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TAKEDOWN
The father he never knew. The fight he never wanted.
Benjamin Joel was a fatherless eleven-year-old boy when he found his mother dead of a heroin overdose in a run-down Kansas trailer home. Doing his best to shutter away her memory and his own violent past, Ben is now an attorney trying to make a life for himself and his family. While investigating a case for a client accused of murdering an ex-cop, a strung out flesh peddler named Ricky Butler tells Ben he’s the spitting image of a guy Ben has never heard of named Paco Correa. Ben shrugs off the comment as the ramblings of a burnout until Butler references the death of Ben’s mother twenty-eight years earlier in shockingly familiar terms, claiming she and Correa were murdered by dirty cops. Ben’s search for the truth about the death of his mother and a father he never knew drags him back into the dark recesses of his past and puts him in the crosshairs of a ruthless sex trafficking ring.
Benjamin Joel was a fatherless eleven-year-old boy when he found his mother dead of a heroin overdose in a run-down Kansas trailer home. Doing his best to shutter away her memory and his own violent past, Ben is now an attorney trying to make a life for himself and his family. While investigating a case for a client accused of murdering an ex-cop, a strung out flesh peddler named Ricky Butler tells Ben he’s the spitting image of a guy Ben has never heard of named Paco Correa. Ben shrugs off the comment as the ramblings of a burnout until Butler references the death of Ben’s mother twenty-eight years earlier in shockingly familiar terms, claiming she and Correa were murdered by dirty cops. Ben’s search for the truth about the death of his mother and a father he never knew drags him back into the dark recesses of his past and puts him in the crosshairs of a ruthless sex trafficking ring.
512 pages, Paperback
Published January 11, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 16, 2023
ARC from author - NO spoilers. Standalone with no cliffhanger. Bk 2 in a series
Murder, rape, sex, crime thriller - adult read.
To put it quite simply this book is faultless, characters, plot, setting, delivery, the whole shebang!
I was gripped from the first page.
It is intense, moves swiftly with a myriad of supporting characters who all have their part to play in an intrinsic cat's cradle of deception, murder and blackmail that spans decades.
Rich with intrigue, it is a seat of your pants, intelligent read that had me up till the early hours of each morning reading because I had to know what was going to happen next.
Relating with each of the characters, I cried, got angry, frustrated, happy, in other words became immersed in the story - what more could you ask for.
Superb.
Shall be looking to read Book 1, Verdict Denied which features the MC Ben Joel's first adventure, mentioned in this book but is not necessary reading. I hope the author has more works planned for this series.
I class it as a good day when I find a new author but an excellent one for the Thriller category as I am extremely picky and I just cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Needless to say I have joined the authors mailing list for updates on new releases.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Murder, rape, sex, crime thriller - adult read.
To put it quite simply this book is faultless, characters, plot, setting, delivery, the whole shebang!
I was gripped from the first page.
It is intense, moves swiftly with a myriad of supporting characters who all have their part to play in an intrinsic cat's cradle of deception, murder and blackmail that spans decades.
Rich with intrigue, it is a seat of your pants, intelligent read that had me up till the early hours of each morning reading because I had to know what was going to happen next.
Relating with each of the characters, I cried, got angry, frustrated, happy, in other words became immersed in the story - what more could you ask for.
Superb.
Shall be looking to read Book 1, Verdict Denied which features the MC Ben Joel's first adventure, mentioned in this book but is not necessary reading. I hope the author has more works planned for this series.
I class it as a good day when I find a new author but an excellent one for the Thriller category as I am extremely picky and I just cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Needless to say I have joined the authors mailing list for updates on new releases.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 16, 2023
There was much I liked about this new (to me) author’s story, I hadn’t read the first in this adult legal thriller series. The time frame included Covid restrictions and was deftly described in pertinent scenes. Readers sensitive to certain material be warned there are some despicable people and criminal enterprises doing awful deeds. The lead character is Benjamin Joel, once a prosecutor and former judge, who’s been in hiding with his family due to a messy cartel case. They are returning home to Kansas where his Pops lives.
