Brash Endeavor

Stan Turner #2

by William Manchee

Step into the shoes of Dallas attorney, Stan Turner, in the late 1970's as he begins the practice of law. Then hang on for the ride of your life as Stan immediately steps into a rattlesnake's nest and has to do some fancy two-steppin' to avoid a lethal strike from his own clients. When Stan's wife, Rebekah, is arrested for murder and a client turns out to be a ghost, Stan turns in his legal pad for a detective's notebook and goes to work to solve these most perplexing mysteries.

Teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, Stan pushes on relentlessly to extricate himself and his family from certain doom. Sex, greed and a lust for power drive this most extraordinary novel to a stunning conclusion.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

298 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

About the author

William Manchee is an attorney by trade and practices consumer law in Texas with his son Jim. Originally from southern California, he now lives in Plano, Texas. He is the author of 25 novels including the Stan Turner Mysteries, Rich Coleman Novels, and the Tarizon Saga.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe guys like the character of Stan Turner better than a woman. Other than him being handsome, I just didn't find anything about him appealing. BRASH described him to a T. I just found myself wanting to yell at him for being so naive on one hand and thinking with his hormones on the next! He takes on clients who are questionable at best, responds to any woman who flirts with him and lies outright, or by omission, to his wife.

The multiple mystery store lines that interweave through the novel itself are much more interesting. Characters act out of greed, anger, disappointment and a desire for personal advancement. Cases are solved through luck, sheer doggedness on the part of Stan and some actual honest conversations with individuals. It was disconcerting that Stan devoted so much time to the other cases and seemed to relegate his own wife's defense to a back burner.

The writing is somewhat stilted at times, with conversational back and forth responses feeling unnecessary. Interactions with his children came across as after-thoughts that he included in an off-hand attempt to recognize they were part of his life, but incidental.

This was a Goodreads Giveaway and my first encounter with the work of William Manchee. I'm going to check out his biography, which might cause me to understand his style of writing better. Not sure if I'll be reading more of his work or not.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stan Turner is a lawyer who is just building his own practice. You can't really pick the clients when you need the money and this is where the story begins. Stan's wife is arrested for murder, Stan doesn't feel right about one of the deals another client is involving him in, and a ghost is calling asking for help. Stan not only has to play lawyer, but private investigator and therapist to his clients. Will his wife get off, and will he be able to solve all of the problems for his clients?

This book was exciting and hard to put down. The author does a great job at engaging the reader. I love Stan. He is hard working and always wants to do what is in his client's best interest, even if that means putting himself on the line. I was getting extremely stressed out when all of the problems began building up for him. As he would solve one problem, I felt I could breathe a lot easier. I felt bad for Stan, not only does he have all of these problems from his clients to deal with, but he has to deal with his family's financial issues, and his wife's arrest as well. I can't wait to read more in this series!

I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Pamela DeWolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for an ARC of the book.
Being an ARC, there were lots of typos, wrong words used, etc. It also seemed that parts were missing, the way it would jump ahead in the story. Stan seemed like a real naive idiot for someone who made it through law school, and he was just not real likeable. Several apparently incredibly hot women came on to him, well, more like threw themselves at him, and being such a good Catholic family man with four kids he was always tempted and gave in more than once. As it was never once mentioned that he had a good body, was handsome, or was even nice-looking for that matter, one has to wonder why these women, several who were married or in relationships themselves, were all over him. It certainly wasn't the crappy car he drove. The dialogue seemed stilted most of the time. The stupid decisions Stan made mostly came out okay in the end, but it seemed mainly dumb luck. The ending was just kind of creepy, and made his wife into a suddenly doubtable character.
I think Mr. Manchee should maybe stick to lawyering, he's definitely no John Grisham. I won't go out of my way to read any more of his books.

[Pam Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. Lots of twist and turns that kept my interest as well as a few surprises that were fun. I can relate to backing into circumstances you wouldn't ordinarily consider and the challenges it entails. A great mystery and - A Good Read.

[Deb Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Stan Turner series. Stan endeavors to set up his own law practise when he is made redundant from an insurance job. He is a young family man with four children under the age of nine and a wife who works part-time as a nurse, to help make ends meet. Indeed a brash endeavor for a new legal graduate.

