Synopses & Reviews
In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world's most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.
Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, who will kill him?
Review
"I had a very good time with The Broker, found Backman believable and charming and interesting, got a few laughs and felt my pulse thumping as the climax approached." Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World
Review
"It's certainly Mr. Grisham's prerogative to try new things, and to make his own personal escape from the thriller format. But The Broker switches gears so drastically that it seems to be two separate novels in a single binding." Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Review
"Most and best of all, it's Grisham living up to his reputation as a great storyteller. Readers looking for a non-stop thrill ride won't find it in The Broker. For those ready to relax and settle into an almost sensuous pace, The Broker is benissimo." USA Today
Review
"Fans won't be disappointed with the subtle humor, fine plot, and rich character development. Well-constructed and perfectly paced, the book's only disappointment is that it doesn't last longer." Philadelphia Inquirer
Review
"The Broker is smart, quick and fun. Time will slip by. And like so many of the earlier novels, it has 'major motion picture' written on every page." Rocky Mountain News
Review
"What do you get when you combine a spy thriller with an Italian travel guide? After plodding through The Broker, I decided the answer must be 'John Grisham's tax-deductible vacation.'...As a thriller, it's a not very good travel guide." The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
Review
"Grisham's weakest output in some time....What had the makings of a solid thriller...turns into one of Grisham's patented cat-and-mouse games, only this time with a lot more mouse than cat and a ton more tedium than thrills." Denver Post
Review
"A tense situation and pacing, pacing, pacing will keep readers turning the pages of John Grisham's latest thriller....It's a good choice for killing time on a long flight, train ride or daily commute." Boston Herald
Review
"A novel that is more travelogue than anything, with a smattering of spy mumbo-jumbo and sinister developments and a late-in-the-game chase. Grisham usually makes your pulse race but that will only happen if you drink cappuccino while you read." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Review
"[F]ast-paced, entertaining and suspenseful....Traditional Grisham fans will be required to make a few mental adjustments, but still they will find another well-written and exciting thriller to help pass the time during the cold winter evenings to come." BookReporter.com
Review
"[Grisham is] talented enough to keep The Broker intermittently interesting. But ultimately, The Broker is the printed equivalent of a breath mint. It might cause momentary tingling, but nothing more." Dallas-Ft. Worth Star Telegram
Review
"Perhaps Grisham deserves a commendation for trying something different, but the spy-chase story has been told often and better by others who know more about it. It's time for Grisham to go back to the courthouse." San Antonio Express-News
Review
"Lest Grisham fans worry, they should be assured that none of this emotional interplay lapses into sentimentality. The international killers are ferocious, even if depicted sketchily. And the author's command of pop fiction delivers crisp, sharp prose." Boston Globe
Review
"It's tempting to dismiss Grisham's debut spy thriller as just undercooked fast-food fare. But Grisham is a fine writer, with a talent (like Conan Doyle) for creating memorable characters in even his weakest work." Los Angeles Times
Review
"If you will be satisfied with a workmanlike spy-cum-politics novel, with some first-rate cloak and dagger intrigue, an uplifting vignette of father-son redemption and a poignant pastiche of unrequited love, then The Broker is the book for you." Alan M. Dershowitz, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Zippy but uneventful, the book tastes like something Robert Ludlum left sitting on his stove when he died....Grisham's novels are never boring, but this one is padded and unconvincing. (Grade: C" Entertainment Weekly
Synopsis
In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world's most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.
Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive--there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, who will kill him?
Synopsis
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER - In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world's most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.
Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive--there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, who will kill him?
About the Author
John Grisham is the author of The Last Juror, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Summons, Skipping Christmas, The Runaway Jury, The Pelican Brief, The Firm, and A Time to Kill, among many others, all bestsellers.