I was well into this book and still didn't know what to make of it. It's part romance, part how-to, part tell-all. The book says the characters are fictional, but you can tell that the author pulled many of his remodeling stories from his own experiences. Murphy sprinkles in real advice on what to do and what to avoid when you remodel your house. Besides the practical advice about home renovation, he tells what remodeling can do to a relationship. The book may be a work of fiction, but I believe he knows whereof he speaks. Having your house in disarray for months could easily wear on a relationship that is weak to begin with, and it could put a strong one to the test.

This book reminds me of The Nanny Diaries in that the contractor, Henry, has an up-close view of the lives of the wealthy while being working class himself. He's very good at what he does so he's never wanting for work, and thus he is respected by his clients. They give him keys to their houses and put tremendous trust in him.

The book doesn't have much of a plot, but the story covers a period of time when Henry is working on two houses of former friends, both of which he finds very attractive. One is available and one is married. He breaks his own rules about getting involved with his clients and, of course, chaos ensues. One of my favorite parts of the story actually involves his client's sick cat. There is also some drama when two illegal alien brothers Henry has worked with for years get into some trouble with immigration. What Henry does in that crisis really shows the kind of man he is.

I enjoyed this book. It's not something I would normally have chosen but I didn't feel that I had wasted my time. It was pleasant enough and mildly educational.

I found Confessions of a Contractor to be a funny and sensitive book. I read it over a few days and found I did not want to put it down. I couldn't wait to see what kind of trouble Henry got himself into next... and how he got out of it. I laughed out loud many times and even cried at one point. The author clearly has a wonderful sense of humor! It is on my gift list for all my friends who have ever done a renovation or who are thinking of doing one in the future. I highly recommend this book!

Who hasn't had a good looking contractor? I really liked this book. I found the subject fun and once started had to finish the book. I also found some surprising passages of wisdom. I keep a notebook of sayings that touch me in some way and actually found 2 or 3 in this book. Passed this book to my neighbor who says she is also enjoying it. The characters were likeable and the contractor is every woman's fantasy. Recommend for a weekend of light reading.

Set in the sun-bleached plains of Los Angeles, a city whose light has captured the eyes of poets, and painters and architects since the city was founded, Henry Sullivan works to renovate the big houses of wealthy Brentwood residents. Where light that can make a bad break look like a blessing and an empty promise like something to keep, Henry has spent his career caulking and painting and plastering, but his personal life is just as fragile as the mortar that he mixes for all of the walls he constructs. It is Henry's involvement with two complex women, both looking to change something but no longer willing to wait, that forms the core of this unique and sharply acerbic story.

With their husbands that are rarely around, both Sally Stein and Rebecca Paulson are naturally attracted to Henry's acts of generosity and his kindly ways. Once the women where so close they could have been sisters; one is now unhappily married with a disconsolate husband and the other is a wealthy philanthropist who, at the beginning of the story, invites Henry to a dark dinner party. It is the beautiful Sally Stein with "her thick brown hair, bound tightly in a ponytail, and a scent that practically renders Henry and his crew powerless, that jumpstarts Henry's first mistake in a trilogy that involves Rebecca's husband Derrick and "the twisted little thrill of infidelity."

Sally "a tornado of kindness" is also sexually aggressive and contributes to Henry's dinner party orgasm, but perhaps it is the tender Rebecca who offers something more complex and the panacea to Henry's romantic needs. The poor and vulnerable Rebecca has probably found the man of her dreams, but under impossible circumstances. When she employs Henry to remodel her home, the attraction between them is predictable, it's just a pity that Derrick is always on the scene constantly being belligerent while also trying to convince Henry of his expertise along with the suggestion that he has failed miserably at what ever he was doing prior to his ventures into real estate.

While juggling his two jobs throughout this hot and sweaty Los Angeles summer, organizing his construction crews and dealing with all of the ensuring onsite dramas, Henry is driven to find out what had caused the rift between Sally and Rebecca. Perhaps Bridget Campanelli who resides in a downtown loft can provide some of the links to Sally and Rebecca's past, but Henry doesn't see coming the strange and twisted machinations of Derrick Paulson who plays Henry for a fool, artfully maneuvering him into a place of his own design. Testing Derrick's motive requires a tactful response, yet Henry is surprised when he discovers that Derrick's fanatical and never-ending quest for a perfect home is the only way he thinks he can bring home true happiness for both him and his wife.

Yet amidst all of this demolished drywall, splintered molding, insulation, carpet, and tack-boards, Rebecca's temptations lead to more changes, more urges to upgrade, and more stress on her already troubled marriage. Meanwhile, Henry finds himself having to save Hector and Miguel Bautista, the two hardworking and highly skilled lead men in his crew from the immigration authorities, while also tackling his attraction to the two beautiful girls: "If Rebecca was the foundation of my demise, Sally Stein was the substructure - an equally important component in any house of cards."

