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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Riveting read, September 12, 2008
This review is from: Blood Brothers (Dead Man's Rule Series #2) (Paperback)
I read this book because a friend sent it to me, even though I don't much care for legal thrillers, and I loved it.
The author is a litigator and people who have more clue than I do about what happens in a courtroom have said that Rick's courtroom scenes are believable - what I like about them is they're not obscure. There's not so much verbiage that I can't figure out what's going on, and there's a lot of the protagonist (Ben Corbin's) internal dialog as well, so we know not only what he's saying, but what he's thinking, and we see, sometimes rather entertainingly, the difference between his internal and external dialog. As I am perpetually curious about how other people live and what their jobs are like, I loved that. I looked forward to the courtroom scenes.
The plot is intricate and yet accessible. There are at least three separate physical locations, all with their own people, and then a few PI's who Know All thrown in, but they were remarkably easy to keep track of.
I was curious to see what made this book a Christian legal thriller, as opposed to a legal thriller. I got to the end of the plot, all threads tied up neatly, and there will still several pages left. Why? You'll need to read it for yourself, but those few final pages are what lifted this book for me, out of the legal thriller genre in the arena of Christian thriller. Instead of walking away feeling like I'd been peeking into the seamy underbelly of the world we live in, I walked away thinking about the way God changes lives and hearts.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Three-Punch Combo, August 4, 2008
This review is from: Blood Brothers (Dead Man's Rule Series #2) (Paperback)
Legal and medical thrillers are staples of the fiction market, as are suspense novels with historical twists. Rick Acker blends all three and gives us "Blood Brothers," an engaging story on a number of levels.
The legal angle involves two brothers, both vying for control of a company and the new miracle formula that awaits FDA approval. The historical angle involves the source of this new stimulant, derived from an extinct plant rediscovered in the mountains of Norway. The courtroom scenes play out well, with lawyers on both sides giving credible arguments. The author's own experience in this area is clear. As a legal thriller alone, "Blood Brothers" would be enjoyable. For me, the interest went up a few notches with the historical info regarding the berserkers, a wild, much-feared group of Norwegian warriors who may have been accessing the same plant now up for grabs in the courtroom battle. Concerns soon surface that this stimulant will not only increase productivity and mental sharpness, but it may also spike levels of aggression to killer levels.
The prose is functional, almost workmanlike, but flows smoothly, and the details of law and medical elements are divvied out nicely. The plot moves along at a nice pace. I was surprised that a scene as important as one particular arson was told only through second-hand accounts, but the author gives us the necessary info through other means. He also wraps up the story with some spiritual lessons that are applicable to daily life, and a few mild surprises that have emotional weight.
At times, "Blood Brothers" reads like Grisham meets Crichton meets James Rollins. Acker moves his story from Chicago to Oslo, Norway, from courtrooms to laboratories to North Sea trawlers. Although it lacks the focused punch of any of those three perennial best-sellers, it throws its own three-punch combo with the same cumulative impact. I had no trouble keeping up with the characters, despite having missed book one in the series. If anything, the few hints at previous relationships and subplots increased my interest in going back to read the first. Let's hope Acker has more stories in the works, because I'd also enjoy reading book three.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific Suspense, July 15, 2008
This review is from: Blood Brothers (Dead Man's Rule Series #2) (Paperback)
Ben Corbin is enjoying being semi-retired, then he takes on a high-profile case and ends up stuck in the middle between brothers Karl and Gunnar Bjornsen. Both men are fighting for control of the pharmaceutical empire they built. Gunnar has discovered a billion dollar formula for a new drug called Neurostim, which increases strength and intelligence. Karl has Gunnar removed as president of the company and tries to force him to reveal the formula. Ben digs into the case, discovering charges of embezzlement, corrupt accounting, and even murder, and the drug has some terrifying side effects that are just beginning to show up.
Blood Brothers is a suspenseful story of greed and hatred between two brothers who once loved each other. It is also a powerful story of love and forgiveness, of faith in God, and a determination to do what is right. Great conflict, and loaded with tension. Keeps the reader hooked until the last page.
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