A shady man, Geronimo (hitman?) hires Benny, but his loyalty to the accused or other suspects is murky. He throws large sums of money to engage Benny as a defense attorney. The client, Mia, is in jail charged with and confessed to murdering her neighbor, a former cop. Benny enlists a talented PI, Russ, to assist with digging deeper into the case, find alternate suspects, clues to what really happened. Mia isn’t forthcoming with facts for her own defense. Local law enforcement might not be trustworthy.
In the midst of this new case Benny gets a morsel of previously unknown information about the death of his mother. This opens up new questions and he begins investigating this also. There’s a lot going on in this action packed, murder filled story.
The characters in the story are flawed and the deep secrets go back decades. Benny wants his client to tell the truth, revealing the circumstances of what happened. While the DA just wants to make a deal. It all culminates in a violent race to justice, truth, or maybe revenge. I didn’t always agree with Benny’s choices, methods or even like him. Some of the plot involves emotionally draining subjects and was simply hard to read without sadness and trauma (which in no way implies it wasn’t realistic). Trying to ascertain Mia’s guilt or innocence kept me guessing and revising my theories, there are plenty of viable suspects, but who has motive? There were legal strategies, terms and statutes I found intriguing. I would read more from this author.
I would like to extend my thanks to BookSirens for the digital advance reader copy of “Takedown” Ruhl of Law Series: The Ben Joel Story #2, by Leonard Ruhl, published by Big Corner Publishing. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.
A shady man, Geronimo (hitman?) hires Benny, but his loyalty to the accused or other suspects is murky. He throws large sums of money to engage Benny as a defense attorney. The client, Mia, is in jail charged with and confessed to murdering her neighbor, a former cop. Benny enlists a talented PI, Russ, to assist with digging deeper into the case, find alternate suspects, clues to what really happened. Mia isn’t forthcoming with facts for her own defense. Local law enforcement might not be trustworthy.
In the midst of this new case Benny gets a morsel of previously unknown information about the death of his mother. This opens up new questions and he begins investigating this also. There’s a lot going on in this action packed, murder filled story.
The characters in the story are flawed and the deep secrets go back decades. Benny wants his client to tell the truth, revealing the circumstances of what happened. While the DA just wants to make a deal. It all culminates in a violent race to justice, truth, or maybe revenge. I didn’t always agree with Benny’s choices, methods or even like him. Some of the plot involves emotionally draining subjects and was simply hard to read without sadness and trauma (which in no way implies it wasn’t realistic). Trying to ascertain Mia’s guilt or innocence kept me guessing and revising my theories, there are plenty of viable suspects, but who has motive? There were legal strategies, terms and statutes I found intriguing. I would read more from this author.
I would like to extend my thanks to BookSirens for the digital advance reader copy of “Takedown” Ruhl of Law Series: The Ben Joel Story #2, by Leonard Ruhl, published by Big Corner Publishing. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.
January 16, 2023
I absolutely loved Ruhl’s first book, Verdict Denied, and was eagerly awaiting his sequel, Takedown. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy for free and read it cover to cover on a long-haul international flight and couldn’t put it down. It was absolutely worth the wait. There were many unexpected twists and turns and lots of gritty material, typical of Ruhl’s style.
The book starts a few years after the last left off, with Ben Joel and his family coming out of hiding and re-entering the world back in their hometown - Worthington, Kansas. The former Judge is presented with an offer that is too good to pass up and hangs out his shingle as a criminal defence lawyer for a client who has been charged with murder. As Joel tries to represent his reluctant client whose defence is being funding by a past associate with drug cartel ties, Joel uncovers information that threatens all that he knows about his mother’s death many years before, and also puts Joel and his family at risk.
