|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
Joel Backman is a prisoner in Rudley Federal Correctional Facility. The former lawyer was convicted of unspeakable crimes, crimes which damaged the security of the United States. He had been one of the most powerful men in Washington, known as 'the broker' prior to his downfall, which was caused by his unconscionable greed. He has spent six years in isolation, deserted by almost all who had been proud to call him friend or family. Now he has only one son in contact with him. It is time for a new president to take up the reins over the country as the old president departs -- but not before he authorises a pardon for Backman. The CIA has, unbeknownst to Backman, engineered the convict's release. Their retiring head thinks he will be performing a service both for himself and his country if he puts Backman in position as something of a tethered goat to lure competing countries to assassinate him. Backman had been in possession of a scientific process which would put any country ahead in espionage on a grand scale. Mysterious deaths had ensured that Backman was the only person who would know the location of secret documents -- always supposing they had not been destroyed. Just why the identity of a successful assassin would solve mysteries -- other than which country could hire the most successful executioner -- is not really explained convincingly. The released prisoner must go to Italy, completely submerging himself in a new identity. Joel, who speaks no Italian, must become Marco, a Canadian of Italian descent who wishes to reclaim his heritage. To do this, he must immerse himself in Italian culture and learn to speak the language fluently in as short a time as possible. Bologna is the city wherein the transformation must take place. It seems only incidental that Backman is a lawyer -- assuming that not all powerful lobbyists need be members of the legal profession, that is. Certainly, I would not have deemed this a legal thriller had it not been for the author's identity. Had it not been for Grisham's reputation, too, I would have taken issue with the publisher's confident prediction on the front cover that this is 'the new bestseller'. Grisham has relied on a number of clichés as the foundation for this work. There is the old notion of the enmity between CIA and FBI, the idea of countries with competing deadly assassins converging on the one target. There is also Grisham's sense that he can write a convincing, sympathetic character. To me, it seemed as though Grisham had the theory of genuine sentiment in his mind without corresponding practical experience -- an impression I also gleaned from his MISSING CHRISTMAS. Unfortunately, Joel Backman seems to be a reworking, on an older body, of Clay Carter, the odious protagonist of KING OF TORTS. On the positive side, the word pictures Grisham paints of Bologna are wonderful and reason enough to purchase the book. If it is possible to read this novel without thinking of the author as one who has produced a string of bestsellers then one may evaluate this work as competent. My own feeling is that it is less than representative of Grisham's best work.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, January 2005
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
