The Whistler

Couldn’t put this one down! So many twists and turns throughout the novel. It kept me on the edge wondering what will happen next. I highly recommend this book and Grisham’s The Judge’s List. They are both part of a great book series by Grisham.

Upon finishing this book, I found myself wishing (not for the first time) that Goodreads allowed 1/2 star rankings. So I felt the need to address my mixed feelings here. There’s no denying John Grisham is a fantastic storyteller. This book was over all interesting, it held my attention, and was at times exciting, so I decided to give the 4 star rating vs 3. However, I had a major issue with the pacing of this novel. The book largely moves at a real time, day to day investigation speed.. but then every once in a while, major information is revealed extremely quickly. Like in a couple of pages. I’m used to seeing this at the end of a book like this. You spend the book “in the investigation”, and at the end it’s wrapped up at a faster speed. But this book does this within the book, more than once. I suppose that was for the sake of brevity - it’s already 450 pages - but it was just off putting. Especially the first time this occurs. It felt like he tried to fit two books in to one. As I said, in many ways it’s still the steamy southern legal thriller I expected from Mr Grisham, but it is certainly not as well written as his earlier books. If you’re already familiar with his writing, and are looking to scratch that particular itch, then definitely check it out, but if this would be your first, I suggest you choose one of his earlier books instead.

I liked the details from start to finish of all the agencies work and finally together, a great read.

It is surprising that Audible passed on this reader. The voice was so grating that many times I wanted to stop it. The voice of the main character, a lawyer, was inappropriately breathless. An odd choice for this voice. The male voices were all the same and all in a strange tough guy accent. It would have been better if she just read and didn’t try to take on different accents. It was a very unpleasant read.The book is good but, I feel, not his best. - No surprises or interesting twists. It was easy to guess what was coming next and to surmise the conclusion. The details were interesting, as always, but the plot lacked drama and suspense. Given the poor voice and plodding plot, it was a disappointing read.

John Grisham practically invented the "legal thriller" format. His latest novel, well past his 20th, both continues some familiar Grisham features as well as striking out in some new directions as well. He continues to develop his writing skills as an outstanding novelist, demonstrating increased mastery in areas such as character development, dialogue, and plot evolution. He still draws the reader in from the beginning as the story begins to unfold. One departure from his other books is that this is no "page turner" that increases the reader's fixation as the suspense builds (think of "The Firm" by contrast]. Grisham, for once, is in no hurry to develop his story--people are not "falling" off tall buildings on page 6 as occurred in an earlier novel. This does not mean that he has lost his ability to inject an explosive vivid element suddenly when it is least expected which grabs the reader like no other author I am familiar with. So the reader has plenty of time to internalize the varied details of the plot.I have commented in past reviews on how his recent books have educated the reader on various legal topics, such as how the mass torts bar operates; public interest lawyers fighting to protect the environment; the deficiencies of the death penalty; and the misuse of confessions. Here the story involves the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct, which policies judges and conducts investigations of alleged judicial misconduct. Such agencies exist in virtually every state and do highly important work. Integral to the plot is an Indian-owned casino which allows Grisham to educate us about this fascinating development. 200 tribes in this country run casinos, on reservations, which means they pay no federal taxes of any kind and no taxes (state or otherwise) on profits. These casinos generate billions in profits, with oceans of cash flowing through their hoppers. So this leads to the reader learning about money laundering and other unpleasant, but highly profitable, activities.The story picks up when a criminal investigation ensues. Grisham's description of how U.S. Attorneys employ grand juries is right on (I used to run them), as is his introduction of quaint government practices such as asset forfeitures and freezing, RICO, and what inducements can be offered to secure testimony from lower level crooks. I was amazed to learn about "burner" phones--technology marches on. The important thing here is that all of this new information not only does not slow down Grisham's exciting tale, but actually enhances its effectiveness. His own background as a criminal defense counsel really pays off in adding credibility to his stories.The book is atypical for Grisham in that it does not build to a "page turning" climax that grips the reader until the last paragraph is read. And I sort of missed that--not to say the ending is not well done, and the pace doesn't pick up around page 335. It's just not the kind of ending found in other Grisham novels where you can't go to bed until to finish it off--no matter what. It also has relatively little focus on litigation and trials, although some important elements do make brief appearances. All told, just another fine achievement by John Grisham that provides a most "satisfying meal" for any reader who appreciates a well-written and exciting criminal tale.

John Grisham always tells a good story . He makes reading his books a rewarding experience .😊

As always another brilliant book by Grisham. Good characterisation and a great storyline. Thoroughly enjoyable and looking forward to reading the sequel.

Ottimo libro, come sempre

A great thriller. Keeps you reading through the night!

Am Anfang noch nicht so spannend, aber später dafür umso mehr. Ab der Mitte wollte ich das Buch gar nicht mehr weglegen. Der Kauf hat sich aus meiner Sicht auf jeden Fall gelohnt.