I have just finished reading The Monopoly Factor and I was sad that it was over. I really didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book, since I'm new to the author. I soon found that this was a "different" sort of mystery.
There are no gruesome bodies falling down chapter after chapter. The murders are there but they make sense. There was no unrealistic macho man saving the day for the meek woman. The characters in this story had depth and they were developed in such a way that I couldn't help but feeling for them.
Barry and Susan was just a wonderful jewel to read about and the relationship between Barry and his brother Noah was a nice piece of work to add to this legal mystery. There are separate scenarios taking place, and the author blended them seamlessly.
The story is solid and Mr. Saunders didn't disappoint me at all and I'll surely check out his other books. I Highly recommend this book to all my friends and to all readers. Have a good read. Jordan Wares....Reviewer
Suddenly a faint noise caught Barry's ears. He jerked his head in the direction of the noise. Footsteps. Foot steps in the outer corridor. He glanced at Noah. Simultaneously, both men turned their heads, facing the direction of the sound.
Barry listened. Slowly, cautiously, the walker came forward. The steps slowed. Then stopped. Then moved forward. Closer and closer the steps moved; into the outer lobby; past Mrs. Baker's desk; then to the doorway leading to Barry's office.
Barry and Noah's eyes studied the door then focused hard on the door know as it started to turn. Slowly the door knob moved counterclockwise. The door opened slightly, then inched its way backward. An irregular black shadow started to loom its way across the floor.
Barry braced himself.
Noah eased his hand toward the pistol, covering it. All the while not taking his eyes off the door, he let his fingers glide over the pistol's cold chamber, finding the trigger guard; he rested his finger on the trigger.
A lone figure started to appear. Barry wanted to see the figure's face. He strained, concentrating his eyes on the face of the figure. Slowly the figure came into view. He saw a tall man, with broad shoulders, and a square jaw entering the office. Wearing a dark blue suit, his hair was short, white and walding in the font. The man was Rudd.
Noah's eyes searched the man from head to foot, measuring him. Seeing no threat from the man, he eased his finger off the trigger.
The man smiled pleasantly, eyes steady on Barry, his walk full of confidence as he crossed the room.
He approached to within five feet of Barry before stopping.
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Reviews for "The Monopoly Factor"
Reviewed by Sharon Sommers
12/18/2010
This is a Real People, from the heart Mystery!
...
Sorry, no stuffed swordfish being stabbed through the heart in this book. This story is completely realistic. The characters, the scenes, the plot resemble the real world in which we live. I found myself actually rooting for Barry and Susan just about the entire time I read The Monopoly Factor.
In my opinion, The Monopoly Factor was well-written and the author's descriptions of the relationship between Barry and his brother Noah were touching and heart-felt. I could visualize the scenes with these two characters so easily and the author left little doubt that they adored one another. Then there were the files, in which the story is centered around. About mid way I was reading page after page trying to find out if Barry was going to protect Susan from Rudd. In my opinion, the image of Barry and Susan is the most captivating. Barry is such a down to earth person that you forget sometimes that he is a successful lawyer with 20 associates working for him.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to my friends.
Reviewed by Lilly Parks
12/8/2010
This book had a Great plot and a Superb climax! ..Lilly Parks.
There were so many things about this book that made it so good. After the introduction of the main character, Barry Foreman, I couldn’t stop reading page after page. The author had a way of holding my attention even if something suspenseful is not going on. That's what makes this book an excellent read.
The Monopoly Factor starts out with Susan, a senior marketing analyst employed by the Rudd Corporation, stumbling onto top secret files that described the ruthless methods her company had used to obtain a monopoly on the bar code scanner market. Every method had been approved by the CEO, Carl Rudd. The files revealed that he didn’t care what method his corporate security manager, Buzz Brunner, used as long as Rudd’s competitor sold out, or closed up shop. It was all there in the files; intimation, sabotage, and even murder.
Once Susan learned that Brunner had found out that she had seen the files, she knew her life was in jeopardy. She took her mother’s advice and went to see Barry Foreman, an attorney specializing in corporate crime.
Barry, at 34, lives and breathes for his 35 member law firm, Foreman Associates, that he built from the ground up. At this stage in his life he has no desire for romance, love or any entanglements. That is until he meets Susan. Suddenly, he finds himself acting like a complete fool around her. After he takes Susan on as a client he struggles to keep the growing feelings he has for her at a distance. Eventually, he relents to his deep affection for her, but fate intercedes and Susan is kidnapped by Brunner’s henchmen. Barry knew the situation had moved to a higher, more dangerous level, so he brings in his brother, Noah a private security specialist, to help. What happens next in the final six chapters is a nail biter, with action and plenty of twists and turns.
I thought that Barry’s character was great. All throughout the book, you feel sorry for him, that he had to lose the woman he truly loved. But, he kept his cool during the ordeal. When Barry comes up with a plan, a crazy plan that will surely get them killed, in Noah's opinion, Barry knows it's their only hope to get Susan back alive.
The way the author wrote the scenes makes you wonder that if you were in that same situation, could you think, and act as quickly, and as cleverly as Barry did.
This book was excellent, with its good plot and good climax. The characters were very real. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody. For anyone who wants to read a good thriller, the author has mixed equal parts of humor and warmth to truly expand the boundaries of the legal thriller. I am going to read it again soon.
