The author was raised in Lamesa, in the endless flat plains of West Texas. He describes himself as a typical, hard-working kid. As a teenager, he discovered a talent for broadcasting as a DJ on local radio and honed his skills through his college years at the University of Texas at Austin, after which he decided to pursue the law. Conner went to law school in Houston, where he met and married Anne Garwood, a socialite from a prominent family (“Anne and I met for drinks. Two nights later, we had our second date. Within a few days, we were together constantly”). They welcomed two kids, Emily and Will, who have both become very successful (Emily’s accomplishments are particularly impressive, as she was rendered paralyzed in a diving accident). Retired, the author and Anne now live in New Mexico. The book’s highlights find Conner in the courtroom: In the very first chapter, the author discusses his role in the true case of a legendary Texas wildcatter, Hugh Roy Cullen, detailing the troubles that beset his family over the decades, including a grandson who claimed to be Italian aristocracy, conservatorship battles, Roy Cohn (yes, that Roy Cohn), and some of the most renowned and flamboyant lawyers in Texas (which is saying a lot). This is a shrewd tactic to draw the reader in.
The author evinces a commendable but almost unseemly modesty regarding himself; clearly, he played in the big leagues, even if he never gained the fame of a Gerry Spence or an F. Lee Bailey—which again speaks to his modesty. He was never a grandstander, but his opponents knew that when they faced Conner in court, they had better have done their homework. The other cases covered here are ones that often made the national news and the tabloids, such as the murder case involving millionaire Cullen Davis and his estranged wife, the high-living Priscilla Davis, whom, per the author, shot her. Davis was acquitted (“After the trial, one of the prosecutors said, ‘I never thought I would say this, but it seems we have two systems of justice in this country: one for the rich and one for the poor’”), later found religion, lost his riches, and lived modestly. Priscilla was made very rich in the ensuing divorce settlement, which was handled by Conner, who tried to steer her to responsible financial planners. Against his advice, she went with scammers who promised her quick riches; she wound up dying at 59 of breast cancer in a one-bedroom apartment in Dallas. Other engaging stories include a murder case in the Conner’s own River Oaks neighborhood, medical malpractice fraud (the author had a good team of detectives), and a thwarted kidnapping. Readers learn a lot about legal procedure. Conner is a competent if not striking writer, adequately equipped to do justice to the amazing stories he has to tell. Moreover, he comes across as a very decent and ethical human being.