When The Devil Whistles [Kindle Edition]

Rick Acker (Author)

Book Description

“I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t.” That’s what Allie Whitman tells herself every night as she lies awake. Sometimes she even believes it. But mostly she knows deep down that her inability to make a hard choice has put millions of lives at risk, including her own. Now the only one who can help her is her lawyer, Connor Norman. Unfortunately, Allie’s actions have destroyed Connor’s trust in her—and may destroy much, much more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rick Acker is a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice. He prosecutes corporate fraud lawsuits like those described in When the Devil Whistles. He has led confidential investigations into a number of large and sensitive cases that made headlines in and out of California. Rick holds law degrees from the University of Oslo and the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with honors. In addition to his novels, he is a contributing author on two legal treatises published by the American Bar Association. Rick lives with his wife in the San Francisco area. Visit him on the Web at: www.rickacker.com.

Product Details

• File Size: 692 KB
• Print Length: 343 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (March 1, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0043VEGNO
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,081 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

131 of 144 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Intelligent Story. October 12, 2010

By Melissa VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Allie Whitman had made a very comfortable living as a professional whistleblower. She and her lawyer, Connor Norman had partnered with California's Deputy Attorney General on numerous cases recovering millions of tax payer's dollars from corrupt companies. However, her latest job turns into a nightmare, when rather than finding dirt on the company she finds her secrets exposed and knowledge of a deadly plot that could cost millions their lives.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Grasp II believed they were looking for a sunken German submarine loaded with riches. Upon reaching the excavation site though, they realize the story about the German sub was nothing more than a cover. Far from their home port of Oakland and with their lives in danger, the crew was powerless to summon help or warn authorities of the impending disaster. In an intricate and intelligent story, When the Devil Whistles combines a legal drama, with an entertaining story line, a bit of romance, and an international terrorist plot to create an interesting, page turning novel.

It's been a couple of years since Rick Acker's had a novel published and I've missed his work. I enjoyed the style and approach of his previous two books and was thrilled to discover he had a new one coming out. The wait was well rewarded. When The Devil Whistles more than met my expectations, with a plot that was a challenge to unravel, fun to read and just as intriguing as the title.

I love intelligent books, with plots that are obviously well thought out and time spent researching and developing them. This book has an intricate, but cohesive plot. It didn't take long to be completely engulfed in the various story lines that were obviously going to be related, but whose relationships were well hidden. It was a good balance of revealing enough detail to keep the reader going, but not so much as to spoil the plot.

As with Acker's previous books, this one also contains a nice line up of characters. I found myself pulling for ones I certainly didn't expect to. The only weakness was Allie. She was a flawed character, which I love in fiction, but a bit too flawed without enough polish to make her someone I could easily pull for. However, the remaining characters more than made up for her weaknesses. Acker's managed to pull off a remarkable job with Connor, making him someone that could be related to even though he is likely in a different social demographic than most readers.

At the center of this story is the wonderful theme of choices. A great job was done of putting characters in tough situations and allowing them to make the right or wrong choice. This aspect of the book was executed with a grace and fluidity that kept the story moving while at the same time portrayed the difficulty of making the right choice, especially when it's hard.

There are some moments that required a healthy suspension of disbelief, but those scenes were fun to read and added a nice amount of thrill to the story. Though I'm not sure everyone would agree with me, parts of the middle were a bit slow as the romantic angle was developed. However, most will likely find these portions quite charming rather than slow.

It's good to have another book by Rick Acker. I've enjoyed each of his novels and this one was no exception. As expected, it had a nice tight, well executed plot that kept me guessing and reading. From the intriguing title to the closing pages, I enjoyed When The Devil Whistles and look forward to his next book. Hopefully it will not be such a long wait.

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and suspenseful November 18, 2010

By Debbie TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

---Book Description---
Allie Whitman, a temp-for-hire accountant and professional whistleblower, excels at finding and exposing corporations that over-charge on government contracts. Her lawyer and friend, Connor Norman, keeps her identity a secret while helping her rake in the money that finances Allie's opulent lifestyle.

But when she goes to work at a new corporation, the tables are suddenly turned. The corporation figures out that she's the whistleblower behind Devil to Pay. They threaten to expose her to all those corporations that hate her unless she takes down their competition--and that may mean planting false evidence. Then Allie's live-in rock-star boyfriend sells drugs to a teen at a concert, the teen dies, and Allie's worried she'll go to jail, too, if she turns her boyfriend in.

Allie's afraid to ask Connor for help since he glories in making criminals pay for their crimes. Does that mean her, too? There seems to be only one option that will keep her safe, but there's more at risk than even Allie knows.

---My Review---
"When the Devil Whistles" is a legal thriller that also works in some military suspense. It's fast-paced and keeps the reader guessing as to how everything will work out. The suspense was created by possible physical danger to the various characters as well as curiosity about the various decisions they will make and how it will all play out. The characters were complex and dealt with realistic problems (though--specifically--not ones most people face). The vivid details of the job and setting brought the story alive in my imagination.

For those who care, Allie sometimes drank to excess and lived with her boyfriend. (It's implied they have sex.) She knew he used meth and he knew she disapproved, but she didn't take a strong stand on it until worried for her own neck. But she found some healing and made some hard choices after seeing where the easy ones got her, and I liked who she was by the end.

There was no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful and intriguing novel.

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.

Reviewed by Debbie from Genre Reviews

83 of 103 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Passable But Not Great January 6, 2011

By John Perich

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A well-paced novel, but the dialogue's a little stiff. The fascinating look inside whistleblower laws kept me engaged for a while. A lot of the plot contrivances are just ridiculous (her boyfriend isn't just a slacker, but a meth dealer? the protagonist owns a restored, operational WW2 fighter jet?). And learning at the end that it's one of those thriller novels with a religious subtext put me off.

I'd give it a lower rating if I hadn't got it for free.

More About the Author

Rick Acker writes novels during his commute to and from his "real job" as a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice. His unit prosecutes corporate fraud lawsuits of the type described in his newest book, WHEN THE DEVIL WHISTLES, which award-winning author Colleen Coble describes as "a legal thriller you won't want to miss!"

Rick has led confidential investigations into a number of large and sensitive cases that made headlines in and out of California. Before joining DOJ, Rick was a senior litigator at the international law firm of Bingham McCutchen, where he worked extensively on the multi-billion dollar Executive Life case, which led to the indictment of several French executives and high-level diplomatic strains between the U.S. and France.Rick has law degrees from the University of Oslo and the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with honors. In addition to his novels, he is a contributing author on two legal treatises published by the American Bar Association.

When Rick isn't writing or lawyering, you can usually find him with his wife, Anette, and their four children. They'll be exploring in the hills east of San Francisco, watching a good movie together, or, of course, reading. You can visit him on the web at www.rickacker.com