Lacy isn't a police officer or even a detective. She investigates corruption in judges. She is approached by a man with an unbelievable story of corruption by a sitting judge that is extensive in its scope. This judge is apparently being paid massive amounts of money by a casino run by an Indian tribe in Florida. This is in return for her favorable judgments on all things related to the construction and running of this massive project.
This has been going on for years and involves a previously unknown crime organization run by a man who has lived for years without an identity. No social security number, no address, and not many people even know what he looks like.
An intriguing story that becomes quite dangerous for Lacy and her partner. The FBI eventually gets involved. The investigation and entrapment of these criminals is interesting. But my disappointment stems from the fact that The Whistler isn't at all "a high-stakes thrill ride" as advertised in the blurb. It isn't without some violence, but I expected all this tension and danger at the end, and it never materialized. The last 20 minutes of The Whistler is a listing of who was indicted and on what charges. Then an account of the sentences handed down.
The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, does a great job. I totally don't remember anything about her voice, and as I write this, I couldn't even remember if it was a male or female narrator. That's a good thing. I don't like to be distracted by the audio.
The Whistler reads like a true-crime exposé, and that isn't what I expect from Grisham. He writes well, and I won't give up on him. Hopefully, The Whistler was a fluke.
Published by Doubleday, 2016
Audiobook obtained from the library
384 pages
Rating: 3.5
I looked up my review of this book and I gave it 4.5, but as I read your description I was thinking, yeah, this wasn't one of my favorites. Guess it didn't have staying power for me.
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