SUMMARY SHEET
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ABOUT The Author
HUBERT CROUCH is a graduate of Phillips Andover Academy, Vanderbilt University and Southern Methodist University School of Law. He practiced trial law for over forty years. In addition, he taught Free Speech, the First Amendment, and Legal Advocacy to undergraduates at Southern Methodist University and, during that time, was awarded the Rotunda Outstanding Professor Award. An avid rock and roll fan, he played guitar in a Sixties “cover” band for over thirty years. He is the author of the bestselling legal thrillers, Cried For No One; The Word; and The Weight.
He has appeared on A Word on Words with John Seigenthaler, and attended book-signings at Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, River Oaks Bookstore in Houston, Texas, and various Barnes & Noble locations. His books have received positive critiques from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and other professional reviewers, as well as readers.
He and his wife split their time between their home in Nashville, and their mountain retreat in Monteagle, Tennessee.
ABOUT THE WEIGHT
SERPENTINE BOOKS. October 13, 2017
Trade Paperback: 978-0-9976271-0-7
Available for purchase from Ingram
$14.99 – 366 pages – Legal Thriller
3rd book in Jace Forman Series
Lawyers, Lies, Corruption, Money and Murder! A father-daughter legal team scheme to keep their fortunes and law licenses, while Texas Matters Magazine and one of its young journalists frantically fight for their survival battling a “bet-the-company” libel case.
Leah Rosen, a young reporter with Texas Matters Magazine, hires prominent Fort Worth attorney Jace Forman to defend her in a lawsuit filed by Cal Connors, a flamboyant plantiff lawyer with questionable ethics and a take-no-prisoners attitude. Connors’ lawsuit seeks millions in damages allegedly caused by Rosen’s article, which exposed a multi-million dollar fraud on the Texas jury system and, in the process, sparked a full-scale criminal investigation by the US Attorney into the conduct of Connors and his law partner and daughter Christine. Cornered and desperate, their freedom and fortunes at stake, Connors and his daughter go on a scorched-earth offensive, in a frantic attempt to derail the investigation.
Editorial Reviews for
The Weight
“Crouch puts his years as a litigator to good use in his third legal thriller featuring Fort Worth, Tex., attorney Jace Forman (after 2015’s The Word). Jace is approached by Cal Connors, a prominent colleague who specializes in going after Big Pharma, about representing him in a defamation suit. The magazine Texas Matters has published a cover story accusing Connors of paying off an expert witness to file false reports about a medication’s side effects. After passing on the opportunity, Jace ends up on the other side, defending the reporter, Leah Rosen, against Connors’s claims. Meanwhile, Leah’s piece has prompted a federal investigation into her target by an ambitious federal prosecutor, and both Connors and his colleague and daughter, Christine, don’t balk at considering murder to protect their interests. Crouch extends the suspense outside the courtroom with the acquittal of a creep, Michael Randazzo, who once abducted and tormented Leah and is now working on an elaborate revenge. Fast pacing and believable characters will make this a treat for fans of Steve Martini.” -Publishers Weekly
“A famous Texas trial lawyer becomes a plaintiff in this third installment of a series. Cal Connors, the well-known Fort Worth prosecutor of dubious morality, is suing Texas Matters Magazine over a damning profile that he believes will hurt his reputation—as well as bring him unwanted attention from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The author of the article, veteran reporter Leah Rosen, has recently suffered a setback of her own: the man who tortured and sexually assaulted her (at the request, she believes, of Connors himself in an attempt to quash her story) recently beat the charges against him by outlawyering the state. When Rosen learns that Connors is now suing her in a multimillion-dollar defamation case, she seeks representation from the one attorney who turned Connors down: his longtime rival, Jace Forman. With a history of defending corporations against the suits of individuals, Jace is uniquely suitable for the job, but Connors and his daughter Christine will stop at nothing to retain their family secrets and the fortune that they protect. Things are big in Texas, but the world of the law is small, and the shared history of all those involved will make this a particularly emotional case—one that may leave Jace questioning if he made the right decision when he said no to Connors. With typically taut and colorful prose, Crouch (The Word, 2015, etc.) enlivens even the thorniest legal concepts that propel his intricate plot. Jace is a complicated and not always endearing hero, and through his worldview, the book manages to shine a light on some of the problems with the way cases are litigated in this country. “That’s what’s wrong with the system,” a private investigator reminds Jace early in the novel. “The rich can pay for some hotshot lawyer and walk, while some poor kid from the projects does time for having a few grams of cocaine.” In this latest volume of the Jace Forman series, there are more than enough hotshot lawyers to go around, and even the rich may have a hard time buying the outcomes they desire. A thoughtful and highly readable legal thriller."-Kirkus Reviews
