What do you think?
Rate this book
Joe Dillard #5
Conflict of Interest
A six-year-old girl is kidnapped from her bed in Tennessee's oldest town.
The ransom note demands millions.
In this fifth installment of the highly-acclaimed and bestselling Joe Dillard series, Dillard is hired to represent the parents of a child who has gone missing. As the clock ticks, Dillard desperately tries to find the little girl, but the return of his wife's dreaded disease and the stunning appearance of his father combine to push Dillard to his emotional limit.
"I have grown to love Joe Dillard." - Janet Lindsay
"This author has created a cast of characters and a protagonist so real they virtually jump off the page." - Mark Rubenstein
The ransom note demands millions.
In this fifth installment of the highly-acclaimed and bestselling Joe Dillard series, Dillard is hired to represent the parents of a child who has gone missing. As the clock ticks, Dillard desperately tries to find the little girl, but the return of his wife's dreaded disease and the stunning appearance of his father combine to push Dillard to his emotional limit.
"I have grown to love Joe Dillard." - Janet Lindsay
"This author has created a cast of characters and a protagonist so real they virtually jump off the page." - Mark Rubenstein
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2013
11208 people are currently reading
3256 people want to read
About the author
Scott Pratt
59 books1,566 followersScott Pratt is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Bestselling Author whose books have sold more than five million copies. He was born in South Haven, Michigan, and grew up in Jonesborough, Tennessee. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from East Tennessee State University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee. He lived in Johnson City, Tennessee until his tragic, untimely passing in November of 2018.
This page is maintained by his family. We're finishing up all of the projects he was working on when he passed away. If you'd like to stay up to date on that progress, or if you'd just like to say hello, you can visit us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/19664...
This page is maintained by his family. We're finishing up all of the projects he was working on when he passed away. If you'd like to stay up to date on that progress, or if you'd just like to say hello, you can visit us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/19664...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 535 reviews
March 4, 2019
I have been reading this series in order. In this story a six-year old girl is kidnapped and Joe Dillard is on the case. Joe is back working as a defense attorney after a stint as a prosecutor. Over the past issues I have been impressed with Joe’s gentleness and care regarding his wife’s breast cancer. Pratt writes a story that is gripping and hard to put down. If you are looking for a fast paced legal thriller series, give this one a try.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is six hours and twenty-two minutes. Tim Campbell does a great job narrating the book. Campbell is an actor and voice-over artist as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is six hours and twenty-two minutes. Tim Campbell does a great job narrating the book. Campbell is an actor and voice-over artist as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator.
March 9, 2015
I did not realize until I finished the book that Scott Pratt is a self published author. The story moves along at a good pace. The editing is tight. There is a comfortable balance of action and introspection. Scott Pratt writes a similar story and in a similar style to John Grisham, with a slighter fresher approach. I am not a fan or serial protagonists and that is who appears in the Pratt books. I recognize this as being a fetish of mine, so mention it only, and in the context of saying I am going to read the next in the series.
A further note on my style of review and giving of stars - I reserve my five star reviews for books that are truly original in concept and delivery, where the writing is simply as savory as a tart fresh from the oven. There are two kinds of go-to books for me- one is that writing that surprises, that you do not want to have to put back on the shelf because now it is over. The other is the book I go to for relaxation and all its pleasures. This is the relaxation book.
Some of what I liked best about "Conflict of Interest" is the lack of gratuitous violence, and unprurient descriptions of human damage combined with a more intellectual approach to letting the reader in on the criminal experience. I cut my teeth on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, graduated to Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple, and by the time I was 35 found my way into a career where I worked side by side with law enforcement to develop methodology for determining the details of organized criminal activity. I gathered evidence, charted activity, hired attorneys to defend against attacks of a financial nature, and sat through many a trial. So, from my point of view, for a story of crime to be of any interest, it must ring true. Scott Pratt hits on all cylinders.
A further note on my style of review and giving of stars - I reserve my five star reviews for books that are truly original in concept and delivery, where the writing is simply as savory as a tart fresh from the oven. There are two kinds of go-to books for me- one is that writing that surprises, that you do not want to have to put back on the shelf because now it is over. The other is the book I go to for relaxation and all its pleasures. This is the relaxation book.