Stan therefore takes on any work which is offered to him, and his clients all seem risky to someone who desperately needs their next pay packet to stop their bank foreclosing. This reader was swept up in this endeavor. Wondering; wiil Kurt skip the country with investor's cash, will Bird strike oil and make Stan a rich man, will Gina run once Stan has posted her bail and is a ghost phoning him?

Stan chooses to accept people at face value which is perhaps not a good trait for a new struggling lawyer. He is also obsessed with every pretty woman he meets to whom he cannot say no.
His wife meanwhile is cast in the role of angry harridan and arrested for the murder of Bird's wife, an attractive woman who seems hell-bent on seducing Stan.

The book flows well and is easy to read despite the need for editing (spell-check is not an editor). It is a shame that both Stan and his wife are cast in stereotypes and hopefully they will develop beyond these in future books. Three and a half stars from me. Thanks to William Manchee and Voracious Readers Only for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair review.

[Todd Roseweir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first introduced to this author when I read an ARC of the latest book in this series, and I enjoyed it so much I wanted to read the entire series starting right at the beginning. This is the third book chronologically but was actually the second book written and published. It's not as polished as the later books in the series - it was published 25 years ago - but is an enjoyable read detailing how Stan started out in his law practice, with him juggling multiple cases. It doesn't have the interesting courtroom sessions the other books have, instead dealing with complex legal processes and events, but in a way that any reader will be able to understand without losing interest. Yes, Stan does take on cases most readers will be yelling at him not to, but he is desperate to launch his career and under extreme financial pressure, so really has not option other than to take these cases on despite his own doubts. Having done so, his professional ethics are above reproach, and he goes to great lengths to help his clients, even at the expense of his personal situation. I do feel very sorry for his wife though, as Stan has a tendency to put himself in positions with beautiful women that he really shouldn't, and he knows he shouldn't. The ending of the book was unexpected, and I guess time will tell whether this is a loose thread or nothing at all.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brash Endeavor by William Manchee
Rebekka is arrested for murder and Stan is just starting out with his small family of 3 boys and an infant daughter.
Story goes back in time to when he first starts out his own lawyer firm. He gets clients but none of them seem to have money to actually hire him. He's involved with oil and gas company, land acquisitions and one woman who wants to file bankruptcy, and a woman who has family that wants to lock her away so they can get to her money.
Stan fantasizes a lot while being near Sheila and Rebekkah states she is going to kill her. He has done some things that put the family in jeopardy: not enough money to pay bills or food and she's working also to help make ends meet. He is able to bail Gena out of jail but he has to sign her bond and he could lose his house over it-but he is behind in the mortgage payments also.
With so much going wrong and then some you wonder if things will ever be normal again or will they all end up in jail.
Love how this one comes together-fascinating! Book ens with praise and reviews by others.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

[D R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is actually on on mp3 disk, luckily I'm able to listen to it.So far i just reached chapter 25. I'm really loving it so far. I would like to read it in book form.

Finished it Today. Now I want to read the rest of them!

I just want to strangle Stan,what kind of man nearly sleeps with a woman when his wife and 3 of your kids are right outside. I don't care how much alcohol you consume, it's an excuse just to get away doing something you want to anyway! Men are simply pigs!

Rebekah doesn't deserved to be treated that way, especially with 4 kids at home.

It's so interesting hear about how high the gas prices were in the 70's something like 40 cents a barrel, and actually enjoying hearing about their money problems, like past due mortgages and groceries, and extra jobs to make ends meat.

And I was wondering why they kept bringing up why he hated Criminal law so much, the reason for Gina in the story. And Now I can't wait to listen to the rest of the story with Stan possibly defending Rebekah on murder charges since the oil well turned out to be a flop. Can't pay Sherlock.

I so wanted that to work out for them.

Lol, and once again I wanted to strangle Stan, even after Rebekah is bonded out of Jail, Stan still can't keep his eyes off another woman, Gina! He only left because he said so himself, he couldn't trust himself with a beautiful woman, not because he loved his wife, or because this is what got himself in the mess to begin with.

And who invests in a building without checking on it, or even seeing the thing, and not reading over the paper work which the lawyer is trying to make you read. Stan tried to make them understand that, they refused to listen him. If they lose the money they invested, it's their own fault not Stan's.

