The Whistler

Written by John Grisham

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

The most corrupt judge in US history.

A young investigator with a secret informant.

The electrifying new thriller.

Lacy Stoltz never expected to be in the firing line. Investigating judicial misconduct by Florida's one thousand judges, her cases so far have been relatively unexciting. That's until she meets Greg Myers, an indicted lawyer with an assumed name, who has an extraordinary tale to tell.

Myers is representing a whistle blower who knows of a judge involved in organised crime. Along with her gangster associates this judge has facilitated the building of a casino on an Indian reservation. At least two people who opposed the scheme are dead. Since the casino was built, the judge has made several fortunes off undeclared winnings. She owns property around the world, hires private jets to take her where she wishes, and her secret vaults are overflowing with rare books, art and jewels.

No one has a clue what she's been doing - until now.

Under Florida law, those who help the state recover illegally acquired assets stand to gain a large percentage of them. Myers and his whistle blower friend could make millions.

But first they need Lacy to start an investigation. Is she ready to pit herself against the most corrupt judge in American history, a judge whose associates think nothing of murder?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette UK Audio
• Release date: Oct 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781444791136

Reviews for The Whistler

[auntieg0412 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Disappointing, mediocre story from an author who can produce far, far better books than this. Too many not-quite-believable moments and convenient happenings, tied together much too neatly. I was a big Grisham fan in the early years but no longer.

[elisabethzguta · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As with most Grisham books - the characters pull you into the story. This was a thrilling listen.

[clsnyder_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Terrible. Spoiler - a whistleblower outs a crooked judge. 9000 pages later, the judge and cronies are caught. A few hundred pages later, the final sentencing results are provided. Could have been written by a 4th grader.

[ionas_7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

On the front cover of the book Ken Follett is quoted as stating that John Grisham is the best thriller writer alive. That may be so, but this is definitely not his best book. Lacy and Hugo, who were lawyers and investigators, were hired to investigate the reputedly wrongful conviction of Junior Mace for killing his wife and her assumed lover, Son Razko. Also implicated was the judge Claudia McDover, who was the one to convict Junior. Claudia turned out to be involved in an abundance of criminal conduct, including taking bribes, taking cash from Indian casinos and laundering money. Lacy and Hugo are lured into an Indian reservation and there subject to a car crash where Hugo is killed and Lacy seriously injured. Before the crash, Lacy and Hugo visit Junior in prison and are convinced of his innocence. The car crash was of course not an accident but actually murder, and when Lacy recovers from her injuries she investigates this too. I won’t go into further detail but must say that I found the book readable but no more.

[jthierer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been underwhelmed by several of Grisham's newer offerings so this one was a pleasant surprise that felt like a return to the classic Grisham storytelling that keeps me reading his books. With a good Grisham novel you're not getting particularly nuanced characters or lovely prose. What you are getting is a propulsive narrative that keeps you reading and keeps you rooting for the good guys to triumph over the rich, corrupt baddies. The Whistler delivers exactly that.

[waldhaus1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The prequel to the judges list. Not sure how I missed out but glad to fill in the gap. Lacey the investigator makes a winning protagonist. A lot of Floridas panhandle geography. One cheers when the bad guys get their due.

[highlander6022 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very good story, from the beginning to the end. And a very satisfying end it was.

[bcrowl399 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a really good story of corruption, intrigue, drama and satisfaction. It was quite long for an audio book, but I prefer unabridged versions. I enjoyed Cassandra Campbell's renditions. The story moved right along and the suspense and action came to a great conclusion at the end.

[tonifgmamtc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was interesting. It centers around two things that I haven't seen much about—investigation for judicial conduct and law matters on Native American land. In this book corrupt leaders in a Native American tribe and a dirty judge are connected in a huge scam. Lacy is not used to a case of this magnitude. She's handled cases of sexual harassment, drinking on the job, etc., but this case has murders and huge sums of money. It's a case for the FBI, but by the time she finds out how deadly matters are, she's in too deep. It has plenty of twists and turns that kept me connected to the story.

