Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: John Grisham is one of those authors from whom you can always expect a good read. He didn't let me down this instance. I would suggest this book to all Grisham fans!
Rating: 
Summary: Whatever Happened To The Author Of A Time To Kill?
Review: The Brethren is a perfect example of a book that becomes a megaseller just because of its author's mega reputation. While it moves along quickly (Thank God! ), The Brethren is weak in just about every quality you want in a thriller -- plot, characterizations, suspense, surprises, credibility, etc. This book is one more recent example of Grisham's spewing out books without caring enough about the quality on which he built his reputation. Since he's become a dynasty in the publishing world, he seems to have forgotten about the need to satisfy his readers. While it won't amount to a "spit in the ocean" to Grisham, his future fortunes are going to have to be made without any more contributions from me. This is likely to be my last John Grisham book.
Rating: 
Summary: IT'S OKAY
Review: IT'S A PRETTY GOOD STORY NOT THE BEST GRISHAM I'VE READ BUT GOOD.
Rating:
Summary: Fast reading; kept my interest
Review: While this book is not up to Grisham's earlier works, I still found this enjoyable and fast paced. After the previous novels, I've been questioning why I still read Grisham, I did enjoy this one & will stay with reading Grisham novels.
Rating:
Summary: CHANGE THE FORMULA
Review: I liked the plot but the story lacked punch and fell into a very predictable story line. The ending is very dissapointing. Alot of things were left unexplained in my opinion. I would skip it.
Rating:
Summary: Good story but lame ending.
Review: I heard that this book was going to be a big hit, so I took a chance and read it. I have to say it had a good interesting story but it had major flaws. #1.. It had a lame ending. #2.. Some characters were a pian in the %*&#@. And #3.. It might be disapionting to John Grisham fans.
Rating:
Summary: good but not great
Review: I've read all of John Grisham's books. His earlier works are much better than his more recent novels. The Brethren is no exception. I think what's missing is a sympathetic main character. I didn't really care about any of the characters in this book as they're all criminals. I kept waiting for him to introduce someone likable, but he never did. In his earlier books like - The Firm, Pelican Brief, The Client, etc. There was both suspense and there were characters that you could identify with on some level. I'm sure as a writer he wants to try different things and stretch himself, but all I can say is that his books just aren't as good as they used to be. The Brethren did hold my interest and at least I finished it. (I couldn't even finish The Testament - his last book.) The Brethren is not worth buying though. Just check out a copy from your local library.
Rating:
Summary: Too many characters left hanging
Review: The book spends too much time on the judges and lawyer shuffling money around. Grisham also could have developed the characters a lot better. We learn nothing of anyones background except for what the judges are in jail for. There are a lot of characters in this book and no ones story is ever finished. Who wins the election? What happens to the CIA chief? What happens to all who were blackmailed? I don't know. This certainly wasn't a page turner for me. I think the premise was good but the development needs a lot of work.
Rating: 
Summary: An Overall Great Grisham Novel!
Review: My two favorite John Grisham novels are The Testament and this one. I thought that the storyline was wonderful in the Brethren! I liked the characters and their great descriptions. I thought that the ending was not too great. But it left you hanging and made you wonder if there is going to be a sequel. Great work JOHN!
Rating:
Summary: Grisham desperate for something to write about?
Review: I am trying to understand whether or not I may have been slightly biased when I read "The Brethren." I enjoyed Grisham's previous writing, "The Testament" only a few weeks earlier and considered it very interesting. While reading this story I started thinking about that old Peggy Lee song which describes it well... "Is That All There Is?"It took about two pages to figure out what the story was about and where it was going. When I got to the end, I had to think that Grisham must have gotten to the same point of fizzle, as he did with "The Firm"... the story just weakly stopped... He didn't CONCLUDE the story. Is he attempting to imitate Steinbeck to some degree? Grisham's story has one hole in it. Grisham's convicts who cooked up this crooked scheme never considered what would occur if a person of great wealth was NOT afraid of his pursuers. If they were to tell their victim's secret, the criminals would never get a dime for their efforts! So why tell? Once the secret is out, extortion doesn't pay very well! Considering all that Grisham has been able to create for us, I do sincerely believe that he should be allowed a few bombs. The real stinkers just make the next stories that he writes seem like works of art. Here's his first stink bomb of a story. I anxiously await the next story!
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