Filled with beautiful hipsters and late-blooming Breakfast Club wannabes, young guns and harried Hispanic construction workers, this novel is essentially about loneliness and the nature of trust and vulnerability. In the end, Henry finds himself lost within the landscape of a contractors Los Angeles and the measurements of an entertainment center he has no time to build. Throughout, Richard Murphy peppers his novel with a large cast of colorful and eccentric characters, all forced to question their most basic belief systems and their allegiances to each other. The novel contains a smorgasbord of tips on house-remodeling, the author's own experiences as a contractor complementing the chaotic mix of designers and architects, landscape artists and painters, plumbers and electricians. Although Murphy seduces the reader with a tale that is as sexy as it is entertaining, it is his themes of house renovation and how it strangely epitomizes the American dream that are most fascinating. It comes as no surprise then that throughout the story the charming and affable Henry is content to remain a renter, determined to rise above the fray and push his romantic entanglements into the background and out of sight, even to the point where he doesn't even recognize them anymore. Mike Leonard 2008.

Confessions of a Contractor is sexy fun chick-lit book that entertains while learning the insights of working with a contractor. It's written in first person narrative that follows along like a Dexter episode (just not as dark). Confessions about a contractor (written by a former contractor Richard Murphy) who tells a lot of little stories about the idiosyncrasies of contracting and dealing with people while also weaving a main story about the lives of two women...both of which the book's character, Henry Sullivan, is doing home renovation projects for.

My husband has worked in the new home construction and renovation field and would come home with some crazy stories about the job, co-workers, and customer's behaviors. Stories ranged from benign to insane. This is what attracted me to this book. Confessions of a Contractor gives you many of the same crazy experiences while also telling a fictional story of a contractor falling in love with two different women. The stories gets even crazier when you add the ex-girlfriend, two illegal aliens, a germ loving friend, and an old cat.

Then there's the other 101 stories shared within this tale, including:
- The irate neighbor who hates the loud construction noises next door
- The never ending renovation projects people involve themselves with
- The projects that broke up marriages
- The projects where the husband disputes with the choices the wife makes
- The illegal deep sea fishing trip
- and more!

I chuckled on more than one occasion reading this book, mostly with the customer experiences that Henry Sullivan, the contractor, shares. They seem to be all too real for being just made up fiction. And the cat...the cat just about steals the story at one point.

Overall a fun chick-lit, how-to-treat-your-contractor book. A bit soft in the ending, but leaves it open to possibly more stories and adventures with Henry Sullivan.

In this unique novel, the contractor is renovated, the homeowners are renovated and ultimately, the expensive status-seeking home is renovated. During one summer, Henry Sullivan, a creative, skilled contractor works on two home simultaneously and he breaks his own rules when he becomes romantically involved with the two female owners. Their stories are intertwined but the gist of this novel is the unconventional contractor's talent and exploits.

I enjoyed the story line but the remodelings were far more interesting. Richard Murphy, the author, takes the reader through the initial walk-through and then the step by step planning and construction of someone else's dreamhouse. Murphy has renovated homes and apartments and his knowledge of every facet of construction and materials is fascinating. The timing of a job takes a genius and I imagine that Murphy was a brilliant contractor - I expect much of this story is autobiographical.

The respect he has for other craftsman and a working crew is quite apparent. It is easy for the reader to like the contractor and his workers much more than the homeowners. By the end of this novel, I was convinced that the contractor "everyone must have" in these tony villages, can get whatever he wants at any time. It is quite simple to break the rules but a good contractor will never compromise on his project - his workmanship is his essence.

Descriptive Delight, Sadly Sex Light
A review of Richard Murphy's "Confessions of a Contractor"
By Michael DeMeritt

Richard Murphy has a visual impact in his writing that clarifies as it muddies, like a painter's brush smashing a collision of carefully chosen colors onto a canvas that, viewed too closely, seems meaningless and chaotic until you let the painter finish and take a step back to see an almost picture quality pristine effort. It is his gift to write visually, probably due his screenwriting background, to set moods in the context, and describe the esoteric senses of a moment with great quality, like smell, feel and flavor.

The story found in "Confessions of a Contractor" is not the one shown in the cover photo, or the one advertised on flap: "A sexy, page-turning novel about the combustible mix that results when you blend desire, jealousy, and home renovation". Way to go marketers set up expectations that are never met and miss out on getting this book in the hands of those who would appreciate it. Someone like me. My initial reaction to the cover, the pitch, the title was - great, another sex romp of a romance novel with a bunch of things I've read before and will never believe. This is not a book I would have ever bought.

Instead of heaving chests and thirty ways to describe an orgasm, Murphy delivers a complex set of characters with just inside the believability line circumstances all delivered in a pretty damn good description of Los Angeles, where I happen to live. He hits the highs and lows of it, explores the lives of undocumented workers, enters the domain of failed and fostered friendships, and delves deep into the sea of regrets that his protagonist, Henry Sullivan, has unknowingly sailed into. Sprinkled in the complex story are two tricks the author reaches for repeatedly with success.

He loves to foreshadow a flashback, meaning he will explain a feeling or development that is to come, chronologically, and turns back the clock to tell us how it got there. This is a common when an author talks about the way back things, a father's death or the past relationship with Gia in Confessions, but Murphy uses the trick within chapters, speaking of events only a few hours old. He does not overuse this, but pulls it out at the right moments when he needs to keep you on the page but has a lot of explaining to do. If he told it straight linear, it would be a long path, but by setting up the emotional state before explaining what had recently happened to get there, he manages to keep you in the life of Henry. Henry's life borders into the BS fantasy realm, is anyone that wanted? But it skates into it, leaving one foot on the believability side of the ice sheet, and never slips and falls into the "this moment better turn out to be a dream because it is too stupid to be perceived as realistic" area of similar works about everyday people in not-so-everyday situations.

