Conflicts with Interest

Conflicts with Interest: a novel
by Michael Ruddy
Published by Rodeo Publishing
January 2010

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 I never made a good connection with the main character. Plus, my day job is at a law firm that actually handles similar litigation, so maybe this hit a little too close to home. Minus the body count.

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

Image credit: www.rodeopublishing.com