The Case Runner by Carlos Cisneros

by Carlos Cisneros

A legal thriller set on the Texas-Mexico border—a young lawyer finds himself caught up in a wrongful death case that involves insurance fraud, theft, and possibly murder. Rampant corruption & big-money politics are set against the rich backdrop of border culture, its distinctive way of life & unique perspective.

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published March 31, 2008

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very readable legal thriller by a first time author (dare I call him "Baby Author?")

His "Baby Lawyer," Alex, finds himself in a terrible quandary before he has had time to even unlock his front door on his first day of work. A bewildered looking man, clothes still disheveled due to crossing the river from Mexico under cover of darkness and fog, is standing in front of Alex's building. Moved by concern, Alex asks the man in and Pilo follows. Alex is intrigued by the man's story, and clearly, Pilo needs help. But Alex is reluctant to jeopardize his recently acquired license and his future livelihood -- helping an illegal alien would be cause for disbarment. Should he do the Legal thing? Or should he do the Human thing?

Not many hours later, Alex meets another character who offers to bring cases to Alex for a fee. Although this is an unethical practice, the man assures Alex that this is how things are handled here, and attorneys can't survive if they don't follow the custom. Should Alex do the Right thing? Or should he do the Lucrative thing?

Although this is a compelling page turner, there are spots in this first novel that are jerky and uneven. For instance, when the trial starts, we are privy to the examination of the first witness, and then all of a sudden we are in the second week of the trial. (I had to turn the page back just to make sure I had turned only one.) And I had problems with the way Alex's "romantic" relationships played out; but I asked my husband, and it seemed okay to him, so undoubtedly it's a guy thing, and makes perfect sense from that point of view.

There were also a couple of things that were not fully explained in the book, for instance "impeachment witness." At first I counted that as a flaw, but then I decided that any book that was interesting enough to make me want to flip open my laptop and consult Wikipedia had a lot going for it.

You will be amazed at the amount of graft, corruption, and fraud that are portrayed in The Case Runner. I mentioned it to an insider in the South Texas Justice System, though, and was assured that Mr. Cisneros was not making it up. It seems we should have a lot more Activists being active here in Texas. (Sorry, that last sentence had nothing to do with the review, and I should probably take it out, but decided not to.)

I really enjoyed the part where Alex plays fairy godfather. He takes a liking to his cab driver, Romeo, and offers him a job in his fledgling law firm, and throughout the course of the novel they add more people in like manner. I love the scene where they go to Dillards, and the sales clerk is so helpful in outfitting them for their new roles as office jocks.

All in all, a very enjoyable first novel that touches on many subjects that are so relevant. Having just read his author's blog, I see that his next one will not be about Alex, which is disappointing. Alex and the people in his office have a lot of potential for entertaining us further; and I hope that Mr. Cisneros plans to re-introduce them eventually. Still, I anticipate his next book -- sounds like it's going to be good too.

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It got four stars because it is set in my community. I learned much from this tale.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This read like a legal thriller John Grisham novel, but with a spanish twist. Very good.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book written by Carlos Cisneros, and I hope it will not be the last. I wonder how much of the author's own background was instrumental in the writing of the book. His own background parallels that of the main character, and he most certainly knows about the conflicts that exist along the US/Mexico border, and the myriad problems that plague those from northern Mexico. The book certainly gave me many things to consider about problems, both personal and legal, that exist along that border. I have heard of case runners, those that steer possible legal cases from accidents, etc., to lawyers of questionable ethics.

[Tyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was very hard to put down in the beginning and was a quick and easy read. Reminded me alot of early John Grisham which isn't surprising since it is a legal thriller written by an attorney. Got a little to preachy at the end, but all in all a very entertaining read

[Jgavito16]

Could relate to the setting of the story. It's a great first novel!

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start but it's finally getting good.

[Adriana · Rating 1 out of 5]

2015 reading challenge: a book that takes place in your hometown

I found the character of Alex pretty arrogant and annoying at time and the storyline had lots of holes.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little disjointed

...but he assumes the reader knows the nuances of the law and case as well as he does. Plan to do your research as you read along.

[Aida Canales · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved it and met the author, looking forward to his second book