What do you think?
Rate this book
Leigh Collins #1
The Enoch Effect
Insurance litigator Leigh Collins has a knack for turning up that missing e-mail that wins the day or breaking down complex facts to sway a jury. So she’s hoping to make partner with her latest cancer researcher Dr. Elijah Rhodes and his life’s work are lost in a lab fire, and Biosolutions looks to cash in on a $100 million policy. Unfortunately, she’s up against Daniel Rubinelli, assistant general counsel for the biotech giant, who has a personal vendetta against cancer. In court, Leigh and Daniel clash from the beginning, ensuring a grueling case. But soon greater concerns emerge. The late doctor might have found a “kill switch” for cancer cells―potentially wiping the disease off the face of the earth. While most of his findings were lost in the fire, he likely backed up his data, though encrypted beyond recovery. Now, in this edge-of-your-seat thriller, two contentious lawyers must set aside their differences to locate the research before the doctor’s greatest discovery falls into the wrong hands…and the secret to life ends in death.
396 pages, Paperback
Published May 23, 2017
26 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Rick Acker
16 books167 followersRick Acker writes high-octane suspense novels during breaks from his “real job” as a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice, which provides inspiration for his acclaimed legal thrillers.
Rick has also teamed with award-winning romantic suspense author Colleen Coble to pen bestsellers such as I Think I Was Murdered and their Tupelo Grove series. Library Journal praises their “dynamic author partnership,” and predicts they “will continue to produce hits.”
When Rick isn't writing or lawyering, you can usually find him with his wife Anette exploring in the hills east of San Francisco, watching a good movie together, or, of course, reading. You can visit him on the web at www.rickacker.com.
Rick has also teamed with award-winning romantic suspense author Colleen Coble to pen bestsellers such as I Think I Was Murdered and their Tupelo Grove series. Library Journal praises their “dynamic author partnership,” and predicts they “will continue to produce hits.”
When Rick isn't writing or lawyering, you can usually find him with his wife Anette exploring in the hills east of San Francisco, watching a good movie together, or, of course, reading. You can visit him on the web at www.rickacker.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 21, 2018
I discovered this novel and author from the INSPY Shortlist. The Enoch Effect has been nominated for the Mystery/Suspense category. I love it when there is a book on the Christy or INSPY nominee list from an author I've never even heard of before. Score.
The Enoch Effect was a page turner and held my interest the entire time. While I figured out who one of the villains was, I was surprised by other details. There was one element that didn't seem realistic to me, but overall the events that occurred seemed plausible.
I enjoyed this novel and plan to read others by the author.
The Enoch Effect was a page turner and held my interest the entire time. While I figured out who one of the villains was, I was surprised by other details. There was one element that didn't seem realistic to me, but overall the events that occurred seemed plausible.
I enjoyed this novel and plan to read others by the author.
April 4, 2019
Rating 3.75
I was a bit divided between 3.5 or 4 star rating. The reasons I was leaning towards the lower rating was due to the last 20% of the book. The ending felt dragged out a bit, especially because I suspected who the villain was after the first 40-50% of the book and just had to wait to see when and how Daniel, Leigh and Bruno discovers this. Daniel struggling with a decision at the end felt a bit in battle with the do-the-right-thing guy I saw him as.
However, I flew through this book. It took me like 3 days to finish this. The intrigue around the death and fire, the laptop, the running/fleeing for their lives all added to a thrilling ride. Then the crazy twists of attacking rats and the legal battle between Daniel and Leigh added to a very enjoyable read. The speculative part was also very intriguing and the questions that part left us as the reader with totally thought-provoking.
I really enjoyed Bruno as a character and clicked with Daniel from the start.
If you like legal suspense/medical thrillers, this will be right up your alley.
This was the first book I've read by this author, but will definitely not be the last.
