julie42's Full Review: John Grisham and Nancy Taylor - The Brethren
The Brethren, by John Grisham...
Unlike my usual book selections where I only get types of books I know I will like, I was quite sure I wouldn’t like this novel. Why did I reserve it from the library? Simple. The good books are always gone, so I pick popular authors, and reserve their books. I didn’t know the title, but I knew I had a new John Grisham novel waiting for me at the public library. When I read the back, I was disappointed. The summary makes it sound like it’s about three ex-judges who have nothing to do with their time. And then it adds something like another dumb Presidential race.
This book is nothing like that.
It’s about three ex-judges (well, I’ll give the back cover that much) who were imprisoned but decide to make the most of their time in jail. They cook up a little con where they put an ad in a gay magazine, advertising “a single male in their 20s, looking for a discret gentleman in their 50s or 60s.” They single out the rich people, find out their real names, and whether they have a wife and family. After a few friendly get-to-know-each-other letters, introducing themselves as “Ricky”, they write another note stating that “Ricky” really isn’t a gay guy looking for someone. He has a wife and family that he needs to support. If they don’t want their secret revealed, a wire transfer of $100 000 must be received at their bank. (Sometimes more money, sometimes less.)
The novel shows no co-relation between these Judges and Aaron Lake, the man running for President. The election is not set up, exactly, but it is privately funded and managed by the Director of the FBI, to ensure a win. The deal was that Lake would be helped into the White House, if he doubles military spending while he’s there.
Somewhere down the line, John Grisham lets the cat out of the bag. Like several other men who found themselves looking in their post office box for a letter from “Ricky”, so does the future President. At this point, I was so disappointed! There was no indication whatsoever that Aaron Lake was interested in men! None! He didn’t use his real name, but still. Anyway, Lake writes back to “Ricky” and says their correspondence has to end. Meanwhile, the Director of the FBI already knew about “Ricky” ... the whole scheme was researched when Lake first checked the mailbox. The Director knows he has to end things, so he gets the forgery team to write a letter posing as Lake, baiting “Ricky.” So, the Judges get two letters from Lake at one time.
They were confused, but only until they realize that there is a notecard attached to the back of the Lake letter, and the letterhead is that of “Aaron Lake” the candidate in the lead of the race for Presidency. They put two and two together, and realize this may be their big chance. At first they just want to scam money out of him, but then realize that the FBI knows about them. Then they plan their way out of jail, with a first class ticket out of the country, pardoned by the President.
This book is great. It’s 440 pages, and I swear I have never read that much in one day. (And it was a work day, I read through my breaks, my lunch, and on the SkyTrain. Got home, Read. Went to bed, Read some more.) I certainly didn’t expect this to be such a good book. Politics don’t usually interest me, and the way those three inmates were described, I was not interested. The nice thing about a free book from the Library is that you don’t feel like you have to read it if it starts to suck. That’s why I kept reading.
“The Brethren” is full of suspence, but it switches back and forth between the two stories often enough that you’re not always waiting to see what happens on the other end. Both plots are incredibly well thought out, and original. I recommend this book to anyone who hasn’t yet read it!
They call themselves the Brethren: three disgraced former judges doing time in a Florida federal prison. One was sent up for tax evasion. Another, for...More at HotBookSale
They call themselves the Brethren: three disgraced former judges doing time in a federal prison in Florida. Meeting daily, these judges-turned-felons ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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