The Whistler by John Grisham

 The Whistler (The Whistler #1) by John Grisham - 470 pages, Audiobook - 13 hours

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We expect our judges to be honest and wise, to ensure fair trials, and to protect the rights of all litigants. But what happens when a judge bends the law or takes a bribe?

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 who now goes by Greg Myers, claims to know of a Florida judge who has stolen more money than all other crooked judges combined.

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 with the judge 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, who immediately suspects that this one could be dangerous. Dangerous is one thing. Deadly is something else.

I was a little disappointed by this book. I have liked other John Grisham books and thought this story sounded really interesting. There was a lot going on, and corruption was definitely rampant, but it didn't excite me the way I expect a thriller to.