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The Brethren
Trumble is a minimum security federal prison, home to drug dealers, bank robbers, swindlers, embezzlers, tax evaders, and three former judges who call themselves The Brethren. They meet each day in the law library where they spend hours writing letters. They are fine-tuning a mail scam, and it's starting to pay big. The money is pouring in.
But then their little scam goes awry. It ensnares the wrong victim, a powerful man on the outside, a man with dangerous friends, and The Brethren's days of quietly marking time are over.
445 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2000
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24201 people want to read
About the author
John Grisham
449 books91.7k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,637 reviews
April 6, 2024
In a minimum security prison three convicted former members of the judiciary hold court over all internal disputes amongst their fellow prisoners; these three men are the Brethren. The thing is these three are criminally minded and unknown to everyone else they are running a letter-writing sting operation on men of any prominence (as in with money or means) hiding in the homosexual closet. Things take a turn when they ensnare a man of national renown and prominence! As ever for me with Grisham a well laid out reality, a basic concept and a surprising story thereafter, but I sometimes feel that Grisham's swerve to unforeseen story progression are not as interesting as the cliched path he could have taken, like in this case. Still a gripping read, a 7 out of 12 three stars.
2024 read
2024 read
July 2, 2021
my first and last John Grisham book.
August 14, 2020
2.5 stars
Note: The Brethren was published in 2000, so the social issues may seem a little out-of-sync with current times.....or maybe not.
*****
Trumble Federal Prison near Jacksonville, Florida is a minimum security facility that hardly seems like a penitentiary: it has no fences, decent food, recreational facilities, and - as it turns out - opportunities for serious mischief.
Three of Trumble's older inmates are dubbed 'The Brethren': Joe Roy Spicer - a onetime Mississippi justice of the peace; Finn Yarber - a former California Supreme Court justice; and Hatlee Beech - an erstwhile federal judge from Texas. The Brethren handle appeals for other convicts; hold a weekly 'prison court' to iron out disputes among prisoners; and perpetrate a scam to rake in the moola.
The Brethren's scam involves 'catfishing' closeted homosexual men who can't risk being outed. To perpetrate the hoax, the judges - using the name Ricky - place an ad in an alternative lifestyle magazine.
Ricky says that he's in a rehab facility, feels very lonely, and would like to correspond with a mature man. In the accompanying photo, Ricky seems to be a handsome young guy with an irresistible crooked smile.
When men answer Ricky's ad, the judges check them out. If the responder has money and a family, Ricky (really Judge Yarber or Judge Beech) writes back. He inveigles the victim into an epistolary love affair, asks for cash for incidentals, and arranges to meet when he gets out of rehab.
Eventually, the judges lower the boom. They tell the poor dupe he's been scammed and demand $100,000 (or more).....or they'll send copies of the letters to his wife.
The Brethren need an outside person to assist with their scam, so they hire a shlubby local lawyer named Trevor Carson.
Trevor sneaks letters in and out of Trumble, handles the blackmail money, and investigates victims as needed (for example, if they use fake names).
Meanwhile, the United States is in the midst of a presidential campaign and CIA Dirctor Teddy Maynard - who's worried about Russian aggression - plans to get his candidate elected.
Teddy has chosen Congressman Aaron Lake, a quiet widower whose one campaign issue (dictated by Teddy) is to double defense spending.
Teddy coerces contributors (mostly weapons manufacturers) to donate hundreds of millions of dollars to Lake's campaign and - even worse - permits (or organizes) terrorist activities to frighten the American public. Lake keeps rising in the polls, and it appears that he'll be a shoo-in for President.
As many readers will guess, it turns out that Aaron Lake is a secret homosexual who gets caught up in The Brethren's flimflam. When the CIA Director gets wind of this, he'll do whatever it takes to 'save' his candidate. Moreover, Teddy has the whole CIA at his disposal!
For the rest of the book, the judges and Teddy's operatives try to out-think and outmaneuver each other. The CIA bugs cars, homes, and offices; looks into bank accounts; follows people; and so on. But the judges are wily fellows.....and they make worthy opponents.
There's not a single likable main character in this book and I hoped every single one of them would go down in flames. Of course that doesn't happen (and I really didn't really expect it to). Nevertheless, I was disappointed in the book's finale. In addition, there's a whiff of homophobia about the story (IMO)....though this may have been unintentional.
One thing I do like about the book is the judges garb for 'prison court.' The judges wear lime green robes (sometimes with nothing underneath) and the 'bailiff' wears a long wig (like British barristers) and lavender slippers. One of the judges goes barefoot, and makes it his business to crack his toes and clean his toenails while adjudicating. All this is pretty amusing.
This isn't one of Grisham's better efforts, but he's a capable writer and the story held my attention. Still, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this book.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
February 22, 2025
Genuinely couldn't gaf about this greedy book. John Grisham will have to come here and beg if I need to pick up any of his books again. 😭
Did Not Finish
April 4, 2024DNF
Nearly half way through The Brethren and I’m out.
Greed with a capital G is on display in every nuance of this book.
Greedy crooks. Greedy politicians. Greedy CIA. Greedy lobbyists.
Not a single character worth rooting for and that’s my main reason for moving on.
(Reviewed 2/22/22)
Nearly half way through The Brethren and I’m out.
Greed with a capital G is on display in every nuance of this book.
Greedy crooks. Greedy politicians. Greedy CIA. Greedy lobbyists.
Not a single character worth rooting for and that’s my main reason for moving on.
(Reviewed 2/22/22)
April 2, 2017
The Sort of Book Most Appreciated by People who Move their Lips While Reading
Grisham pulled the plot of this novel from infamous prison pen pal scams near me in Louisiana and Mississippi in the late 1980s. The scam worked like this: the prisoner would engage an unwitting, relatively well off, closeted gay male in harmless discourse by letters which would gradually progress to professions of "love" and then explicit homo-erotic letters and ultimately one phone call by which point, the prisoner would have his hooks in the man, who typically had a wife and kids, and the blackmailing would begin.
