The Broker by John Grisham

From the book jacket: In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in federal prison. What no one knows is that the President only issues the pardon after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world's most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.
Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survivie - there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, who will kill him?

What I thought: DON'T even start this book! I was on a roll until this book. It took me forever to get through and didn't get good until the last 80 pages or so! urgh!