Takedown is as action-packed as the first book, but seems to travel at a slightly slower pace, allowing time to savour the moments a little bit more. The book brings to life mix of characters from the original book as well as characters we meet for the first time in Takedown. Few things are as they originally seem and the connections between the various characters and situations, past and present, is less linear and more of a tangled web. The boundaries between ethics, the justice system, and true justice are explored time and again, at times making a legal reader feel a bit uncomfortable as the protagonist navigates the rocky road that unfolds before him, sometimes taking the wrong path for the right reasons.
I highly recommend both of Ruhl’s books for any fan of legal fiction or American crime drama. The novels are clever and quick to read (primarily because once you get your nose in the book you absolutely don’t want to put it down). I look forward to a third book in this series and can’t wait to see the next dangerous adventure that ensnares Ben Joel.
The book starts a few years after the last left off, with Ben Joel and his family coming out of hiding and re-entering the world back in their hometown - Worthington, Kansas. The former Judge is presented with an offer that is too good to pass up and hangs out his shingle as a criminal defence lawyer for a client who has been charged with murder. As Joel tries to represent his reluctant client whose defence is being funding by a past associate with drug cartel ties, Joel uncovers information that threatens all that he knows about his mother’s death many years before, and also puts Joel and his family at risk.
Takedown is as action-packed as the first book, but seems to travel at a slightly slower pace, allowing time to savour the moments a little bit more. The book brings to life mix of characters from the original book as well as characters we meet for the first time in Takedown. Few things are as they originally seem and the connections between the various characters and situations, past and present, is less linear and more of a tangled web. The boundaries between ethics, the justice system, and true justice are explored time and again, at times making a legal reader feel a bit uncomfortable as the protagonist navigates the rocky road that unfolds before him, sometimes taking the wrong path for the right reasons.
I highly recommend both of Ruhl’s books for any fan of legal fiction or American crime drama. The novels are clever and quick to read (primarily because once you get your nose in the book you absolutely don’t want to put it down). I look forward to a third book in this series and can’t wait to see the next dangerous adventure that ensnares Ben Joel.
January 15, 2023
I received an ARC and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This story begins with Ben and his family still hiding from the events which happened two years earlier. Ben is out fishing with his kids when he spots an individual that they have been hiding from. Ben goes to meet with him and tells his kids to take the boat out to the middle of the lake. This individual wants Ben to defend an individual accused of murder in his old hometown. Ben is hesitant, but in the end agrees. He and his family return to the town where he escaped from.
After interviewing his new client Mia, he doesn't learn a great deal because she won't give him any information of what happened. As his investigation proceeds, he and his investigator stumble across surprising information that eventually has a major impact on this case. New names appear and has Ben looking at this case from more than one way.
The story is well written and follows the events that will ultimately lead to a surprising conclusion. Follow along as Ben works to find out what really happen in addition to the steps Ben needed to take to try to protect his family.
The ending will reveal how this all played out and answer questions that were raised as the story ws told.
This is a definite winner and I was so impressed, I went out and got the first book in the series.
This story begins with Ben and his family still hiding from the events which happened two years earlier. Ben is out fishing with his kids when he spots an individual that they have been hiding from. Ben goes to meet with him and tells his kids to take the boat out to the middle of the lake. This individual wants Ben to defend an individual accused of murder in his old hometown. Ben is hesitant, but in the end agrees. He and his family return to the town where he escaped from.
After interviewing his new client Mia, he doesn't learn a great deal because she won't give him any information of what happened. As his investigation proceeds, he and his investigator stumble across surprising information that eventually has a major impact on this case. New names appear and has Ben looking at this case from more than one way.
The story is well written and follows the events that will ultimately lead to a surprising conclusion. Follow along as Ben works to find out what really happen in addition to the steps Ben needed to take to try to protect his family.
The ending will reveal how this all played out and answer questions that were raised as the story ws told.
This is a definite winner and I was so impressed, I went out and got the first book in the series.
