Customer Reviews

Confessions of a Contractor

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3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
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John Cheever says that the hallmark of good fiction is when the action on the surface of the narrative is underlined by deeper meaning below the surface. Confessions of a Contractor has that in spades. On the surface, it is a romp through the lives of LA's too-wealthy-to-give-a-crap-about-money set, and as such it holds up hilariously. But Confessions is much more psychologically astute than just that. The novel is really about the unfulfilled needs and desires we all have, but that wealthy people try to fill up with the right tile for the bathroom and a new addition to the guest house. Murphy very cleverly shows that, once the basic human needs of food, shelter and clothing are met, if the more basic human need for love goes unfulfilled, no amount of expensive food, shelter or clothing is going to fill that aching void. A very exciting first novel. I can't wait for more.

"The first thing a woman needs to know about renovating a house or apartment is simpe: do not, under any circumstance, sleep with your contractor, no matter what your husband or boyfriend is doing to you, or not doing to you."

("Confessions of a Contractor" pg 1*)


And before we get started, I have to say I would never sleep with my contractor........ unless he looked like Richard Murphy. I mean, oh my God, how did that slip out?

I wasn't sure I was going to like "Confessions of a Contractor". From the cover art, to the first line- I was sure that it was going to be a book that had sex all over the place. Lol, and in a way there was sex all over the place- in the 'steam shower in the master bath', on the 'sandstone floor in the kitchen', etc... but it was mentioned quickly and didn't bog down the rest of the story.

It's told all in first person, so the audience knows only what the main character, Henry the contractor, knows. This offers us a unique look at what your contractor is really thinking about you. And despite the fact that, yes, he slept with some of his clients- I still liked the guy! Besides liking the main character, I also enjoyed the others. Perhaps my favorites were Hector and Miguel, because if they didn't like you- they pretended to only speak Spanish.

I would very much recommend "Confessions of a Contractor" to anyone looking for a fun read. And I'll definitely be interested in reading anything else Richard Murphy puts out- right after I find out if there really are blind caterers.... well if you've read it- you know what I'm talking about!! If not, pick you copy up today.

*These lines may change in the final publication of the book
(Originally reviewed for "Kathleen's Book Reviews")

Richard Murphy's novel Confessions of a Contractor is a mix of many elements. Coworkers looking at the book resting on my desk asked, "is this a tell-all about what contractors do when you're not looking?' and "oh great, is this some sleazy tell-all about all the women this guy has slept with?" The cover art of a filmy nightie hanging from a ladder and some cast off high heels didn't help lift my expectations.

Confessions is told I through the voice of Henry Sullivan, a contractor working for the very wealthy in Los Angeles. After seventeen years, Henry is able to choose who he works with and takes only clients who have been "referred" by another client. To survive that long he has a firm set of rules about interactions with the homeowners. Of course, when repeat client, Sally Stein asks him to build her a guest house and brings him into her home to live with her, Henry has breached his own boundaries and more trouble is to follow. Clients Rebecca Paulson and her husband Derrick have called him after a contractor walked off the job leaving a mess. They have asked Henry to rescue them and Henry is bothered by a memory of Derrick. Despite sensing something very wrong about the couple, he agrees and finds himself trying to finish both jobs. His crew is getting frustrated and then INS comes calling. Enter Gia, his last girlfriend who needs him to go to couple's therapy, even though they have been kaput for over six months.



Against all my expectations, Confessions of a Contractor proved to be a witty, well crafted tale of a working man trying to do what he has agreed to do. Characters are deeper than expected, there are no easy fixes, and not everything is spelled out. Henry Sullivan proves to be a likable man trying to keep true to his set of ideals and who wants to not only renovate his client's homes, he wants to help them renovate their lives. There are no easy fixes. This was far better written and I enjoyed this book much more than I had ever expected.

Want a good book to pass an afternoon or two that's not super-intellectual, yet remains clever, smart, and has a fast pace? This is that book.

Confessions of a Contractor is an unusual book as contemporary fiction goes. It's written from the perspective of a contractor, as the title indicates, about his work and various affairs. What I thought would be a simple tale that was sort of mediocre was actually, well, a damn good read.

The main character, Henry, makes quite a good living overhauling houses in the hollywood suburbs. He drives an old and beat up truck despite his money. The truck, and a large surplus of wood are his treasures. They may seem like odd keepsakes, but both belonged to his father - a man of great care and dedication, who passed on his tremendous skill and work ethic to his son.

This story isn't about Henry so much as it's about human nature, and how we often put ourselves in the lives of others, deeply enmeshing there without realizing it. Henry unwittingly becomes caught up in the stories of two women, one named Sally who is single and desires the ever popular among the young "friends with benefits", and the other is Rebecca, a young woman married to a real-estate seminar jerk that has a history for being...less than noble with women.

What ensues is a tangle of a mess for Henry, inside and out, as he juggles not only too many work commitments, but the personal problems of his clients that he becomes far too wrapped up in. There are some love affairs, arguments, an old crazy girlfriend, and even smuggling. It's quite the book.

What is unmistakable about Henry, is that he is what most of us want to be - sure he makes his share of mistakes, and becomes overly involved when he shouldn't, but at the core of things, he's a decent guy who tries his best.

Give Henry's tale a try. It's a great read, a fast one, and just plain fun all around.

If you live in the LA area and are in the market to do some home renovations then you need not look any farther then Henry Sullivan. Henry has been in the business for about fifteen years as a contractor. His clientele is mainly made up of wealthy, beautiful women. So for this fact alone, Henry has rules set for himself and the most important one of them is.....never sleep with your clients. Plus the best contractors know how to keep the peace in the neighborhood, which is a wonderful thing as you will be living there for a while; seeing as you just spent thousands of dollars fixing your home.

This summer is going to test everything Henry's got. He has two simultaneous house projects that will commend his full and undivided attention. The first item at hand is named Sally Stein, a single woman, who Henry is finding himself spending the most time in one particular room, the bedroom. Problem number two is a married lovely woman with two children by the name of Rebecca Paulson. Henry wants both women. Henry finds that he also wants to mend this once good friendship between Sally and Rebecca. He starts asking questions as to why these two are no longer friends but neither woman is speaking much.

What a refreshing, witty and innovative book Confessions of a Contractor turned out to be. I have that this book is not something that I would usually run and pick up right away but after read this book in one sitting, I just may have to start checking out more of these types of books. I could tell that Richard Murphy had a great personality about him. He wrote Confessions of a Contractor not for himself but for his readers. When an author writes for his readers, you can tell as you find yourself instantly drawn into the book and the story. You would never know that Confessions of a Contractor was Mr. Murphy's first book. It was just that good. Richard Murphy is one new author you don't want to miss, so do yourself a favor and read Confessions of a Contractor today. If you're not satisfied then you need to find yourself a new contractor!

The confessions of contractor and debut novelist Richard Murphy in CONFESSIONS OF A CONTRACTOR certainly are more easily read than construction blueprints but contain more detail than those complicated drawings. Murphy rips apart conventional novel writing more easily than he did walls in houses he remodeled, and strips off the veneer of two very different women as easily as he does their clothes. "Once their walls have been stripped, the secrets they shelter have been revealed."

"Confessions" is not about that; it is a refreshing perspective filled with truisms perceived by contractor/protagonist Henry Sullivan. Sullivan is a pseudo psychologist for two very different women who used to be friends. The former friends now have a common bond: contractor Henry Sullivan, who would have us believe that "a good contractor can fix any home but never a homeowner". Murphy compares how one views a house to how one views a relationship, the potential both can be, not the structural integrity of either. What appears to be a simple tale of two former friends sharing a contractor for major renovations becomes a philosophical study as complex as the Los Angeles freeways that Sullivan navigates during rush hour.

"Confessions" is a tale of letting go of the past, self forgiveness, and recognition of self worth. Murphy is a Toolbelt Philosopher. Instead of using the trite "pregnant pause", Murphy writes: "All it took was a pause in its third trimester to betray me." He writes that "TV carpenters transform entire houses in thirty-minute segments" and has Sullivan accepting gifts he thought were free but have more strings attached than a skein of yarn. Reading "Confessions" is like watching This Old House and Romance Channel on steroids.

