I'm looking for something somewhat mindless and suspenseful.. and this has been lying around my apartment for a long while. It's probably been 10 years since I've read a Grisham novel, but I used to just tear through them. Plus it seems to have a presidential election as part of the plot. How appropriate!

5/23: Finally finished this. I have to say it wasn't high on my reading priorities list as I was reading it. So I dragged my heels a lot. That plus I really wasn't digging it too much. Early on in the story, I almost stopped reading the book altogether, when the CIA becomes aware that the US Embassy in Cairo is targeted to be bombed and just lets it happen. And of course lots of people die. I'm wondering if this would have affected me as much if I hadn't visited Embassy Cairo, if my mom hadn't worked there, and if my family didn't work for the foreign service. Who knows.

Also I found I didn't really care for any of the characters. They weren't very likeable. There was no "hero" because even the protagonists (if you want to call them that) were completely unsavory guys doing unsavory things. Plus the end was rather anti-climactic. Again, it's been ages since I've read a Grisham book, but I feel like they were typically much more gripping than this one was. One thing I'll say for it though - it was published in 2000, and the idea that the government engineers and creates war (sometimes at the expense of American lives) is very prevalent in this book. Interesting.

Candidate Lake would be embraced by executives with cash and unions with the votes. The initial shock began to fade, and the simplicity of Teddy's plan became clear. Collect the cash from those who will profit. Scare the voters into racing to the polls. Win in a landslide. And in doing so save the world. (PG 25)

I felt like I was reading about the United States election over again. While this was not boring it lacked something I loved about his other books. I zipped through it and was engaged but the story line wasn't political madness, the way I like.

These politicians and their secrets huh? And the ones we try to silence with death or money... The usual

Thanks Bookfest January 2023 - NOT! John Grisham is a famous and popular author, but this book is terrible. In 430 pages, the whole story can be summed up in two words - greed and sex. The concept is not very believable. Three !! judges in prison are running a scam against timid rich homosexuals. Prison authorities seem to be completely stupid and incompetent. The director of the CIA is running an "operation" to put his selected candidate in the running for President of the USA. He seemingly has access to around $100 million of black funds !! and despite the fact that the CIA is not allowed to operate within the USA (according to my knowledge).
The relatively unknown congressman selected will be required to double the defense budget - this will generate billions of profits for various people and companies. This guy is pretty shocked but soon gets in the groove of being Mr. Popular, as money pours into his campaign fund. But, incredibly, he feels it will be OK to respond to a gay advertisement and so becomes caught in the scam.
Everything about this book is unbelievable. After 440 pages I think almost every reader will hate the ending. Personally I recommend not to bother. I consider this a waste of my $2.50. Rating 1.4.

A bit of an anticlimactic ending to a very good book. I enjoy John Grisham because the legal aspects. Not all of his books are based in a courtroom or a lawyer's office but do contain some elements of legal proceedings which he creates good stories about.
Like the Racketeer which I still is his best book, this is based in a prison. That is where the similarities of the books mentioned end. There's a lot more going on here.
Overall worthy of four stars

Read it at the time when I was binge reading Grisham.
Fairly slow and forgettable,again not among his best efforts.

John Grisham is usually hit-or-miss but this was entertaining. Not much more than that, though. Open ending but it killed time satisfactorily.

3.5 sterren.

Drie rechters zitten in een gevangenis in Trumble. Het zijn mannen van middelbare leeftijd, die nog een hele tijd moeten uitzitten. Ze willen wat geld verdienen voor als ze op vrije voeten zouden komen. Daarom zetten ze een zwendel op: ze plaatsen een advertentie in een homoblad waarin ze schrijven dat ze een jongeman zijn die graag wil corresponderen met een wat oudere man. Van degenen die reageren proberen ze zo veel mogelijk te weten te komen, vooral of ze rijk zijn en of ze getrouwd zijn of op een andere manier gechanteerd zouden kunnen worden. Een tijdje gaat het goed, maar dan reageert er iemand waar ze last mee gaan krijgen: Aaron Lake, de man die kort nadien de nieuwe presidentskandidaat wordt en een hoop te verliezen heeft als zijn geheimpje uitkomt.
Maar Lake heeft supermachtige mannen achter zich staan....
In het begin kon het boek me niet erg boeien, eigenlijk een lange tijd niet, vooral omdat er zoveel politiek in voorkwam. Naar het einde toe werd het echter spannender, en het had een heel andere afloop dan ik had verwacht. Meestal, op het einde van een verhaal, geschiedt gerechtigheid...hier is het wel wat anders, vind ik.
Ik vond het boek eerst een kleine 3 sterren waard, maar door het spannende einde, heb ik er 3.5 van gemaakt.

I loved this book. The story is so irresistibly original. Three disgraced judges in prison have a scam extorting money from closeted homosexuals for their "retirement fund". What they're about to realize is that they've hooked the biggest fish in the ocean. This particular Grisham work is definitely one of his best. The pace is brilliantly fast that I couldn't stop reading this book when I started. The characters, especially the Judges are so terribly beautiful in their depiction. The writing is impeccable as always, as one can expect from John Grisham. And the ending, the ending was so satisfying. The best thing about this book is the three judges: Finn, Spicer, and Beetch. They're so evil and cunning yet you couldn't stop rooting for them. The cliche that good must always triumph over evil is ridiculed, stomped, spitted on, and abused by this book and it's hard not to cheer. For once, the protagonists are not the good guys. They're bad, so likable-y bad.

Would consider this as the best book I have ever read. Ends in an amazing cliffhanger and the story is well build with fun facts and humoristic hints. Go read this!

This one was published in the year 2000. I think I have a neighbor who has been cleaning his bookshelves, and deciding it was time to donate his collection to my Little Free Library Shed. He definitely has been making this neighborhood (for the most part) happy with his decision.

On to this story…

3 ex-judges, now imprisoned, have a bit of a side-business in prison of blackmailing some very prominent men who still live their lives in the closet.

Well, what do you think will happen when one of those men that these ex-judges decide to blackmail is going for a very top government position? Do you think that person is going to let their secret be known?

And, what do you think that person is going to want to have done with their criminal blackmailers?

Is there really a safe place to hide?

So, look at it this way. We have criminal judges. We have a criminal at the top of government being blackmailed. Who are readers supposed to root for?

A fantastic scam, scared in-the-closet folks, CIA and the Presidential Election! Wow! It has been a long time since I have read John Grisham's novels. The wait was worth it. The pages had glue attached to them and I was able to finish the book in 3 sittings (which is a big deal for me.) It was fun.

Enjoyed this one.