January 20, 2023
A good read. I am new to the legal thriller genre and hope to god half the things in this book aren't based on real life, but am worried that they are because the author is a real criminal defense attorney AND state/federal prosecutor. I'd like to go back to my bubble now-there are no corrupt local sheriffs who kill whenever they feel like it, perverted billionaires who get away with everything, hookers in need of rescue, wives who take one in the chest for their step children, beer chugging/steak grilling grandpas who also sniper bad guys. Oh and don't forget the eunuch with the god complex who goes around killing everyone. Seriously, this book is filled with characters that I hope only live in the authors mind. I liked that the author didn't shy away from controversial hot topics that plague our world today. I live in Kansas, so it was great relating to the places mentioned in the story. But again, I hope this is purely fiction because if not-I need to buy a burner and head for the mountains right now!
February 13, 2023
gut wrenching with heart stopping moments
This sequel to Verdict Denied exceeded my high expectations after reading Mr Ruhls first novel. With a title like Takedown, my questions automatically were who’s being taken down and why and by whom. Mr Ruhl answers these in a book that I had to read over one weekend. His protagonist from Verdict Denied , Ben Joel is a courageous lawyer who returns to Kansas and becomes involved in ending a crime spree that covers thirty years ago to present day. Ben agrees to represent a murder suspect in Wichita which sends him down the Rabbit Hole literally and figuratively. The plot is utterly aligned with todays headlines. The ending was extremely satisfying on many levels. One sentence he wrote will stay with me forever. “The depravity was the kind of darkness that changed all who would see it. You knew the instant you saw something like this that evil existed in the world and that it meant to consume the good”. Ben Joel is the kind of man who wont let that happen
This sequel to Verdict Denied exceeded my high expectations after reading Mr Ruhls first novel. With a title like Takedown, my questions automatically were who’s being taken down and why and by whom. Mr Ruhl answers these in a book that I had to read over one weekend. His protagonist from Verdict Denied , Ben Joel is a courageous lawyer who returns to Kansas and becomes involved in ending a crime spree that covers thirty years ago to present day. Ben agrees to represent a murder suspect in Wichita which sends him down the Rabbit Hole literally and figuratively. The plot is utterly aligned with todays headlines. The ending was extremely satisfying on many levels. One sentence he wrote will stay with me forever. “The depravity was the kind of darkness that changed all who would see it. You knew the instant you saw something like this that evil existed in the world and that it meant to consume the good”. Ben Joel is the kind of man who wont let that happen
January 20, 2023
I loved this book so much, and I was instantly hooked. Takedown is book two in the Ruhl of Law series, and you really need to read the first one, Verdict Denied, in order for Takedown to make sense. I promise if you don't, you will be really confused. This book was action packed, but it tended to read at a slower pace. I actually really enjoyed that with this book because you got to savor and really enjoy they storyline. If you enjoy a good legal fiction book, or crime/drama, you will enjoy this one.
February 2, 2023
Riveting
Thoroughly enjoyed and didn't want to put it down once I started. Definitely recommend for those who enjoy criminal drama. You hit it out of the park!
Thoroughly enjoyed and didn't want to put it down once I started. Definitely recommend for those who enjoy criminal drama. You hit it out of the park!
February 10, 2023
thriller
This book is a great follow up to his other book. I love reading his books and am anxiously waiting on more to come.
This book is a great follow up to his other book. I love reading his books and am anxiously waiting on more to come.
May 3, 2025
This one did not do it for me.
January 22, 2023
Second book even better!!
This is the second in the Ruhl of Law series. It’s even better then the first. The author keeps the action going throughout the book! You’ll have a hard time putting it down. Keep them coming. I want to know what’s next for Ben Joel!
This is the second in the Ruhl of Law series. It’s even better then the first. The author keeps the action going throughout the book! You’ll have a hard time putting it down. Keep them coming. I want to know what’s next for Ben Joel!
January 26, 2023
Lots of confusion I thought going on. Kinda hard to follow. Definitely must read first book in series . Think that would have made the overall experience a better read.
Thanks to booksirens for advanced book for a honest review
Thanks to booksirens for advanced book for a honest review
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews