judges just cannot seem to stay away from the wrong side of the law. They are in the middle of an extortion scam to get very rich-very fast. This is a very well written legal thriller with so many twists I found it almost impossible to put
it down. The plot just seems all too real with crooked federal judges, presidential polls and debates, campaign financing, money laundering, and offshore bank accounts. All this and the addition of so many other surprises makes for an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: not another legal thriller
Review: John Grisham scores with another masterpiece. This book has very little of the legal jargon which is customary for a Grisham thriller. I was left wondering where the twist was going to be and was very surprised not to find a huge twist. After the first hundred pages I could already predict the ending, but I was still forced to keep reading. Even without the huge unforeseen twist this is still a book I would recommend, not Grisham's best work, but something that is still very much worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Great idea turns into a woefully predictable yawn
Review: I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought the first 150 pages were great. The political plot line was filled with promise and was quite interesting at first, but as soon as I read about the brethren's pen pal blackmail scheme, I knew what would happen. I hoped that Grisham wouldn't resort to something so obvious and predictable in order to tie the two concurrent plots together - that the CIA somehow missed the fact that their hand-picked, thoroughly vetted Presidential candidate had secretly flirted with an "alternative lifestyle" and was one of the pen pals ripe for the picking to be blackmailed by the three disgraced judges. But of course, Grisham went with the obvious, which was so disappointing because the initial premise was filled with fascinating possibilities.Once we know that the candidate, Rep. Aaron Lake, is ensnared in the brethren's scheme, it's all about CIA damage control and it doesn't even get that interesting. I was anticipating plot developments which were much more intriguing than what actually happened. I feel like I worked harder on coming up with ideas for a captivating conclusion than Grisham did, which is rather sad. And Grisham's premise that even the squeaky clean Rep. Lake had a big ol' skeleton in his closet was depressing and reeked of the "everybody's dirty" liberal mindset parroted by the media, especially during the Clinton scandal years when they were working 24/7 on an offensive defense. It struck me that there was nobody to root for in this book. Maybe we were supposed to root for the allegedly innocent young man in prison with the brethren, who claimed to be unwittingly caught up in a drug conspiracy case, but he wasn't around long enough to really care about what happened to him. Quite frankly, I didn't really care if the CIA killed the ex-judges and their drunken lawyer/accomplice. I didn't care if the CIA's hand-picked candidate was destroyed by the brethren, because when he was asked point-blank if he was hiding anything from his benefactors, he lied - it's not as though the pen pal thing was something that slipped his mind since he ducked Secret Service and snuck out to his anonymous P.O. Box at the first opportunity. I have to admit I was amused by the fact that even Grisham couldn't hide his contempt for certain actions by the anonymous lame duck President who goes un-named but is quite obviously 'inspired' by former President Clinton. In fact, the key to the the CIA's success in their election plot is that the lame duck President owes them a favor for previously saving him when they deflected blame from his administration in a report on the Chinese stealing nuclear secrets from our research laboratories. Too bad that (the stolen nuclear secrets) was fact and not fiction. If you want to read a decent Grisham book, try "A Painted House" or one of his early novels. If you want a political thriller, try David Baldacci or Tom Clancy. "The Brethren" is fast-moving but ultimately rather empty despite an interesting premise.
Rating:
Summary: Poor Plot With Nowhere To Go
Review: ...Here, in The Brethren, the CIA Director decides to handpick the next president. He has no problem with this little mission, but when the candidate turns out to be a closet homosexual ensnared in a blackmail scheme cooked up by three judges doing time in a federal pen, the Director and his minions have serious problems in figuring out how to defuse it. That -- along with a drunk ...lawyer... is the sum and substance of this ridiculous tripe. And, because of this "plot," the book has nowhere to go and simply peters with an extremely ludicrous ending. ...
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS SUCH A GOOD BOOK!
Review: This is I think the first of Grisham's books that I read, and I keep coming back to it. The fact that it's something that could actually happen just makes it all the more amazing. The look into politics and how things happen (and why) is something that can't be believed. Some people say that this book is too mature for kids like me (I'm 15) but I disagree. I think that the issues that are dealt with are real issues that need to be talked about. People are too afraid of the subjects that are raised in this book (that is, gay people and also how politics works) but Grisham brings the issues up realistically.
Rating:
Summary: How to buy an election...
Review: Grisham mixes up his usual law with a bit of prison and politics to create a neat little intertwined novel. Definitely not one of his best, but it is entertaining nonetheless. The book starts with a series of three prisoners as judges jail house courtroom. It's later discovered that these three judges are part of an elaborate scheme to swindle millions from unsuspecting victims. While in DC, the CIA head is concocting a scheme to hand the presidency to a relatively unknown house member. What ensues is a neat dichotomy of small time crime and big time government caught up in each other's corruption. This book is entertaining, especially the details of the election process. Grisham incorporates his impressive story telling ability to further improve it. It does have its flaws though. Mainly, none of the characters really evoke any sympathy, so it's hard to stay attached to the story. Also, unlike many of his other books, the story doesn't transport the reader to the setting. It's more like the story occurs passively. I would recommend this book, especially to Grisham fans, even though it's basically an average Grisham book.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: This is the first Grisham book I have read. I must say that I am impressed. I'm not a fan of legal thrillers, and I know that is what Grisham specializes in. However, after reading the back cover summary of this book at a book store, the story interested me. I finished this book in three days, all 366 pages. I was that captivated. I won't go on about what the story is, because you can read another review for that. My only disappointment with the book was the ending--I would have liked it to be more exciting. But all in all, very entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging tale...
Review: I am a big fan of John Grisham and this book did not let me down. A great tale that effortlessly weaves two storylines. The first storyline is about three former judges who are in a federal prison because they have broken the law they upheld at one point in their lives. They are known as the Brethren - holding court in the prison and maintaining the law library. The Brethren are also involved in a scam which could allow them to get rich quick. The second storyline is about a congressman who runs for president. With the help of a high ranking CIA official, Aaron Lake is becoming an overnight sensation in political circles. While it seems that these two storylines are unrelated, each storyline begins to weave together. The Brethren have some information that could hinder Aaron Lake's bid for the White House. What happens next? Grisham does a great job of building the suspense - he is a master at providing twists and turns just when you think you have figured out the plot. This book is another fine example of Grisham's mastery of suspense. The only reason I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 is that there are a few items that were left hanging in the story...but a great story nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: Wag The Dog
Review: this is a really good book about the government and how corrupt it can be. It kind of reminded me of the clinton sex deal and the movie "wag the dog". I disagree with what another reviewer said about this book not haveing a protagonist. It does, i thought the judges were the protagonists (in a weird way). Not all stories have a cop and a robber type theme. if you like old-style writing, you might not like this book, however for the other 98% of the world this is an excellent additon to any library, one i encourage everyone to read--several times.
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