A disgraced Washington power broker is pardoned and secretly shipped to Italy, where the CIA waits to see who will try to kill him
Hiding in Bologna
Joel Backman was once the most powerful lobbyist in Washington, until a scheme to sell a secret satellite surveillance system went badly wrong and landed him in prison. Six years into a twenty-year sentence, he receives an unexpected pardon from an outgoing president. The CIA arranged it. Backman is given a new name and spirited away to Italy, and the agency plans to watch quietly to see which of several foreign governments finds him first.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who enjoy espionage thrillers with a strong sense of place, and Grisham fans looking for something beyond the courtroom.
What you will get
A suspenseful espionage thriller and love letter to Italy, in which a pardoned Washington power broker hides in Bologna with killers on his trail.
The Broker Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Mystery & Thriller · Espionage · Italy · Fugitive
Length
422 pages · ≈ 12 h
More about this book
Grisham steps out of the courtroom for this one, and the change of scene suits him. The setup is irresistibly cynical: Backman is not freed out of mercy but used as bait. In Bologna, under the name Marco Lazzeri, he is placed with a language tutor and a minder, and the first half of the book is as much about learning Italian, walking the city's arcades and eating very well as it is about danger.
That slow, sensual middle section divides readers. Some love Grisham's affectionate portrait of Bologna and Backman's gradual transformation from arrogant operator into a humbler man; others wish the plot moved faster. When the threat finally arrives, the chase is tense and well constructed, and Backman uses the cunning that once made him powerful. A warm friendship with his Italian tour guide adds a touch of tenderness. Violence is limited, and the tone is lighter than many of Grisham's thrillers.
Think of it as a thriller with a long Italian holiday in the middle. Travellers who know Italy will enjoy recognizing its streets and cafés. About 422 pages in the Dell mass-market paperback.
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The Pelican Brief
The Client
The Summons
Camino Island
Palace of Treason
Red Sparrow
The Kremlin’s Candidate
Clear and Present Danger
The Runaway Jury
I Am Pilgrim