I read nearly all the Grisham novels prior to my literary renascence starting in 2009. Even then, this novel seemed unrealistic and false, lacking a shred of suspense. You know what, I must maintain honesty in reviewing: [[ THIS BOOK SUCKED .]]
It's a bullshit novel, so shallow, contrived, legally implausible and farcical that it deserves a place in the checkout line right between The Globe and The National Enquirer. Grisham must have been considering quitting his writing gig or was pissed off about having to write this, for whatever reason, say maybe because of contractual obligations when he wanted nothing else but to spend his cash traveling the world, or doing anything else besides writing legal thrillers.
Grisham pulled the plot of this novel from infamous prison pen pal scams near me in Louisiana and Mississippi in the late 1980s. The scam worked like this: the prisoner would engage an unwitting, relatively well off, closeted gay male in harmless discourse by letters which would gradually progress to professions of "love" and then explicit homo-erotic letters and ultimately one phone call by which point, the prisoner would have his hooks in the man, who typically had a wife and kids, and the blackmailing would begin.
I read nearly all the Grisham novels prior to my literary renascence starting in 2009. Even then, this novel seemed unrealistic and false, lacking a shred of suspense. You know what, I must maintain honesty in reviewing: [[ THIS BOOK SUCKED .]]
It's a bullshit novel, so shallow, contrived, legally implausible and farcical that it deserves a place in the checkout line right between The Globe and The National Enquirer. Grisham must have been considering quitting his writing gig or was pissed off about having to write this, for whatever reason, say maybe because of contractual obligations when he wanted nothing else but to spend his cash traveling the world, or doing anything else besides writing legal thrillers.
"Scientists are now using lawyers instead of rats for their experiments. There are two reasons for this. The scientists don't become attached to the lawyers and there are some things rats won't do.Robin Williams as a grown Peter Pan in Hook (1991, Tri Star).
March 26, 2009
I like John Grisham as a writer, but not this book.
Three things:
1:
There was something about the homophobia in the novel that made me squeamish. I understand there are homophobes, but there was nothing in this novel to offset it. It's a dominate theme in the novel, normal and accepted, as if there is no alternative to homophobia.
2:
The reader gets to know the inner workings of the minds of some of the worst lowlifes in the book, which is amusing at times. Not so with the protagonist. In fact, I'm not sure there is a protagonist. The character who most resembles a good guy is allowing himself to be bought and sold - and he's no hero. In terms of character development, he's a stereotype of the corrupt politician who speaks in sound bytes.
3:
The ending: Anticlimactic. A cop out. No justice. A huge disappointment.
Overall, this is one of the most cynical novels I've read in a long time.
Three things:
1:
There was something about the homophobia in the novel that made me squeamish. I understand there are homophobes, but there was nothing in this novel to offset it. It's a dominate theme in the novel, normal and accepted, as if there is no alternative to homophobia.
2:
The reader gets to know the inner workings of the minds of some of the worst lowlifes in the book, which is amusing at times. Not so with the protagonist. In fact, I'm not sure there is a protagonist. The character who most resembles a good guy is allowing himself to be bought and sold - and he's no hero. In terms of character development, he's a stereotype of the corrupt politician who speaks in sound bytes.
3:
The ending: Anticlimactic. A cop out. No justice. A huge disappointment.
Overall, this is one of the most cynical novels I've read in a long time.
March 3, 2021
A stand alone (no courtrooms in sight) thriller published 2000.
4 stars for a good yarn
Let me start by saying this is a tale of three incarcerated judges who are running an extortion racket from inside gaol. On the surface this was entertaining in its own right but, for me, the real story was much darker and very scary.
The racket was that the prisoners would place adds in gay magazines pretending to be young men looking for meaningful relationships with older men. Most of the men who replied were men leading double lives and once they were hooked the judges would threaten to expose them unless they paid up big time.
This went well for some time until they hooked the wrong man at the wrong time.
The wrong man was a leading contender in the political race for the white house.
Where the story got scary was when the head of the CIA wanted the incumbent president to increase military spending to counter a perceived Russian threat.
The President told the head of the CIA “that he could fly a kite; it was not going to happen whilst he was the president”.
This left the head of the CIA with a dilemma. If the President won’t do as he is told we’ll just have to find one that will.
What follows is a very credible tale of how the CIA went about using their inside knowledge and power to discredit the incumbent president and push their hand picked congressman to the White House. Watching how the media, the politicians and ultimately the populous are manipulated makes for scary reading.
But in a world of secrets there was one secret that the CIA did not know, their candidate was gay and the judges were turning the screws.
Entertaining but it put a shiver up my spine all the same.
4 stars for a good yarn
Let me start by saying this is a tale of three incarcerated judges who are running an extortion racket from inside gaol. On the surface this was entertaining in its own right but, for me, the real story was much darker and very scary.
The racket was that the prisoners would place adds in gay magazines pretending to be young men looking for meaningful relationships with older men. Most of the men who replied were men leading double lives and once they were hooked the judges would threaten to expose them unless they paid up big time.
This went well for some time until they hooked the wrong man at the wrong time.
The wrong man was a leading contender in the political race for the white house.
Where the story got scary was when the head of the CIA wanted the incumbent president to increase military spending to counter a perceived Russian threat.
The President told the head of the CIA “that he could fly a kite; it was not going to happen whilst he was the president”.
This left the head of the CIA with a dilemma. If the President won’t do as he is told we’ll just have to find one that will.
What follows is a very credible tale of how the CIA went about using their inside knowledge and power to discredit the incumbent president and push their hand picked congressman to the White House. Watching how the media, the politicians and ultimately the populous are manipulated makes for scary reading.
But in a world of secrets there was one secret that the CIA did not know, their candidate was gay and the judges were turning the screws.
