James J. Kaufman

Halfway through the book I decided I just couldn’t slog on any further. At that point the desire to find out what happened in the end was outweighed by the effort required to continue reading. The book is loaded with excruciatingly minute detail, and the action, dialogue, and characters are stilted and not quite realistic. Joe is particularly unrealistic – no one could be that perfect.

I chose to read the book partly because of all the 5-star reviews, but I think my fellow readers misled me this time. I don’t recommend the book.
… (mer)

The characters completely drove this story for me, otherwise I would have given up. The story was very slow, and even by the end never seemed to arrive anywhere. The long drawn on diatribes on the legal process of "The Turn-Around Plan" had me wishing I was reading the book, rather than listening on audio, so that I could skim past it all. (I had the same issue with listening to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; maybe I just can listen to long boring bits about finance). The tag line called this a "legal thriller" is was neither in my opinion.

This is the first of a trilogy and it felt like this book could not stand on it's own and really is going to need the rest of the series to get somewhere. I just don't know that this first installment peaked my interest enough to care to find out anymore.… (mer)

It had been a while since I’d read the Collectibles, so I went back and reread it before I read The Concealers. I was not disappointed in this second book. The author has done a great job in creating characters we can all relate to in one form or another. The characters and situations Kauffman creates cause the reader to pause and look inward at our own situations, choices and values.
For me as a reader, I look for books that not only entertain me, but helps me make connections. Without those connections a book seems flat. This book is not flat. The suspense keeps you going all the way through. I highly recommend this book. If you’ve not read the first book then please, stop and read it first. This is a series you will enjoy. I am looking forward to reading the third book.… (mer)