...the Grisham formula hasn’t gotten old. Or older. When he’s on his game, as he is with his latest, The Whistler, it really works ... Despite the bits of leaden language, Lacy does manage to come to life on the page. The Whistler also has a strong and frightening sense of place, painting part of the Panhandle as a lawless region where terrible things might happen, and do. And Mr. Grisham deserves credit for dependability: He is at heart an optimist who believes that wrongs can be ferreted out and righted. We could use a little of that these days.
...[a] riveting new novel ... Grisham has been criticized for not writing strong female characters, but Stoltz is finely drawn ... As ever, Grisham sprinkles The Whistler with sharp observations about lawyers.
[We get] are the ingredients of a good thriller. They’re just presented in mystifying order. Grisham’s last big narrative flashpoint comes about a third of the way into the book, and from there, it’s only a matter of tying bows on the plotline. Without any tension, it’s inoffensive but also uninteresting ... Grisham’s legal knowledge is impressive, and his ability to convey it unparalleled in popular fiction. But that’s not enough to sustain a novel without suspense.
...falls into the category of a disappointment ... offers thrills and chases, but also feels workmanlike. Sure, it will still get you through a plane ride or two, but The WhistlerRead Full Review >>
Set in the Florida Panhandle against the backdrop of an Indian-owned casino, Mr. Grisham’s novel grabs attention like triple cherries on a slot machine. While he deals an entire deck of characters in The Whistler, it’s the plot that makes the book so winning ... Mr. Grisham’s plot is richly complex, but in telling his big story, occasionally a character’s voice ends up sounding much like the author’s.
Grisham is adept at cooking up fast-moving stories, and he does his usual top-notch job of outlining the plot's convoluted legal machinations without turning the narrative into a law school lecture. But as the case progresses, Lacy becomes less and less of a participant, until she's little more than an observer. It's an interesting tale, but it's ultimately missing the virtuous tilting-at-windmills element that typically draws us into Grisham's stories.
