Back Cover: Allie Whitman is a professional whistleblower with a knack for sniffing out fraud in government contracts. Conner Norman is a gifted litigator and together they form Devil to Pay, Inc., a shell corporation that files lawsuits based on Allie’s investigations. They soon find themselves fighting potentially fatal battles in and out of the courtroom, going great lengths to protect secrets that could ruin them both.
Review: I was thrilled to receive a review copy of a book with such an intriguing subject. This author weaves such a suspenseful and dramatic story, that I stayed up late reading to find out what happened next. Rick Acker gives us a sneak peek into his day job as a deputy attorney general in California’s Department of Justice. This author takes the reader through the ins and outs of a high profile criminal case. It was captivating and chilling.
Rick says, “I try to put as little fiction as possible into my novels. Partly because I owe it to readers like you to get my facts right…I also enjoy the research, talking to fighter pilots and scientists…visiting museums and labs…” Not only does Rick Acker pen a suspenseful, legal drama, but I learned so much when I read his books. He takes the reader places we normally wouldn’t go. I like that.
This book reminded me of the movie Duplicity with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. I had to pay close attention to the set up in the beginning, so I would catch the sting. Rick does the same with this book. He doesn’t bog you down with too much, but just enough to peek inside this fascinating and scary subject. I had no idea a devil whistle blower existed and how they function in an actual case. This author states he has prosecuted corporate fraud lawsuits like those described in this novel.
The main female character is Allie, a young, smart business woman, who knows what she wants and goes after it. Allie says this about her temp work with large companies, “The first day of a new temp job was normally an exciting time. She was a spy setting foot in an energy country for the first time – an undercover Jane Bond who had tricked her way into the heart of a malevolent conspiracy to steal taxpayer dollars. The contrast and between her blah cover and her secret mission – spiced with just a touch of danger – was absolutely delicious.”
I enjoyed Allie and felt compassion for the guilt that plagued her. Allie’s partner, Connor, is a brilliant attorney who prides himself on bringing in the bad guy. He says to Allie, “We really do get to fight crime. I love that – I wish everyone took the law as seriously as we do. If you commit a crime, you should pay the price. Every. Single. Time. No excuses, no compromises.”
They were a great team until Allie got caught in a serious situation she couldn’t share with anyone. She didn’t want to hurt Connor. But the hand was dealt. She had no control over what happened next! It’s a deadly game they played – especially if the whistle blower is caught. The walls of Allie’s perfect little world start to crumble when she starts to take matters into her own hands!
I took this book with me everywhere I went. I was mesmerized by this unusual story and Rick Acker’s wide array of characters! You won’t want to miss this author’s new book…it’ll will make you want to check out his others!