Entertaining but it put a shiver up my spine all the same.
April 11, 2026
Un libro entretenido y poco más. El típico best-seller fácil de leer y que, al terminarlo, lo guardas en la estantería y es difícil que lo vuelvas a encontrar.
An entertaining book and little more. The typical best-seller that is easy to read and when you finish it, you put it on the shelf and it's hard to find again.
An entertaining book and little more. The typical best-seller that is easy to read and when you finish it, you put it on the shelf and it's hard to find again.
May 31, 2021
Undoubtedly well written and undeniably funny. Often cited as his funniest book, so very entertaining. Although, lack of a definite protagonist was irksome, really bothered me. I demand absolutes and neatly ordained worlds in fiction, or else it's pointless.
Plus, it was scary how a presidential candidate can be so easily controlled and selected; the whole selection could be that manipulative with such precision. That didn't seem fictional at all.
March 10, 2014
The Bretheren was published in 2000, one year before 9/11, which makes it a remarkable read, and for those who read it at the time, must have been flabbergasted at the horrific event of that day, September 11, 2001 in New York.
In the marketing world an expression is used which rings true for everything in life: You can fool all the people all the time if the advertising is right and the budget is big enough - Joseph E. Levine. Another concept is to first create a need(if there isn't an existing one) for a product, otherwise it won't sell. At first glance the statement appears too simple to really grasp the impact it has on politics, industry, even conservation, but it is the most powerful concept in use today.
The story, almost too fictional to be complete fiction, has this idea as starting point and proceed to implement it in a highly suspenseful drama in which three incarcerated judges execute a scam which works perfectly until they target the 'wrong' man. This man had the clout to make their actions look like a Sunday school picnic, which in the end, it was.
For the uninformed, this tale is just a fantasy, but for those in the know, it is a disturbing hit too close to home for comfort. And for those who think the events cannot be possible, believe me, it is not only possible, it happens all the time!
I enjoyed the book just as much as all the other John Grishams I have read through the years. It helps that he was a practising lawyer and know the ropes....mmm...yes...definitely the ropes
;-)
Thrilling, suspenseful and informative. Loved it.
In the marketing world an expression is used which rings true for everything in life: You can fool all the people all the time if the advertising is right and the budget is big enough - Joseph E. Levine. Another concept is to first create a need(if there isn't an existing one) for a product, otherwise it won't sell. At first glance the statement appears too simple to really grasp the impact it has on politics, industry, even conservation, but it is the most powerful concept in use today.
The story, almost too fictional to be complete fiction, has this idea as starting point and proceed to implement it in a highly suspenseful drama in which three incarcerated judges execute a scam which works perfectly until they target the 'wrong' man. This man had the clout to make their actions look like a Sunday school picnic, which in the end, it was.
For the uninformed, this tale is just a fantasy, but for those in the know, it is a disturbing hit too close to home for comfort. And for those who think the events cannot be possible, believe me, it is not only possible, it happens all the time!
I enjoyed the book just as much as all the other John Grishams I have read through the years. It helps that he was a practising lawyer and know the ropes....mmm...yes...definitely the ropes
;-)
Thrilling, suspenseful and informative. Loved it.
March 27, 2023
Over the course of my life, I have read several John Grisham novels. I have generally found them engaging, entertaining, and illuminating. I completed The Brethren some time ago and have found myself ruminating on this book for a while, which I believe is something I should do way more often. On the one hand, the concept of three incarcerated former judges performing their judicial responsibilities while wards of the state are intriguing. Granted the jail in this case is a minimum-security federal facility, more a detention resort if you will, but I found almost every character unbearably unlikeable. More to the issue is that I had never read this book, nor about this book, and I find the overtly homophobic plot troubling. Within the first few pages, a gay inmate is portrayed in clownish parody and from there it gets worse. These judges are the main characters. They have employed a catfish scheme designed to embarrass closeted men and threaten to out them if they refuse to accept the blackmail. I, immediately thought, “Who gives a $#!+?” Maybe at the time this was written, there was a huge stigma, but I thank God that we have moved passed such behavior (to a certain extent.) Once I began to understand the framework that was being constructed, it is very easy to determine where the author is going when the subplot of a national election is introduced. This was pretty bad. I read every word and feel lessened by the experience. So, if you respect my opinion and want to read a Grisham novel (there are some good ones) this is not it. Avoid this one.
March 20, 2024
This one was published in the year 2000. I think I have a neighbor who has been cleaning his bookshelves, and deciding it was time to donate his collection to my Little Free Library Shed. He definitely has been making this neighborhood (for the most part) happy with his decision.
On to this story…
3 ex-judges, now imprisoned, have a bit of a side-business in prison of blackmailing some very prominent men who still live their lives in the closet.
Well, what do you think will happen when one of those men that these ex-judges decide to blackmail is going for a very top government position? Do you think that person is going to let their secret be known?
And, what do you think that person is going to want to have done with their criminal blackmailers?
Is there really a safe place to hide?
So, look at it this way. We have criminal judges. We have a criminal at the top of government being blackmailed. Who are readers supposed to root for?
On to this story…
3 ex-judges, now imprisoned, have a bit of a side-business in prison of blackmailing some very prominent men who still live their lives in the closet.
Well, what do you think will happen when one of those men that these ex-judges decide to blackmail is going for a very top government position? Do you think that person is going to let their secret be known?
And, what do you think that person is going to want to have done with their criminal blackmailers?
Is there really a safe place to hide?
So, look at it this way. We have criminal judges. We have a criminal at the top of government being blackmailed. Who are readers supposed to root for?
September 11, 2018
It was an enjoyable read filled with plenty of political and legal intrigue as well as humorous writing. Ending was so-so.
December 28, 2023
The usual entertainment, a very fast readable book.