There's just so much I'm enjoying about this, can't wait to finish it.

I won this from Goodreads first reads

I'm so glad the idiots who invested in the Panhandle building didn't lose their shirts.

And Gina loved that little yellow corvette so much, I actually cried when she gave it to Stan, not having to be embarrassed by his pinto.

Liked the Melba thing too.

Awesome Ending, now maybe Stan will learn to keep it in his pants! I have sympathy for Rebekah, if she did it, I'm certainly glad she got away with it.

I can't he complained about her legal expenses! I'm so glad she pointed out if he kept his eyes to himself they wouldn't have any legal expenses, he shut up fast!

I can't believe he was crying over Sheila!

And when he was talking to Gwen saying if he married to such to beautiful woman he would never look at another woman. I nearly laughed out loud when Gwen said I read about how your wife murdered your girlfriend! Haha.

And a great line I never heard before my ass from an earlobe.Great line.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to be a strange review of Brash Endeavor by William Manchee which is the third book in the Stan Turner series. My reaction to his book is extreme love/hate. I will tell you why later. When Stan Turner’s job in selling insurance fizzled out, he was ready for a career change. Since he had finished law school and passed the bar, he decided to hang his shingle out. This took place in the 1970s in the Dallas area. Already, chills are going up and down my back when also in the 1970s, my first husband decided to hang his shingle out in what used to be a funeral parlor. Red and black flowered carpeting lead you upstairs. The casket room became where he housed his law books paid for on the installment plan. One big difference was that it was in a Midwestern state instead of Texas.

The book opens with his wife Rebekah being arrested and charged for murder. The story flashes back to the beginning of his setting up his law practice. Stan Turner started out with a variety of clients mainly from referrals from past friends. In comes a wide array of clients, including a candidate for filing bankruptcy who has a much sexier car than him and with an offer of an eyeful and a promise of more. Greed for money and/or power also characterize his clients.

The most disturbing part is that Stan has trouble resisting passes at him by his clients. I would have liked it better if the author had limited Stan’s participation to his fantasies. Stan does seem to be a persistent investigator and hard worker but I kept telling his wife, Rebekah to dump as soon as she could. I also didn’t like that after he agreed with this wife not to take a big financial risk, yet he then somehow still thought of it as his decision alone. After leaving it to chance he did the opposite of what they had agreed upon.

Now here is the thing, I do not like Stan but I could not stop reading the book. Am I to downgrade the rating based on the main character’s lack of restraint and stupidity? So you see, this is a dilemma. Also, as I was reading I remember the years that I worked as an unpaid legal secretary for my first husband and the sometimes weird things that went on before he decided to change professions.

I am giving this book its rating based on its ability to keep me reading not because I like the main character.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the author as a win from FirstReads but that in no way made a difference in my thoughts or feelings in this review.

[David Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Stan Turner novel.It also happens to be the second Stan Turner novel that I won. I also won the tenth Stan Turner novel.

There is a cliche that says beggars can't be choosers. Apparently neither can new lawyers, at least when it comes to his clients. Stan Turner has just started his new law practice and is having to watch every penny, so when he gets his first three clients, he feels things are starting to turn around. But his clients are qute quirky and he starts to wonder if he made the right choice after all.While his clients seem set on doing everthing to make their situations worse, Stan has to scramble to make everything work out. Then matters take a turn for the worse when Stan's wife is accused of murdering the wife of one of his clients.In addition to all of this, there is the matter of the mysterious phone calls asking Stan for help.The only problem is the woman who is supposed to be calling is dead.

This is a fun mystery even if it is rough in spots.There is a lot going on and a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader wanting to keep reading.The characters are quirky and interesting. It is a little hard to believe that so many incredibly beautiful women throwing themselves at Stan.Normally I would have felt Stan's wife was overly jealous, but after hearing Stan's reactions to these women, she seems to be justified in her reactions.The author being a lawyer definitely helps lend an air of realism to Stan's actions.

The story is rough at times with sudden scene jumps with little or no transitions between them. There are a few printing glitches. A case of something going up in flames became going up in blames. There was an instance where the wrong verb tense was used (he order a pizza instead of ordered).The final one made me laugh because I have seen the exact same mistake made before.The mistake was saying a woman waived to Stan (should have been waved). In both cases the writers who made this mistake were lawyers.I guess they just get so used to using waive that they also spell it that way. The last thing that disturbed was the final scene of the book. Personally, I found this scene disturbing.There is a small amount of language but not to excess.

