Not a courtroom drama but a spy thriller, this latest effort from the bestselling author focuses on an imprisoned Washington D.C. power broker who is granted a last-minute pardon by the President and spirited away by the CIA to Italy for his protection against the foreign powers who want him dead.
Critic Reviews
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Favorable
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Boston Globe Clea Simon
The author's command of pop fiction delivers crisp, sharp prose.
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Favorable
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USA Today Carol Memmott
The Broker may not be one of Grisham's best, but it gets high marks for a fresh approach and strong sense of place.
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Favorable
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The Guardian Matthew Lewin
This one, too, is well written, but if you're looking for one of his usual legal thrillers, you could be disappointed by the rather woolly espionage plot.
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Favorable
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Daily Telegraph Susanna Yager
This isn't Grisham in top form and the twist we have come to expect at the end isn't as startling as in previous books, but he is still a great storyteller.
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Mixed
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Washington Post Jonathan Yardley
I had a very good time with The Broker... But there's a rather hasty aspect to the book: too many short paragraphs, too many unnecessary exclamation points, a rushed and contrived ending.
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Mixed
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Los Angeles Times Leslie S. Klinger
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. [9 Jan 2005]
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Mixed
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Publishers Weekly
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.
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Mixed
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The Independent Barry Forshaw
While this new ambition may be applauded, the extra underpinnings come at a price. There are some surprisingly maladroit things here.
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Mixed
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The New York Times Janet Maslin
"The Broker" is a novel for, by and about somebody taking a vacation.
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Mixed
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The New York Times Book Review Alan M. Dershowitz
The feel of the action is distant from the comfortable familiarity a reader immediately gets from a Grisham legal thriller. The sharp turns of phrase, as well as of speeding cars, are vintage Grisham, but the texture of the characters, especially the politicians, is not nearly as palpable.
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Unfavorable
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The Globe And Mail [Toronto] Margaret Cannon
I think John Grisham intended this novel as satire. At least, I hope so. [22 Jan 2005, p.D12]
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Unfavorable
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Entertainment Weekly Gregory Kirschling
Grisham's novels are never boring, but this one is padded and unconvincing. It feels like Grisham had a nice trip to Bologna and struggled to concoct a book around it.
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Unfavorable
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Houston Chronicle Paul Lomartire
This is not one of Grisham's solid plots with the requisite surprises, twists, deceptions and threats.
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