Some parts looks like Jeffrey Archer, including the happy end, although I didn't like that the three crooks escape well and healthy and Trevor, the lawyer (a much more innocent fellow) is killed by CIA. Another strange facts: Lake's letter to Carol, which by mistake reaches to Trumble, and Spicer's handwriting known, although he hasn't written to the victims.
Some parts looks like Jeffrey Archer, including the happy end, although I didn't like that the three crooks escape well and healthy and Trevor, the lawyer (a much more innocent fellow) is killed by CIA. Another strange facts: Lake's letter to Carol, which by mistake reaches to Trumble, and Spicer's handwriting known, although he hasn't written to the victims.
October 5, 2023
De această dată subiectul abordat e diferit de cel cu care ne-a obișnuit Grisham. Dacă până acum aveam procese și strategii, de această dată tema e crearea, menținerea și protejarea unui nou președinte. Multe aspecte descrise le vedem și pe la noi, dar parcă e altceva când citești despre ele.
September 18, 2022
Decent read by Grisham, but definitely not his best. The Brethren are three judges all serving time in a Florida Federal prison outside of Jacksonville for various scandalous deeds. One story arc concerns them and their "Angola" scheme (something like this did happen in Angola prison) to extort money from rich, closeted gay men. They took out an ad in some magazines, claiming they were in their 20s and looking for older men to be pen pals with. They had a picture of some guy to send the 'marks', and gradually try to reel them in by threating to expose them to their wives, etc. Their conduit to the outside is a sleazy drunk lawyer who pockets a third of their ill gotten gains.
The other story arc concerns the director of the CIA and the man he picks to be the next president. The CIA guy is an old Cold Warrior and is worried about Russia making a come-back. I should mention that this was first published in 2000. The director of the CIA picked a relatively unknown congressman from Arizona (Aaron Lake), promised him lots and lots of money, plus some rather unpleasant disasters in foreign lands (bombings, what have you) if he will run with a promise to double the defense budget. The disasters would promote a rally around the flag impulse for the American public and get Lake elected.
First off, there are no real characters to root for here; every one is sleazy and corrupt. Lake comes off the best, but still, he has no real moral values and is willing to be a CIA stooge to get elected president. The judges are terrible people and the various CIA agents are as amoral as their boss. Secondly, The Brethren has more than a whiff of homophobia and all the characters involved obviously despise the 'perverts' they extort. Hard to believe this was published in 2000! Finally, this must be the most cynical novel I have read in some time. Politics is all just about money and favors; elections can be bought, even the presidency. Not one of the characters has a stick of moral fiber.
I should say, however, that this novel is also a bit prophetic. We did get a Republican elected in 2000 and yes, he ramped up the military spending, started a few wars, etc. The federal budget surplus was also given away to tax cuts to the rich; both of these events were somewhat foretold here. This is a fast paced read, but for all that, rather boring as well. You know somehow there will be a connection between Lake and the brethren (pen pals...) leaving the big question of how the CIA will manage it when they find out. I was wavering between 2 and 3 stars on this one, but decided on 2, due to the horrible, amoral characters and the blatant homophobia.
The other story arc concerns the director of the CIA and the man he picks to be the next president. The CIA guy is an old Cold Warrior and is worried about Russia making a come-back. I should mention that this was first published in 2000. The director of the CIA picked a relatively unknown congressman from Arizona (Aaron Lake), promised him lots and lots of money, plus some rather unpleasant disasters in foreign lands (bombings, what have you) if he will run with a promise to double the defense budget. The disasters would promote a rally around the flag impulse for the American public and get Lake elected.
First off, there are no real characters to root for here; every one is sleazy and corrupt. Lake comes off the best, but still, he has no real moral values and is willing to be a CIA stooge to get elected president. The judges are terrible people and the various CIA agents are as amoral as their boss. Secondly, The Brethren has more than a whiff of homophobia and all the characters involved obviously despise the 'perverts' they extort. Hard to believe this was published in 2000! Finally, this must be the most cynical novel I have read in some time. Politics is all just about money and favors; elections can be bought, even the presidency. Not one of the characters has a stick of moral fiber.
I should say, however, that this novel is also a bit prophetic. We did get a Republican elected in 2000 and yes, he ramped up the military spending, started a few wars, etc. The federal budget surplus was also given away to tax cuts to the rich; both of these events were somewhat foretold here. This is a fast paced read, but for all that, rather boring as well. You know somehow there will be a connection between Lake and the brethren (pen pals...) leaving the big question of how the CIA will manage it when they find out. I was wavering between 2 and 3 stars on this one, but decided on 2, due to the horrible, amoral characters and the blatant homophobia.
July 19, 2018
The Brethren is, like most of Grisham's books, a legal thriller. The central characters are multiple, and so are the plot lines but the narrative is easy to follow and understand. The book is quite readable. It might be called a page turner, as the narrative is pretty eventful, thought one could always say that the 'page turning quality' is ultimately dependent on personal taste. The Brethren contains a fair amount of social satire, and perhaps we could say that is what sets it aside from other similar books. Apart from that, I would say that The Brethren is pretty much everything a good legal thriller is ought to be, interesting and well paced. One thing worth noting is that this book doesn't focus on murder as much as on a 'cat and mouse' play.
Basically, the plot and introduction to the story could be described as following: Three former judges ( calling themselves the Brethren) are located in minimal security prison. There these judges are allowed to put together a sort of 'quasi-parody trials' and solve cases of prisoners with their consent. Their 'trials' are highly entertaining because everyone is expected to lie, being that everyone there is a criminal and all that. So, the 'judges' resort to common sense, presumably with some success. If you enjoy criticism of the legal system, reading these passages will be an absolutely delightful experience. I'm digressing a bit here, since these 'trials' don't really have anything to do with the plot, but I think they are worth pointing out as they were extremely well written.