This is a nice, reliable series.

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I know the author has published two other books before this one, what I don't know is whether they are part of a Stan Turner series or if this book is a stand alone. Whichever...it really doesn't matter. If this is part of a series, you do not have to have read the first two. If it is not part of a series you get the feeling that the book picks up the action in the middle of someone's life and gives you a brief snapshot of what was going on at that time.

Brash Endeavor is not going to keep you up all night wondering what is going to happen. You know what is going to happen from the first chapter. You know everything is going to fall into place and the book is going to wrap things up in a nice neat package. What keeps you reading is that you don't know HOW things will get wrapped up in the neat package. There is an attempt at some mystery (not going to spoil it) and it's not a mystery to anyone but the author. But, there again you keep reading because even though you know who did it, you want to see how it all pans out. This was a pretty good book that I read in the school car line while picking up my child. I didn't find myself getting lost in its pages but it did a great job at passing the time (which is what it was supposed to do).

This is not a John Grisham novel. This does not pick one case and then spend 300 pages drilling deep into it. This is a fun novel that throws several different cases at you and only gives you vague information as to how they are going. All of the material is real enough that it could have happened. That helps with the story but you get the feeling that the author left a lot of it out for fear of losing his audience.

Long story short, it was pretty good and may have given it 3.5 stars if possible. This would be a good book to read if you are between books and need something to fill the time until you get your next one.

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brash Endeavor is the second book in the Stan Turner series. Stan Turner is out of a job when he decided to start his own law practice. With four kids and a mortgage, he and his wife Rebekah didn't have a choice except to move forward with his plan. Rebekah went back to working part-time as a nurse while Stan hopes that he gets reference from his connection from the insurance business.

Given the choice of his clients, Stan took clients from being questionable to those who might not be able to pay him.

The Story begins with his wife Rebekah being arrested for the murder of Shelia, Stan's client wife. After the first chapter, the story flashed back to six months earlier when Stan started his law firm which involved one of his client calling from her grave. Stan started looking into the case but when he was beaten up, the case no longer seemed like a prank call.

Stan just seemed to have a bad start to his business. Even when he took the risk of investing in an oil well, it just seemed like he can't get a break.

Starting a law firm sounds easy but when clients are scarce, beggar can't be picky. Stan just try to do the right thing but he get burned. It is also a start where and how Stan went from a business law firm to criminal law.

I am not one to start a series from the beginning. I usually do discover them right at the middle of the series. So naturally, I was curious as to how Stan started his law firm and how he ended up in defending clients who are falsely accused or suspected of a crime. This book did answer my question. I'm still a Stan Turner fan.

[Vera Seidler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in the giveaway, so I do appreciate it being sent to me for free.
I liked the story line...the plot and the various stories that went on were good and intriguing.
However, I wasn't thrilled with the writing itself. It often seemed that the author was "reciting" the events, rather than the character "living" the events. So for me what occurred was sort of a bit of separation from the story, and the result was no suspense...
But I continued on to see how the author would wrap things up.
I have to say I was disappointed with the wrap up....it seemed contrived. The different sub plots and problems were "solved" in an unrealistic manner...it seemed the author manipulated the story to wrap it up rather than let the story wrap it up, allowing the unfolding of events to come to the conclusion.
So the conclusions seemed unreal and again lacked suspense.
The last thing I did not like was how easily Stan was tempted by other women. He was portrayed as a faithful family man who was devoted to his wife and kids, but then that didn't add up to how he behaved....so the behaviors were in contrast to each other and not believable. If he was truly a womanizer, then he wouldn't also come across as a devoted family man.
Overall the book was entertaining but I can't say I would read another one....

[Julie]

I received a free copy of this book from ‘Goodreads First Reads’.