[andy_dimartino · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great read. Went rather quickly. Didn't quite see a point to the 42 page e-prequel that came out in advance of this books release but anything to make a buck I guess. I think it was 42 pages that would have looked better at the beginning of this book. Lots of action in the story but was somewhat anti-climactic. Would probably make for another good movie from him though. Are you busy Julia Roberts?

[addunn3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Office of Judicial Conduct in Florida has a tip that a judge is acting unprofessionally.

[rglossne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Grisham tackles judicial corruption and Indian casinos in this thriller. I always find Grisham’s books fun to listen to, and this one was no exception. His heroine, Lacy Stoltz, is a judicial investigator not used to crime and danger. The corrupt judge is owned by a group called the Coast Mafia, who have made it their business to profit from the development around the casinos, as well as skimming from the casinos themselves. The whistler, or whistleblower, is a surprise left for the end of the book. Well plotted fun.

[nwieme-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I REALLY loved it in the beginning... then it STOPPED me cold with the death of a character... then I got over it and loved it again. The ending- eh. Seemed like it ended just too quickly... There was a short epilogue that helped, but readingreadingreadingreadingOVER. Still gave it 4 stars because I liked the story, but weave an ending, please!

[untraveller · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another typical Grisham book. Almost as good as The Reckoning. Concerns a crooked judge in Florida, a casino, and lots of crime.

[jean_roberts-980215 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2 1/2 stars. Not a nail biting, heart pounding thriller at all. On the other hand, the story was interesting enough that I finished the book in a day. Proceed at your own risk.

[sandra_wagner8wright · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed The Whistler. The protagonist, Lucy Stoltz, is a judicial investigator for the State of Florida. A job more about reports than danger. If someone has a complaint about a state judge, Stoltz and her partner check it out. Stoltz is neither well-paid nor a person running on adrenaline until this case lands on her desk. The plot twists and turns demonstrate, as Grisham often does, how seemingly smooth rocks can be lifted up to show all manner of creatures with both simple and complex motives for their corrupt lives. As the truth comes out, the perpetrators receive their just rewards, even as corruption itself continues, perhaps to become the subject of Grisham’s next novel.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book, contrary to several other viewers. I felt it was back to his roots of legal thrillers. I am not going to regurgitate the story, suffice it to say that there is a crooked judge and a whistle blower wants to take her down. Of course, getting money as a whistle blower also is an enticement.

The characters that work for the BJC (Judicial review committee) as investigators, Lacey and Hugo are the best characters in the book. They are well described and I really grew to care about them. When they realize they are in over their heads, it is too late. There is a lot of action as well as drama as they try to close in on Judge McDover. Finding out that there is organized crime/syndicate involved is where they had problems. They are not police, they are lawyers who only have the power of the subpeona. The bad guys were greedy, power hungry and thought they were untouchable, wrong. As the case heated up, there were a lot of arrests and you finally meet the whistle blower. It seems justice is served on a platter with John Grisham.

[librisissimo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Grisham has a formidable reputation, and he puts together an informative and education novel, but the dialogue is only B-grade TV- series, the characters are stock figures, and he lets them make elementary mistakes that no seasoned TV viewer would commit.There really is no mystery, as in the classic tradition, merely a procedural that cleans up loose ends after the clues become unmistakable.Suitable for youth because there is (as always) no foul language, overt sex, or gratuitous violence.There are also some continuity errors that should have been caught on line-edits.

[sassybrit · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I am reviewing an early sampler of the legal thriller, The Whistler by John Grisham.
Lacy Stoltz is investigating the judicial misconduct of one of the most corrupt judges in American history, where organised crime and murder are his favourite tools. How can she beat someone like that? Here are my thoughts:

^^ John Grisham definitely has a style of his own, which appeals to many of his fans, I must say I am one of them. He writes very well, and writes what he knows with a nice mix of law, order and resting scenes.

^^ I found the beginning of the story quite intriguing when Lacy and Hugo first meet Ramsey Mix. The whole settin g up of the book, the dodgy judge, and all the implications, sounded so promising.