Some of what I liked best about "Conflict of Interest" is the lack of gratuitous violence, and unprurient descriptions of human damage combined with a more intellectual approach to letting the reader in on the criminal experience. I cut my teeth on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, graduated to Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple, and by the time I was 35 found my way into a career where I worked side by side with law enforcement to develop methodology for determining the details of organized criminal activity. I gathered evidence, charted activity, hired attorneys to defend against attacks of a financial nature, and sat through many a trial. So, from my point of view, for a story of crime to be of any interest, it must ring true. Scott Pratt hits on all cylinders.
April 19, 2016
I like Joe Dillard as a character and as a lawyer. Based on the five books in the series that I’ve read so far, I can tell this about Joe: his life is, on one side, very mundane and normal; he’s happily married for 25 years and is the proud father of 2 perfect grown kids, but on the other side, Joe seem to have a more exciting professional life. He’s been a defense lawyer mostly, but was also a prosecutor and a D.A. Joe’s been in quite a few scrapes due to his past cases and has come across more action than any normal lawyer would see. There was even a stand-off with some Colombian assassins at his house, in book nr 4.
Overall Joe has a good reputation, as a man, as a lawyer, and he knows quite a few people in his neck of the woods in eastern Tennessee. I especially like his friend and sheriff Leon Bates. That character stands out.
As for Conflict of Interest, book nr 5, I’m not sure I’m as enthusiastic as other readers are. I felt that Joe didn't live up to his old self. He was quick to judge the father of the missing girl. In this kidnapping case, Joe was running in circles and didn't do a good job of being a neutral, smart lawyer. I can understand that he was distracted, what with the news of his wife’s cancer being back and then the news about this long lost father (can’t give away spoilers). I felt a bit disappointed by this story.
For sure, I will read the rest of the series.
Overall Joe has a good reputation, as a man, as a lawyer, and he knows quite a few people in his neck of the woods in eastern Tennessee. I especially like his friend and sheriff Leon Bates. That character stands out.
As for Conflict of Interest, book nr 5, I’m not sure I’m as enthusiastic as other readers are. I felt that Joe didn't live up to his old self. He was quick to judge the father of the missing girl. In this kidnapping case, Joe was running in circles and didn't do a good job of being a neutral, smart lawyer. I can understand that he was distracted, what with the news of his wife’s cancer being back and then the news about this long lost father (can’t give away spoilers). I felt a bit disappointed by this story.
For sure, I will read the rest of the series.
October 27, 2014
Loved it
As always this was a fantastic book. I love the series always interested in what is to come. Looking forward to the next one.
As always this was a fantastic book. I love the series always interested in what is to come. Looking forward to the next one.
October 13, 2015
Just finished the fifth book of the series. My only problem is just two more to go. I love this character, Joe Dillard and his morals. He is a fighter for justice,
This one he starts out that a 6year girl, Lindsay, has been kidnapped. The parents have hired Joe because the police suspect them. As with all of Scott's novels, this is full of suspense, who done it, and memorable characters from the previous books. You will find out how Sarah is doing, Carolina is still incredible in her strength. Leon is back. You gotta love this character and the respect him and Joe have for each other.
There is a twist in the story and don't want to give anything away. Just saying - if you like courtroom drama, suspense, and a novel you don't want to put down or get to the ending because you will miss Joe and his family- I highly recommend this series..
This one he starts out that a 6year girl, Lindsay, has been kidnapped. The parents have hired Joe because the police suspect them. As with all of Scott's novels, this is full of suspense, who done it, and memorable characters from the previous books. You will find out how Sarah is doing, Carolina is still incredible in her strength. Leon is back. You gotta love this character and the respect him and Joe have for each other.
There is a twist in the story and don't want to give anything away. Just saying - if you like courtroom drama, suspense, and a novel you don't want to put down or get to the ending because you will miss Joe and his family- I highly recommend this series..
October 1, 2020
Another Joe Dillard story - back as a defence lawyer after resigning as DA Joe gets dragged into a child abduction case. Dillard is a well observed lead character and this one has a good plot.
