Margins
Dead Man's Rule book cover 1
Dead Man's Rule book cover 2
Dead Man's Rule
Series · 2 books · 2008-2016

Books in series

Dead Man's Rule book cover
#1

Dead Man's Rule

2016

Chicago 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.
Blood Brothers book cover
#2

Blood Brothers

2008

Attorney Ben Corbin travels to Norway to settle a dispute between Karl and Gunnar Bjornsen, feuding brothers on the verge of developing a revolutionary neural stimulant that could turn first responders into superheroes. But more than just the fate of their pharmaceutical empire is at stake. What starts as a sibling rivalry takes a deadly turn as Gunnar flees with the secret formula and Karl finds himself in the crosshairs of a bribery investigation. As Ben navigates a web of intrigue involving the Russian mob, embezzled funds, and black-market deals, he and his legal team are targeted for violent reprisals. Whoever is behind the attacks, it quickly becomes clear that no one and nothing—including the miracle drug itself—is as it seems. Will lust for profit and unbridled ambition drive Cain to slay Abel—or will the intrepid lawyer trying to save them from destroying each other pay the ultimate price? Revised edition: This edition of Blood Brothers includes editorial revisions.

Author

Rick Acker
Rick Acker
Author · 11 books

Rick Acker writes novels during his commute to and from his "real job" as a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice. His unit prosecutes corporate fraud lawsuits of the type described in the #1 bestseller, WHEN THE DEVIL WHISTLES, which award-winning author Colleen Coble describes as "a legal thriller you won't want to miss!" Rick has led investigations and lawsuits that made headlines in and out of California. Most recently, he and his team won a string record-breaking judgments and settlements against the Wall Street players who created the toxic mortgage securities that triggered the Great Recession. Before joining DOJ, Rick was a senior litigator at Bingham McCutchen, where he worked on high stakes litigation, including a fight between two owners of the San Francisco Forty-Niners and a multibilllion dollar international fraud case. Rick has law degrees from the University of Oslo and the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with honors. In addition to his novels, he is a contributing author on two legal treatises published by the American Bar Association. When Rick isn't writing or lawyering, you can usually find him with his wife, Anette, and their four children. They'll be 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

548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved