Customer Reviews

Conflicts with Interest

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Conflicts With Interest is a legal thriller that will have you ready to strangle some of the lawyers involved in a frivolous lawsuit over a home that had leaking windows. Just when you think the whole thing can't get any more ridiculous, it does, and to an extent that you might not have imagined. You read about things such as this in the paper but this book lays out the details of how this suit came about and how it proceeds and it just boggles the mind. But you can see from the way it unfolds that this sort of case is something that could happen and is probably why houses cost as much as they do these days.

This was an entertaining read about a builder, T.R. and his son, Ryan who are sued by Steve Sanderson of a law firm called Sinclair, Sanderson and Starr. It's defect litigation for a home they built that could have easily been cleared up without a lawsuit but gets way out of control. The story is set in the San Francisco Bay area and if you've ever lived or spent time there, you'll recognize many of the restaurants and areas of San Francisco and Marin county where the story takes place. It really gives a good sense of the area. Between the several insurance companies involved and the different law firms that get caught up in the suit, it becomes a little confusing at times, but I think Michael Ruddy does a good job of helping us keep the characters straight by making them interesting and very different from one another. It's easy to empathize with the main characters and feel their frustration as the story unfolds. It's the kind of book you can't put down once you get into it.

"A must read. It's intriguing and fun. Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down. This new author's writing style, fits right up there with the best of the well know mystery writers. If you've been in the housing industry, I am sure you'll be able relate to the story line."

Jerry Rouleau
[...]

"Conflicts with Interest" is a great read. From the first page to the last word, I found it exciting, entertaining and enlightening. It exposes the layers of unethical insurance companies and lawyers that are enmeshed when a construction defects lawsuit is brought against a small homebuilder by an opportunistic homeowner whose famous self-serving attorney is out for blood. It was fascinating to learn the legal ramifications of a simple construction defect.

Easy reading. Good character depictions. Great plot and subplots. Suspenseful. Can't believe it was that author's first work.

I have read plenty of suspense/thrillers and my fair share of legal thrillers, but Conflicts with Interest is very different from all I have read before. It's a fascinating look at lawsuits involving the construction industry and an overview of the lawyers involved and the insurance industry as well. It focuses on corruption on one case against a father and son construction company.

There are many players in the story and they make all the layers that this story entails. I did get lost a few times with some of the legal terms but most of the book flowed very well for me. The plot never lost my attention for one moment. I liked T.R. and Ryan from the first page and enjoyed the addition of Catherine as a character and interest for T.R.

All of the lawyers had very different personalities and outlooks and that made it real and interesting. There was one lawyer I particularly liked - he really told it like it was. I also liked T.R. because he often used sarcasm to make a point and I love sarcasm. A well-written debut entry into the thriller genre - I hope Mr. Ruddy continues what he has started and has more books in store for the future.

I'm a big fan of small publishers, and was pleased to be introduced to Rodeo Publishing by the way of Conflicts with Interest, a gritty novel set in the tangled world of not-so-civil litigation.

T.R. Morgan and his son Ryan are about to find out how frustrating, and in their case dangerous, going up against the corrupt powers can be. As a recent visitor to the law profession, I appreciated the author's deliberate pace when it came to the lawsuit at the center of the story. That being said, this book keeps a fast-paced tempo, complete with all the vices.

Though I enjoyed this book, I probably won't hang on to this (rereading books is my highest praise) because my day job is at a law firm that actually handles similar litigation, so this hit a little too close to home. (Minus the body count, of course!)

Recommended for: anyone with a stake in homebuilding in California, fans of law-based fiction, suspense readers

...legal wrangling, romance, suspense, a plot with twists and turns, a bit of violence, and even some useful information make this book hard to put down. I'm glad I bought the Amazon Kindle for iPhone version, so I could continue reading whenever and wherever I had a moment. Ruddy has an easy flowing writing style that is a pleasure to read. He builds a colorful cast of characters, some you love and some you love to hate. I look forward to his next book.

Engrossing read. Could not put it down. Within a few pages the reader is hooked. By the first third of the book, if your blood is not boiling with indignation of behalf of the protagonists, you do not have a pulse. Cannot wait for the author's next book.

This was an interesting read. I will admit I was surprised with how quick I got caught up in the story. The story is about being sued by, what I would call, an ambulance chaser, only for the home building sector. There is a ton of legal jargon and so many players involved, I was often confused by it all and it makes me wonder if lawsuits are really this involved and complicated. The characters, while not totally polished, were enjoyable.

Even though I found the story to be a tad confusing at times, I found that I was enjoying it. This is a good start for a debut author. (review copy from publicist)

Michael Ruddy artfully crafts a multi-layered story of T.R. and Ryan Morgan, a father/son construction team besieged by ruthless lawyers, corrupt insurance companies, and a barrage of problems that make construction insiders wince with the pain of recognition. Ruddy's writing style is captivating, his characters well-constructed, and the story thoroughly entertaining. Both my thumbs are pointing toward the sky for this novel... And I'm hoping there's a sequel!

T.R. Morgan is drawing blank on the river. And the sharks are lurking in the shadows of these rough waters.

An amateur poker player, he is in way too deep while chopping the blocks in a ring game that features the big guns. Morgan then deals an ignorant end with a beautiful woman by sucking on a fat stogie to ease the pain after he checks out of the action and ultimately proceeds to have his fire bets extinguished in craps.

But the worst is on the horizon as Morgan cuts his losses when the casino does not grant him additional credit in this exercise in futility. He may be stripped of more than pride in an upcoming high-stakes game - with his home building company in the big blind - inside a courtroom that is stacked with some real wise guys.

Author Michael Ruddy deals a meticulous hand of dialogue-driven action in Conflicts with Interest (January 2010, Rodeo Publishing), a novel which explores the sordid side of trial attorneys through an egotistical and politically-connected giant in this public chess match on shakedown street. Steve Sanderson is a master at gaining huge awards for his "beleaguered" clients in the tricky marketplace of defect litigation of new homes.

"(His) reputation for litigation success and excessive jury awards was spreading quickly throughout the country," writes Ruddy. "The major homebuilders and insurance companies were the first to feel the financial strain. It was clearly his strategy and trademark - a numbers game. The more defendants names, the higher the probability of multiple, lucrative settlements for Sanderson.

"(He) had tapped some serious insurance company reserves and wiped out another developer. He was feeling good about the settlement cash, but regretted not going to trial."

With the Bay Area as a backdrop, Ruddy takes the reader on a tour of law firms that yearn for a piece of this possible lucrative payout, while diving into the blind ambitions of the powerful when storm clouds block the moon in the midnight hour; the illegal trafficking of those who are seeking crumbs from a miniscule slice of the American Dream and the type of illicit drugs that separate the "recreational" user in the boardroom from street people looking for a quick fix.

"`I believe that while we've been designing and building homes, the rest of the country has been busy suing each other to death,'" says Morgan to his son, Ryan, who is also facing charges in this case. "`This tort stuff is out of control. The legal disease has invaded the construction industry. Not just tobacco and medical anymore.

"`Money happened, Ryan, easy money. Just figure out the system's rules and bypass around them. Everybody in here, most likely, is doing the same thing. Most of them, though, haven't found the bypass.'"

Morgan is not content to permit the contest to follow a script like a pro wrestling event, with the attorneys dishing out "punishment" that only looks real to those sitting in the gallery and joking around once they return to their cozy offices. He takes a stand against Sanderson, but will need to complete a straight flush to snatch victory from the iron jaws of defeat.

And there may be more than dead money involved when a floorman arrives with a deck of clearly marked cards.