The other, neater trick, the author uses is a change of voice to someone actually explaining the complex issues of dealing with a contractor in your home during a huge renovation. Suddenly the book is a guide, an advisory. It would be easy to confuse the voice, who's talking, Henry or Richard Murphy? But somehow either one is acceptable, and the transitions are so smooth that it does not remotely detract from the story - in fact it accentuates it. Like a screenwriter choosing a moment when a character addresses the viewing audience. Think Magnum PI or Ferris Beuler's Day Off. In most fiction this would simply suck, but Murphy pulls it off. Further, makes the story better with it.

Where Confessions of a Contractor falls on its face, ironically in my opinion, is in the woeful lack of flavor or description when these long budding flirtations reach a point of actual sexual union. It is very much a tease, a promise of a scene that never comes, and in those moments very disappointing. There is a warning of this in the first paragraph of the book when Henry describes his paramour's naked form as "taunt, confident, beautifully hers". This is about as descriptive as nudity gets in the book. This is a set up, an actual dream, so I thought little of it, it is meant to be a tease, but when he actually gets the girl, Sally, who we know a lot about, even the sent of her hair, the way she treats people, her walk, her methods good and bad, the actual sex becomes a rather truncated, almost frat-boy like description - I did her there, and there and there too. Oh if this bed could talk, it would tell you some things. Like what? Well, you know, hmmm, we did it there. Things.

I wish he would have told us the things the bed would have told us. I like sexy scenes when you accept the character's situation for being there is true (to the character, not true to me). Here we get a very true motivation and discovery and desire with absolutely no payoff. Richard Murphy, you are a big tease. But, more importantly, we get a nice story, Confessions of a Contractor is not a romance so much as a soap opera. It would be an interesting art film (though the sex would need to be better) if you had the right cast.

Cons: Chapters 16-18 were a stretch and should've been left out completely. Not only was the escape unrealistic and far too short to believe, it seemed extreme considering the rest of the book was so easygoing. Also, what I really enjoyed about this book was throughout the entire novel, the author didn't get too technical about discussing construction. Those who are not construction savvy could still relate to what was going on with the workers as they built things, and it wasn't long-winded. However, the end of the book had far too many details about the fireplace, and after awhile, I just browsed through it until I found dialogue or a person's description. The book could've ended with the cat's secret and wrapping up the homes (in short) and closure on relationships, but that other scenario was just far too much. The truck stealer was incredibly unexciting, by the way. I felt cheated and rolled my eyes at his response to what to do with the truck. Yeah right.

Pros: Minus those last three chapters, this book was a pageturner. I fully enjoyed it. I like "men's mens" talk, the art of why construction workers talk about women's body parts; the logic in why men cheat or grow bored; the strange things men find attractive about women; time games; even the filthy bathroom habits; and I especially loved "the cordless drill in one hand and a cordless Sawzall in the other." Very urban cowboy! There were plenty of moments in this book where I hid my face inside the pages so I wouldn't laugh too loud on my way to work, and I could easily hang out with the narrator and his two friends. I also like that he spoke Spanish, for some reason. You don't read that much in mainstream fiction. I'd definitely read another book by Richard Murphy again.

A light frolic that's enjoyable without being too taxing on the brain, Richard Murphy's contractor 'tell all" feels a bit like, 'whatever happened to Aiden after Carrie dumped him?" Henry Sullvan, contractor extraordinaire says early on that you should never get involved with a client. He promptly does with two, starting a chain reaction of events that while have some major repercussions, never colors the tone of the book so much that it becomes a downer of a read. I'm not exactly sure the wide appeal of the book, but among women it should find a captive audience.

For the most part, I found this book to be boring. I didn't care for the main character or most of his clients. I found Henry Sullivan to be arrogant and more than a little predictable. I had to force myself to finish the book. The funny thing is, I think this would make a cute movie. Maybe that has something to do with the author being a screenwriter. Usually, a book is better than the movie...a good example is The Boyfriend School, an outstanding book that was made into a horrible movie. With this one, the movie will have to be better than the book.

This book is something like a guy's counterpart to a Harlequin novel. Instead of a story about a woman who finds a Prince Charming & lots of Romance, it is about a contractor (Henry Sullivan) who ends up flirting with {and sometimes sleeping with} the wealthy L.A. women who make up his client-base. The kicker is, Sullivan is a very decent chap who is not out to live the life of a playboy. Rather, stuff just sort of "happens" (as Don Rumsfeld would say).

Somewhat surprisingly, the story is about a person who takes a genuine personal interest in the well-being of his clients & co-workers. While the book cover would hardly suggest as much, the story is very revealing about Sullivan's commendable character. You just can't help but like the guy. Almost as surprising, the book is not a string of stories akin to Letters to Penthouse xxx: Extreme Sex, Maximum Pleasure (Letters to Penthouse). While he has some sexual adventures, to be sure, his descriptions of those events are fairly tepid.

