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Start giftingDead Man's Rule
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Learn moreChicago lawyer Ben Corbin has just launched his private practice when Dr. Mikhail Ivanovsky, a mysterious Russian scientist, hires him to sue for possession of a safe deposit box. But when the box’s owner enlists the city’s highest-powered lawyer—and then turns up dead—the Russian confesses: inside the box is an old Soviet biowarfare formula for the deadliest disease known to humankind.
To make matters worse, a technicality called the Dead Man’s Rule now forbids the scientist from taking the stand. With no one to testify—and therefore no evidence—the odds against Ben seem insurmountable.
As the threat of a massive bioterrorist attack looms large, Ben and his team race to rebuild their case and rescue the box. To succeed, he’ll need all his wits and resources and Dr. Ivanovsky’s specialized knowledge—and both men will need to trust in a higher power.
Revised edition: This edition of Dead Man's Rule includes editorial revisions.
Bestselling author Rick Acker is supervising deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice. Most recently, he and his team won a string of unprecedented recoveries against the Wall Street players who triggered the Great Recession. Acker has authored several legal thrillers, including When the Devil Whistles, which award-winning author Colleen Coble described as “a legal thriller you won’t want to miss.” He spends most of his free time with his wife and children. You can learn more about Acker and his books at www.rickacker.com.
Reviews
Named a Book of the Year finalist by Foreword Magazine
“TOP PICK!…Acker whips up a winner with appealing characters and a plot wound as tight as a ticking bomb. The high stakes strike to the heart of today's fears. Action in and out of the courtroom tops off this exceptional read.” —RT Book Reviews
“Chilling! This work takes you into the world of the past, present, and possible future, seeping with espionage, deadly secrets, germ warfare, all mingled together for one exciting ride. Fast paced, brimming with mystery and suspense, this is surely a read you will not be able to put down. A real page turner.” —Midwest Book Review
“Move over, John Grisham! In Dead Man's Rule, Rick Acker takes readers of legal thrillers into a world of legal technicalities, international terrorism, and biological weapons…Acker writes in a straight-forward style that compels the reader to read just one more chapter—again and again…Acker foreshadows with skill and unwinds the story artfully all the way to a powerful climax.” —Christian Book Previews
“Dead Man's Rule…delivers the gripping tale of Dr. Mikhail Ivanovsky, an eccentric Russian scientist who is trying to prevent the spread of a lethal ‘Ebolapox’ virus. The virus could wipe out entire cities within days and spread across a nation before the populace knew what hit them…It's a legal thriller with all the trimmings—courtroom drama, murder, near-death experiences, shocking discoveries, and gripping story lines…Acker tells a good, strong story with excellent use of some devices that make fiction fun and effective…compelling and powerful.” —Randall Murphree, AFA Journal
“[A] fast-paced book with subtle references to faith and doing what is right…This would be a good addition for those readers who shy away from traditional Christian fiction as too ‘preachy.’ I liked the book very much.” —Church and Synagogue Library Association
“I’ve read a lot of thrillers, and this one was truly excellent. It's a nice blend of Grisham and early Clancy—a legal thriller with bullets. The courtroom scenes are compelling without getting into tedious legal detail, and the fight scenes have plenty of zip. As a novelist myself, I had to admire Acker's use of the written word. He really does a terrific job of creating a strong storyworld (the Chicago legal scene and Russian mafiya) with solid characters (loved the Russian ex-FBI agent) and a plot that moves. I don't often read a book a second time, but I'm rereading this one. I give this book an A+, which is rare in my grade-book.” —Randy Ingermanson, physicist and Christy Award–winning novelist
“The author paints an elegant fiction that is quite close to reality.” —Nwadiuto Esiobu, PhD, professor of microbiology and federally-funded bioterrorism countermeasures researcher, Florida Atlantic University
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