Book Review: When the Devil Whistles by Rick Acker

When the Devil is another book I got by Kindle freebie. It’s still free, by the way, and worth far more than that.

In a way, I’m atoning for years of reading exclusively non-fiction. There’s so much I want or need to know about so many subjects, I quit reading fiction to get it all in. When I finally picked up a fiction book again, it’s like I was missing a part of my soul.

Allie Whitman is a professional whistleblower, working with Connor Norman, a lawyer with a strong moral compass. Allie gets temp accounting jobs with companies contracting with the government, uncovers fraud, feeds the information to Connor, who then presents the information to the California Department of Justice. The DOJ then investigates, recovers the money the government was defrauded of, and Allie gets a substantial cut. A shell corporation keeps her identity secret.

If only fictional characters’ lives could stay that easy. Allie is dealing with some dark secrets from her past. When her identity is discovered and she is blackmailed, the plot complicates. Throw in some supposed North Koreans and a sunken Russian Typhoon sub, and I didn’t want to put the book down.

When the Devil whistles is action packed and a quick read. Most of the chapters are short, except for the one I was trying to finish before I rushed out the door to meet some friends for wings. There are a LOT of characters and plot elements running at once. It’s hard to keep them all straight. Rick Acker pulls them together at the end.

I’ll definitely look for more of his books.

Again, if you’re interested in reading this book, as of this blog post, the Kindle edition is still free.

_{Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”}