A lot of people may believe that the author, Richard Murphy, is attempting to create an urban legend with his thesis that contractors have a sort of short-cut to having affairs w/their clients. I know for a fact that there is at least a kernel of truth to Murphy's premise. I have a friend who developed a crush for the contractor who renovated her house. She was very picky when it came to men, yet she confessed to me that she slept w/her contractor a handful of times.

As Murphy says in the book, contracters are granted a substantial amount of intimacy with female clients (i.e.: the keys to their house, access to their chambers, the amount of time spent @ a client's home out of necessity to get the job done, etc) w/out ever so much as having to buy her dinner or take her to a movie. For many women, contractors can be a form of low-hanging forbidden fruit whose accessibility can't be resisted. Interesting.

There is also a sort of symbolism in the renovation of a house, which Murphy talks at length about. Many times, couples attempt to renovate their house as a last desperate measure to save their marriage. In essence, the house becomes a metaphor for their relationship; they believe that "if only" they can fix their house up, everything in the marriage will be tidied up as well. As you might imagine, things rarely work out that way.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this book is that the story is engrossing & it's also very well written. The story is cohesive and it's not like each chapter details another "conquest" for the contractor. Also, for people who are thinking about home improvement projects, this book contains a great deal of pragmatic advice from an insider as to all the pitfalls that can take place. For what it is, this novel is a great read.

"The first thing a woman needs to know about renovating a house or apartment is simple: do not, under any circumstance, sleep with your contractor, no matter what your husband or boyfriend is doing to you or not doing to you. Some people in the building trade will consider this statement a direct violation of the Man Code, and you won't find additional information on this subject at Home Depot even though it should be there, in its own department, right between electrical and plumbing, managed by a woman who has made this very mistake."

This is how the story about Henry Sullivan begins. Henry is a very likable character filled with self deprecating humor. The book is told from Henry's viewpoint. I thought the book was just about a contractor and his sexual encounters with wealthy, Los Angeles women but I was wrong. It is a much deeper story.

One summer, Henry is remodeling two wealthy women's homes at the same time. These women, Sally Stein and Rebecca Paulson, were former best friends. Henry finds himself falling for them both. Sally Stein is wild and Rebecca Paulson is married to a guy who Henry had dealings with in previous years.

I loved Bill, Henry's friend who goes to dinner parties to eat everything and stuff what he can't into his pockets including deviled egges. Bill tries to collect germs in order to build up his immune system for the coming man-made Apocalypse.

I did not think that I would get attached to the characters that way that I did. It was a pleasurable read filled with advice and humorous situations. I recommend this book!

Confessions of a Contractor by Richard Murphy is a work of contempory fiction that I found to be very enjoyable, especially since I normally don't nromally gravitate to this genre of writing.

The theme, in a nutshell, is that despite the best of intentions, people can stray, and that once the line is crossed the deed can not easily be undone. Murphy's protagonist Henry Sullivan is painted in a very down to earth manner and is believeable as man who makes his living by rebuilding the sheltering environments of his clients. Because he's paid to be there, to get the job done, and make the magic a reality, Sullivan devises a set of rules to keep his business from becoming embroiled in his female clients momentary lust for his life. Complications set in once the line to the bedroom is crossed and Sullivan not only finds himself in an unwinable position with aspects of his career, but entangled in the biproduct of desire, passion and passable lust.

It would have been easy for Murphy to shortchange the women in this book, but he doesn't opt for the easy out of making them wanton shells out for a fling to dull the pain of real relationships gone astray.

Looking at the book for what it is, I can recommend this book.

The author says it's not about sex and from the first paragraph this books says you shouldn't have sex with your contractor. That being said, the names of the people here have been changed and cities were changed but it did happened. I am thinking, wow, that's not how I traded my contract work with I apprenticed with my dad in plumbing business. But, the author does have his looks and I heard from the television shows with notions of women going after the "tool belts" like desperate housewives. If you liked that shows and either you are a man or women, this is the bedtime story you can fantasize over in your own dreams after reading it. It's for adult women or men to see what could happen if the contractor (good looking) and wives and women who hire them might do. Other than sex, it could have moral teaching to others who may consider trusting issues with their spouses or just try this out with someone, should have lessons, it could actually cost your business end of contract work. Work could get delayed. Maybe they ought to start something romantic after the contract work has been finished?

Richard Murphy has certainly spun a good yarn. It was a well-needed getaway to visit the posh neighborhoods of LA, see how a contractor sees the world, and have a few love triangles in motion all at once. The best part of the book, however, are Murphy's spot-on and very funny insights on human nature in so many different ways throughout the story. Highly recommended.

This new book by Richard Murphy is an easy and fun read. As a fan Joe Esterhas and his book "Hollywood Animal," I figured this book would be a nice fiction tale within the same genre. The character Henry is an wise and likeable character, a guy that knows how to renovate houses of southern California's rich (not necessarily famous), but knows even better how to figure out the people who live inside, at least for the most part.