Anyhow, these former judges also do some legal services for other prisoners, which they obviously (and illegally) charge but since that work doesn't prove to be very profitable, they also plan a con job: placing a lone heart advert in a gay newspaper and extracting money from rich lonesome (preferably married) gay man by means of blackmail. These three judges have all the time in the world, and have learned to be very patient. They also have a horrible lawyer on their side, so it seems their victims really don't stand a chance. I have to say these judges were very convincing characters, as much as I hated what they were doing, I was also fascinated by their fate. What do you think would happen with a 'former' middle aged judge that has fallen from grace? It's an interesting question.
Besides the 'judges' plot, there is also a parallel plot featuring mister Lake, a rare specimen of what seems to be an honest politician. Lake is a widowed man, a congressmen who never broke the law and seems to be actually doing his job, i.e. serving the people. In other words, Lake is just what the CIA's director wants. What the CIA's director wants is a sure win presidential candidate they can control. What could Lake possibly have in common with the judges? How will they paths cross? Is CIA money all it takes to win an USA election? Well, you'll have to read this book to see but not everything is what it seems.
I read this novel a couple of days ago (while I was recovering from an incredibly painful operation which was also a horrible failure so imagine my mood & sentiments). The book was exactly what I expected it to be, and it that sense I can honestly say that I'm not disappointed. I quite liked the implied irony and sarcasm of this novel. If you want to read someone who is able subtly make fun of election system, politicians, secret services, legal system and prisons, The Brethren is a novel for you. Here you basically have a story without a moral character. Everyone is corrupted, one way or another. You can't love these characters, but it's hard to hate them either. They're so human you're compelled to ,if not sympathize with them, then to understand them.
What are the faults of this novel? I wouldn't say there are any explicit faults, it's more a case of it not being a very ambitious book. The book was a bit too long for my taste, I would have preferred it to be shorter. Maybe it was just little old me, but I felt some things were needlessly repeated and dragged on. The ending didn't feel realistic, but it kind of made sense in the context of the novel so I won't complain too much. There was a point when I expected it to develop into something more sinister (and interesting) but the narrative remained pretty standard. Once the parallel plots got interwoven, there weren't many surprises. Towards the end, I could definitely see things coming, but somehow the book kept my interest. So I'd say that despite having some minor faults, The Brethren is definitely a compelling read.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this novel, but I can't say that I learned anything from it. I was entertained and that was about it. I've read Grisham's works before, I'm familiar with his style and honestly in many ways this book didn't feel like anything new. I did think that the idea of imprisoned judges plotting away was quite fresh, so that was kind of cool. I don't remember seeing this idea/concept anywhere else, so bonus points for originality. What else to say? Grisham's legal thrillers are what he is known for and they are usually pretty good. I can certainly appreciate his simple and descriptive style of writing. I might read more of him. I would recommend this book to lovers of social satire and legal thrillers.
Basically, the plot and introduction to the story could be described as following: Three former judges ( calling themselves the Brethren) are located in minimal security prison. There these judges are allowed to put together a sort of 'quasi-parody trials' and solve cases of prisoners with their consent. Their 'trials' are highly entertaining because everyone is expected to lie, being that everyone there is a criminal and all that. So, the 'judges' resort to common sense, presumably with some success. If you enjoy criticism of the legal system, reading these passages will be an absolutely delightful experience. I'm digressing a bit here, since these 'trials' don't really have anything to do with the plot, but I think they are worth pointing out as they were extremely well written.
Anyhow, these former judges also do some legal services for other prisoners, which they obviously (and illegally) charge but since that work doesn't prove to be very profitable, they also plan a con job: placing a lone heart advert in a gay newspaper and extracting money from rich lonesome (preferably married) gay man by means of blackmail. These three judges have all the time in the world, and have learned to be very patient. They also have a horrible lawyer on their side, so it seems their victims really don't stand a chance. I have to say these judges were very convincing characters, as much as I hated what they were doing, I was also fascinated by their fate. What do you think would happen with a 'former' middle aged judge that has fallen from grace? It's an interesting question.
Besides the 'judges' plot, there is also a parallel plot featuring mister Lake, a rare specimen of what seems to be an honest politician. Lake is a widowed man, a congressmen who never broke the law and seems to be actually doing his job, i.e. serving the people. In other words, Lake is just what the CIA's director wants. What the CIA's director wants is a sure win presidential candidate they can control. What could Lake possibly have in common with the judges? How will they paths cross? Is CIA money all it takes to win an USA election? Well, you'll have to read this book to see but not everything is what it seems.
I read this novel a couple of days ago (while I was recovering from an incredibly painful operation which was also a horrible failure so imagine my mood & sentiments). The book was exactly what I expected it to be, and it that sense I can honestly say that I'm not disappointed. I quite liked the implied irony and sarcasm of this novel. If you want to read someone who is able subtly make fun of election system, politicians, secret services, legal system and prisons, The Brethren is a novel for you. Here you basically have a story without a moral character. Everyone is corrupted, one way or another. You can't love these characters, but it's hard to hate them either. They're so human you're compelled to ,if not sympathize with them, then to understand them.
What are the faults of this novel? I wouldn't say there are any explicit faults, it's more a case of it not being a very ambitious book. The book was a bit too long for my taste, I would have preferred it to be shorter. Maybe it was just little old me, but I felt some things were needlessly repeated and dragged on. The ending didn't feel realistic, but it kind of made sense in the context of the novel so I won't complain too much. There was a point when I expected it to develop into something more sinister (and interesting) but the narrative remained pretty standard. Once the parallel plots got interwoven, there weren't many surprises. Towards the end, I could definitely see things coming, but somehow the book kept my interest. So I'd say that despite having some minor faults, The Brethren is definitely a compelling read.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this novel, but I can't say that I learned anything from it. I was entertained and that was about it. I've read Grisham's works before, I'm familiar with his style and honestly in many ways this book didn't feel like anything new. I did think that the idea of imprisoned judges plotting away was quite fresh, so that was kind of cool. I don't remember seeing this idea/concept anywhere else, so bonus points for originality. What else to say? Grisham's legal thrillers are what he is known for and they are usually pretty good. I can certainly appreciate his simple and descriptive style of writing. I might read more of him. I would recommend this book to lovers of social satire and legal thrillers.