“The Weight by award winning author Hubert Crouch is a unique thriller and the third book in the Jace Forman legal thriller series. After Leah Rosen, a young reporter, publishes her article “Texas Justice Gone Wrong,” she receives an unexpected response from Cal Connors, a powerful lawyer, who is featured in the article as being a perpetrator of a multi-million dollar fraud in the justice system involving an insurance company. The reporter is being sued for defamation. Now Jace Forman must defend the young reporter, but the task is far more than standing behind a defendant because the plaintiff is as cunning as he is ruthless. Forman has to follow a trail of blood and deal with a disgusting case of kidnapping to bring the enemy down. Hubert Crouch has a knack for writing prose that is tight and with emotional insight. This story will absorb thriller fans that also enjoy compelling courtroom drama. The plot is complex and there is so much in it to wow the reader. The author shows great mastery of the law and seems to have been around the courtroom for a while. I love stories that feature great and vivid descriptions with plot-driven dialogues that do not come across as forced, and the author masterfully blends the two aspects of storytelling in this compelling story. The characters are awesome. I loved the way the antagonists of the story are created. Cal Connors and his daughter are hard-core criminals who are very ingenious in executing their criminal plans and it is enjoyable to watch them against a formidable adversary. The Weight exceeded my expectations and I was absorbed from the beginning to the end.” –Readers Favorite
“This intricate legal thriller moves at a quick clip in a fascinating, corrupt small-town setting. In classic legal thriller style, Hubert Crouch jumps into The Weight with an ambiguous murder plot, one to be untangled piece by piece as the story moves along. Set in Texas, the story is told through the points of view of several prominent lawyers in a small community. Cal and Christine Connors are a father-daughter law team, though they are not entirely on the up-and-up. From fraud to blackmail to murder, the Connorses have their hands in everything as a way to make money and collect accolades. When an ambitious reporter pens an unsavory article about Cal, the father-daughter team find themselves being investigated for blackmail by the federal government. Claiming defamation, Cal sues the reporter and her newspaper for millions in an attempt to draw attention away from his own suit. Jace Forman, a defense attorney with a suggestive past and a complicated love life, is initially asked to represent Cal in the defamation suit, but turns him down. He ends up defending the reporter instead, and this creates further rifts between the two men. In true small-town fashion, everyone in the story seems to know each other and to have an interconnected past. None of those past interactions appear to be good ones, often leading to lies or even death. The tangled web of relationships serves as a suspenseful teaser, foreshadowing action. Characters slowly begin to unravel a little at a time. The animosity between families and characters is reminiscent of the Hatfields and McCoys; for example, Jace’s son is charged with manslaughter simply because Jace was beating Cal in the courtroom. The story interlaces accounts of fraud, defamation, and murder, posing questions of whether a person can live with the burden of a guilty conscience, and for how long. Despite being a legal thriller, there is limited insight into the guilt characters might be feeling or whether they’ve had second thoughts about the crimes being committed. Cal and Christine show no remorse for the pain their actions cause those around them. Howell, a medical research expert, is the only character who seems unable to live with his choices; he exhibits a desire to come clean about his role in fixing cases. The story moves at a quick clip—from the lawsuit to the trial to the verdict, with episodes of romance and kidnappings thrown in for lightness, aside from one disturbing sexual assault fantasy. The primary focus is on legal aspects, though. Some relationships are left open-ended, leaving one to wonder what happened with characters who were given depth and background. Growing attachments to couples and characters form, but are less satisfied by the end. The conclusion to the main plotline comes to supersede the wrapping up of the smaller arcs and characters, and a surprise twist does leave questions as to what will happen next. The Weight is an intricate legal thriller that focuses on the interactions between the defense and the prosecution, all set among small-town corruption and backroom dealings.”-Foreword Reviews, Jennifer Miller
“Christine Connors is perfectly disguised, as she embarks on her latest shady deal. Her father is a well-known Texas prosecutor who joins her with a dubious determination to keep all the family skeletons firmly in the closet. When they encounter a woman equally determined to expose these secrets, all hell breaks loose both in the courtroom and in private life as Cal and Christine struggle to keep the lid on scandal and their lives out of the public arena.
