Review and Blog Tour: Conflicts With Interest

Conflicts with Interest by Michael Ruddy

Summary: T.R. Morgan, a seasoned building professional, finds himself entangled in the combined corruption of the high profile law firm that is attacking him and the insurance companies that are supposed to defend him. Still enduring the painful memories brought on by the tragic death of his wife, he soon finds out, nothing involving lawyers and insurance companies happens quickly. Instead of resolution, T.R., unwittingly enters a world of human trafficking, drugs, and illicit sex taking place behind the scenes. And his story comes forward to an explosive climax that no one could possibly foresee, least of all T.R. himself. This suspenseful tale of contemporary fiction is packed with enlightenment and high-stakes characters; provoking thought on a new subject in a new light.

My Thoughts: I thought the description of this book here on Goodreads was quite promising. I expected lots of action, lots of suspense, and lots of feeling to keep me interested. I feel these expectations weren’t met at all. It was a struggle for me to finish. If I hadn’t agreed to review it for a blog tour, I don’t think I would have finished it. I didn’t hate it, but it just wasn’t holding my interest. I found it boring and, at times, confusing.

What was so confusing? Well, for one, too many characters. Especially lawyers. I couldn’t keep everyone straight. There’d be someone mentioned at one point, then not again for a couple of chapters, and I’d have to thumb back to figure out who it was. By the last half of the book, I gave up and stopped trying to keep it all straight. It wasn’t worth the effort. Also confusing was the “shop talk” within the book. Both legal “shop talk” and home-construction “shop talk” were hard to sort through at times. I could get a vague idea of what was going on, but I prefer to know exactly what I’m being told.

I initially gave this two stars because I didn’t feel it deserved one star. I didn’t dislike it, but I also didn’t like it. I know, semantics, but in this case it makes a difference. Would I recommend this book to anyone? No. Would I read this again? That is HIGHLY unlikely. What makes it OK? I liked T.R. and Catherine. I also liked Donald Hayes – and was glad to see there was a good, ethical lawyer in the story. (Although for most of the book I was wondering if he was trustworthy.)

I read in the blurb about the author that this is inspired in part by the author’s personal experience working in the construction industry. That’s a scary thought, as I was QUITE pissed by the main lawsuit in this book! So wrong, so very wrong. The whole Sanderson character was a complete selfish jerk, and the greediest character I’ve read about in a long time! To think there are people out there who exploit the legal system by jumping through every tiny loophole in the laws is just sickening. I don’t doubt it’s a very real reality in some areas, and I find that infuriating. So, I guess, one of the merits of this book is the awareness that it brings to what likely is a very real problem in the construction industry. For that, on my blog, I will give it an extra half star.

My Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars Note: On Goodreads it’s actually 2 stars, because half stars aren’t possible on there.

Source: Received as part of a blog tour promotion on Pump Up Your Book.

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FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.

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