September 12, 2022
3.5/5
Wow, I’m kinda proud of myself because of the fact that I finished a book in less than 5 days!
I found it quite boring at the first half and if I’m honest, I’m not very motivated to write a whole review like I’ve done before… so I guess long reviews really depend on my mood.
But anyways, as I said, first half was a bit… boring and didn’t quite trap me cause I was trying not to fall asleep at every single phrase, however the second half was quite enjoyable and, wow, I also found it funny! I wasn’t expecting any less of the humor because after reading the testament (that made me giggle every once in a while, ngl) I wasn’t expecting to be that bored.
There wasn’t really a main character so uh, I guess I really was conflicted with myself because I truly had no idea if I had to support someone on the book- and if I had to support someone, then did I have to support the “bad guys”? I was so confused by that but eh, it was still a decent narrative.
The plot was alright, I enjoyed some parts of it and found some others quite- unnecessary but oh well.
PS: I can’t think of a song that could match with this book 💀
Wow, I’m kinda proud of myself because of the fact that I finished a book in less than 5 days!
I found it quite boring at the first half and if I’m honest, I’m not very motivated to write a whole review like I’ve done before… so I guess long reviews really depend on my mood.
But anyways, as I said, first half was a bit… boring and didn’t quite trap me cause I was trying not to fall asleep at every single phrase, however the second half was quite enjoyable and, wow, I also found it funny! I wasn’t expecting any less of the humor because after reading the testament (that made me giggle every once in a while, ngl) I wasn’t expecting to be that bored.
There wasn’t really a main character so uh, I guess I really was conflicted with myself because I truly had no idea if I had to support someone on the book- and if I had to support someone, then did I have to support the “bad guys”? I was so confused by that but eh, it was still a decent narrative.
The plot was alright, I enjoyed some parts of it and found some others quite- unnecessary but oh well.
PS: I can’t think of a song that could match with this book 💀
March 12, 2025
From inside Trumble, a minimum security federal prison, three former judges calling themselves 'The Brethren' organise a legal advice and inmate 'social trial' system. Their main occupation however is running a mail extortion scam, they have carefully and meticulously set it up to make a great deal of money for a few unfortunate victims.
Outside, in the real world a CIA heavy is planning to back a political candidate in order to increase military spending. It is a beautifully organised campaign that has people excited and backers lining up to fund it. It also has the perfect man to lead it, Aaron Lake is a career politician with not a single blemish on his life or career. He is the perfect candidate.
And then, the Brethren choose the wrong target...
We all know John Grisham don't we? He is an institution and even if you have not read a lot of his novels, you are bound to have seen one of the movies made from them. It had been a long time since I had read a thriller, so it took me a while to get into the mindset and the writing style. But once I had, I enjoyed reading it considerably. The plot is solid, with good scenarios and well it is a well developed novel. I have been reading a lot of indie recently, so reading a professionally edited, professionally written, well printed and produced novel was a bit of a holiday. The characters are.... well written, if a tad bit generic. It took me a while to get them sorted in my head, especially the inmates. They were described so much in the third person and it took me about half the book for the individual differences to really kick in. That was ok, you didn't really NEED to tell them apart at first, and there were not that many other characters so it did not really interfere with the story.
In all it was a fun novel, which I enjoyed and I will remember the author next time I am looking for a very Americano style, well written, thriller.
Outside, in the real world a CIA heavy is planning to back a political candidate in order to increase military spending. It is a beautifully organised campaign that has people excited and backers lining up to fund it. It also has the perfect man to lead it, Aaron Lake is a career politician with not a single blemish on his life or career. He is the perfect candidate.
And then, the Brethren choose the wrong target...
We all know John Grisham don't we? He is an institution and even if you have not read a lot of his novels, you are bound to have seen one of the movies made from them. It had been a long time since I had read a thriller, so it took me a while to get into the mindset and the writing style. But once I had, I enjoyed reading it considerably. The plot is solid, with good scenarios and well it is a well developed novel. I have been reading a lot of indie recently, so reading a professionally edited, professionally written, well printed and produced novel was a bit of a holiday. The characters are.... well written, if a tad bit generic. It took me a while to get them sorted in my head, especially the inmates. They were described so much in the third person and it took me about half the book for the individual differences to really kick in. That was ok, you didn't really NEED to tell them apart at first, and there were not that many other characters so it did not really interfere with the story.
In all it was a fun novel, which I enjoyed and I will remember the author next time I am looking for a very Americano style, well written, thriller.
December 12, 2008
The Brethren by John Grisham
I found this to be a pretty interesting book. It is the story of the brethren, three ex-judges in a low-security prison called Trumble, who come up with a scheme to extort money from older homosexual men. Two victims and one hundred eighty-nine thousand dollars into the scam the judges run across their biggest victim of all – Aaron Lake. He is the next president to be and seems to have a lot to offer.
One of the cool parts of this book is how much of the story happens in a prison. If you are not in the prison with the brethren you are probably traveling with Aaron Lake around the United States on the campaign trail or with Trevor, the brethren’s lawyer, in Neptune Beach.
John Grisham makes the brethren by far the best characters in the book. Joe Roy Spicer is an ex-Justice of the Peace sent to Trumble for skimming bingo profits. Hatlee Beech was a federal judge with a drinking problem that led to the death of a two hikers in Yellowstone. The last is Finn Yarber – Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court sent away for income tax evasion. The attitude of the brethren is very comical. They have “court” once a week in Trumble and their answer to one of the questions was “It’s whatever we say it is.”
Aaron Lake is portrayed in this book as a very boring character. If there is downside to this book he would be it. He is the up-and-coming president having been appointed by the CIA director to save the United States and maybe even the world. Yet he does nothing interesting; except his secret letters to a homosexual boy in rehab. This is a problem in more ways than one because the boy is actually the brethren running their fabulous scam.