I was a bit divided between 3.5 or 4 star rating. The reasons I was leaning towards the lower rating was due to the last 20% of the book. The ending felt dragged out a bit, especially because I suspected who the villain was after the first 40-50% of the book and just had to wait to see when and how Daniel, Leigh and Bruno discovers this. Daniel struggling with a decision at the end felt a bit in battle with the do-the-right-thing guy I saw him as.
However, I flew through this book. It took me like 3 days to finish this. The intrigue around the death and fire, the laptop, the running/fleeing for their lives all added to a thrilling ride. Then the crazy twists of attacking rats and the legal battle between Daniel and Leigh added to a very enjoyable read. The speculative part was also very intriguing and the questions that part left us as the reader with totally thought-provoking.
I really enjoyed Bruno as a character and clicked with Daniel from the start.
If you like legal suspense/medical thrillers, this will be right up your alley.
This was the first book I've read by this author, but will definitely not be the last.
June 3, 2017
This book sent cold chills over me. It had me thinking "What if?" Anyone would like this book. It is a murder mystery, a legal thriller and a medical thriller all rolled into one.
August 29, 2021
I listened to this suspenseful thriller and the story flowed well and kept me interested until the end. I enjoyed narrator as well. He did a great job.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2017
A fun blend of murder mystery, science, and legal thrillers that will give the reader a wild ride full of creative supporting characters that bring the novel to a riveting conclusion.
Leigh Collins has built up her career on being able to turn up the key pieces of evidence at just the right time in order to sway a jury. When Dr. Elijah Rhodes and his life’s work are lost in a lab fire, and Biosolutions looks to cash in on a $100 million dollar insurance policy. Her advisory is Daniel Rubinelli, assistant general counsel for the biotech giant. As soon as the case begins, Leigh and Daniel Clash causing a grueling case. As they continue the case, they realize that the doctor might have found a “kill switch” for cancer cells and others are willing to kill to get their hands on his research. Leigh and Daniel have to find a way to work together and stay alive in order to solve the case that could affect many.
Rick Acker has delivered another intense and exciting read. I read this after reading Death in the Mind’s Eye and was not disappointed. His style of writing is very different than most I read. The combination of legal thriller along with the murder mystery and psychological aspect of the book makes it so different from others on the market. It is obvious he is very knowledgeable in what he writes about, but the nice thing is he doesn’t get so technical that the reader gets lost in the technical jargon and loses sight of the real story. Leah and Daniel were destined to be against each other from the beginning but came together to help solve the case when it really mattered. There is a slew of minor characters that contribute to the story making it flow and providing a little bit of a lighter aspect to the story at times. I am finding that he is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and can’t wait to see what comes next. I highly recommend this to readers that enjoy a great legal thriller with plenty of mystery and intrigue throughout.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Leigh Collins has built up her career on being able to turn up the key pieces of evidence at just the right time in order to sway a jury. When Dr. Elijah Rhodes and his life’s work are lost in a lab fire, and Biosolutions looks to cash in on a $100 million dollar insurance policy. Her advisory is Daniel Rubinelli, assistant general counsel for the biotech giant. As soon as the case begins, Leigh and Daniel Clash causing a grueling case. As they continue the case, they realize that the doctor might have found a “kill switch” for cancer cells and others are willing to kill to get their hands on his research. Leigh and Daniel have to find a way to work together and stay alive in order to solve the case that could affect many.
Rick Acker has delivered another intense and exciting read. I read this after reading Death in the Mind’s Eye and was not disappointed. His style of writing is very different than most I read. The combination of legal thriller along with the murder mystery and psychological aspect of the book makes it so different from others on the market. It is obvious he is very knowledgeable in what he writes about, but the nice thing is he doesn’t get so technical that the reader gets lost in the technical jargon and loses sight of the real story. Leah and Daniel were destined to be against each other from the beginning but came together to help solve the case when it really mattered. There is a slew of minor characters that contribute to the story making it flow and providing a little bit of a lighter aspect to the story at times. I am finding that he is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and can’t wait to see what comes next. I highly recommend this to readers that enjoy a great legal thriller with plenty of mystery and intrigue throughout.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
May 31, 2017
Excellent writing, solid plot that holds one's attention even if the story isn't your style; The protagonist feels real and the story seems to be taken from the headlines (or the conspiracy headlines) of the black ops going one in the world. Timely and pleasantly disturbing.
June 7, 2017
Loved the book!
This book grabbed my attention from the first page and held it all the way to the end. It was well written and the characters were believable. The only improvement I'd recommend is the book cover.
This book grabbed my attention from the first page and held it all the way to the end. It was well written and the characters were believable. The only improvement I'd recommend is the book cover.
June 20, 2017
Very good read. Looking for more by this author.
August 4, 2017
I received a kindle copy through Good Reads First Reads -- I loved the whole concept and it kept me guessing throughout. It was a great mystery with a little sci-fi twist thrown in.
June 1, 2017
Another good one!
Thanks, Rick, for another interesting read. Branching out tendrils into the Sci-Fi genre-I'm impressed. Can't wait for your next book!
Thanks, Rick, for another interesting read. Branching out tendrils into the Sci-Fi genre-I'm impressed. Can't wait for your next book!
November 26, 2018
Good legal thriller, suspense and action. With a sci-fi twist that got me thinking about Enoch. Will be a different read for book club - highly recommend for book club discussion.
August 6, 2018
This was a good story with a fun premise of gene therapy that enabled humans to live forever. The death of the scientist and the associated arson and ensuing investigation made the story intriguing. It's a good legal mystery with some tremendous tension and conflict. However, I felt it was about 50 pages longer than it needed to be.
The two main characters, Daniel and Leigh could have been more interesting, however, this was definitely a plot-based novel rather than a character-based one as Acker had so much going on. Leigh, I felt wasn’t strong enough for the driven women that she was. Perhaps Acker was trying to give her some fragility but with the ambition she held I don’t think she would have made the mistakes she made early in the novel and would have had a harder edge to her. I think Leigh should have been a younger version of Sandy, who in fact, was a very good character. There was one aspect of Sandy's character that genuinely surprise me. Daniel was a bit, blah. A bit nothing.
Anna Smith was probably the most interesting but we only really got to discover her at the end which was a pity.
I was disappointed there wasn't a greater 'faith' element to the story especially in light of the premise of the novel involving living forever. If given the choice, would we prefer to be in heaven or forever (until the second coming) on earth?
Set in San Francisco and its surrounds, Acker gives a great sense of setting and the descriptions of the deserted factories are tremendous.
This is a good legal suspense and is definitely worth a read. Acker is a lawyer so his experience definitely adds credibility to the legal element of the story.
The two main characters, Daniel and Leigh could have been more interesting, however, this was definitely a plot-based novel rather than a character-based one as Acker had so much going on. Leigh, I felt wasn’t strong enough for the driven women that she was. Perhaps Acker was trying to give her some fragility but with the ambition she held I don’t think she would have made the mistakes she made early in the novel and would have had a harder edge to her. I think Leigh should have been a younger version of Sandy, who in fact, was a very good character. There was one aspect of Sandy's character that genuinely surprise me. Daniel was a bit, blah. A bit nothing.
Anna Smith was probably the most interesting but we only really got to discover her at the end which was a pity.
I was disappointed there wasn't a greater 'faith' element to the story especially in light of the premise of the novel involving living forever. If given the choice, would we prefer to be in heaven or forever (until the second coming) on earth?
Set in San Francisco and its surrounds, Acker gives a great sense of setting and the descriptions of the deserted factories are tremendous.
This is a good legal suspense and is definitely worth a read. Acker is a lawyer so his experience definitely adds credibility to the legal element of the story.
April 30, 2019
A research scientist is dead, his lab destroyed by fire. Two lawyers on opposing sides of a multi-million-dollar insurance claim must work together to find the truth of what really happened—with the help of a computer genius hacker and a private detective.