The book opens with Stan Turner’s wife Rebekah being arrested for murder and then takes you back in time to get you up to date with how events turned out that way. Stan loses his job and decides to become an independent lawyer. He is unable to get a business loan but manages to get a credit card which will help to pay bills in the meantime. He gets a small office through a man: General Burton and waits for business to come rolling in. Fortunately for him it does, by the spade full! There are an awful lot of characters in this book, many of whom you are introduced to early on and I did find it a little confusing to keep track for a while. It would seem that his female clients / acquaintances are all strikingly attractive and it would seem that even though he is a happily married man with four children this is rather pleasing to Stan and his ego. Stan gets many kinds of different business and even turns some down because he doesn’t know enough about it e.g. criminal law. He has many colourful clients which add to the story and needless to say that it is the wife of one of his customers who dies and is the cause of his own wife becoming accused of murder. This is a very engaging story and I wouldn’t hesitate to read any more books by William Manchee.

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book through GoodReads first read program.

This is book #2 of Manchee's Stan Turner mystery series. This book covers Stan's first couple of years after opening up his law practice in 1979. Going on his own is a brash endeavor. Stan certainly has some weird clients. An investor who buys properties and flips them after refurbishing them. A client who tries to get old oil wells flowing again. And a client whose boyfriend ran off with all her clients money which she was to use to set up travel agendas. Add to this a "client" who is calling Stan despite dying in a car wreck a few years ago. None of these clients is paying.

Throw into all this Stan's wife Rebekah being charged with murdering one of Stan's client's wife Sheila. Stan let's his male appendege do the thinking for him. He is caught with Sheila who is shirtless. Rebekah is furious and then Sheila is dead. Thought Manchee was going to Turow us at the end but thankfully he didn't.

Too much going on at times that isn't connected. Editing errors also but still a fun read.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads Win

We find Stan Turner a newish lawyer out of a job as the insurance company he worked for goes bankrupt. He finds opening up his own law practice and realizing the hazard of being on his own as he struggles to make end meet for his four children and wife. Even his wife has to go back to work part time as a nurse to help pay the bills.

He finds himself with unlikely clients and they are less than admirable but he finds himself involved more than he should and trusting them despite they might put him in further debt. Stan trusting nature could be his own demise as money and females are tempting distractions along the way.

When his wife gets caught up in his clients mess, he must find the real killer as his wife is charge d with the murder of his client’s wife whom he was attracted. Being a lawyer is not always an easy life as Stan finds out the hard way.

Fast paced look into the challenges of being a lawyer where clients are not always what they seem.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this novel for free through Goodreads' First Reads program.

I have to say, it grabbed you from the beginning. I really like the way the author starts out with something currently going on and then with the next chapter he starts the back story. I laughed out loud on parts of this novel since it is set in 1979 -- before cell phones and email. So, it caught me as humorous when Stan (the main character) would stop and use a pay phone. He also drives a Pinto -- which in and of itself is just hilarious. :) It really made me think how far technology has come since then.

It is well written and holds the reader's attention. This is a pretty fast paced story with a few typos -- like your for you're and there for their. If you can overlook that and really get involved with the story, you are bound to like it.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another first read that I won. Interesting book. It started out with Stan's wife being arrested which was intriguing though at first I thought maybe I had missed something from a previous book since I wasn't sure this was a first book.
Stand and rebekah have 4 kids and don't have any money. Stand finds out he is loosing his job and he has to figure out what he wants to do. He has been in insurance but has a a law degree. He decides he should be a lawyer and open his own office because he wants freedom though this could be expensive and he needs to find clients. He is a naive ad weak person in many ways. He doesn't see the bad in people and I kept thinking he as going to get himself in big trouble though his wife ends up being in trouble. It moved along very quickly and I wanted to see how he was going to work out all his troubles. Very well written

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off I won this off ARC Goodreads Giveaway! Thanks.

I'm not too much into books about court cases, but I was intrugied with this one.

This book is about a 1970's attorney Stan Turner. Whose wife was arrested for murder. Stan is and was a PIG! He has his wife and 3 kids and 1 was a baby. But he still almost messes with another woman. I wonder if that is the was men where back then or even now today.This was a fast read and I thourghly enjoyed it. I wonder if the wife actually did mirder the girlfriend. At the end of the story Rebakah (his wife) said that she wasn't gonna let anyone have him after she put 10 years of her life with him.

