Through a friend in the industry I was able to get a copy of “The Broker” and I think it is Grisham’s best thriller since the Firm! And is also a departure from his legal thrillers – this is more an international thriller- think Robert Ludlum. The basic premis is, During his waining hours in office a lame duck President of the United States pardons Joel Backman from Federal Prison. The Pardon creats a firestorm of controversy as Backman is a notoriuos political power broker who has spent the last half dozen years in prison for his crimes. What is not known is that the president’s hand was forced by the CIA as Backman apparently has secretes that compromise the US satalite surveillance system. The CIA has come up with a plan to get a handle the situation. Once Backman is released with a new name and Identity and home, the CIA will release information about him and his wherabouts to the Russians, Isralis, Suadis, and Chinese. The question now is, not when, but who will kill Mr. Backman? The story takes off from here with plenty of twists and turns, but I wont spoil the story! The author does a great job of mixing action with the suspense and some decent character development – just don’t expect too much! I also enjoyed the international tone of the book.

So you’ve read this is Grisham’s return to legal thrillers after inexplicable diversions like Bleachers. Hate to tell you – it’s anything but.

We shoot off the docks with grand Hollywood-style razzmatazz involving the CIA, the president of United States, and the dubious pardon of a certain high-stakes deal agent sent to Europe as a sitting duck for assassins to get him. Makes you buckle up for some breathless action.

Then just a few dozen pages later this whole sensational setup goes thud as our protagonist (and Grisham) get smitten with Italiana. We take long languid walks through Bologna’s porticoed sidewalks and piazzas. Read ornate descriptions of the city’s basilicas, towers, frescoes, marble crypts. There’s even time to learn the legend surrounding the naked bronze statue of the Roman god Neptune at the Fontana del Nettuno from the 1500s.

Our little broker is savoring the food, the language, the history. Problem is, we’re not because nothing’s happening.

As a storyteller Grisham is in full bloom, which would’ve been super if only he had a story to tell. Recommended for italophiles, rest of us should seek our thrills elsewhere.

As someone who hasn’t enjoyed Grisham’s writing since the late ’90s, I really didn’t have high expectations for this book. I don’t think any of us read his novels looking for any kind of enlightment, but instead we only want an intelligent, fun ride. To that end, The Broker is a success.

Unlike some of his more recent books, this one sticks to his old formula – a sympathetic character, intrigue, and a “chase” leading into a good ending. The only thing that drags the book down is that Backman’s time in Italy reads at times like a pastoral novel. I’m all for character development, but we learn more at times about the country than about Backman.

I still look back on early efforts like A Time to Kill and The Firm as being Grisham’s best. This doesn’t reach that level, but it’s certainly a welcome improvement from recent material.