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From Amazon
Before he was sent to federal prison for treason (among other things), Joel Backman was an extremely powerful man. Known as "the broker," Backman was a high roller--a lawyer making $10 million a year who could "open any door in Washington." That is, until he tried to broker a deal selling access to the world's most powerful satellite surveillance system to the highest bidder. When caught, Backman accepted prison as the one option that would keep him safe and alive, since the interested parties (the Israelis, the Saudis, the Russians, and the Chinese) were all itching to get their hands on his secrets at any cost. Little does he know that his own government has designs on accessing that information--or at least letting it die with him. Now, six years after his incarceration, the director of the CIA convinces a lame duck president to pardon Backman, and the broker becomes a free man--and an open target.
The Broker marries the best of John Grisham's many talents--his ability to immerse himself in the culture of small-town life (in this case, Bologna, Italy), and his uncanny mastery of the chase. The first half of the book focuses on Backman's transformation from infamous power broker to helpless victim in his own game. Upon his release from prison, Backman is taken into "protective custody" and whisked off to Italy where he is assigned a new identity, and a tutor to help him blend in. Sure he is on the run, but some readers may feel that Backman's time spent in Bologna is a bit too leisurely--readers join him on an almost cinematic tour through the Italian town, complete with language and history lessons. Impatient readers will be happy to know that the final half of the novel is classic Grisham--a fast-paced, thrilling cat and mouse chase pitting Backman against the numerous agencies that want him dead--as the broker makes a move to take back his life. --Daphne Durham
Grisham: The Books
Essential Grisham
Amazon Editor Favorites
 A Time to Kill |  The Firm |  A Painted House |
 The Client |  The Rainmaker |  The Pelican Brief |
Bestselling Grisham
Amazon Customer Favorites
 The Last Juror |  Skipping Christmas |  Bleachers |
 The Testament |  The Partner |  The King of Torts |
Best Grisham Books on DVD
 A Time to Kill |  The Pelican Brief |  The Client |
 The Firm |  The Rainmaker |  The Chamber |
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Readers will find an amiable travelogue to Italy and its charms in Grisham's latest. What they won't find are the suspense and inspired plotting that have made the author (The Last Juror, etc.) one of the world's bestselling writers. Yet Grisham remains a smooth storyteller, and few will fail to finish this oddball tale of what happens to ruined D.C. powerbroker Joel Blackman, 52, when he's suddenly released from federal prison after six years. Teddy Maynard, legendary CIA director, has engineered the release in order to put Joel into a variant of the witness protection program and then see who kills him. Many want him dead—the Saudis, the Israelis, especially the Chinese—because of his role in trying to sell a global satellite spy system that would alter the world's balance of power; that was what got Joel imprisoned, and the CIA hopes that whoever kills him will clue them in to who may have access to the satellites. Joel is relocated to Bologna, and much of the narrative consists of his touring that city, its historic sights and its many restaurants, and learning Italian ways from his male handler, Luigi, and his language tutor, Francesca—a middle-aged woman with whom he falls in love. A major subplot concerns Joel's secret dealings with his stateside son to prepare for escape from Bologna if necessary. Eventually, the CIA leaks Joel's whereabouts to his enemies, who dispatch killing teams. Can Joel broker his way to safety? There's some depth to the troubled relationship between Joel and his tutor, but otherwise the novel reads like a contented afterthought to a memorable Italian vacation, with little action or tension, plastic characters and plot turns that a tricycle could maneuver. Still, anyone wishing to learn how and why Bologna built its famed porticos, why to be wary of most Italian desserts and how to send an encrypted wireless message using a global cell phone will find that information cheerfully given here. (Jan. 11) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an alternate
Mass Market Paperback
edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Wet Firecracker...,
By
This review is from: The Broker (Mass Market Paperback)
The Broker by John Grisham - if the cover is to be believed - was once a New York times bestseller which boggles me completely since this was such a bad novel. But taking a step back I see how it is easy to mistake this book for an intense thriller. One: the piece in question is written by John Grisham a widely acclaimed writer. Two: the plot summary makes the book sound like the perfect spy thriller.The main character Joel Backman has just been granted a last minute pardon from the president and the CIA whisks him off to Italy. Why? Because before he was arrested Backman was the most powerful lobbyist in Washington and during his career he compromised the world's most advanced satellite system. This led to his subsequent arrest; his jail time working as both punishment and protection. Protection from some angry people not only in the US but also in other countries. Now the CIA intends to keep Backman in Italy, leak his whereabouts to several foreign governments, and see who gets him, hopefully answering some of their own questions about the satellites. Sound ominus and exciting? That's exactly what I thought when I first bought it. But boy was I wrong. The plotline has as much bang as a wet firecracker. It is also frequently illogical and un-realistic. Grisham, known for his lawyer stories, warns readers that espionage novels are not his speciality. The only problem is he tells us this in the afterword. If only he warned me in the introduction!!! Two moderately good things come out of this mess. One is the main character. Even though he glosses over physical appearance, he makes Backman a very charismatic character. Witty and intelligent I began to like him despite his slimy background as a lobbyist. I also give Grisham props for his research of Bologna, Italy the main setting for the story. History, landmarks, streetnames, he knew it all. Besides Backman and Bologna though Grisham fails miserably to bring anything else to life. My Verdict: Don't under any circumstances buy this book unless your a hardcore collector of Grisham books. Or maybe you want a narrative guide of Bologna, Italy.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Much better this time,
By
This review is from: The Broker (Mass Market Paperback)
I think The Broker is an improvement from the last few Grisham's titles which gave me the impression that he was already past his prime. On the other hand, considering the number of titles that he produced within the last few years, sometimes I was sometimes questioning whether some to the books were indeed written by him, or maybe they were just bearing his name to help selling them. In some way The Broker brought us back the old Grisham . I have again spent a few sleepless nights with the book in bed (I am a slow reader). It is definitely worth your time.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Grisham Out of His Depth,
By "corbs66" (Listowel, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Broker: A Novel (Hardcover)
In the Author's Notes at the end of the book, Grisham states "If something in this novel approaches accuracy, it's probably a mistake". Purchasing this book in hardcover was my mistake.He admits that his background is not in tecnology or espionage, and that he did not do any research when writing this book. This laissez faire attitude toward his craft greatly shortchanges his readers. Other writers (Jeffery Deaver and Greg Iles come to mind) spend a great deal of energy researching their subject matter and it comes through in their work. What Grisham has done here is an amteurish hack job. I have been a fan of Grisham for years, but this book was simplistic and boring. Part of what has made Grisham a bestselling author is his ability to create sympathetic characters (be they scoundrels are outright criminals). In The Broker he has failed to create a chracter who is even interesting. By the end of the book I suspect most readers will not even care what happens to the Broker. If you are looking for a good spy novel try Robert Ludlum.
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