Trevor is probably my favorite character in the book. He runs the letters of the brethren and their victims back and forth between the post office and Trumble. He has a severe problem with alcohol but that just makes him more interesting. Some of his “colleagues” were not drinking so he said to them “Guess I’ll have to drink for all three of us.” Funny comments like this are a big reason why I liked the book so much.
The main theme of The Brethren is not the type of theme you normally hear. Usually you will hear the moral “crime never pays” or “crime doesn’t pay.” To me, it seems like the theme of this book is the complete opposite--that crime does pay. To find out what I mean by that it looks like you will have to read the book.
Page Count: 440
Genre: Realistic Fiction
May 23, 2008
I'm looking for something somewhat mindless and suspenseful.. and this has been lying around my apartment for a long while. It's probably been 10 years since I've read a Grisham novel, but I used to just tear through them. Plus it seems to have a presidential election as part of the plot. How appropriate!
5/23: Finally finished this. I have to say it wasn't high on my reading priorities list as I was reading it. So I dragged my heels a lot. That plus I really wasn't digging it too much. Early on in the story, I almost stopped reading the book altogether, when the CIA becomes aware that the US Embassy in Cairo is targeted to be bombed and just lets it happen. And of course lots of people die. I'm wondering if this would have affected me as much if I hadn't visited Embassy Cairo, if my mom hadn't worked there, and if my family didn't work for the foreign service. Who knows.
Also I found I didn't really care for any of the characters. They weren't very likeable. There was no "hero" because even the protagonists (if you want to call them that) were completely unsavory guys doing unsavory things. Plus the end was rather anti-climactic. Again, it's been ages since I've read a Grisham book, but I feel like they were typically much more gripping than this one was. One thing I'll say for it though - it was published in 2000, and the idea that the government engineers and creates war (sometimes at the expense of American lives) is very prevalent in this book. Interesting.
5/23: Finally finished this. I have to say it wasn't high on my reading priorities list as I was reading it. So I dragged my heels a lot. That plus I really wasn't digging it too much. Early on in the story, I almost stopped reading the book altogether, when the CIA becomes aware that the US Embassy in Cairo is targeted to be bombed and just lets it happen. And of course lots of people die. I'm wondering if this would have affected me as much if I hadn't visited Embassy Cairo, if my mom hadn't worked there, and if my family didn't work for the foreign service. Who knows.
Also I found I didn't really care for any of the characters. They weren't very likeable. There was no "hero" because even the protagonists (if you want to call them that) were completely unsavory guys doing unsavory things. Plus the end was rather anti-climactic. Again, it's been ages since I've read a Grisham book, but I feel like they were typically much more gripping than this one was. One thing I'll say for it though - it was published in 2000, and the idea that the government engineers and creates war (sometimes at the expense of American lives) is very prevalent in this book. Interesting.
August 5, 2023
3.5 sterren.
Drie rechters zitten in een gevangenis in Trumble. Het zijn mannen van middelbare leeftijd, die nog een hele tijd moeten uitzitten. Ze willen wat geld verdienen voor als ze op vrije voeten zouden komen. Daarom zetten ze een zwendel op: ze plaatsen een advertentie in een homoblad waarin ze schrijven dat ze een jongeman zijn die graag wil corresponderen met een wat oudere man. Van degenen die reageren proberen ze zo veel mogelijk te weten te komen, vooral of ze rijk zijn en of ze getrouwd zijn of op een andere manier gechanteerd zouden kunnen worden. Een tijdje gaat het goed, maar dan reageert er iemand waar ze last mee gaan krijgen: Aaron Lake, de man die kort nadien de nieuwe presidentskandidaat wordt en een hoop te verliezen heeft als zijn geheimpje uitkomt.
Maar Lake heeft supermachtige mannen achter zich staan....
In het begin kon het boek me niet erg boeien, eigenlijk een lange tijd niet, vooral omdat er zoveel politiek in voorkwam. Naar het einde toe werd het echter spannender, en het had een heel andere afloop dan ik had verwacht. Meestal, op het einde van een verhaal, geschiedt gerechtigheid...hier is het wel wat anders, vind ik.
Ik vond het boek eerst een kleine 3 sterren waard, maar door het spannende einde, heb ik er 3.5 van gemaakt.
Drie rechters zitten in een gevangenis in Trumble. Het zijn mannen van middelbare leeftijd, die nog een hele tijd moeten uitzitten. Ze willen wat geld verdienen voor als ze op vrije voeten zouden komen. Daarom zetten ze een zwendel op: ze plaatsen een advertentie in een homoblad waarin ze schrijven dat ze een jongeman zijn die graag wil corresponderen met een wat oudere man. Van degenen die reageren proberen ze zo veel mogelijk te weten te komen, vooral of ze rijk zijn en of ze getrouwd zijn of op een andere manier gechanteerd zouden kunnen worden. Een tijdje gaat het goed, maar dan reageert er iemand waar ze last mee gaan krijgen: Aaron Lake, de man die kort nadien de nieuwe presidentskandidaat wordt en een hoop te verliezen heeft als zijn geheimpje uitkomt.
Maar Lake heeft supermachtige mannen achter zich staan....
In het begin kon het boek me niet erg boeien, eigenlijk een lange tijd niet, vooral omdat er zoveel politiek in voorkwam. Naar het einde toe werd het echter spannender, en het had een heel andere afloop dan ik had verwacht. Meestal, op het einde van een verhaal, geschiedt gerechtigheid...hier is het wel wat anders, vind ik.
Ik vond het boek eerst een kleine 3 sterren waard, maar door het spannende einde, heb ik er 3.5 van gemaakt.
