Audio Review: The Whistler by John Grisham

As with all my reviews, there are NO SPOILERS included

I always considered myself a dedicated John Grisham fan even though I did taper off from reading a few of his books in the late 2000's. But I picked up again with SYCAMORE ROW which was released the summer of 2013. (Has it really been 4 years?!) As you probably know, that book was a very rare sequel to his breakthrough novel, A TIME TO KILL. That is what ultimately led me to read Grisham again and I'm glad because I really enjoyed getting back into his writing. It made me realize how much I missed it. So when THE WHISTLER came out, I didn't hesitate. Like SYCAMORE ROW, I also chose the audio version.

THE WHISTLER takes place in the Florida Panhandle, which is a change for Grisham, as most of his settings are in Mississippi.  At the core of the story is judicial corruption. Lacy Stoltz is an investigator with the Florida Board of Judicial Conduct, or the BJC. She is not a cop, but a lawyer and it is her job to look into complaints filed and see if there is grounds to investigate. Lacy and her partner meet with a man going by an alias and tells them he has evidence of a judge that is 'in bed' with a developer, known to be a part of the Coast Mafia, that built a resort and casino on Native American land and are now helping themselves to money generated by the casino. An investigation is underway and it promises to be a case like no other.  But like all mafias, these people will do anything to keep from being caught. Lacy understands from the start how dangerous this investigation could get, and when someone close to her is murdered, she is more determined than ever to bring all of the culprits to justice.

MY THOUGHTS...

ON THE STORY:  As I began listening, there was a bit of confusion with getting all of the players straight in my mind. There were aliases being used and so many details that set the stage. I really had to pay attention to make sure I had everything right in my mind. Once I did that, the story wasn't hard to follow at all. It was classic Grisham all the way through and I enjoyed it.  That being said, this book didn't exactly have me on the edge of my seat like others have done. It was a good story, totally believable and realistic, just not the heart-pounding stuff I love from him. For that reason, I'm glad I chose the audiobook. If I were actually reading, it may have felt a little slow in places. I did think that writing a story involving casinos on Native American land was a great idea and very current to our times. I had seen an interview with Grisham where he explained he didn't have a cause he was fighting for with this book, that he wrote it for the pleasure of writing. But I feel like there is truth to this story.

I liked the character of Lacy and fell in with her immediately. All of the the characters were portrayed realistically, even the ones I didn't like. I actually wouldn't mind seeing Lacy Stoltz show up in future books. I think the BJC and it's employees could be a great backdrop for possible future stories.

ON THE AUDIO PERFORMANCE:  The narration was done by Cassandra Campbell and this is the first book I've heard her do. She did a great job and I liked the way she kept a smooth, steady pace. I will definitely put her on my list of preferred narrators as I listen to more and more audiobooks as my sight worsens.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

On Goodreads, I gave this book 4 stars. If I were to get more specific, I would say it's on the lower end of that score. The narration helped me to decide on the final rating. Speaking as a Grisham fan, I'm glad I read the book even though it didn't grip me like some of his others. I do plan also to read his new book, CAMINO ISLAND. I will end with saying that though this was far from my favorite Grisham novel, I still enjoyed it and if anyone asked me, I would recommend it, but also let them know I didn't find it overly compelling.

THE WHISTLER by John Grisham
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Audiobook Publisher: Random House Audio
Published: October 2016
Length: 13 Hrs 10 Mins

Review: Sycamore Row by John Grisham (Unabridged Audio Version)

(No spoilers are included in my reviews)
Admittedly, I stepped away from Grisham's novels several years ago after reading eighteen of them as soon as they each were published. I was one of his biggest fans. Then suddenly, I wasn't loving them as much as I once had. I'm not sure if I grew tired of the stories or if the stories grew tiresome, but when SYCAMORE ROW came out recently, something about it sparked an interest in me that hadn't been there in awhile. I had to read it.

About the Book: (from the author's website)

Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County’s most notorious citizens, just three years earlier.

The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?

My Thoughts:

When A TIME TO KILL came out, though it was Grisham's first novel, it wasn't released until after THE FIRM, so I was already a huge fan. Jake Brigance was a terrific character in that book and was made even bigger when Matthew McConaughey brought him to life on the big screen in the motion picture. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see that character been brought back for this novel. 

The first paragraph of the book grabbed me right away. The visual Grisham painted was stunning, and not in a good way. It set the bar high for my expectations from that point on. The story takes place three years after the infamous trial where we first met Jake and I felt it was perfectly suited for the story and made it all seem like a natural progression. 

Seth Hubbard's story was engaging and, like all Grisham novels, methodically told. There were a lot of facts and they were brought out in a well-timed manner. Grisham is a wonderful storyteller and I enjoyed being taken back into the lives of some of the people of Clanton, Mississippi and to also see that time doesn't move as quickly down there in that small southern town. 

John Grisham has always had a knack for creating remarkable characters that enrich his stories and that was proven once again here. He brought back a few from the first Brigance novel and introduced some new faces that were equally as entertaining. I found myself matching the voices of the character from the book to the actors I remembered from the earlier film, probably because I was listening to an audiobook and it just seemed to flow that way naturally for me. Speaking of the audio vesrion, I can't say enough about Michael Beck, who did the narration for this book. He was amazing! He did all the voices and did them so well. I remember him as an actor as well so it was nice to have that familiar connection with him. 

I don't know if Grisham has more books planned for Jake Brigance, but since he's calling SYCAMORE ROW book two, I'm assuming there will be more to come. If so, I will definitely be on board. In fact, I'd also love to see Matthew McConaughey reprise his role...but maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part! 

The bottom line is that I really enjoyed this book and it made me realize how much I'd missed John Grisham. I have many of his later novels but haven't read them. Maybe its time I give them a try. if you're looking for an engrossing book written by a master story teller I highly recommend SYCAMORE ROW.  

SYCAMORE ROW (Unabridged Audio Version)
Author: John Grisham

Narrator: Michael Beck
Publisher: Random House Audio
Published: October 22, 2013
Length: 20 hrs 50 mins
Recommend? ABSOLUTELY!

Teaser Tuesday 5.18.10

By now I'm sure we all know the guidelines for our weekly Teaser Tuesday meme, so I'm not going to go into detail, but, if by some chance you are new to this feature, or if you'd like to read more teaser sentences from other bloggers, please visit MizB over at Should Be Reading.

My teasers today are taken from John Grisham's FORD COUNTY, his collection of seven short stories that all take place in the town of Clanton, Mississippi in Ford County where his first novel, A TIME TO KILL was based. The second story in the book, Fetching Raymond, is where I've taken my teasers from. It's about a hard-drinking divorce lawyer who is fed up with his job and his wife and gets a 'sounds to-good-to-be-true' opportunity to make a lot of money and he plans to make some drastic changes in his life - if it pans out.

Had Butch been an inmate, he would have been beaten, but he wasn't. He was a citizen, a former convict who hated every cop, trooper, guard, agent, and security type he'd ever seen. Every man in a uniform was his enemy. ~ page 73