1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERIn his final hours in 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 that Backman, in his heyday, may … in his 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?
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from John Grisham’s The Litigators.
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A well-told story of political ambition, achievement, well-deserved calamity and fortitude entwined in a world of changing technology and never changing political greed.
In The Broker, The president of the United States grants a pardon to Joel Backman after serving only six years of a twenty-year sentence. Backman was at one time a Washington heavy hitter with links to the CIA. No sooner is he released than Backman is flown out of the US by the CIA. Ultimately they settle him in Italy, then leak his location to a host of countries and sit back to see who will kill him. This is not the usual Grisham attorney/client/courtroom tale but it is very well written and I found it to be a real page-turner.
Grisham pulls out all the stops in this international legal thriller. Follow former Washington D.C. power broker, Joel Backman, as he attempts to put the pieces together about his last-minute presidential pardon.
He was now on the run with his assigned government handler. He was loaded into a cargo plane immediately after release from federal prison with a need to know the destination. Could he keep his wits about him and thwart their interrogations and possible death sentence?
Who are the people chasing him and why? He suspected U.S. government spy agencies, Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis had obtained secrets about his former client’s sophisticated satellite surveillance system, JAM.
He was provided with little details and cash from the people sent to watch over him. Learning Italian was a must for his survival or said his handler. He was diligent in his studies with the tutors provided by the government. He learned his way around the Italian city of Bologna and became adept at losing his handler.
He enjoyed early morning walks in the crisp air, the food and wines, and historical sites. His body became leaner and healthier with his outside explorations. Even he didn’t recognize the man he saw in the mirror.
The C.I.A. planned to release his whereabouts to the global spy agencies interested in his secrets and watch who’d kill him first. He was tipped off when his bag was stolen in a restaurant during a scheme caused to disrupt service. Not long afterward, he was confronted by two men from the F.B.I. near his apartment. He knew other spy agencies were probably closing in. It was time to leave Bologna but could he with no money, passport, or change of clothes?
His being on the run trying to stay ahead of deadly spy agencies proved to be daunting. Where should he go and how could he survive since they were always one step behind?
This heart-racing thriller will keep you on your toes. How many people would be killed because of his client’s secrets? Was it possible for him to broker one last deal – the most important one in his life?
Love his books
Another great read
Great reading!
One of my favorite books. If you like thrillers, you will love this one.
John Grisham born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker. As a child he dreamt of being a professional baseball player. He shifted ultimately majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. Then, after graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing incriminal defence and personal injury litigation. In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990.
Before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi, law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby which was writing his first novel.
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Grisham has great strengths as a writer. He moves the plot along in a gripping, relentless fashion. He also makes the unbelievable believable.
In this book he builds a detailed back story and in this book his jumps back and forth in time. I found this made the book a bit difficult to follow in places. The Broker is about Joel Backman. He is a broker who has stumbled onto a conspiracy about a satellite surveillance system that can corrupt and the he decides to try to sell this satellite to the highest bidder in the world to his advantage. Backman, in his power broker heyday, has obtained secrets that compromise the world’s most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.
The government incarcerates him for 20 years to make sure that the secret of the satellite does not get leaked out. However, in his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, this notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years of his 20 year sentence 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. The CIA ship him to Italy in a military cargo ship. So Backman is quietly smuggled out of the USA, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. The CIA plan is that, 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 found this book very exciting that this man has just been released just to be killed what a plot in a book! In his new home in Italy and a new identity, Backman has no friends besides his CIA friend and mentor Lugi and his Italian instructors. Neverthe less, Backman was able to outwit many people in his new home of Italy and he was able to withstand whatever the government threw at him. He has the ability to adapt to a new environment.
This book was so descriptive telling every detail that was necessary for you to get an enchanted feeling: just as if you was in Italy. Grisham describes the smell of the food, the customs and how different the Italians are to Americans. The Broker reflects many subjects in life. The book talks about the power in government: how it is twisted and how the world is now. It also debates that not all that can be done is being done but the people in power are merely looking out for themselves.
I enjoyed this book, and I hope you would too.
Grisham is a great author and this continues his excellent reputation.
Great suspense.
All of his books are wonderful.
Great Grisham. One of maybe ten authors who have never failed me. Thank you for the excellence and the effort you always put forward. It is most appreciated.
Grisham is always a good read. I like this book a lot it had a great character and it was exciting.
Made me think of what is going on in the government now
I love all of John Grisham’s books.
Grisham does a great job at taking you along on this adventure.
John Grisham is my ALL time favorite author. He cannot write fast enough for me to read!!! As soon as a new one comes out….I’m on it!