One particularly revealing scene is when Sullivan's mother died of cancer when he was seventeen, told in a flashback. An oncologist is having his house rebuilt and Sullivan quits, because he argued that architecturally, the house needed double doors in keeping with the style of the house and the doctor insisted on a single door. Sullivan went to the physician's clinic and saw an elderly cancer patient go into the treatment area, perhaps for the last time, through double doors. The physician didn't know why he didn't want double doors at his house, but it is clear to the reader that the doctor associated double doors with treatment of his patients.

Since these are confessions of a contractor, construction advice is offered. "Losing patience with a plumber who is soldering pipes is not the best way to get the most for your money." Apply that philosophy to any aspect of life.

Murphy's writing style is like having a beer with him while he tells a story, a refreshing, gossipy tale of the structure of houses and the structural integrity - or lack thereof - of the owners. He constructs this novel on a solid foundation, with steel reinforcement. "Confessions" is surprisingly, superbly written, the most refreshingly delightful novel in years, bestseller bound. Murphy knocks down walls, but not the kind found in a three-bedroom ranch being converted to a McMansion. Murphy's Wall is a writing style that converts the sixteen-hundred-square-foot ranch house into a palace.

Not related to the author, Orlando-based writer Dean Murphy has reviewed books since correctly predicting that Scruples would be the number one bestseller in 1977, and later published an exclusive interview with Judith Krantz in Writer's Digest. He reviews for BookReporter.com and interviews authors for International Thriller Writers. He is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Florida Writers Association and International Thriller Writers.

---Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy

I loved this book! It only took me a few days and it was extremely entertaining. The characters were fun and the author did a fine job of reeling you in and wanting to know more. I must admit I was a little disappointed with the ending and thought the author should have finalized it more. Still was a fun and easy and entertaining read!

Quick, breezy read -- great for the summer. What takes it from 3 to 4 stars is an insider's perspective on high end remodeling, where money is rarely an object. For all of us HGTV junkies, it is a lot of fun. Also lifting it out of the ordinary is Henry Sullivan, the first person narrator who in an ironic voice gives the book its structure in the form of a lecture to potential home renovators. Everyone should be so lucky to have such an honest contractor. I liked this book a lot particularly since I have a trusted contractor who over 15 years has done massive amounts of work on my house, and I could see his work ethic reflected in Henry

Maybe I enjoyed this book so much because I appreciate Richard Murphy's philosophy of home construction and woodworking. Maybe I like the wry sex appeal that he gives his characters, or maybe it's just an appealing concept. In any case, Confessions of a Contractor is a very enjoyable read, irrespective of its rather schmaltzy title.

If you've ever watched a construction/renovation, it's likely that you wondered if it would ever reach completion, only to marvel at how well things come into place during the final weeks. This story of a particularly memorable summer of construction jobs comes together in much the same way that a building addition might. Time is invested in a quality foundation and the details are all meticulously spelled out. That's the way that Henry Sullivan (the contractor/narrator) goes about his professional work, although his personal life is considerably less crafted.

The pacing is good, as Sullivan juggles two major jobs for two very appealing women, while simultaneously dealing with a goofy ex-girlfriend, a friend with numerous neuroses and a jealous former client. If that's not enough, keep in mind that this building trades morality tale is set in Southern California, so there is the potential for employee green card trouble as well.

Yes, it's sexy, but not salaciously so, with the possible exception of a very interesting dinner party in total darkness. That's all you get from me though, you'll have to read the book. Enjoy!

Richard Murphy has written a light, easy read about a studly contractor named Henry, who seems quite irresistible to all the ladies he works for. He ends up juggling an ex-girlfriend, a current lover, and an unhappily married woman. Plus there's a mystery woman--a friend of his lover's--whom he spends most of the book trying to decipher her identity after their unusual meeting at a party (I won't try to explain the sordid situation here, but I found it provocative). I think Henry's best relationship is with a sick cat named Clyde, which shows us another side to the man. My only complaint is an unexpected twist near the end, involving two of Henry's employees. It's jarring to say the least--and briefly takes us out of the world that Murphy has created up to that point. When the author concentrates on the tangled relationships between his main character and the women in his life, it's a fun, entertaining ride--definitely one worth taking.