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Pen Wilkinson #2
Windfall
Paraplegic young prosecutor Pen Wilkinson prepares to bring a corrupt Congressman to justice in the first big trial of her career, only to find the stakes much higher than she imagined. Just before trial, Pen’s star witness disappears--either killed or driven into hiding by an unknown, terrifying form of coercion. As Pen searches across the country for the missing witness, she uncovers a massive web of corporate and political crime that goes far beyond the case she is prosecuting. With the trial date fast approaching, Pen’s search is complicated by the astonishing arrest of her boyfriend, banker James Carter, for the murder of his former lover. As Pen presses on, trying to prosecute her case while exonerating her friend, the focus of the murder investigation shifts from Carter to another suspect with a strong motive: Pen herself.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2015
7 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
Brian Lutterman
13 books54 followersBrian Lutterman is the author of the mystery-thrillers Bound to Die, a Minnesota Book Award runner-up, and Poised to Kill, described by the Midwest Book Review as “. . .a masterfully woven tale of tycoons and terrorists.” Lutterman, a former trial lawyer and corporate attorney, writes cutting-edge corporate thrillers, bringing to life the genre’s outsized conflicts and characters. A graduate of the University of Minnesota and Georgetown University Law Center, he lives with his family in the Twin Cities. He can be found on the web at: www.brianlutterman.com
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 25, 2018
I won this 2nd book from the Pen Wilkinson series through GoodReads First Read program.
In this novel, Pen is working in California for the US Attorney's office. There is a lot in this book. Bribery, price-fixing, sale of US technology underground to China and murder. In fact it can get a little overwhelming a times with all that goes on in this story. Lutterman does a good job reminding the reader of what they read previously and tying u up loose ends so that the complicated story is explained at the end. You just might feel like you need a flow chart to keep track of all that is going on.
Pen becomes the led attorney on the prosecution of a Senator in a bribery case a week or so before trial is to start after Adam takes a job with a big law firm and quits immediately. Then Pen's big, and really only, witness disappears. Pen goes on the hunt to find the witness.
While all this is going on Celia, Pen's boyfriend James Carter's former girlfriend is found stabbed to death on James yacht. The police arrest James but they are also looking very closely at Pen.
Lutterman fills the story with lots of twists and turns which you don't see coming which I always enjoy. I am looking forward to reading the next Pen Wilkinson novel.
In this novel, Pen is working in California for the US Attorney's office. There is a lot in this book. Bribery, price-fixing, sale of US technology underground to China and murder. In fact it can get a little overwhelming a times with all that goes on in this story. Lutterman does a good job reminding the reader of what they read previously and tying u up loose ends so that the complicated story is explained at the end. You just might feel like you need a flow chart to keep track of all that is going on.
Pen becomes the led attorney on the prosecution of a Senator in a bribery case a week or so before trial is to start after Adam takes a job with a big law firm and quits immediately. Then Pen's big, and really only, witness disappears. Pen goes on the hunt to find the witness.
While all this is going on Celia, Pen's boyfriend James Carter's former girlfriend is found stabbed to death on James yacht. The police arrest James but they are also looking very closely at Pen.
Lutterman fills the story with lots of twists and turns which you don't see coming which I always enjoy. I am looking forward to reading the next Pen Wilkinson novel.
February 14, 2020
If you like corporate thrillers with a twist, Lutterman's your author. As a former corporate attorney, I can only imagine what sorts of dirty little secrets he was privy to. And his twist is a protagonist who is paralyzed from the waist down in an auto accident that killed her young niece. Pen Wilkenson has a lot of baggage but she soldiers on in this story as a recent hire in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. Assigned to prosecute what seems like a slam-dunk case against a Congressman, things drastically change when her star witness goes missing just before the trial starts.
Lutterman handles well the challenges of writing a main character with all the limitations Pen has with being disabled. Even getting up one step into someone's house is a challenge. Then there's driving, surveillance, chasing suspects, and trying to stay out of the line of fire. She's brave, persistent, resourceful, and handles her disability without complaining.
Worth a read if only to experience a story from a unique perspective through the main character's eyes. Plus, it's an interesting, entertaining corporate thriller.
Lutterman handles well the challenges of writing a main character with all the limitations Pen has with being disabled. Even getting up one step into someone's house is a challenge. Then there's driving, surveillance, chasing suspects, and trying to stay out of the line of fire. She's brave, persistent, resourceful, and handles her disability without complaining.
Worth a read if only to experience a story from a unique perspective through the main character's eyes. Plus, it's an interesting, entertaining corporate thriller.