I think I will read more by William Manchee to see how it all comes out of the Stan Tuner series. Even though I dislike Stan.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brash Endeavor is mystery involving Stan Turner, an attorney who just hung out his shingle, and his questionable clients. The story is set in a time before cell phones and internet, so it's rather interesting for Stan to do his prep work by going to title companies, libraries and court houses. I found Stan likable, despite his tendency to drool over anything with a short skirt. The story is a fast and engaging read, a few typos. I would read the other books in the Stan Turner series, hopeful that Mr. Manchee develops his characters further. I received a free copy through Good Reads First Reads.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of William Manchee that I have read. I will look into getting the other Stan Turner mysteries. The book flowed together easily. It kept me interested and I wanted to read more. It was fast to read. I have never read anything like this before. I really liked it because it had to do with criminal justice and it involved the law and a lawyer. The mystery of the book keeps me reading. I want to find out what happens next. I was really interested in the characters and I wanted to know what was going to happen to them throughout the book.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I won Brash Endeavor from the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. When I first started reading it, I did not know what to think, as the dialogue seemed a bit forced and did not really hold my interest. However, the novel took a turn for the better, and I found myself enjoying the story. The suspense was great. I was thoroughly surprised by the ending. I am glad that I discovered this and would definitely like to read more books in the Stan Turner series. Despite my initial concerns, I ended up loving the book.

[Sarah Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

It is the second book in the Stan Turner Mystery series and I really enjoyed it, even without having read the first book. I didn't feel lost because I didn't read the first book, and the plot moves pretty quickly. I like that there were a lot of legal aspects to the plot (which makes sense because Stan is an attorney) because I'm interested in law myself. I do wish the author had been a little more descriptive about some things, but all in all I really enjoyed this book and will be ordering the first one so I can start reading them all.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads win. Will read and review once received.

I really enjoyed the story line found in this book. The plot was very good and interesting. I will admit the writing wasn't one of my favorites. I couldn't really find myself to connect to the story, even with that I still did enjoy it. It was a decent paced book that took me longer than usual to read for books. I really disliked seeing the book end. After reading the second book I can see myself tracking down the first book to read in the series.

[susan murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won from good reads
The story starts off when stan turner a lawyer is at home with the family and the police come to arrest his wife Rebekah for murder.
Then it goes back to the beginning so you know how it all began with Stan starting out on his own and getting clients struggling to get paid and not sure if some of the deals are dodgy.
Stan then starts getting phone all from a person saying they are be held prisoner but the said person is dead.
Really enjoyed the book the ups and downs of Stan's life and struggles getting money in seems all up hill for him.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of the audio version of "Brash Endeavor: A Stan Turner Mystery" and was delighted to listen to it. I give the story 5 stars. What an incredible ending! This was a great story with so many twists and turns going on in this attorneys life, as it raced toward the end and the surprising finish. I definitely recommend it to fans of John Grisham and legal thriller fans as well. You will NOT be disappointed!

[R J Mckay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Manchee's first book and also the beginning of his "Stan Turner Mysteries". While I found that the plot was interesting, I felt that the dialogue was a bit stilted. The ending wasn't as dramatic as I thought it should be. I have read other books in the Stan Turner series and feel that Manchee 's writing skills inprove as he published more books.

I did enjoy seeing the beginnings of Stan Turner's law practice and the plot lines kept me reading.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never read a book by William Manchee before, but after winning a copy from Goodreads/First Reads (BTW, thanks so much!) I was excited to read it and was shocked to see that I received it within a few days of being notified that I won.

Sorry, but here is my honest review of this book:

This book jumps around a lot from plot to plot and I did not care for the writing style of this author. There are also numerous typos and misspellings.

[Read Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a GoodReads giveaway.

This was an okay story. It was set in the late 1970's and the characters and reactions seemed to be true to the era. Our hero - Stan Turner has a heart of gold and try as he might, one project after another slowly spins out of control. In the end, most resolve themselves for the better. It was a good afternoon escape. I will read more of Stan the next time I need a getaway

[Debra Jeakins · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRASH ENDEAVOR is the second in the Stan Turner mysteries and a whole lot better than the first book in the series. The characters are more developed as well as the plot.

Stan Turner has just graduated college and taken the BAR exam and passed. He is now wondering what's next?

I'm NOT going to give that away so if you want to know read the book.

I can say its good to know that life can really be crappy not only for me but for a fictional character as well.