Besides the obvious "Desperate Housewives" storyline - the strong and silent contractor who makes beautiful the homes of so many powerful women - I enjoyed the underlying details about how Henry got his start as a young man from Illinois, how he got into the business in the first place, and his relationship with his father and with his crew. I found that lent some legitimacy to the story, and I was better able to envision the main character and his personality.

This was a good read and I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. However, I feel that there were some parts of the story that lacked depth. The author could have explained with a bit more color how Henry's relationships with these women evolved. The attraction between characters was evident, but I felt that it was all a bit too easy. And the dinner party scene was a far fetched premise. But overall I would say it worked.

This new book by Richard Murphy is an easy and fun read. As a fan Joe Esterhas and his book "Hollywood Animal," I figured this book would be a nice fiction tale within the same genre. The character Henry is an wise and likeable character, a guy that knows how to renovate houses of southern California's rich (not necessarily famous), but knows even better how to figure out the people who live inside, at least for the most part.

I think one strength of the book besides the obvious storyline - the strong and silent contractor who makes beautiful the homes of so many powerful women - is the underlying details about how Henry got his start as a young man from Illinois, how he got into the business in the first place, and his relationship with his father and with his crew. I found that lent some legitimacy to the story, and I was better able to envision the main character and his personality. A good read.

I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. However, I feel that there were some parts of the story that lacked depth. The author could have explained with a bit more color how Henry's relationships with these women came to be, and better yet if it was more than physical. The attraction between characters was evident, but I felt that it was all a bit too easy. And the dinner party scene was a far fetched premise. But overall I would say it worked.

This new book by Richard Murphy is an easy and fun read. As a fan Joe Esterhas and his book "Hollywood Animal," I figured this book would be within the same genre. The character Henry is an wise and likeable character, a guy that knows how to renovate houses of southern California's rich (not necessarily famous), but knows even better how to figure out the people who live inside, at least for the most part.

I think one major strength of the book besides the obvious storyline - about the strong and silent contractor who makes beautiful the homes of so many powerful women - is the underlying details about how Henry got his start as a young man from Illinois, how he got into the business in the first place, and his relationship with his father and with his crew. I found that lent some legitimacy to the story, and I was better able to envision what this man must be truly experiencing. A good read.

I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. However, I feel that there were some parts of the story that lacked depth. The author could have explained with a bit more color how Henry's relationships with these women came to be, and better yet if it was more than physical. The attraction between characters was evident, but I felt that it was all a bit too easy. But overall I would say it worked.

Confessions of a Contractor is the debut novel from Richard Murphy just released last month from Penguin.

I must admit that my initial impression from the cover shot was that 'Contractor' would be a sexual romp through the desperate housewives of Renovation Lane. I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. Yes there is sex, but that's not the main thrust of the book.

Henry is a contractor to the wealthy of Los Angeles. For the most part, he dodges landmines as some of his wealthy women clients do have more than renovations in mind. Henry acts as a sounding board, a shoulder to cry on and reads his clients well. In fact he states that:

"The first thing a woman needs to know about renovating a house or apartment is simple: do not, under any circumstance, sleep with your contractor, no matter what your husband or boyfriend is doing to you or not doing to you"

But one summer he takes on two houses at the same time and falls in love with both women owners. The ensuing story is about love and friendship told with a healthy dose of humour. The supporting characters are well drawn and believable. His friend Bill steals the show when they are together.

Murphy himself worked in the renovation field before working as a screenwriter. 'Contractor' is told in the first person and is filled with lots of advice and humorous situations that have to be the product of experience. It is a fun,enjoyable read that went deeper than the cover predicted.

This is the first novel from a young (41) screenwriter, who had been working as a building contractor specializing in remodeling homes for a wealthy clientele in Los Angeles, and it is a glibly written piece closely based upon his employment experiences, replete with good humour, incisive satiric elements, and a good deal of valuable advice for laymen who might be considering residential renovation. The book's protagonist, Henry Sullivan, an obvious surrogate for Murphy, begins his narrative with a listing of his behavioural rules that he promptly eschews by becoming involved in romantic affairs with two clients, women who had at one time been the best of companions, but later shared only mutual hatred. Henry's attempts to discover a reason for the end of their friendship form the core of this novel. Sullivan's relationships with other women, with his closest friend Bill, members of his work crew, and the guileful husband of a Sullivan romantic conquest, also occupy the storyline, enriching it through the author's clever first-person narration (his clients are referred to as being "residentially ambitious"). It took 15 years for Murphy to garner an effective relationship with a literary agent, who placed this affair that was completed in six months, cobbled in the main from notes Murphy gathered during his own years as a contractor. The writing is at times acerbic, as when he gives his opinions of his customers, obviously shared by his workers (two of his employees, from Mexico, handily forget their ability to speak English when confronted by clients of whom they do not approve). There is nary a dull page here, and the novelist's cinematic pedigree has been validated; CBS has purchased the rights to produce CONFESSIONS OF A CONTRACTOR as a film to be made for television.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars


Richard Murphy definitely knows women. He has woven a beautiful story and given full dimension and character to the women in his book. His knowledge and background in construction are almost inconsequential in the story to his knowledge and sense of women's feelings. Don't get me wrong, he does seem to know what he is talking about from a craftsman's standpoint.