Because of the nature of Dr. Rhodes’ research, what starts as a legal thriller quickly moves into biomedical or science fiction territory, with a side-dish of action-adventure and a splash of romance.
The Enoch Effect is fast-paced, clean, and thought-provoking as the characters begin to wrestle with the ethics of what they discover about the scientist’s work. (I can’t elaborate without spoilers.) In the wrestling we see they’re realistic people no more likely to have easy answers than we readers do.
I’ve read a few of Rick Acker’s novels now and have another one in my to-read stash. As well as enjoying the stories, I appreciate his notes at the end separating the fiction from the facts and offering more information for the curious.
Because of the nature of Dr. Rhodes’ research, what starts as a legal thriller quickly moves into biomedical or science fiction territory, with a side-dish of action-adventure and a splash of romance.
The Enoch Effect is fast-paced, clean, and thought-provoking as the characters begin to wrestle with the ethics of what they discover about the scientist’s work. (I can’t elaborate without spoilers.) In the wrestling we see they’re realistic people no more likely to have easy answers than we readers do.
I’ve read a few of Rick Acker’s novels now and have another one in my to-read stash. As well as enjoying the stories, I appreciate his notes at the end separating the fiction from the facts and offering more information for the curious.
dnf-did-not-finish
September 16, 2024I've had this book on my kindle for quite some time, 7 years! It was one of the first books that I won in a Goodreads Giveaway on Kindle. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to buy the audiobook for $1.99 on Audible. Since I had read When The Devil Whistles and thought I had enjoyed it, now when I checked my review, I gave it only 2 stars and only found it okay. Usually, I enjoy legal dramas, probably due to my interest in the legal field and being a paralegal for over 20 years. I DNF'd this one; possibly, I might revisit this one at another time.
June 28, 2018
AMAZZZZING!!!!
I could not stop reading this very intriguing story. In fact, it was so interesting that I had to go back and read sections of it again after I finished the story to connect all the dots in my mind and see how the many puzzle pieces fit together after the completed story...it is just AMAZING!! Makes you ponder just how close science is to accomplishing the "Enoch Effect" in reality!
I could not stop reading this very intriguing story. In fact, it was so interesting that I had to go back and read sections of it again after I finished the story to connect all the dots in my mind and see how the many puzzle pieces fit together after the completed story...it is just AMAZING!! Makes you ponder just how close science is to accomplishing the "Enoch Effect" in reality!
August 14, 2018
I must not have been in the mood to read when I started this book. It's a slow going book for me. I'm not real fond of reading legal mysteries. But once I got into the book it was really interesting. If you could wipe Cancer from the face of the world, would you?? Starts out as in insurance case, turns into an arson/murder cast.
May 30, 2018
A gripping read
This story had so many twists and turns and it left me guessing the outcome until close to the end. It also gave me a lot to ponder and for me that means it’s been a really worthwhile read.
This story had so many twists and turns and it left me guessing the outcome until close to the end. It also gave me a lot to ponder and for me that means it’s been a really worthwhile read.
June 22, 2018
Really good thought provoking legal/medical mystery. I don’t want to give anything away but I’d love to read your comments after you have read this one. This is my third book by this author and I have enjoyed each one but this one would be first on my list to recommend to someone.
May 26, 2020
I only read this as the audiobook was 'free' on kindle unlimited. It wasn't a bad book, just not very original in terms of plot. There is a small amount of religion in this, and the romance is very clean.
June 12, 2018
Action packed. Exciting. and much more.
full review to come later.
full review to come later.
March 27, 2020
Legal aspect with Leigh as an insurance ligature was good, the doubts she questioned. While working with the Daniel the counsel for the biotech. It was like a cat and mouse game, of trying to finding evidence, interesting characters that added to the role of what was really going on. A good legal plot, a good mystery and interesting to read.
May 15, 2019
This is the first book I have read by this author! It was a very interesting and unique read! I really enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews