• The Brethren

  • By: John Grisham
  • Narrated by: Frank Muller
  • Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,677 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Brethren  By  cover art

The Brethren

By: John Grisham
Narrated by: Frank Muller
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $23.81

Buy for $23.81

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

They call themselves the Brethren: three disgraced former judges doing time in a Florida federal prison.

One was sent up for tax evasion. Another, for skimming bingo profits. And the third, for a career-ending drunken joyride.

Meeting daily in the prison law library, taking exercise walks in their boxer shorts, these judges-turned-felons can reminisce about old court cases, dispense a little jailhouse justice, and contemplate where their lives went wrong.

Or they can use their time in prison to get very rich --very fast. And so they sit, sprawled in the prison library, furiously writing letters, fine-tuning a wickedly brilliant extortion scam ... while events outside their prison walls begin to erupt.

A bizarre presidential election is holding the nation in its grips--and a powerful government figure is pulling some very hidden strings. For the Brethren, the timing couldn't be better. Because they've just found the perfect victim...

Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM, coming soon!

©2000 Belfrey Holdings, Inc. (P)2000 Random House, Inc.

Featured Article: The Essential John Grisham in Audio


John Grisham is best known for his fast-paced legal thrillers and mysteries, many of which have been adapted for television and film. Because he’s so prolific and has been writing for decades, it can be difficult to know where to begin when selecting a title from his impressive back catalog. And Grisham is definitely a jack-of-all-trades: he’s written not only legal thrillers, but nonfiction, a series for kids, some humorous novels, and recently, a new mystery series outside of the legal thriller genre. To help you decide which Grisham gem to download next, we’ve compiled a list of the very best.

What listeners say about The Brethren

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    894
  • 4 Stars
    493
  • 3 Stars
    216
  • 2 Stars
    48
  • 1 Stars
    26
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    729
  • 4 Stars
    212
  • 3 Stars
    75
  • 2 Stars
    25
  • 1 Stars
    18
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    651
  • 4 Stars
    246
  • 3 Stars
    114
  • 2 Stars
    27
  • 1 Stars
    14

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Grisham

Not my favorite Grisham novel by any means but still a decent read. I didn’t think I liked this narrator but he was perfect for this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Narration was the resistance, very disappointing.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Could not get over the irritation of the narration, as a result was unable to get to the end if the book. I have tried to listen and press on three times now, but cannot.

What didn’t you like about Frank Muller’s performance?

High mono tone ran throughout. Very irritating.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I will, because I think the story is good I was just put off by the narrator.

Any additional comments?

The book might be worth listening to with another narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

bad editing

a good book with a great performance, unfortunately the editor feel asleep at the controls a few times and the same line was repeated at least a half dozen times

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The narrator!!

Grisham does it again!!! This book is a great tale!!! The narrator did a wonderful job!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a story!

Excellent job by the narrator! John Grisham is one of my favorite authors… but this narrator does such a quality job of capturing the personality of all the characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

One of his best books

I love the humor that Grisham spews in his novels & this book is overflowing with it. By far this is one of my favorite Grisham's.
Frank Muller has a wonderful reading voice & captures the story fully, it is sad that he is no longer with us.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Read

This was my first audible book and I enjoyed it immensely. The narration was wonderful, and the storyline kept me involved from the first page to the last. I almost wanted my hour long commute each way to work to be longer.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Crime does pay

It just doesn't sit well with me that our protagonists seemly ply their stock in trade – blackmail – successfully. I was left wanting justice for the innocents whose particular sexual tastes left them vulnerable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty typical for Grisham....great & witty!

Would you listen to The Brethren again? Why?

I would read The Brethren again. If I ran out of other books on audible and if I'd read all of Grisham's others, I suppose I'd pick this one off again.

What other book might you compare The Brethren to and why?

This one is quick spirited and witty like The Street Lawyer. Fast paced.

What does Frank Muller bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Everything! Whether he's speeding up or slowing down the sentences or words themselves it helps in getting the images in my head. I can almost see the people in the story just by the narrative tone.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nothing particular, I was just amused actually by the "inmates" of the story....what a hoot!

Any additional comments?

The only other comment I have about this book is that I was glad I got it. It was a fast read, as all Grisham's are for me. I've read about 7 now and going back for more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thursday 4/30/2020

This recording had a lot of repetitive lines that should've been cut. I liked the story though. Some parts are a bit drawn out. And it kinda leaves you hangin at the end to use your imagination.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!