Monday, October 10, 2011

When No One Is Watching by Joseph Hayes TOUR





Blair Van Howe and Danny Moran were at the top of the world, winning a big healthcare case. Danny had drunk more than his fair share, so Blair offered to drive his best friend home. He loved Danny's new car, a Porsche, and since it was late, figured it was no harm to see what the beauty could do. He didn't anticipate the oncoming car and although they didn't crash, the other car veered and hit a tree head-on. Blair stops the car and rushes to check the driver of the other car and begins to panic when he sees the driver pinned and the little girl in the backseat begging him to help her daddy.

Blair knows this scandal could kill his political career before it begins, so he works quickly. He puts an unconscious Danny in the driver's seat of the Porsche, uses Danny's cell phone to call 911, and runs away. He immediately calls his father-in-law Sam to help him. He's running for Congress and these events can't get out or his career is over.

Sam helps squelch information, convinces Blair that he needs to stay away from Danny, after he convinces Danny to plead guilty. Danny feels terrible about what happened, and his wife leaving him doesn't aid him. He knows he is a drunk, but he can't seem to help it. He listens to Blair and decides to go with the guilty plea, even though it will kill his career as a lawyer.

Detective Victor Slazak, Chicago PD, knows something is fishy with the case. There's blood at the scene, and Danny didn't have a scratch on him. He valiantly tries to get a copy of the 911 call, to no avail and the valet at the restaurant who watched Danny and Blair leave, disappears before Victor can get his testimony. When intruders arrive at his home and use physical abuse to ensure Victor stays away from the case, and Chicago, Victor has no choice but to leave. He wants to live.

Blair rises from Congress, to the White House, to the Governor's office. Over the years, Danny has become a member of AA and helped others. But now, Blair is running for President and someone doesn't want him to win. The dirt that was covered years ago is starting to be uncovered and several lives may change irrevocably, unless something drastic is done.

When No One is Watching is a thrilling, page-turning novel that kept me up late into the night. The characters of Danny and Blair are remarkable and realistic, and their bond of friendship is stretched to the maximum. How their lives are changed from one remarkable event and one choice is the motivator throughout the tale. But, the outcome is shocking and totally unexpected, yet satisfying. I look forward to reading more from this very talented author.

Joseph Hayes is a native of Chicago. He grew up in a family of eight children in the Beverly neighborhood on Chicago’s Far South Side, where the Irish-Catholic heritage and influence was strong and visible. Joe attended St. Barnabas Elementary School, Brother Rice High School and De Paul University before leaving Chicago to attend law school in California, at UC Berkeley. Since graduating from Berkeley, he has practiced law in Chicago, San Diego and Houston. Joe currently serves as chief ethics officer and assistant general counsel for a large, publicly held company based in Houston, Texas, and is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts in his field. In his professional capacity, he has written extensively about legal and ethical issues and frequently speaks about such issues be! fore employee and industry groups. When No One is Watching is his first work of fiction. His second novel, a legal thriller entitled Consequential Damages, is expected to be published soon.

Joe currently resides in The Woodlands, Texas, with his wife, Susan, and their three children, Amy, Sean and Erin. http://www.joseph-hayes.com/










1 comment:

  1. Great review and post. Thank you for the recommendation.

    ReplyDelete

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