Sally Stein and Rebecca Paulson are different as night and day and yet they used to be friends but aren't any longer and they are both just happen to be Henry Sullivan's clients. Henry wants to know why they are no longer speaking as it seems that they were the best of friends. But there is more that Henry wants to know about both of them that has nothing to do with their friendship or their remodeling jobs. This is a most enjoyable read. An easy but engaging plot and cast of characters, with all the remodeling and decorating tips thrown in that you could possibly want or need. Good advice even if you simply file it away for future reference.

Henry is the kind of guy that will become endearing to young and old alike. I almost see a TV series out of this book if it didn't look anything like "Desperate Housewives" and focused on the sensitivity angle.

Richard Murphy's novel Confessions of a Contractor is a mix of many elements. Coworkers looking at the book resting on my desk asked, "is this a tell-all about what contractors do when you're not looking?' and "oh great, is this some sleazy tell-all about all the women this guy has slept with?" The cover art of a filmy nightie hanging from a ladder and some cast off high heels didn't help lift my expectations.

Confessions is told I through the voice of Henry Sullivan, a contractor working for the very wealthy in Los Angeles. After seventeen years, Henry is able to choose who he works with and takes only clients who have been "referred" by another client. To survive that long he has a firm set of rules about interactions with the homeowners. Of course, when repeat client, Sally Stein asks him to build her a guest house and brings him into her home to live with her, Henry has breached his own boundaries and more trouble is to follow. Clients Rebecca Paulson and her husband Derrick have called him after a contractor walked off the job leaving a mess. They have asked Henry to rescue them and Henry is bothered by a memory of Derrick. Despite sensing something very wrong about the couple, he agrees and finds himself trying to finish both jobs. His crew is getting frustrated and then INS comes calling. Enter Gia, his last girlfriend who needs him to go to couple's therapy, even though they have been kaput for over six months.



Against all my expectations, Confessions of a Contractor proved to be a witty, well crafted tale of a working man trying to do what he has agreed to do. Characters are deeper than expected, there are no easy fixes, and not everything is spelled out. Henry Sullivan proves to be a likable man trying to keep true to his set of ideals and who wants to not only renovate his client's homes, he wants to help them renovate their lives. There are no easy fixes. This was far better written and I enjoyed this book much more than I had ever expected.

I found this book to be an extremely good read. The writing is very impressive from a first time novelist. Murphy takes us inside the very complicated lives of relationships with a great deal of insight, sensitivity, and humor. It's a book you can't put down as you want to find out what happens next. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

There is no doubt that this book is light reading, but as such it is very enjoyable. I actually had a had time putting it down. It is the story of one complicated summer in LA when high-end contractor Henry breaks his own rule about sleeping with clients, and accidentally falls in love with two clients at once. It also is a bit of a who dunnit after Henry's truck has his tires slashed and then stolen. Was it a jealous husband of a client who believed he has been cuckolded? Stay tuned to find out.
The book is written in the first person as a bit of advice to you-the homeowner contemplating a large renovation project, and speaks to the addictive nature of remodeling, as if fixing our home could fix everything else that may be broken in a marriage or a life.
Murphy's novel has some poignant moments, but I laughed out loud more than once. Buy this book if you are looking for a great beach read.

Want a good book to pass an afternoon or two that's not super-intellectual, yet remains clever, smart, and has a fast pace? This is that book.

Confessions of a Contractor is an unusual book as contemporary fiction goes. It's written from the perspective of a contractor, as the title indicates, about his work and various affairs. What I thought would be a simple tale that was sort of mediocre was actually, well, a damn good read.

The main character, Henry, makes quite a good living overhauling houses in the hollywood suburbs. He drives an old and beat up truck despite his money. The truck, and a large surplus of wood are his treasures. They may seem like odd keepsakes, but both belonged to his father - a man of great care and dedication, who passed on his tremendous skill and work ethic to his son.

This story isn't about Henry so much as it's about human nature, and how we often put ourselves in the lives of others, deeply enmeshing there without realizing it. Henry unwittingly becomes caught up in the stories of two women, one named Sally who is single and desires the ever popular among the young "friends with benefits", and the other is Rebecca, a young woman married to a real-estate seminar jerk that has a history for being...less than noble with women.

What ensues is a tangle of a mess for Henry, inside and out, as he juggles not only too many work commitments, but the personal problems of his clients that he becomes far too wrapped up in. There are some love affairs, arguments, an old crazy girlfriend, and even smuggling. It's quite the book.

What is unmistakable about Henry, is that he is what most of us want to be - sure he makes his share of mistakes, and becomes overly involved when he shouldn't, but at the core of things, he's a decent guy who tries his best.

Give Henry's tale a try. It's a great read, a fast one, and just plain fun all around.

As a heavy DIYer, I loved this book. It not only gave great perspective into the world of contracting, but was extremely funny. The main character could very well be the hero of contractors everywhere. I couldn't put it down.

From it's arch title, I expected this to be a light, frothy satire. This book didn't live up to my expectations. It wasn't clever or beautifully written enough for me and in the end, the side characters were more interesting than Harry, our hero.