June 12, 2016
Deeper, Richer, More Poignant
I'm not a lawyer, I'm not in law enforcement, I've never served in the military, I'm not a psychiatrist nor an oncologist. I can't judge the accuracy of those essential components in the Joe Dillard Series. However I do know Tennessee from East to West and in between and I'm glad Scott Pratt chose East Tennessee as Joe Dillard's primary sphere of experience. The autonomous nature of those mountain people and their world of sunny peaks and shadowed valleys is a perfect vehicle for tales of unblinking personal moral codes versus corroded institutions.
I also appreciate Pratt's willingness to keep tasking Joe Dillard's already-burdened psyche with moral and ethical challenges a less heroic figure could not endure, much less surmount. Yet Pratt manages not to turn Dillard into a long-running cartoon strip parody of himself. Instead, each new book so far has developed deeper, richer and more poignant aspects of this good man's struggle to live and love honorably within the uncontrollably random and often deeply unfair human condition.
I'm not a lawyer, I'm not in law enforcement, I've never served in the military, I'm not a psychiatrist nor an oncologist. I can't judge the accuracy of those essential components in the Joe Dillard Series. However I do know Tennessee from East to West and in between and I'm glad Scott Pratt chose East Tennessee as Joe Dillard's primary sphere of experience. The autonomous nature of those mountain people and their world of sunny peaks and shadowed valleys is a perfect vehicle for tales of unblinking personal moral codes versus corroded institutions.
I also appreciate Pratt's willingness to keep tasking Joe Dillard's already-burdened psyche with moral and ethical challenges a less heroic figure could not endure, much less surmount. Yet Pratt manages not to turn Dillard into a long-running cartoon strip parody of himself. Instead, each new book so far has developed deeper, richer and more poignant aspects of this good man's struggle to live and love honorably within the uncontrollably random and often deeply unfair human condition.
June 9, 2016
Scott Pratt has a good sense of storytelling. Writing in first person is often slow and often a book loses it's page flow. Not here with Joe Dillard explaining how he feels about his wife's cancer, his dislike for those who mistreat children or how his intuition causes him to act irrationally. When a young girl disappears from her family home in the middle of the night and the kidnapper demands millions, Joe, a criminal justice lawyer, steps up to save the family from total disarray. This is a good, and suspenseful thriller that gets a person's blood pumping.
October 30, 2016
Ok this may have been my favorite. I have it bad for Joe Dillard!!
September 11, 2021
We’ve mostly been enjoying the late fellow Tennessean Scott Pratt’s self-published Joe Dillard series, reading the 9-book set in order. His third novel was absolutely excellent, with the fourth a bit of a letdown. However, this fifth, “Conflict of Interest”, was quite entertaining and suspenseful, renewing our interest in finishing the entire series. Dillard herein is back to being a defense attorney, despite disavowing himself of that occupation when he turned to the District Attorney’s offices over the prior three outings to put away bad guys instead of defending them.
The plot featured the kidnapping of a young girl -- but despite her parents’ horror and dismay, the FBI seize upon them as the most likely culprits and eventually arrest the father after some damning evidence is uncovered. But Dillard winds up believing in the man’s innocence after a trusted polygraph indicates he has done nothing wrong. Will that finding turn out to be correct? And will the missing youngster be recovered alive or dead?
Meanwhile, Dillard’s wife is having more trouble with a previous cancer diagnosis; angst over her life expectancy adds some emotional elements to one of the better tales so far about our capable lawyer and his adventures.
The plot featured the kidnapping of a young girl -- but despite her parents’ horror and dismay, the FBI seize upon them as the most likely culprits and eventually arrest the father after some damning evidence is uncovered. But Dillard winds up believing in the man’s innocence after a trusted polygraph indicates he has done nothing wrong. Will that finding turn out to be correct? And will the missing youngster be recovered alive or dead?
Meanwhile, Dillard’s wife is having more trouble with a previous cancer diagnosis; angst over her life expectancy adds some emotional elements to one of the better tales so far about our capable lawyer and his adventures.