December 15, 2020
Another complex corporate thriller featuring the gutsy paraplegic Pen Wilkenson. I got a little confused by the number of characters, and I wanted more of her boyfriend, James Carter. But otherwise, everything I could ask for – and not quite as violent as the first book (which is good).
February 25, 2016
Awesome, tense corporate/legal thriller by MN author. Our hero is Pen Wilkinson, an unconventional and tenacious lawyer, now federal prosecutor. Her faults (petty jealousies, self-doubt) and her physical disabilities make her a "relatable" and realistic hero. This isn't a bulletproof hero with a squared-jaw, crashing through bad guys and obstacles like Superman. It's a story of a hero running into obstacles, getting knocked down by them - then doggedly and intelligently finding a way to get back up and around them.
Pluck, accompanied by a substantial bit of luck.
Nearly perfect, but lost one rating point for me with the I don't know if there was a more artful/graceful way to deliver all that info in the end (I guess that's why I'm not a writer), but it feels like there should have been one. I also never really bought into
Minor quibbles though, for a fun-to-read page-turner. Looking forward to more.
Pluck, accompanied by a substantial bit of luck.
Nearly perfect, but lost one rating point for me with the I don't know if there was a more artful/graceful way to deliver all that info in the end (I guess that's why I'm not a writer), but it feels like there should have been one. I also never really bought into
Minor quibbles though, for a fun-to-read page-turner. Looking forward to more.
May 25, 2016
A nicely written and taut book, "Windfall" would be a welcome addition to any library for fans of corporate thrillers. The novel finds the atypical heroine Pen Wilkinson intending to prosecute a shady businessman. However, as the trial begins, Pen experiences some truly awful events that bring to her awareness the true nature of the justice system that she is actively participating in.
Commencing with the sudden disappearance of her star witness, Pen goes on a wild pursuit to find them. Along the way, she comes across some unsavoury characters that shed light on the crime that is happening behind the crime, so to speak. Pen's eyes are opened to the true extent of of her targeted congressman.
What makes "Windfall" so interesting is having a disabled protagonist at its core. Pen Wilkinson's character does not use her disability as a crutch - instead, the reader forgets that there are any hindrances to her accessibility or ability to reign successful by book's end. It's a well written piece which provides more of a background and development of its characters than the usual common fare political/courtroom thrillers that are always so popular. It's a fun read.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com
Commencing with the sudden disappearance of her star witness, Pen goes on a wild pursuit to find them. Along the way, she comes across some unsavoury characters that shed light on the crime that is happening behind the crime, so to speak. Pen's eyes are opened to the true extent of of her targeted congressman.
What makes "Windfall" so interesting is having a disabled protagonist at its core. Pen Wilkinson's character does not use her disability as a crutch - instead, the reader forgets that there are any hindrances to her accessibility or ability to reign successful by book's end. It's a well written piece which provides more of a background and development of its characters than the usual common fare political/courtroom thrillers that are always so popular. It's a fun read.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com
September 25, 2015
Pen Wilkinson is a paraplegic. She is also a lawyer, and darn good at her job.
Now Pen is back as a young prosecutor who is working on a major case: that of bringing down a corrupt congressman. Before she even goes to trial, however, the problems start. Her star witness disappears and the time bomb is ticking, with the trial date nearing way too fast for comfort.
This second thriller in the Pen Wilkinson series was just as rewarding to read as the first book. I already got to learn about Pen and to respect and feel for her.
The story is suspenseful and you get enough edge of your seat moments to keep you engrossed in the pages right to the end of the book.
Overall the second book in the Pen Wilkinson series was a great read, and I truly hope the author is working on a third novel. I will miss Pen until then.
Full review at http://mysterysequels.com/windfall-by...
Now Pen is back as a young prosecutor who is working on a major case: that of bringing down a corrupt congressman. Before she even goes to trial, however, the problems start. Her star witness disappears and the time bomb is ticking, with the trial date nearing way too fast for comfort.
This second thriller in the Pen Wilkinson series was just as rewarding to read as the first book. I already got to learn about Pen and to respect and feel for her.
The story is suspenseful and you get enough edge of your seat moments to keep you engrossed in the pages right to the end of the book.
Overall the second book in the Pen Wilkinson series was a great read, and I truly hope the author is working on a third novel. I will miss Pen until then.
Full review at http://mysterysequels.com/windfall-by...
June 15, 2016
I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway. It was a good thriller with good character development. I would recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews