The Broker is the story about a former DC power "broker" Joel Backman, the recently pardoned by a feeble outgoing president and stashed in Italy by the CIA. Many different groups are after the military secrets that landed him in jail six years ago. The novel quickly moves away from political intrigue to spy thriller

The Brethren really made Grisham cheesy to me, as in b-moviedom. I think it had too much political conspiracy. The Broker shares a lot in common with The Brethren, for one thing there is the return of a shadowy character, head of the CIA Teddy Maynard

Most of the reading paints a profile in contrasts of Joel's former life and the new one under his assumed identity in Italy. How long before he gets caught up. How is Grisham gonna make the icy Italian guide/teacher fall for the protagonist (cheese!)

Most of the novel takes place in Italy (with extensive details [hence research] for Bologna) so there are nice colors of European people and their ways. If anything, Grisham will probably make you want to go visit "the boot"

The initial military convoy to get him out of the States and the setting in Italy made me think of Catch-22, that lasts about 4 pages. I prefer when Grisham stick to straightforward legal dramas with more personal stories (Rainmaker, Runaway Jury and my first Grisham novel: The Partner)

Very solid, easy to read but that also denotes the commercial nature of the work