June 3, 2017
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; JUNE 2, 2017
Narrator: Tim Campbell
I enjoyed this installment much more than the others though I listened to about a quarter of the previous one and never finished it.
This is the 5th book in the Joe Dillard series and I found it fast-moving and kept up my interest to the very end. Though this installment wasn't so much a legal thriller (no courtroom scenes) and was actually more like an episode from a primetime soap.
I hope Dillard's wife beats her cancer thoroughly. I don't care for my MCs to be burdened with serious family issues as I want them to have the luxury of 100% time for the book's thriller plot.
Narrator: Tim Campbell
I enjoyed this installment much more than the others though I listened to about a quarter of the previous one and never finished it.
This is the 5th book in the Joe Dillard series and I found it fast-moving and kept up my interest to the very end. Though this installment wasn't so much a legal thriller (no courtroom scenes) and was actually more like an episode from a primetime soap.
I hope Dillard's wife beats her cancer thoroughly. I don't care for my MCs to be burdened with serious family issues as I want them to have the luxury of 100% time for the book's thriller plot.
March 1, 2024
Another great read. Love the Dillard's. I've now read up to book 6, I believe. I cannot put this series down. Seeing the family grow and go through hardships that we all have first-hand knowledge of, yet still doing your absolute best for the people you represent, is fabulous. Love the legal aspect and the investigation side. I've found this the perfect balance of both. Joe is an amazing character, and his morals are his finest quality. So sad to read that this author has now passed, but what a great legacy to leave behind. I almost feel as if I know the author through his characters.
November 13, 2025
4.25 stars.
This was definitely one of the better books in the series and it had a better ending than some of the other previous books. One thing I didn’t like is that Joe Dillard came off a little bit dumb in this story. In the previous book he was overly emotional and unwise at times, but this time he came off just stupid in some of his decision making. Pratt also introduced characters late in the book that not only didn’t add to the story and actually detracted from it. I wish there was more courtroom and less family drama in this series, but still it’s a solid entertaining read for adults.
This was definitely one of the better books in the series and it had a better ending than some of the other previous books. One thing I didn’t like is that Joe Dillard came off a little bit dumb in this story. In the previous book he was overly emotional and unwise at times, but this time he came off just stupid in some of his decision making. Pratt also introduced characters late in the book that not only didn’t add to the story and actually detracted from it. I wish there was more courtroom and less family drama in this series, but still it’s a solid entertaining read for adults.
May 22, 2018
Joe Dillard is my hero! I guess that makes Scott Pratt my hero too, lol. Great writing, and a great look inside the mind of a lawyer, his life, and how life itself can change a person.
The entire series is a delight.
The entire series is a delight.
did-not-finish
March 23, 2024I personally didn’t want to read about a kidnapped child, so I chose to skip this one
December 1, 2015
I just finished a 5-book series of Joe Dillard books by Scott Pratt. I loved them all, but #5 was my favorite. Joe Dillard is an ethical lawyer (is that an oxymoron???) whose main goal is fighting for justice. He starts off in book #1 as a criminal defense attorney, but switches to the other side of the courtroom working for the DA's office in #2. By book #5, he's back as a criminal defense attorney, but he's more selective in his clients. The books are riveting - the type you can't put down. My only complaint is that many of the victims tend to be children, which is hard to stomach, even as fiction.
March 5, 2014
Not a superhero
I like it when a problem is solved without jumping over tall buildings, crashing cars at one hIundred fifty miles an hour, or doing anything that requires heroic displays. I prefer persistence, intelligence, luck, fear, attitude, and a host of humanizing frailties. Jack Dillard displays them all. In short, he 's believable. Scott Pratt always offers interesting tidbits about the law and how it should be practiced. This is an excellent story, a likeable character, and a darn good read.
I like it when a problem is solved without jumping over tall buildings, crashing cars at one hIundred fifty miles an hour, or doing anything that requires heroic displays. I prefer persistence, intelligence, luck, fear, attitude, and a host of humanizing frailties. Jack Dillard displays them all. In short, he 's believable. Scott Pratt always offers interesting tidbits about the law and how it should be practiced. This is an excellent story, a likeable character, and a darn good read.
