Reading The Brethren reminded me terribly of the old days of the charcoal barbecue experience. Great anticipation for the whole event. Then, once lit, the briquettes take forever to heat up to a nice grilling temperature. But as soon as you throw the steaks on, the heat dissipates and you're left with raw meat. This is exactly how I feel about The Brethren. I was intrigued by the tension and the potential danger created by the main characters weaving together. However, the slow start and the weak ending killed the whole book for me. Raw meat.