A House Divided by Robert Whitlow

Corbin, a longtime legal champion for the downtrodden, is slowly drinking himself into the grave. His love for “mountain water” has cost him his marriage to the godliest woman he knows, ruined his relationship with his daughter, Roxy, and reduced the business at his small Georgia law firm to a level where he can barely keep the bill collectors at bay. But it isn’t until his son, Ray, threatens to limit Corbin’s time with his grandson that Corbin begins to acknowledge he might have a problem.

Despite the mess that surrounds his personal life and against the advice of everyone he knows, Corbin takes on a high-stakes tort case on behalf of two boys who have contracted non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma due to an alleged chemical exposure. The defendant, a fertilizer company, is the largest employer in the area. The lawsuit becomes a tornado that sucks Corbin, Ray, and Roxy into an increasingly deadly vortex. Equally intense pressure within the family threatens to destroy, once and for all, the thin threads that connect them.

Corbin must find the strength to stand up to his personal demons. Justice for two dying boys depends on it . . . his family depends on it. (publisher's description)
My Review: I have loved every Whitlow book I have read, but this one was just not as satisfying to read. Instead of devouring it within a few hours, as usual, it actually took a couple of weeks. I don't know if the characters just weren't developed enough for me to feel a connection or if it was that the people he was defending seemed to be too minor---more of a subplot, but not essential to the story being told.

The struggles with alcohol, family relationships, and how it impacted the family were interesting, but I wanted more of the legal aspects and how it affected the town. When I got to the end, I thought, "That's it?" It was like the conclusion to the case was tossed in as an after-thought just because he was near the end the book. I wanted to know more. I still love Whitlow and look forward to his next book. This was just a so-so one for me, but he has spoiled me with the excellence of previous novels.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book at no cost to myself in exchange for a fair and honest review from BookLook Bloggers.