The Whistler

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 110,366 ratings

Price: 19.69

Last update: 01-04-2025


About this item

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER

A high-stakes thrill ride through the darkest corners of the Sunshine State, from the author hailed as “the best thriller writer alive” by Ken Follett

We expect our judges to be honest and wise. Their integrity and impartiality are the bedrock of the entire judicial system. We trust them to ensure fair trials, to protect the rights of all litigants, to punish those who do wrong, and to oversee the orderly and efficient flow of justice.

But what happens when a judge bends the law or takes a bribe? It’s rare, but it happens.

Lacy Stoltz is an investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. She is a lawyer, not a cop, and it is her job to respond to complaints dealing with judicial misconduct. After nine years with the Board, she knows that most problems are caused by incompetence, not corruption.

But a corruption case eventually crosses her desk. A previously disbarred lawyer is back in business with a new identity. He now goes by the name Greg Myers, and he claims to know of a Florida judge who has stolen more money than all other crooked judges combined. And not just crooked judges in Florida. All judges, from all states, and throughout U.S. history.

What’s the source of the ill-gotten gains? It seems the judge was secretly involved with the construction of a large casino on Native American land. The Coast Mafia financed the casino and is now helping itself to a sizable skim of each month’s cash. The judge is getting a cut and looking the other way. It’s a sweet deal: Everyone is making money.

But now Greg wants to put a stop to it. His only client is a person who knows the truth and wants to blow the whistle and collect millions under Florida law. Greg files a complaint with the Board on Judicial Conduct, and the case is assigned to Lacy Stoltz, who immediately suspects that this one could be dangerous.

Dangerous is one thing. Deadly is something else.

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


Top reviews from the United States

  • veronica
    5.0 out of 5 stars very interesting
    Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2024
    Could not get away from the book. It was very interesting. Very good reading. Took me 3 weeks to read.
  • Nickie Lindquist
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read
    Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2024
    Good overall story. The characters are believable and indentifiable.there were times when the story slowed down and didn't hold my interest as well
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best Read Ever
    Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2024
    I loved this book! I forgot how great Grisham wrote! The story line was intriguing and it had just the right amount of sexual content. I can't wait to read the next one!!!
  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed--but Perhaps it is Just Me
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2016
    I am a lover of all things Jack Reacher, and think John Grisham is a terrific, writer with intricate plots and well-developed characters, and I live for each new Reacher novel to come out. And so, I attacked this with my usual enthusiasm. Perhaps--because I was reading this while in the shock, distraction and feelings of dispair over the current election--my review should be weighted with that knowledge. Perhaps becasue of my state of mind, I couldn't focus as thoroughly as I would naturally do. Perhaps I am the reason the book seemed to move slowly and didn't grab my interest. Perhaps I am the reason the usual and predictable Reacher/Woman get together bored me; perhaps I am the reason I found too little Reacher and too many other characters distracting; perhaps the plot seemed certainly not impossible to believe, but the solving of it did stretch credulity, both in terms of the quick time it took to bring it to its conclusion, and the very small number of officials involved (I've seen more law inforcement people involved in a 7-Eleven robbery, much less a matter of international security); perhaps my criticisms are a reflection of my own state of mind. And perhaps, not. So...I plan to re-read this soon--when my mental health stabilizes--and if I feel differently, I will absolutely revise my review. I am not "The New York Review of Books", not a brilliant, clever literary critique. I am an ordinary person who loves both this character and the writer, and found myself disappointed in both this time. Feel free to ignore my opinion.
  • frankie dolehanty
    5.0 out of 5 stars great book
    Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2024
    Great book to read. I couldn't put it down. Onto the next Grisham novel. John Grisham is one of my favorite authors.
  • Drea
    4.0 out of 5 stars 4 generous stars
    Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2023
    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.
  • Ronald H. Clark
    5.0 out of 5 stars John Grisham: some familiar techniques but some new departures as well
    Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2016
    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.
  • Jan Kone
    5.0 out of 5 stars John Grisham has done it again
    Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2024
    It's hard to put down. It's a good mystery and keeps interested.

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