From murder to trade secrets and dubious associations, The Weight traverses a world fraught with danger and deadly encounters, bringing readers along for a ride that takes Cal, a "man with answers to everything," into a world he is less prepared to challenge.
Readers of The Weight should be enthusiasts of the legal thriller genre prepared for a romp through exposes which move in and out of the courtroom. The legal drama is realistic and involving, tension is well crafted, characters nicely drawn, and the story line spiced with engaging dialogue and encounters. Added insights about shadowy ethics are very well done ("You may have one opinion and another expert an entirely different opinion. That doesn't mean one of you is right and the other is wrong. You just see things differently. There is nothing unethical or illegal about that. Think about what I've said and let me know how you come out.") and successfully involve readers on more than an "action story" level as the account of Cal's schemes and efforts to unravel them enters into the ethical realm of the difference between questionable and moral behavior.
From jury proceedings to legal profession interactions and associations, The Weight is a stellar account of a legal process gone awry and the seemingly impossible odds of fixing it, either inside or outside the courtroom. Its tension and unexpected twists will have readers on the edges of their seats right up to a conclusion which is both satisfying and startling.
The Weight is especially recommended for fans of John Grisham who like their courtroom dramas laced with surprise confrontations and their cases satisfyingly complex.” – Midwest Book Review
ABOUT THE WORD
SERPENTINE BOOKS. April 12, 2015
Trade Paperback: 978-069236900-5
Available for purchase from Ingram
$14.99 – 417 pages – Legal Thriller
2nd book in Jace Forman Series
In the gripping sequel to Hubert Crouch’s bestselling Cried For No One, Texas attorney Jace Forman is back and better than ever in a ripped-from-the-headlines legal thriller full of mystery, intrigue and courtroom suspense.
Proclaiming himself as “God’s only living prophet,” Ezekiel Shaw and his fanatical followers at the Brimstone Bible Church preach a gospel of hate, picketing the funerals of fallen soldiers, and praising God for sending America’s soldiers back in body bags—“punishment” for the godless path America has chosen.
But when they disrupt the funeral of Second Lieutenant Lauren Hanson, a West Point graduate killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, they find themselves relentlessly pursued through the courts by hard-charging Fort Worth trial attorney Jace Forman, who is determined to put an end to their crazed crusade no matter the cost.
As the case churns toward trial, Texas Matters reporter Leah Rosen investigates flamboyant plaintiff lawyer Cal Connors and his daughter Christine, drawing closer to uncovering a massive judicial scam involving untold millions in manufactured jury awards. As she searches for truth, Leah is stalked by sinister forces that will stop at nothing to keep her from revealing what she knows, while Jace must battle the odds and the clock in his quest to bring Shaw and his followers to justice.
Blending fast-paced action with authentic courtroom drama, The Word will keep readers enthralled from disturbing prologue to nail-biting conclusion.
Editorial Reviews for
The Word
“Crouch (Cried For No One, 2013) returns to the high-stakes world of Texas civil litigation with the next Jace Forman thriller. When a grieving couple attempting to bury their veteran daughter is confronted by a group of fanatical Christian protestors outside her funeral, they go to well-respected Fort Worth attorney Jace Forman for justice. In nearby Austin, dogged legal reporter Leah Rosen, hot on the trail of a star lawyer who may be using false evidence to win cases, finds a dead fish in her bed, the word “STOP” written in lipstick across her pillowcase. For help in their respective investigations, both Forman and Rosen turn to virtuoso PI Jackie McLaughlin to get them the answers they need. Looming over everything is Forman’s rival, Cal Connors, the subject of Rosen’s article and a man who doesn’t feel the need to play by the rules when the system is stacked against his clients. Last assembled in Crouch’s previous novel, the cast is back for an even greater task: challenging the limitations of speech, religion and the First Amendment. Crouch is a fine practitioner of the courtroom drama. He knows just how to bring a legal case to life without having to dress it up or dumb it down. His prose is precise and clear, pushing readers forward with an understated elegance. Characters—heroes, villains and those in between—are fully formed creatures with personal hungers, demons and large helpings of Texas personality. Since pacing is right on point, the pages all but turn themselves as each scene builds on the next, working outward in a spiderweb of connections, complications and coincidences. The story gets bigger as it goes along, with Crouch keeping it skillfully managed the whole way. Inspired by news headlines, this timely novel illustrates how even the simplest seeming disputes are complex in the eyes of the law. Serving justice, it turns out, sometimes requires a creative strategy. A topical, lively legal thriller.”— Kirkus Reviews