August 7, 2021
I have now read around a dozen of John Grisham's books and I have to be honest this was my least favourite one so far. There were large parts of the book that do have the John Grisham magic but generally the plot was drawn out and tiresome. Once it does get get going the book improves but again it is let down by a very disappointing ending.
January 7, 2020
Fast-paced and gripping story, liked it a lot!
November 13, 2024
Candidate Lake would be embraced by executives with cash and unions with the votes. The initial shock began to fade, and the simplicity of Teddy's plan became clear. Collect the cash from those who will profit. Scare the voters into racing to the polls. Win in a landslide. And in doing so save the world. (PG 25)
I felt like I was reading about the United States election over again. While this was not boring it lacked something I loved about his other books. I zipped through it and was engaged but the story line wasn't political madness, the way I like.
These politicians and their secrets huh? And the ones we try to silence with death or money... The usual
I felt like I was reading about the United States election over again. While this was not boring it lacked something I loved about his other books. I zipped through it and was engaged but the story line wasn't political madness, the way I like.
These politicians and their secrets huh? And the ones we try to silence with death or money... The usual
January 29, 2020
Another enjoyable and easy-read by Grisham, for a while for me it was extremely hard to follow, where the main part of the story involves a scam, and for the longest time I wasn't sure who was scamming who, the story kept jumping around, but as it progressed it all started to some together.
They call themselves The Brethren, a trio of three-stooges type disgraced former judges who have been doing time in a minimum Florida federal prison known as Trumble. #1 is sent to prison for Tax Evasion, #2 for skimming bingo profits, and #3 for a career-ending drunken joyride But just because they're in prison doesn't mean they can't still break the law.
They have dreamt up a perfect scam, to pose as homosexuals looking for Pen Pals, their motive, to scam and exploit their pen pals. Then one day, Congressman Aaron Lake is running for President of the United States in hoping to expand America's Military capabilities, with a corrupt government official pulling the strings. Realizing that Lake is hooked by the Brethren and their scam, the conspirators must prevent them from discovering the truth. The Brethren have found the perfect victim.
As I said up above, really hard to follow for awhile, no idea where Grisham was going with the story, but then things started adding up the further I got. A fun political/legal thriller worth checking out!
They call themselves The Brethren, a trio of three-stooges type disgraced former judges who have been doing time in a minimum Florida federal prison known as Trumble. #1 is sent to prison for Tax Evasion, #2 for skimming bingo profits, and #3 for a career-ending drunken joyride But just because they're in prison doesn't mean they can't still break the law.
They have dreamt up a perfect scam, to pose as homosexuals looking for Pen Pals, their motive, to scam and exploit their pen pals. Then one day, Congressman Aaron Lake is running for President of the United States in hoping to expand America's Military capabilities, with a corrupt government official pulling the strings. Realizing that Lake is hooked by the Brethren and their scam, the conspirators must prevent them from discovering the truth. The Brethren have found the perfect victim.
As I said up above, really hard to follow for awhile, no idea where Grisham was going with the story, but then things started adding up the further I got. A fun political/legal thriller worth checking out!
July 17, 2023
I read this book when it was first published and then read it again years later.
Of the several novels I've read by this author, this is the only one causing me to smile at various intervals throughout.
It contains a multitude of sly humor seeping up from the pages, whether it's situational, character development, interactions, or dialog.
The story of three judges remanded to federal prison, they're resourceful and creative in raising money for their planned 'release'. Not particularly likable, they ARE funny and exist in situations of their own provocation.
In fact, most, if not all characters in this book are not people you'd like to know, so I was actually rooting for the protagonists not to get caught.
When I re-read this many years later, it wasn't quite so humorous and I was struck by several politically incorrect comments not noticed the first time around. They may be trigger inducing for some.
I don't know if this stood the test of time and how others will respond...
Of the several novels I've read by this author, this is the only one causing me to smile at various intervals throughout.
It contains a multitude of sly humor seeping up from the pages, whether it's situational, character development, interactions, or dialog.
The story of three judges remanded to federal prison, they're resourceful and creative in raising money for their planned 'release'. Not particularly likable, they ARE funny and exist in situations of their own provocation.
In fact, most, if not all characters in this book are not people you'd like to know, so I was actually rooting for the protagonists not to get caught.
When I re-read this many years later, it wasn't quite so humorous and I was struck by several politically incorrect comments not noticed the first time around. They may be trigger inducing for some.
I don't know if this stood the test of time and how others will respond...
October 28, 2010
Thought this was a great Grisham book, though a bit predictable, it was well-written, suspense-driven, fast-paced, a book that kept my interest and made me want to read more.
June 18, 2009
Let me make a confession. I only checked this book out because, sitting in my bar review course on Constitutional Law, the teacher made a reference to a book titled "The Brethren" that purported to report that the clerks (and some of the Justices themselves) on the Surpeme Court would hold 'movie day' where they would watch the evidentiary movies that were being appealed on First Amendment obscenity-content/free-speech grounds. Such a statement was so absurd to me that I had to find-out for myself whether this was true.
As it turns out, there is a seperate book titled 'The Brethren,' not by Grisham, that may or may not tell the story. But I didn't find this out until I got done reading his.
That being said, this book has nothing whatsoever to do with the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States, for those not in the know). It is an interesting book about how to get elected president and also how to run the perfect scam. Not a Hollywood ending in this one. It would surprise me if it is ever made into a movie. In this one, all the wrong doers eventually get away with all the wrongdoing that they perpetuate.
But is it entertaining and interesting nonetheless.
As it turns out, there is a seperate book titled 'The Brethren,' not by Grisham, that may or may not tell the story. But I didn't find this out until I got done reading his.
That being said, this book has nothing whatsoever to do with the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States, for those not in the know). It is an interesting book about how to get elected president and also how to run the perfect scam. Not a Hollywood ending in this one. It would surprise me if it is ever made into a movie. In this one, all the wrong doers eventually get away with all the wrongdoing that they perpetuate.
But is it entertaining and interesting nonetheless.
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