Overall: Unfortunately, with this early sampler I only got to read the first four chapters and was unsure how to write a review based on such a small part of the book. What I read was good, but whether it continued that way, I do not know. It's a shame I wasn't sent the whole book.

I received this from NetGalley, thanks to Hodder and Stoughton.

[jbarr5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Whistler by John GrishamHave read the prequel and things just don't add up to how the man is imprisoned-it was like nobody even looked into the case.What I love about this book is that it is much the same as Longmire, a Netflix series. It starts on Indian lands and a lot of corruption.Book starts out with Lacey and she's with Hugo heading to St. Augustine, FL. They are to meet Randy and he has a complaint about a judge...They are both investigators and lawyers... he starts talking about realators and investors and all went down. had jail time but learned of one client only now that he got his license back.His client wants to use the FL whistler blowers rule to turn evidence... catfish mafia have purchased judges in the past... they are involved also.Quite a few people involved and I like how they all are taken down. So many clues and pieces of the puzzles that come together in the long run.Like how it's all told and all the secrets to the story are divulged. Can't wait to read another by this author-keep your mind sharp.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[buffalogr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Grisham is an excellent story teller and this was a well written book with the action pretty much continuous after the first third. Lacy Stolz is a lawyer and investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. Along with a small team, she investigates misconducts by Florida judges. A tipster uncovers a large syndicate skimming money from casinos.Another good Grisham story.

[hemlokgang · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was the best John Grisham suspense novel that I've read in a long time. Nonetheless, it is still a bit of a dry procedural novel.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

John Grisham writes technical novels, but with an ease that allows the "common folk" to enjoy the story. The novel deals with the Indian reservations and casinos on the reservation. I do not know what percentage of the story relates fact, but the story fills me with wonder and awe. The ending of the novel seems too tame, and I do not feel that the ending could be so calm. The greed of people haunts the story. When is wealth, too much? The characters present interesting backgrounds, but the reader never learns the true mysteries of the characters. The novel presents an easy read but fails to delve into the character's psyche.

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Grisham's usual complex but not bewildering plotting, this time involving a sort of sting operation to bring down a corrupt judge, and with her a whole organized crime outfit not even on the Fed's radar until Lacy Stoltz of the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct brought it to their attention. A bit of a slow set-up, and a death that felt unnecessary had me skeptical about this one for 100 pages or so, but I should have trusted Grisham to know what he was up to. Solid entertainment and a satisfying outcome, as always.

[docwalt10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved the book. Enjoy all of John Grisham's novels. A great storyline involving corruption, money laundering, greed, and murder. Well mixed to keep you entertained.

[skraft001 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Grisham is an excellent story teller and this was a well written book with the action pretty much continuous. Not as captivating as The Firm as it lacked the twists, but still found it enjoyable.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It starts out slowly and takes some time to get going and become interesting. A complaint is filed against a corrupt judge, which means Lacy and Hugo must investigate it. It seems this is the tip of the iceberg as the complaint yields a corrupt organization that has hired her to steer their court cases in the direction they want. Apparently, Lacy and Hugo get too close since they are lured to a meeting and then involved in an accident that kills Hugo. Lacy then involves the FBI.

[lewilliams-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A slow starter that builds up steam in this legal thriller about a corrupt judge.

[neddludd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reading a Grisham is like putting on a comfortable, old, favorite sweater. You know what you are going to get: each new work is just a variation on his "legal thriller" genre. He is an extraordinary narrative writer, a man who could hold a group sitting around a bonfire rapt with one of his tales. However, I don't believe this to be one of his best. It is fussy, repetitive, and slow in spots. There are some surprises, but not enough. The book is choppy, cutting from one protagonist to the next rather than simply spinning a chronological and gripping story. Grisham remains fascinated by the idea of corruption in high place, but he's explored that topic before in better books.

[sblock_16 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Felt like John Grisham phoned this one in. Ending was anti-climatic.