April 9, 2014
I love all these Joe Dillard books - - - I've now read 5 in the past couple months.
This one is about a little girl who is kidnapped from bed. Her parents are the first suspects, and they hire attorney Joe Dillard to protect their legal rights while they seek their daughter's return. The ransom drop goes awry, and the next thing you know, the father is arrested and charged with murder and grand theft.
But Joe feels that there's been a rush to judgment, and he seeks out the truth on his own.
Great stuff!
This one is about a little girl who is kidnapped from bed. Her parents are the first suspects, and they hire attorney Joe Dillard to protect their legal rights while they seek their daughter's return. The ransom drop goes awry, and the next thing you know, the father is arrested and charged with murder and grand theft.
But Joe feels that there's been a rush to judgment, and he seeks out the truth on his own.
Great stuff!
January 14, 2015
I was introduced to these books by someone familiar with the author, and I read the previous installations while living in Arizona, not paying much attention to the setting as it was 'out east.' Having recently moved to Western North Carolina, imagine my surprise in picking up #5 and discovering it's set only 30 miles away! Brought new joy to the series! I enjoyed this book, as it was a welcome change from the courtroom dialogue often found in the series, and was a solid outing.
May 19, 2015
For some reason this one didn't feel as long as the others. Since I read on the Kindle app, I have no real idea how long it actually was. The subject of the book felt pretty short - it didn't seem to take too much to get the kidnapping/murder resolved and it didn't feel like there was as much going on with the main characters either.
The book almost felt like it could stand alone, which is odd in a series.
However, it was still a really enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next one!
The book almost felt like it could stand alone, which is odd in a series.
However, it was still a really enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next one!
December 20, 2015
Joe Dillard, a one man crime fighting HERO
Pratt keeps his story so real I hate for the books to end. Defense attorney Joe Dillard is hired by many people who make him feel dirty, sick or used. He is almost resigned to this fate as he is hired by a couple whose daughter was kidnapped. Dillard decides to fight for the truth. Follow Joe Dillard on his quest for the truth. It's a ride you won't be able to forget.
Pratt keeps his story so real I hate for the books to end. Defense attorney Joe Dillard is hired by many people who make him feel dirty, sick or used. He is almost resigned to this fate as he is hired by a couple whose daughter was kidnapped. Dillard decides to fight for the truth. Follow Joe Dillard on his quest for the truth. It's a ride you won't be able to forget.
August 29, 2016
The Best
I said I would not review another book in this series but I just had to report this one, number five. This is certainly the best of the series! You could read. This book without having read the previous four but it is helpful to know some prior events. Don't miss this one; enjoy the entire series.
This book involves the kidnapping of a little girl and how her wealthy family dealt with the event and were responsible so let for the outcome.
I said I would not review another book in this series but I just had to report this one, number five. This is certainly the best of the series! You could read. This book without having read the previous four but it is helpful to know some prior events. Don't miss this one; enjoy the entire series.
This book involves the kidnapping of a little girl and how her wealthy family dealt with the event and were responsible so let for the outcome.
April 19, 2014
Satisfying, suspenseful, emotionally nuanced. Sad No. 6 is the last one in the series.
I still think the Dillard character deserves more book time, there are several jumps where I feel cheated of a more meandering path, but this is the best of the lot so far. In fact, Pratt's sense of Dillard is fuller and he gives Dillard more of a chance to proceed on his own.
I still think the Dillard character deserves more book time, there are several jumps where I feel cheated of a more meandering path, but this is the best of the lot so far. In fact, Pratt's sense of Dillard is fuller and he gives Dillard more of a chance to proceed on his own.
April 24, 2013
I'm a big fan of Scott Pratt's Joe Dillard series and this new installment was good, but not quite as riveting as previous books in the series. A child is missing and Joe gets mixed up in it on many levels.
May 4, 2013
I like the Joe Dillard series, but this one was not as good as the past books. It might be time to retire Joe and start a new series. If you are new to the series you should definitely start with the first book (you don't have to read it to understand what's going on).
June 19, 2015
Great Book
A 6 year old disappears in the middle of the night. A father is framed. Can Joe Dillard save his client when the DA has an airtight case?