Young journalist Leah Rosen, working for the premier Texas magazine in Austin, has uncovered proof that legendary Fort Worth trial lawyer Cal Connors has used false evidence and testimony to win some of the biggest court cases in recent history. As Leah tries to leave no stone unturned before publishing her story, threats to her become increasingly dangerous as she gets too close to the truth. Meanwhile, in the town of Hagstrom, Texas, parents on their way to bury their veteran daughter come face to face with a group of extremist Christians protesting the woman's service in the military. Attorney Jace Forman is called in to file a lawsuit against the group, exploring the limits of the First Amendment. In both cases, private investigator Jackie McLaughlin is hired to hunt down people and information for both Rosen and Forman, for whom the stakes are getting increasingly higher. Hubert Crouch's The Word will keep readers immersed from start to finish in a world where justice always comes with a heavy price tag. Be ready for a wild ride! In The Word, real life attorney Hubert Crouch provides masterfully connected, multiple story lines that could have been ripped straight from the headlines. Corruption, greed, and danger criss-cross with the pursuit of honesty and truth for a page-turning, action packed story. Though this is book two in the Jace Forman series, it absolutely stands alone, though I fully intend to read book one. Crouch is in his element as the courtroom drama unfolds, writing memorable and unique characters -- all with a Texas flair -- for readers to love or loathe. The writing is high caliber and the story is engaging and realistic, with memorable characters. Top notch.” —Reader's Choice – 5 Star Readers Favorite
ABOUT CRIED FOR NO ONE
Serpentine Books. February 13, 2013
Trade Paperback: 9789976271-1-4
Available for purchase from Ingram
$14.99 – 390 pages – Legal Thriller
1st book in the Jace Forman Series
Who would steal a body from its grave? More peculiarly, why? A night of hard partying leads to a mysterious death for a beautiful UT coed. Cried For No One is a high-stakes courtroom drama where truth is elusive and justice is hard to find.
In this best-selling debut, flamboyant Fort Worth trial lawyer Cal Connors is hired by distraught parents after their daughter's body is found beneath an inverted crucifix on the altar of a rural church. Hard-nosed in the courtroom and well-connected to the local media and judiciary, Cal sues the cemetery for millions. Hot on Cal's trail is Leah Rosen, a young journalist closing in on the truth and willing to put her career on the line for justice. Defense attorney Jace Forman takes on rival Cal and won't rest until he finds out who could have committed this macabre crime and why. With its intriguing characters, shocking twists and turns, and sizzling Texas flavor, this legal thriller will keep readers enthralled until its heart-stopping climax.
Editorial Reviews For
CRIED FOR NO ONE
“The discovery of a dead girl's body on a desecrated church altar in Texas leads to the collision of an unctuous hypocritical senator, a mercenary powerhouse shyster, and a determined young reporter in this meandering mystery that provides ample thrills, but only facile characterization. In his debut novel, Crouch, himself a veteran attorney, pits dedicated young lawyer Jace Forman and paralegal Darrin McKenzie against wealthy, well-connected Cal Connors in the investigation of 21-year-old Alexis Stone's death and disinterment. If Crouch's depiction of Connors is brutally one-dimensional, he at least keeps the story spinning with subplots, such as those involving Stone's involvement with married Sen. Talmadge Worthman, the clash between Connors's daughter Christine and reporter Leah Rosen, and the mysterious relationship between cemetery official Wallace Arnold and embalmer Lonnie Masterson. The characters fill their roles zestfully, but the book lacks depth below its fast-moving surface. Rosen's discovery of an explosive secret and the presence of Forman's alienated son Matt in Stone's apartment before her death provide ample last-minute drama, but the shocking conclusion obscures the legitimate questions about the legal system and judicial powers that Crouch raises. Readers interested in courtroom drama and fast-moving thrillers will find much to like here, but those in search of well-wrought characterization will likely be frustrated.”- Publishers Weekly