Harry is a contractor who has a good rule - never sleep with a client. One summer he gets emotionally involved with two of them. And really, nothing much else happens. His crew and friends had better presence than he did, and Sally, one of his relationships, never really came to life for me. This book either had to be a lot more arch, or have a lot more depth, but it either wasn't glossy enough or clever enough to satisfy.

That being said, it was an easy read, and I did believe that the person who wrote this actually knew something about contracting, it just wasn't well designed enough... B-

Here's a sample paragraph which should explain what I mean - p74

"Like Sally and the city we lived in, the purse was full of secret compartments. Some with zippers, some with pockets, some with pockets within pockets that had zippers. Layers and layers of leather that made me feel as I would never get to the bottom of the woman who designed, even if I studied it for the rest of my life. If James Bond ever got married, this would bet he purse his wife would use to get them both out of trouble. If James Bond ever divorced her, this would be the purse that got him killed."

Let me start by saying I didn't dislike this book. I read it without forcing myself and I sometimes found it an interersting read. I just felt like there was so much information in the book that didn't seem to have any bearing on the story. That doesn't mean those parts weren't intereting, there just seemed to be a lot of them.

This book was a decent read, a fairly easy read. It was filled with interesting characters, some of whom were more interesting than the main character. The story wraps up a bit loosely at the end. While I did enjoy the story, I don't feel like I would have missed out on anything if I hadn't read it.

Henry, the main character and the contractor in question, has a lot of insight into his clients', and others', lives. He has a way of knowing what their personal lives are like, how they will handle the stresses of renovation, what they will like in their homes, how their spouses will react. To me that stretches 'reality' a bit because while I have met people who have uncanny insight into certain things, a person would have to psychic to be that insightful. However, if you are willing to accept that Harry is a pretty insightful guy, except were it concerns himself, you will be able to enjoy this book.

Though I enjoy reading, it is unusual for me to find a book that interests me enough to burn through the entire thing in less than 24 hours. "Confessions of a Contractor" is one of those rare books that, once I delved into it, I could not put it down until I had digested every page and finished it.

It reads somewhat like a memoir, though it is a work of fiction. The premise is that of a home renovation specialist that has found his niche working on the homes of wealthy women in the Los Angeles area, and though he has a code of conduct he gets involved a bit too deeply with a couple of his clients. The result is a fast-moving account of the subsequent adventure that consumes his summer, bringing tension to other relationships in his life and ultimately helps him to solidify himself in terms of who he is and where he's going.

The author uses a lot of witty humor through the whole book, keeping the reader engaged with not only the base storyline but also with several laughs sprinkled in. It's a fine balance between serious moods and humorous anecdotes.

One paragraph in particular made me howl: "Dancing is great exercise. So is being chased by a mountain lion, except when you're being chased by a mountain lion you're not surrounded by mirrors, looking at yourself being chased by a mountain lion."

Even if you are not into home renovation and construction, "Confessions of a Contractor" presents a tale that will both entertain and engage. This is a book I will likely read again.

Confessions of a Contractor by Richard Murphy brings us into the world of a contractor. Henry is a contractor that sometimes gets involved with his female clients. This time he has gotten involved with two women at once, who happen to be former best friends. Drama ensues. I really enjoyed this book. I was fascinated by the details and hints on hiring and maintaining a good relationship with your contractor. The complex relationship between a contractor and his client is something I had never considered before. It was a very unique idea for a book and very entertaining. The romance aspect told from the man's point of view was refreshing. This was a fairly light read and I recommend it to anyone looking for a something different with a bit of romance. 4 stars.

Henry Sullivan is a contractor. He goes into homes, renovates them with as little fuss as possible, gets paid and leaves. But that is not the meat of the story... What is fascinating about our character Henry is how he achieves this and the impact he has on the homeowners who contract him as well as the men who work with him. He's a good guy who often gets caught up in rather difficult situations. But, you will soon wish that you had him renovating your home.

This book was a fun read and well worth the price of purchase if only for Henry's relationship with Clyde.

The history of construction all points to one question, according to the narrator of this ingenious novel, "...can that home bring true happiness, and if so, how long will it last before it needs to be renovated again in a different color scheme?" Renovation, in other words, fills an empty space and the renovator, by inference in the rest of this humorous, potent tale, just might be contracting to be the filler of a gaping hole or flaw in the "home" under the transformational process.

So begins Henry Sullivan's tale of his relationships with many filthy rich Los Angeles women who all know each other's dirty secrets but who have been providing Henry and his crew work and intrigue by word of mouth for a very long time.

Meet Sally Stein with whom Henry has some great sex but who is a bit jealous of what he's doing with the other woman he's working for. Then there's Rebecca Paulson whose husband hopes that this home renovation process might make his wife happy, that is until Henry begins Derrick Paulson is trying to frame him in order to divorce Rebecca. Not that Derrick is exactly an angel since he's bedding half of Los Angeles' females and is just a rather shady guy, the pot calling the kettle black perhaps?

Learning that there's an inexplicable relationship between Rebecca and Sally in the past intrigues Henry. For some reason it reminds him of his romance with Gina, which he describes in a descending scale, from their intimate infatuation to the malicious act she performs to get back at him for what died quite quickly. He's rather stymied by the latter as he supposed Derrick Paulson was behind this particularly threatening act.