This is the first time reading this author. His characters are likeable. I plan on reading all of his books.
A 6 year old disappears in the middle of the night. A father is framed. Can Joe Dillard save his client when the DA has an airtight case?
This is the first time reading this author. His characters are likeable. I plan on reading all of his books.
June 19, 2015
COnflict of Interest
Enjoy the books of this author. The characters are believable, Joe Dillard attorney is honest, reliable, and dependable. The villan was diabolical and unsuspected by his employer. A 6 year old who was kidnapped in the middle of the night was found alive.
Enjoy the books of this author. The characters are believable, Joe Dillard attorney is honest, reliable, and dependable. The villan was diabolical and unsuspected by his employer. A 6 year old who was kidnapped in the middle of the night was found alive.
March 23, 2016
Fifth book in series a marked improvement over previous book. Better developed characters and a plot that was a wee bit more enjoy to read. Series is frustrating as it goes back and forth between good reads and ridiculous ones.
January 4, 2018
I just finished reading Conflict of Interest (Joe Dillard Book 5). The main storyline or central plot focuses on an apparent kidnapping of a young girl. The Dillards have a vested interest in the case from the beginning because the little girl is a long-time student of Caroline's dance class. Joe is subsequently hired to represent the interests of the parents, since the authorities appear to be focusing their investigation on the father due to his failure to provide an alibi which the police can corroborate.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I became an enthusiastic fan of Scott Pratt after reading his debut novel An Innocent Client. Subsequent stories that featured his protagonist Joe Dillard, notably installments #2, #3, and #4, were collectively disappointing in that the author repeatedly failed to reach the bar he established with his widely acclaimed first outing. I took a "breather" after Injustice For All. Now it is the end of the year and I noted that I had several purchased books by Pratt still left on my Kindle unread. I decided to tie up loose ends and read at least the next two books in the series. I inadvertently read Blood Money first, but the aforementioned installment was not "a Joe Dillard book" anyway so I feel like I can be fair in my feelings about Conflict Of Interest (which is more accurately Book #5 in the series).
I love a good legal thriller, and even when in comes to a genre like the law, I am ready and willing to suspend disbelief sometimes anyway for the sake of a great story. I am sad to say that the credibility gaps were hitting me so hard and fast that pretty shortly I was finding myself repeatedly talking aloud uttering "Say WHAT??" The list below feature a few of my observations.
1-It is a bit of a stretch that Joe would consent to taking a case with such a glaring conflict of interest in the first place.
2-Joe's decision to deliver the $3 million dollars ransom alone, with no FBI or any police back-up. The FBI, TBI, and local police jurisdictions were already involved in the case, and this move on Joe's part made no logical sense from any perspective.
3-Joe's decision to meet with a tabloid reporter with the naive belief that he could just "talk" to her and make her see the light and be reasonable with her fake coverage of the crime. Really? Joe is NOT a new law graduate, an idealistic and naive young man who is not at all acquainted with the "real world".
4-I actually enjoyed Joe's seeking out a forensic psychologist to help him understand the mind and motives of sexual predators who prey on children. I also liked the character of the consultant. We learn about "malignant narcissism" and what makes these monsters tick.
The problem is Joe running off to have a sit down meeting with a notorious child murderer. This is so shamefully derivative of Silence of the Lambs it reeks. Then it is made worse by the details of the encounter...they do not ring true. The response of the serial child predator was not credible---he would not have cared about the person who was being tracked by the FBI and he would have most likely attempted to manipulate Joe by helping to provide insights into the monster they were hunting. And the erection scene...come on!!! (No pun intended). It wasn't like Joe was showing him child pornography, relating salacious details of the case or anything remotely like that.
5-A "biggie" for me---why in the WORLD would Joe hop right in with some kind of "Black Ops" outfit associated with his client's family to conduct an illegal raid, illegal search, and well, let's not forget felonious assault...on a possible suspect.
6-Joe's unwavering belief in the results of a polygraph test; it is a widely recognized fact that sociopaths lie with impunity and pass lie detector tests with flying colors.
7-Joe transforming into Rambo with a submachine gun and rescuing the little girl, courtesy of help from Leon and some incredibly high tech toys of course.
