FORECLOSURE: A NOVEL by S. D. Thames

REVIEW: FORECLOSURE: A NOVEL by S. D. Thames

Commercial litigator David Friedman has worked punishing hours for seven years in order to make junior partner; but on cusp of 2008, his dream fails. He's already lost his future wife; his dream of blues guitar like his dad, long ago shunted aside. Now his partnership hope has dissolved. So will he resign? Or will David jump through another year of hoops designed by the philandering, often intoxicated, managing partner? 

David perceives that he has been betrayed, cheated, by the partners, particularly the managing partner. His choices now are three: bill even more hours for the calendar year of 2008, providing yet more immense profits for the partners; resign; or get revenge. He chooses extortion, of the managing partner and the other senior partner, and corporate espionage on a potential client bank, of an account handled by the man who is David's ex-girlfriend's current boyfriend. He seems determined to take down everyone who's crossed him! 

I enjoyed the novel, but I was never sure how to feel or think about the protagonist, David Friedman. I tried to empathize, but he often seems so emotionless and robotic [witness his "speech" about how everything is business, all choices are actually business decisions (I.e., survival, money, greed, "getting ahead.") And all this delivered to his former girlfriend] . Then, as revenge against his firm, he takes on a client he should have left well enough alone. It's almost like he's living out a death wish.

I chose FORECLOSURE as the October Mod Read at Goodreads group Anything Legal.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3bbcb625133/

Synopsis: When Florida's housing crash derails his shot at partnership, lawyer David Friedman rolls up his sleeves and lands the client of his dreams—Frank O'Reilly, a real estate developer embroiled in dozens of lawsuits and hell-bent on turning a profit during the recession. Little does David know that Frank's company is involved in a murderous conspiracy to cover up years of mortgage fraud in the Sunshine State. As David prepares Frank’s case for a trial that will make or break his career, he discovers evidence that a secret investor in Frank’s company is responsible for murder and will continue killing to hide the truth. The only thing David can’t figure out is whether Frank is the conspiracy’s victim or its mastermind. To answer that question, David must risk far more than partnership as he unravels one dark secret after another about his client, his law firm, and, ultimately, himself. Author Bio: S.D. Thames grew up in the Midwest but has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1992. When he's not working as a litigation partner at a national law firm, he's writing mysteries and legal thrillers exploring the dark side of the Sunshine State. His first novel, an offbeat legal thriller set during Florida's housing crash of 2008, was be published through Kindle in September, 2015.   Catch Up:  http://www.sdthames.com/  https://twitter.com/SDThamesFL  https://www.facebook.com/sdthames Book Details: Genre: Legal Suspense Publisher: Indy Publication Date: September 1, 2015 Number of Pages: 360 Purchase Links:  http://www.amazon.com/Foreclosure-Novel-S-D-Thames-ebook/dp/B014RC0NFI  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26243882-foreclosure