Henry knows beyond a doubt that he should be running in the opposite direction from any and all of these possessive women, but the fact that he stays finally allows him to know his presence has been a most redeeming act in a surprising but oh so satisfying conclusion.

Confessions of a Contractor is a fun romp through the lives of the rich and famous, a sort of bachelor reality show pushing the protagonist into an antagonistic state and then traveling full circle to something richer and finer in the end! Very clever and an unusual, rewarding read!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on September 3, 2008

If you live in the LA area and are in the market to do some home renovations then you need not look any farther then Henry Sullivan. Henry has been in the business for about fifteen years as a contractor. His clientele is mainly made up of wealthy, beautiful women. So for this fact alone, Henry has rules set for himself and the most important one of them is.....never sleep with your clients. Plus the best contractors know how to keep the peace in the neighborhood, which is a wonderful thing as you will be living there for a while; seeing as you just spent thousands of dollars fixing your home.

This summer is going to test everything Henry's got. He has two simultaneous house projects that will commend his full and undivided attention. The first item at hand is named Sally Stein, a single woman, who Henry is finding himself spending the most time in one particular room, the bedroom. Problem number two is a married lovely woman with two children by the name of Rebecca Paulson. Henry wants both women. Henry finds that he also wants to mend this once good friendship between Sally and Rebecca. He starts asking questions as to why these two are no longer friends but neither woman is speaking much.

What a refreshing, witty and innovative book Confessions of a Contractor turned out to be. I have that this book is not something that I would usually run and pick up right away but after read this book in one sitting, I just may have to start checking out more of these types of books. I could tell that Richard Murphy had a great personality about him. He wrote Confessions of a Contractor not for himself but for his readers. When an author writes for his readers, you can tell as you find yourself instantly drawn into the book and the story. You would never know that Confessions of a Contractor was Mr. Murphy's first book. It was just that good. Richard Murphy is one new author you don't want to miss, so do yourself a favor and read Confessions of a Contractor today. If you're not satisfied then you need to find yourself a new contractor!

"The first thing a woman needs to know about renovating a house or apartment is simpe: do not, under any circumstance, sleep with your contractor, no matter what your husband or boyfriend is doing to you, or not doing to you."

("Confessions of a Contractor" pg 1*)


And before we get started, I have to say I would never sleep with my contractor........ unless he looked like Richard Murphy. I mean, oh my God, how did that slip out?

I wasn't sure I was going to like "Confessions of a Contractor". From the cover art, to the first line- I was sure that it was going to be a book that had sex all over the place. Lol, and in a way there was sex all over the place- in the 'steam shower in the master bath', on the 'sandstone floor in the kitchen', etc... but it was mentioned quickly and didn't bog down the rest of the story.

It's told all in first person, so the audience knows only what the main character, Henry the contractor, knows. This offers us a unique look at what your contractor is really thinking about you. And despite the fact that, yes, he slept with some of his clients- I still liked the guy! Besides liking the main character, I also enjoyed the others. Perhaps my favorites were Hector and Miguel, because if they didn't like you- they pretended to only speak Spanish.

I would very much recommend "Confessions of a Contractor" to anyone looking for a fun read. And I'll definitely be interested in reading anything else Richard Murphy puts out- right after I find out if there really are blind caterers.... well if you've read it- you know what I'm talking about!! If not, pick you copy up today.

*These lines may change in the final publication of the book
(Originally reviewed for "Kathleen's Book Reviews")

"The first thing a woman needs to know about renovating a house or apartment is simpe: do not, under any circumstance, sleep with your contractor, no matter what your husband or boyfriend is doing to you, or not doing to you."

("Confessions of a Contractor" pg 1*)


And before we get started, I have to say I would never sleep with my contractor........ unless he looked like Richard Murphy. I mean, oh my God, how did that slip out?

I wasn't sure I was going to like "Confessions of a Contractor". From the cover art, to the first line- I was sure that it was going to be a book that had sex all over the place. Lol, and in a way there was sex all over the place- in the 'steam shower in the master bath', on the 'sandstone floor in the kitchen', etc... but it was mentioned quickly and didn't bog down the rest of the story.

It's told all in first person, so the audience knows only what the main character, Henry the contractor, knows. This offers us a unique look at what your contractor is really thinking about you. And despite the fact that, yes, he slept with some of his clients- I still liked the guy! Besides liking the main character, I also enjoyed the others. Perhaps my favorites were Hector and Miguel, because if they didn't like you- they pretended to only speak Spanish.

I would very much recommend "Confessions of a Contractor" to anyone looking for a fun read. And I'll definitely be interested in reading anything else Richard Murphy puts out- right after I find out if there really are blind caterers.... well if you've read it- you know what I'm talking about!! If not, pick you copy up today.

*These lines may change in the final publication of the book
(Originally reviewed for "Kathleen's Book Reviews")

Like a cold beer on a hot summer day, it's pure enjoyment and finished too quickly. Richard Murphy's vivid descriptions of the home renovation scene made me feel like I should be taking notes since I am starting a home building project myself just now. His personal insights and straightfoward style will make you smile.