8-Caroline's cancer returns after a 5-year remission. It is disclosed that the cancer had spread to the bones and there were multiple spinal fractures. It is not credible that she would survive for another 5 years at this point. Like many readers I am tired of reading the tragic details of radiation and chemotherapy on Joe's spouse.
If I had hoped for a tourniquet to stop the increasing flow of disappointment that had ensued with my completion of installments #2, #3, and #4 in the Joe Dillard series of books I was destined for a let down.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I became an enthusiastic fan of Scott Pratt after reading his debut novel An Innocent Client. Subsequent stories that featured his protagonist Joe Dillard, notably installments #2, #3, and #4, were collectively disappointing in that the author repeatedly failed to reach the bar he established with his widely acclaimed first outing. I took a "breather" after Injustice For All. Now it is the end of the year and I noted that I had several purchased books by Pratt still left on my Kindle unread. I decided to tie up loose ends and read at least the next two books in the series. I inadvertently read Blood Money first, but the aforementioned installment was not "a Joe Dillard book" anyway so I feel like I can be fair in my feelings about Conflict Of Interest (which is more accurately Book #5 in the series).
I love a good legal thriller, and even when in comes to a genre like the law, I am ready and willing to suspend disbelief sometimes anyway for the sake of a great story. I am sad to say that the credibility gaps were hitting me so hard and fast that pretty shortly I was finding myself repeatedly talking aloud uttering "Say WHAT??" The list below feature a few of my observations.
1-It is a bit of a stretch that Joe would consent to taking a case with such a glaring conflict of interest in the first place.
2-Joe's decision to deliver the $3 million dollars ransom alone, with no FBI or any police back-up. The FBI, TBI, and local police jurisdictions were already involved in the case, and this move on Joe's part made no logical sense from any perspective.
3-Joe's decision to meet with a tabloid reporter with the naive belief that he could just "talk" to her and make her see the light and be reasonable with her fake coverage of the crime. Really? Joe is NOT a new law graduate, an idealistic and naive young man who is not at all acquainted with the "real world".
4-I actually enjoyed Joe's seeking out a forensic psychologist to help him understand the mind and motives of sexual predators who prey on children. I also liked the character of the consultant. We learn about "malignant narcissism" and what makes these monsters tick.
The problem is Joe running off to have a sit down meeting with a notorious child murderer. This is so shamefully derivative of Silence of the Lambs it reeks. Then it is made worse by the details of the encounter...they do not ring true. The response of the serial child predator was not credible---he would not have cared about the person who was being tracked by the FBI and he would have most likely attempted to manipulate Joe by helping to provide insights into the monster they were hunting. And the erection scene...come on!!! (No pun intended). It wasn't like Joe was showing him child pornography, relating salacious details of the case or anything remotely like that.
5-A "biggie" for me---why in the WORLD would Joe hop right in with some kind of "Black Ops" outfit associated with his client's family to conduct an illegal raid, illegal search, and well, let's not forget felonious assault...on a possible suspect.
6-Joe's unwavering belief in the results of a polygraph test; it is a widely recognized fact that sociopaths lie with impunity and pass lie detector tests with flying colors.
7-Joe transforming into Rambo with a submachine gun and rescuing the little girl, courtesy of help from Leon and some incredibly high tech toys of course.
8-Caroline's cancer returns after a 5-year remission. It is disclosed that the cancer had spread to the bones and there were multiple spinal fractures. It is not credible that she would survive for another 5 years at this point. Like many readers I am tired of reading the tragic details of radiation and chemotherapy on Joe's spouse.
If I had hoped for a tourniquet to stop the increasing flow of disappointment that had ensued with my completion of installments #2, #3, and #4 in the Joe Dillard series of books I was destined for a let down.
