The Broker by John Grisham

In the Author's Note there is the following disclaimer: "It's all fiction.. I know very little about spies, electronic surveillance, satellite phones, smartphones, bugs... If something in this novel approaches accuracy, it's probably a mistake" and also: "Im more terrified of high-tech electronic gadgets today than a year ago". Reading this makes me ask my self, Why then did you write this book? Well further in the Note, we find that it was his love for Bologna (The city that the plot is centered in) is what he really did research and came to love. That is why instead of legal thriller.. we have now ended up with.. an Italian Guide Book with a dash of a spy story.

"The Broker" is drenching in all things Italian. From its edible delicacies, to its art and also endless (and I mean endless) amounts of story where the main character is just learning and repeating Italy's language. You end up thinking.. I should keep reading because?

The Story

The Broker is the survival story of a man named Joel Backman. He was an extremely powerful person who had political connections like no one else and could "open any door in Washington". Sitting at this high position and making ten million dollars a year, he came to be known as "The Broker". Now, this was him before he was incarcerated for a variety of things, including treason.

All of this because he received access, to a few men who could control the most powerful satellite surveillance system ever created. He then tried to broker a deal selling it to the highest bidder, before being caught by the federal government. Backman accepted prison, seeing as how it is his only refuge because nasty people including the the Saudis, Russians, Chinese are all trying to get their hands on him. Since he is the only person with knowledge of where the operating disks, that control that satellite, are found.

The plot thickens when we find out that his own government has a plan on retrieving that information. After many years in prison, the CIA's director devises a plan to get him pardoned. With the broker free it becomes open season on Joel Backman, for all those who want his special secret.

Now what..

Well if you read the summery on the book.. surely you would think that this is a thriller. Indeed it is.. some where in between all the clutter. The book is one part spy novel and three parts educational. An education on the Italian culture as well as the city it self. Now, I did like learning a few tid bits, like the fact that you dont order capuchinno after lunch because: "what a shame to drink one after eating so much.. with all that milk in it". You have an espresso as an alternative. Also, learning how beautiful Bologna is, that is not bad at all. Yet, when you give us pages and pages of this stuff, it gets to be tedious and redundant. If I wanted to learn about Italy.. I would get a Dummy's Guide to Italy. What I was really searching for is a solution to the problems found in his previous book, "The King of Torts". But no, none of that. All we have here is a sluggish book that has little suspense, slow pacing, and not a legal thriller. The worst thing is that it is not at all legal or not at all a thriller.

The Characters

While the book was an easy read and informative, it was lacking in most things including the characters. They are much lacking in the likeability factor. Much like "King of Torts, the main character comes off as smug and pretencious. Grisham writes as if by the end of the book we "should" like this previously shady person but gives us no motive for doing so.

If, of any consolation, the ending was relatively satisfying. Not holding much surprise, it was a delight that it ended better than the story began. (specially better than the middle.) So if you plan on reading "The Broker" I suggest that you hold off on it and read something more worth your wild.. like John Grisham's "The Pelican Brief". That book has the legal stuff, has the suspense stuff, and has the power finish. When it comes to "The Broker" that should be left to the hard-core Grisham fans.. their the ones who will probably be disappointed but not feel entirely dejected.