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John Grisham's novels have all been so systematically successful
that it is easy to forget he is just one man toiling away
silently with a pen, experimenting and improving with each
book. While not as gifted a prose stylist as Scott Turow,
Grisham is among the best plotters in the thriller business,
and he infuses his books with a moral valence and creative
vision that set them apart from their peers.
The Brethren is in many respects his most daring book yet.
The novel grows from two separate subplots. In the first,
three imprisoned ex-judges (the "brethren" in the title),
frustrated by their loss of power and influence, concoct an
elaborate blackmail scheme that preys on wealthy, closeted
gay men. The second story traces the rise of presidential
candidate Aaron Lake, a puppet essentially created by CIA
director Teddy Maynard to fulfill Maynard's plans for restoring
the power of his beleaguered agency.
Grisham's tight control of the two meandering threads leaves
the reader guessing through most of the opening chapters how
and when these two worlds will collide. Also impressive is
Grisham's careful portraiture. Justice Hatlee Beech in particular
is a fascinating, tragic anti-hero: a millionaire judge with
an appointment for life who was rendered divorced, bankrupt,
and friendless after his conviction for a drunk-driving homicide.
The book's cynical view of presidential politics and criminal
justice casts a somewhat gloomy shadow over the tale. CIA
director Teddy Maynard is an all-powerful demon with absolute
knowledge and control of the public will and public funds.
Even his candidate, Congressman Lake, is a pawn in Maynard's
egomaniacal game of ad campaigns, illicit contributions, and
international intrigue. In the end, The Brethren marks a transition
in Grisham's career toward a more thoughtful narrative style
with less interest in the big-payoff blockbuster ending. But
that's not to say that the last 50 pages won't keep your reading
light turned on late. --Patrick O'Kelley
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