Conflict of Interest

Rating:
Summary: A poorly constructed novel with no central focus.
Review: "Conflict of Interest" is the latest novel by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg, the police officer turned successful novelist. I was expecting a workmanlike story that would hold my interest for an afternoon. Instead, I found this novel to be so poorly put together and so garbled that all I got for my trouble was a splitting headache.

The heroine of "Conflict of Interest" is Joanne Kuhlman, an Assistant District Attorney in California. Her vicious ex-husband, Doug, kidnapped and kept their children for two years, denying them any access to their mother. In fact, he convinced the children that their mother no longer wanted them. Doug was eventually caught and the children went back to their relieved mother. Doug is now in jail awaiting trial for a host of crimes, including embezzlement. Joanne's fifteen-year-old daughter, Leah, has developed into a hostile and angry teenager. To add to her woes, Joanne's bank account was wiped out when she hired a private investigator to find her kids.

The case at the center of the novel revolves around two brothers named Gary and Tom Rubinsky, who spend their time drinking and smoking pot. They take advantage of an unfortunate soul named Ian Decker, a developmentally disabled young man who is trying to live a decent life. The Rubinsky brothers drag Ian along on a robbery and he and the two brothers are arrested. Joanne becomes involved in the case, along with Arnold Dreiser, an attorney who is related to Ian.

Rosenberg says in her afterword that she is trying to make a statement about "the plight of the mentally disabled within the criminal justice system." I am sure that this is a laudable goal, but Rosenberg's muddled book does not make any coherent statement about the mentally disabled and the law. Her characters are all one-dimensional and the dialogue is labored. Worst of all, the plot veers off in a host of directions, including story lines about a former CIA agent on the run, Ian's saintly mother, and a budding romance for Joanne. It's all too convoluted and the various plot lines never add up to a coherent whole.

Here is an example of some very bad writing, in which Rosenberg is trying to describe a romantic encounter: "Every nerve ending in her body sprang to life. Her head fell back as she gasped, feeling as if a river had rushed into her. Time was suspended. Her heartbeats seemed miles apart. She could count the beats, feel the air rushing in and out of her mouth." Although such purple prose does not recur on every page, the writing in "Conflict of Interest" as a whole is not very much better than this unfortunate passage. I do not recommend "Conflict of Interest." It is an unfocused and poorly written novel.

Rating:
Summary: A poorly constructed novel with no central focus.
Review: "Conflict of Interest" is the latest novel by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg, the police officer turned successful novelist. I was expecting a workmanlike story that would hold my interest for an afternoon. Instead, I found this novel to be so poorly put together and so garbled that all I got for my trouble was a splitting headache.

The heroine of "Conflict of Interest" is Joanne Kuhlman, an Assistant District Attorney in California. Her vicious ex-husband, Doug, kidnapped and kept their children for two years, denying them any access to their mother. In fact, he convinced the children that their mother no longer wanted them. Doug was eventually caught and the children went back to their relieved mother. Doug is now in jail awaiting trial for a host of crimes, including embezzlement. Joanne's fifteen-year-old daughter, Leah, has developed into a hostile and angry teenager. To add to her woes, Joanne's bank account was wiped out when she hired a private investigator to find her kids.

The case at the center of the novel revolves around two brothers named Gary and Tom Rubinsky, who spend their time drinking and smoking pot. They take advantage of an unfortunate soul named Ian Decker, a developmentally disabled young man who is trying to live a decent life. The Rubinsky brothers drag Ian along on a robbery and he and the two brothers are arrested. Joanne becomes involved in the case, along with Arnold Dreiser, an attorney who is related to Ian.

Rosenberg says in her afterword that she is trying to make a statement about "the plight of the mentally disabled within the criminal justice system." I am sure that this is a laudable goal, but Rosenberg's muddled book does not make any coherent statement about the mentally disabled and the law. Her characters are all one-dimensional and the dialogue is labored. Worst of all, the plot veers off in a host of directions, including story lines about a former CIA agent on the run, Ian's saintly mother, and a budding romance for Joanne. It's all too convoluted and the various plot lines never add up to a coherent whole.

