The Brethren was a pretty good and interesting read however I've seen much better by Grisham. It was nothing like The Firm, The Client or Innocent Man, which are some of my favorites by Grisham to todays date. I just bought the Partner and I hope it's a good read.

Here's another guilty pleasure from John Grisham. Three judges in prison, known as, you guessed it, "the Brethren," have come up with a seemingly perfect extortion scheme, and they're the most likeable characters in the book. What's wrong with this picture? At some level, I guess I admired their resourcefulness. The book is all about money and power, and the character development is nil. The Brethren's biggest vulnerability is their alcoholic attorney who shuffles their correspondence. Will he betray them and make off with their loot? Who's going to win out---the Brethren or their high-profile victim whose ethics are really no better than theirs, and he lacks their charisma. And, best of all, was Grisham prescient in foreseeing events that occurred after his book came out in 2000?

Grisham has produced some books I really have liked and some that are not as good. This one is okay and I found msyelf a bit torn as to what I thought of it.

It revolves around a couple of main sets of characters, a set of 3 disgraced judges who are in jail and a Senator who is "made" into a candidate for President by some powerful behind the scenes people. The judges develop a plan to provide themselves with a nest egg for when and if they get released from prison (their sentences are various lengths). In addition they hold their version of court in jail.

The plot is generally a good one and had alot of potential, but fell short in its execution. The story was somewhat predictable and portions did stretch a bit to make things happen, even in the context of fiction/Grisham. For instance, the candidate and the airplane, a bit too contrived. And there seemed to be one section that was put in that went nowhere. I did not find the charactors as compelling as those in other novels he has written. I sort of found myself trying to hope things worked out for one or the others, but ultimatly it did not work.

Overall there was enough good chapters, sections and some twists that were fun, even though predictable, which still made it okay read to pass some time, but if I was going to recommend a book of his to read, this one would not be on top of the list. Not because of change in style from some of his other works, but more because it did not work as well. If more of the book held up across the board it really could have been a good one.

GREAT BOOK - AS YOU CAN TELL BY MY ORDERS, I AM A BIG JOHN GRISHAM FAN.
THE SERVICE WAS EXCELLENT - I RECOMMEND THE SELLER HIGHLY.

The Brethren actually makes you feel that Grisham wrote this over a lazy weekend. There is no real climax to the novel - it kind of peters to a tame and predicable ending, without any big surprises or twists at the end. The three judges (the brethren), in jail, have a nice racket in place to trap and blackmail people, specifically gay people, extort money from them, stash it away in an offshore account, and hope to have a tidy sum by the time they are free. They walk away free, with a couple of million dollars in the bag. Another subplot concerning a poor kid facing a lifetime in prison despite being innocent walks out free. And then there is Aaron Lake (the politician), who is being 'handled' by the CIA to make a bid for the presidential election, and who seems to have escaped with his skeletons in his cupboard.
The tone of the book, especially when it covers the political scene and the seeming ease with which public perceptions and even elections can be manipulated, is very much biting and satirical.