“A grave robbing leads to a courtroom battle between two Texas attorneys. Twenty-one-year-old Alexis Stone, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, has been seeing Senator Talmadge Worthman on the sly for seven months, even though he’s reluctant to divorce before his re-election. After arguing with the senator, Alexis parties hard and dies, presumably of a stroke or heart attack, and she’s buried at Caring Oaks. Later, her disinterred body is found in a church sanctuary beneath an upside-down crucifix, the building desecrated by graffiti indicative of a satanic ritual. Alexis’ parents hire attorney Cal Connors to sue Caring Oaks for failure to provide adequate security at the cemetery. Known in legal circles as “The Lone Wolf,” Cal is a plaintiff’s dream, easily winning case after case. The son of a steelworker, he practices law with his daughter at their prestigious firm in Fort Worth. Most recently, he won a multimillion-dollar verdict against Samson Pharmaceuticals, makers of an antidepressant tied to a murder–suicide. The high-profile case attracts Leah Rosen, an investigative reporter for Texas Matters, who’s suspicious that several of Cal’s latest victories have been against drug companies accused of “manufacturing” clinical test data. Defending Caring Oaks in the civil suit is attorney Jace Forman, whose son Matt was with Alexis the night she died, possibly of foul play. In the well-plotted tale, the author adeptly explores the complex interrelationships among politicos, the media, and various legal and law enforcement professionals. There are a number of thriller chestnuts, too: a 40-something, married senator having the aforementioned illicit fling with a young lovely; a hungry reporter intent on cementing her reputation with a cutting exposé; a flashy, ethically challenged attorney who’ll stop at nothing to win; and a hardworking father who wants to renew ties with his estranged son. Among the motley cast of characters, no one stands out in the center of the action, so the suspense is minimal. Most intriguing is image-conscious Cal, supremely confident in his black Stetson, bolo tie and ostrich-skin boots, despite his unconventional, possibly emotionally incestuous relationship with daughter, Christine. The connection between the title and the narrative is a bit unclear, and a courtroom confession doesn’t quite ring true, but it’s nothing to sink the narrative. Overall, it reads like the first in a series, boding well for potential future installments with further development and greater focus. Well-crafted with an authentic Southwestern setting, despite missing a compelling central character.”- Kirkus Reviews
“Busy lawyers are not known for having vast amounts of free time, especially as the holiday season approaches. But if you can squeeze in a book for a little leisure reading, you should check out a new novel written by Dallas Bar Association member Hubert A. Crouch III. Published earlier this year, Cried for No One is a fictional Texas courtroom drama that will engage lawyers and anyone else who appreciates a suspense-filled page-turner. The novel, which provides a glimpse into the world of Texas law firms, the people who run them and the intricacies of our state’s legal system, was inspired by a case Mr. Crouch handled several years ago. He won the real-life case on a pretrial motion, but the strange crime, which involved a body stolen from a cemetery, was never solved. The perpetrator was never identified, and the reason it happened was never known. The case continued to nag at Mr. Crouch, who in his “day job” practices at the firm he co-founded, Crouch & Ramey, L.L.P., in the areas of toxic tort, personal injury and commercial litigation. He decided to write a work of fiction in which he would create the characters and solve the crime. The novel is not intended to solve the crime that actually formed the basis for the actual lawsuit; the only common thread is that a young co-ed’s body was stolen and a lawsuit followed. With his busy law practice, it took Mr. Crouch 15 years to complete the novel, his first published book. In the fictional story, a University of Texas co-ed’s body is removed from her grave in the middle of the night, only to be discovered later, marked with a pentagram and left on the altar of a small church. The girl’s parents hire flamboyant Fort Worth lawyer Cal Connors, who sues the cemetery and looks forward to winning his next high-profile case. The cemetery hires high-powered Jace Forman to defend the case, thrusting him into the world of dead bodies and the places that hold them. Who could have done this horrific crime, and why did they do it? And, as the details of the case continue to change almost daily, with all sorts of new information and complicating factors, how will Jace get ready for trial within the judge’s “rocket docket” timeframe? The story is set primarily in Fort Worth and Austin and features real-life local landmarks. Rich with dialogue and well-developed characters, the tale reveals surprising twists and turns all along the way. Lawyers who work on the corporate side of the law will find this book an interesting glimpse into the world of courtrooms and criminal and defense law. Trial lawyers may even find a new idea or two. And anyone who has ever worked at a law firm will enjoy reading about the relationships between co-workers and other professionals, and the constant challenge to get the work done. If you are looking to put off your holiday shopping for a while, grab a copy of this book and take a ride through its gripping plot, intriguing characters and shocking conclusion, all seasoned with a hearty dose of Texas flavor. –Dallas Bar Association- Mary Louise Hopson
"If your preference in fiction leans toward courtroom drama and mystery, you will love Hubert Crouch's Cried For No One." - John Seigenthaler, Founding Editorial Director of USA Today and Founder, the First Amendment Center.