Here is an example of some very bad writing, in which Rosenberg is trying to describe a romantic encounter: "Every nerve ending in her body sprang to life. Her head fell back as she gasped, feeling as if a river had rushed into her. Time was suspended. Her heartbeats seemed miles apart. She could count the beats, feel the air rushing in and out of her mouth." Although such purple prose does not recur on every page, the writing in "Conflict of Interest" as a whole is not very much better than this unfortunate passage. I do not recommend "Conflict of Interest." It is an unfocused and poorly written novel.

Rating:
Summary: A poorly constructed novel with no central focus.
Review: "Conflict of Interest" is the latest novel by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg, the police officer turned successful novelist. I was expecting a workmanlike story that would hold my interest for an afternoon. Instead, I found this novel to be so poorly put together and so garbled that all I got for my trouble was a splitting headache.

The heroine of "Conflict of Interest" is Joanne Kuhlman, an Assistant District Attorney in California. Her vicious ex-husband, Doug, kidnapped and kept their children for two years, denying them any access to their mother. In fact, he convinced the children that their mother no longer wanted them. Doug was eventually caught and the children went back to their relieved mother. Doug is now in jail awaiting trial for a host of crimes, including embezzlement. Joanne's fifteen-year-old daughter, Leah, has developed into a hostile and angry teenager. To add to her woes, Joanne's bank account was wiped out when she hired a private investigator to find her kids.

The case at the center of the novel revolves around two brothers named Gary and Tom Rubinsky, who spend their time drinking and smoking pot. They take advantage of an unfortunate soul named Ian Decker, a developmentally disabled young man who is trying to live a decent life. The Rubinsky brothers drag Ian along on a robbery and he and the two brothers are arrested. Joanne becomes involved in the case, along with Arnold Dreiser, an attorney who is related to Ian.

Rosenberg says in her afterword that she is trying to make a statement about "the plight of the mentally disabled within the criminal justice system." I am sure that this is a laudable goal, but Rosenberg's muddled book does not make any coherent statement about the mentally disabled and the law. Her characters are all one-dimensional and the dialogue is labored. Worst of all, the plot veers off in a host of directions, including story lines about a former CIA agent on the run, Ian's saintly mother, and a budding romance for Joanne. It's all too convoluted and the various plot lines never add up to a coherent whole.

Here is an example of some very bad writing, in which Rosenberg is trying to describe a romantic encounter: "Every nerve ending in her body sprang to life. Her head fell back as she gasped, feeling as if a river had rushed into her. Time was suspended. Her heartbeats seemed miles apart. She could count the beats, feel the air rushing in and out of her mouth." Although such purple prose does not recur on every page, the writing in "Conflict of Interest" as a whole is not very much better than this unfortunate passage. I do not recommend "Conflict of Interest." It is an unfocused and poorly written novel.

Rating:
Summary: Tough story....well told
Review:

In the Acknowledgements section of this book, the author states: "I would like to express my gratitude to the many people, angels, family members, doctors and heaven-sent muses for providing me with the strength and inspiration to tell this particular story...The underlying issue in this novel -- the plight of the mentally disabled within the criminal justice system -- seemed to be of such great significance that the majority of this book was written in tremendous pain. I am almost now completely recovered, and eager to begin my next project."

CONFLICT OF INTEREST is, at its core, the story of Ian Decker a mentally challenged man who becomes involved in the California judicial system, with disastrous results.

Nancy Taylor Rosenberg knows her way around a courtroom and her main character, Assistant District Attorney Joanne Kulhman, is one tough cookie. Joanne has survived losing her children for two years after her ex-husband kidnapped them and went on the lam. Now reunited with the children, Leah and Mike, Joanne is trying to put the pieces of her life back together.

She is assigned the case against Ian and his two running buddies, but she sees something in the young man's eyes that connects with her softer side and she winds up walking a very fine line between her job as an ADA and her desire to get to the bottom of Ian's disappearance.

There are several sub-plots and a very interesting "private investigator" named Eli, but this book is ultimately the story of a young man's travails and triumphs despite his shortcomings.

Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Too busy with problems to detect
Review: Assistant District Attorney Joanne Kuhlman has recovered her children from the years they spent with their kidnapping father, but all is not well in her life. Her daughter, Leah, is acting out, and something is wrong with the case she has been assigned to prosecute. When attractive defense attorney Arnold Dreiser asks her to give his client--mildly retarded Ian Drecker--special attention, Kuhlman's reaction is to run both from his proposition and from the sexual feelings she has denied for so long.

Drecker, along with brothers Tom and Gary Rubinsky, are accused of holding up a convenience store. It soon becomes obvious that the brothers are taking advantage of Decker, using him for transportation, lodging, and cash. Yet can Kuhlman offer any special consideration to him, even if he is partially a victim? Before long, the mystery deepens from a simple holdup to murder--and Kuhlman is forced to confront her fears.

Author Nancy Taylor Rosenberg explores the challenges Kuhlman faces in recovering her life after the tragedy of her husband's desertion and kidnapping of their children. Kuhlman is afraid to trust and finds it difficult to set appropriate boundaries for her children. Fortunately for her, she is blessed with a powerful ex-CIA detective Eli Connors, who feels that he owes her. With help from Connors, Dreiser, and Drecker's mother, the whole truth emerges.

Although CONFLICT OF INTEREST is an interesting story, it is weakened by Kulhman's rather passive role in the story. As protagonist, she relies to heavily on others to do the work. It's hard for the reader to get behind a character who spends her time worrying about her children and then sending out her minions to solve the crime. Fortunately, Nancy Taylor Rosenberg's writing is strong enough to pull this off but the reader may be left with the feeling that the novel could have been so much stronger.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I always look forward to reading Nancy Taylor Rosenberg's new books (I've read them all) because I know I'm going to enjoy it. But I can honestly say I was disappointed this time. For some reason the book didn't keep me thinking about the story line. So much so I would want to get back to reading as soon as possible. Usually her books are pages turners and I enjoy the characters in the story. Didn't work for me this time though. This was my first disappiontment, but I still like forward to her next book.

Rating:
Summary: Mistitled
Review: I'll spare everyone the synopsis -- there are already plenty of accurate ones from which to choose. This 'review' is really just an observation: the book is mistitled. It has very little to do with any conflict of interest. There is potential for building the story-line into one where there does exist a conflict of interest, but that doesn't really happen here. To some extent, ok, maybe -- but that isn't what the book is about. The short blurb on the back misleads the (prospective)reader into thinking that the book is indeed primarily about this conflict of interest -- and it isn't.

Did I enjoy it? Yes I did. A good read. Those who like loose-ends tied up at the finish will not be disappointed -- everything is completely laced up tight ... a bit too tight for my liking, in fact ... I could go on more about that, but I do not want to give anything away. I do agree with some of the criticisms about how characters could have been better-developed, the story could have followed a different path with a courtroom drama, etc. (Another observation: I found some of the dialogue between the baddy brothers to be a bit too refined and unbelievable given their characters. Should have been written in more of an urban dialect.) But in general it was an entertaining read. 3 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Haphazard
Review: Joanne Kuhlman has been through a lot the last couple of years. Her children were kidnapped by her husband who is now spending time in jail awaiting his trial for those charges plus embezzlement. Since their return, she has had nothing but trouble from her 15-year old daughter, Leah. The child adores her father and believes every word he said about Joanne while he had them hidden away from her.

Now, on top of the ongoing repercussions from that situation, she is faced with prosecuting three young men for armed robbery and car theft. The problem is, one of those men, Ian, is developmentally disabled. Ian's handsome attorney, Arnold Dreiser, is trying to convince Joanne that Ian was forced into the very small part he played in the robbery. Joanne, however, doesn't have the time or the inclination right now to be sympathetic or give Ian a chance.... at first.

When she finally relents to at least look at his school and psychological records, Joanne finds evidence that Arnold may be right. That possibility gets put on the back burner, however, when Ian turns up missing--presumably having gone on the run. His mother is convinced otherwise when she receives an anonymous phone call that her son has been murdered by his "buddies" and gives her an idea of where to search for his body.

