The Broker

Posted by: Sayed Khadri on: March 2, 2011

• In: Book Reviews
• 14 Comments

Name : The Broker

Author: John Grisham

Genre : Suspense Thriller

Pages : 368

Language: English

Publication Year: January 11, 2005

Is Review Spoiler: No

Awards :

Movie based on this book :

Rating: 3/5 —————————————————————————————————————————

The Broker is a suspense novel written by American author John Grisham published in the United States on January 11, 2005. This novel is not like other John Grishams novels, this novel is not a legal fiction this is suspense thriller. This novel revolves around Joel Backman, a newly pardoned prisoner, who once know as “the Broker”- a Washington power broker-lobbyist.

John Grisham is known for his legal fiction/thrillers, his books like ‘The Client’, ‘Time to kill’, ‘The Firm’ and many more are loved by millions of fans all over the world. As a John Grisham fan, I love his legal fiction but this book different this is not the usual John Grisham-ishy book. After reading few John Grisham’s book I noticed that he lets the reader down with a ‘well let’s finish it’ kind of ending.

This novel has pretty good pace, character development is also very good as usual but the ending of this novel is not good. And another problem of this book is Italian language, architecture, cuisine, fashion, coffee etc. He put too much Italien details in this novel, it felt some times like I am reading Italian travelogue and coffee diary and also there are many dangling plotlines in this book.

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?

I will recommend this book for only John Grisham’s fans.

Tags: Joel Backman, John Grisham, Legal Fiction, The Broker