May 27, 2018
Just Beautiful
An odd word, perhaps, to describe a book that centers on the kidnapping of a six year old girl, but the book is written with such compassion, such empathy and, ultimately, an unshakable belief that love is all around us; all we have to do is let it in and follow its dictates. I love Joe Dillard, the lawyer/lead character in this superior series. He is kind, wise, impassioned, sad, loving, he carries the burdens of all on his shoulders and can be quick to anger. But, he also understands that love, if allowed its due, its place, has a healing capacity beyond anything the medical profession has yet to come up with. He is complex, driven, obsessed with doing “The right thing”, and needs his obsessions. His life and work bring him far too close to life’s horrors, and a less driven man would quit, stop, give in, give up. Concede to how unfair this life is. He also,knows that he is entirely responsible for how he reacts to, and shapes his life, finding all the joy that exists, right there beside a lifetime of despicable events, some professional, some personal, all,potentially overwhelming. Joe has good and bad luck in abundance. The main good? Joe has a wise, strong, brilliant and inspiring partner. Someone with great instincts, reliable intuitions, and a tremendous perspective on life and it’s battles and it’s rewards. The fascination in its details as well,as in The Big Picture. This lucky person is Joe Dillard’s best friend. They talk through everything, unerringly truthfully, regardless of how painful the subject may sometimes be. An artist with a cancer diagnosis, Joe’s partner has a capacity for love that is a wonder to behold, to be felt. She is also Joe Dillard’s wife. Their love for each other is pure, true, complex, forever, indeed definitive in a way that is incredibly rare and awe-inspiring.
This book is constructed brilliantly. With crystal clear, illuminating and often amusing prose. Every character is a wonder of construction and individuality. The crimes are thrilling, dreadful, frightening and, ultimately SOLVED. These Joe Dillard books have true literary merit while never failing to entertain. REAL page turners without a single trick up its sleeve. You come away from these books knowing that you have spent your time well in reading them. They offer so many rewards. I not only recommend them, but I INSIST that any reader who enjoys intelligent thrills, imaginative twists, entertaining plots, intriguing “procedurals”, as well as characters you deeply care for who constantly reinforce the inspirational belief that, even in the face of life’s many horrors, live is still, and will always be, well worth living
An odd word, perhaps, to describe a book that centers on the kidnapping of a six year old girl, but the book is written with such compassion, such empathy and, ultimately, an unshakable belief that love is all around us; all we have to do is let it in and follow its dictates. I love Joe Dillard, the lawyer/lead character in this superior series. He is kind, wise, impassioned, sad, loving, he carries the burdens of all on his shoulders and can be quick to anger. But, he also understands that love, if allowed its due, its place, has a healing capacity beyond anything the medical profession has yet to come up with. He is complex, driven, obsessed with doing “The right thing”, and needs his obsessions. His life and work bring him far too close to life’s horrors, and a less driven man would quit, stop, give in, give up. Concede to how unfair this life is. He also,knows that he is entirely responsible for how he reacts to, and shapes his life, finding all the joy that exists, right there beside a lifetime of despicable events, some professional, some personal, all,potentially overwhelming. Joe has good and bad luck in abundance. The main good? Joe has a wise, strong, brilliant and inspiring partner. Someone with great instincts, reliable intuitions, and a tremendous perspective on life and it’s battles and it’s rewards. The fascination in its details as well,as in The Big Picture. This lucky person is Joe Dillard’s best friend. They talk through everything, unerringly truthfully, regardless of how painful the subject may sometimes be. An artist with a cancer diagnosis, Joe’s partner has a capacity for love that is a wonder to behold, to be felt. She is also Joe Dillard’s wife. Their love for each other is pure, true, complex, forever, indeed definitive in a way that is incredibly rare and awe-inspiring.
This book is constructed brilliantly. With crystal clear, illuminating and often amusing prose. Every character is a wonder of construction and individuality. The crimes are thrilling, dreadful, frightening and, ultimately SOLVED. These Joe Dillard books have true literary merit while never failing to entertain. REAL page turners without a single trick up its sleeve. You come away from these books knowing that you have spent your time well in reading them. They offer so many rewards. I not only recommend them, but I INSIST that any reader who enjoys intelligent thrills, imaginative twists, entertaining plots, intriguing “procedurals”, as well as characters you deeply care for who constantly reinforce the inspirational belief that, even in the face of life’s many horrors, live is still, and will always be, well worth living
Displaying 1 - 30 of 535 reviews