Joanne is filled with guilt and finds herself facing more than one conflict of interest.... helping the mother of the boy she was prosecuting and falling in love with his attorney who has become her investigative partner. And while all of these things are happening, the unexpected is taking place right beneath their noses.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nancy Taylor Rosenberg almost joins the ranks of Brad Meltzer and John Grisham with this latest novel full of legal suspense. The one thing that holds her back is the plot that temporarily resembles Swiss cheese with all its holes. As the story unfolds, tidbits of intriguing information are laid out here and there that make the reader wonder if this is a sequel. Thankfully, a sprinkling of explanations is given for each unanswered question as the book progresses. The manner in which this is done, however, causes it to appear as though some of the information was put in as afterthoughts.

Approximately, 75 percent into the book, all the previous grievances will be forgotten as the reader is suddenly drawn into shocking situations. Events have twisted to reveal a secret that no one could have expected. And, although the ending tends to be a bit "too good to be true", the story evens out to be quite a pleasurable read indeed.

Rating:
Summary: Conflict of Interest
Review: Joanne Kuhlman has been through a lot the last couple of years. Her children were kidnapped by her husband who is now spending time in jail awaiting his trial for those charges plus embezzlement. Since their return, she has had nothing but trouble from her 15-year old daughter, Leah. The child adores her father and believes every word he said about Joanne while he had them hidden away from her.

Now, on top of the ongoing repercussions from that situation, she is faced with prosecuting three young men for armed robbery and car theft. The problem is, one of those men, Ian, is developmentally disabled. Ian's handsome attorney, Arnold Dreiser, is trying to convince Joanne that Ian was forced into the very small part he played in the robbery. Joanne, however, doesn't have the time or the inclination right now to be sympathetic or give Ian a chance.... at first.

When she finally relents to at least look at his school and psychological records, Joanne finds evidence that Arnold may be right. That possibility gets put on the back burner, however, when Ian turns up missing--presumably having gone on the run. His mother is convinced otherwise when she receives an anonymous phone call that her son has been murdered by his "buddies" and gives her an idea of where to search for his body.

Joanne is filled with guilt and finds herself facing more than one conflict of interest.... helping the mother of the boy she was prosecuting and falling in love with his attorney who has become her investigative partner. And while all of these things are happening, the unexpected is taking place right beneath their noses.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nancy Taylor Rosenberg almost joins the ranks of Brad Meltzer and John Grisham with this latest novel full of legal suspense. The one thing that holds her back is the plot that temporarily resembles Swiss cheese with all its holes. As the story unfolds, tidbits of intriguing information are laid out here and there that make the reader wonder if this is a sequel. Thankfully, a sprinkling of explanations is given for each unanswered question as the book progresses. The manner in which this is done, however, causes it to appear as though some of the information was put in as afterthoughts.

Approximately, 75 percent into the book, all the previous grievances will be forgotten as the reader is suddenly drawn into shocking situations. Events have twisted to reveal a secret that no one could have expected. And, although the ending tends to be a bit "too good to be true", the story evens out to be quite a pleasurable read indeed.

Rating:
Summary: Not her best
Review: Joanne Kuhlman is the Assistant District Attorney who shows no mercy when it comes to prosecuting the guilty. Dealing with a failed marriage, and the tough job of raising her two teenage children, Joanne has enough on her plate, but when the case of a simple man accused of armed robbery comes across her desk she jumps into action and takes it on.

As Joanne becomes involved in the case she finds secrets are being kept, and when her main suspect disappears, she realizes their are people willing to stop at nothing to silence anyone that gets in the way.

While the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, Joanne makes the ultimate discovery...not only about the case she is working on, but her own life as well.

'Conflict Of Interest' is a very boring book; the plot moves along at a snail pace, and when the story finally develops it is not interesting, and it makes no sense. Nancy Taylor Rosenberg has been one of my favorite authors in the legal thriller genre, but in her new novel she has lost her edge. Instead of keeping speed with her main plot, Ms. Rosenberg juggles various sub-plots that are confusing, and tiresome.

Fans of Nancy Taylor Rosenberg's previous novels will be disappointed, as will any fan of legal thrillers.

Nick Gonnella