What happens when three disgraced judges decide that federal prison is the perfect place to run an extortion scheme? You get Brethren, and honestly, you get one of the weirder entries in Grisham's catalog. I listened to this during a particularly slow week at the library - lots of shelving, lots of time with my earbuds in - and I kept stopping to just... process what was happening.
The Scam That Shouldn't Work (But Does)
Look, Grisham has always been clever. The man knows how to plot. But Brethren asks you to buy into a premise that's borderline absurd: three former judges, doing time for various levels of pathetic crimes (tax evasion, bingo skimming, a drunk driving incident), decide to run a blackmail operation from inside a federal prison. Targeting closeted men through personal ads. In the year 2000.
And somehow? It works as a story. Not because it's believable - it absolutely isn't - but because Grisham commits to the bit with such straight-faced confidence that you just go with it. The political thriller element running parallel, with a CIA operative and a bizarre presidential election, adds this layer of "wait, what is this book actually about?" that kept me hooked even when I was rolling my eyes.
Is it one of Grisham's best? No. My podcast listeners would probably argue The Firm or A Time to Kill deserve that spot. That same pulpy energy shows up in Second Wife, though with a darker psychological edge. But it's entertaining in that pulpy, slightly ridiculous way that makes for excellent commute listening.
Frank Muller's Final Act
Here's where I need to get serious for a second. Frank Muller narrated this before the motorcycle accident that ended his career, and knowing that context - it adds weight to every word. The man was a legend. Audie Award winner. One of the greats.
His voice here is raspy, dramatic, sometimes pushing into territory that might feel over-the-top if you're used to more subtle narration. I get why some listeners find it tiring. Eleven and a half hours of that distinctive gravel can wear on you. But here's the thing: Muller understood that Grisham's work isn't subtle. It's plot-driven, character-heavy, and needs a narrator who can juggle a dozen voices without losing the thread.
And Muller does. He switches from a Southern drawl to a clipped Northern accent without missing a beat. Each of the three judges - Spicer, Beech, and Yarber - sounds distinct. The CIA scenes have a different energy than the prison library scenes. That's craft. That's years of experience knowing exactly how much to give.
(My cat Shirley, for what it's worth, seemed unbothered by the whole thing. But she's also unbothered by actual horror novels, so her taste is questionable.)
Where It Drags
I won't pretend this is a perfect audiobook. The pacing stumbles in the middle section - there's a lot of setup for the political subplot that doesn't pay off as quickly as the prison scheme. Some listeners have mentioned repeated lines, which I didn't catch but might notice on a relisten. And the sheer number of characters can get overwhelming. I found myself rewinding a few times to remember who was who in the CIA hierarchy.
The story itself also requires you to suspend disbelief pretty aggressively. The whole premise hinges on a level of coincidence that would make a thriller writer wince. But Grisham's always been more interested in "what if" than "is this plausible," and if you can meet him there, you'll have fun.
Who Gets the Gavel (And Who Should Pass)
If you're already a Grisham fan, you probably don't need my permission. This is classic Grisham - legal-adjacent, politically paranoid, with that dry wit he does so well. Frank Muller's narration elevates material that could've felt dated.
New to Grisham? Maybe start elsewhere. The Firm is the obvious entry point. But if you want something weirder, something that feels like a 2000s political thriller had a baby with a prison comedy, Brethren delivers. Skip if you need your narrators to sound naturalistic and understated. Muller is neither. He's theatrical, and he knows it. That's either a feature or a bug depending on your preferences.
I listened at 1.25x speed during the slower sections and it helped. The production is clean, Muller's diction is crisp enough to handle the acceleration, and it tightens up those middle chapters where the plot sprawls a bit too wide.
Shelving This One
Would I recommend it for a dark, late-night listen? Nah. This isn't horror. But for a long drive, a cleaning marathon, or a slow week of library work? It's solid. Muller's voice has this quality that keeps you alert - maybe it's the rasp, maybe it's the drama - but I never zoned out. And for an eleven-hour audiobook, that's saying something.
