"Corrupted"
Bennie Rosato the founder of the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm hides her big heart beneath her tough-as-nails exterior and she doesn't like to fail.
Now, a case from her past shows her how differently things might have turned out. Thirteen years ago, Bennie Rosato took on Jason Leftavick, a 12-year-old boy who was sent to a juvenile detention center after fighting a class bully. Bennie couldn't free Jason, and to this day it's the case that haunts her.
Jason has grown up in and out of juvenile prison, and his adulthood hasn't been any easier. Bennie no longer represents those accused of murder, but when Jason is indicted for killing the same bully he fought with as a kid, she sees no choice but to represent him.
She doesn't know whether or not to believe his claims of innocence, but she knows she owes him for past failures--of the law, of the juvenile justice system, and of herself.
Forced to relive the darkest period of her life, Bennie will do everything in her power to get the truth, and justice.
"Killer Smile"
 |
Loved the
courtroom
drama. Kept
me enrapt
for two days.
|
Now, a case from her past shows her how differently things might have turned out. Thirteen years ago, Bennie Rosato took on Jason Leftavick, a 12-year-old boy who was sent to a juvenile detention center after fighting a class bully. Bennie couldn't free Jason, and to this day it's the case that haunts her.
Jason has grown up in and out of juvenile prison, and his adulthood hasn't been any easier. Bennie no longer represents those accused of murder, but when Jason is indicted for killing the same bully he fought with as a kid, she sees no choice but to represent him.
She doesn't know whether or not to believe his claims of innocence, but she knows she owes him for past failures--of the law, of the juvenile justice system, and of herself.
Forced to relive the darkest period of her life, Bennie will do everything in her power to get the truth, and justice.
"Killer Smile"
 |
Another thriller from
Scottoline. Glad I
ran into her in the
library.
|
Killer Smile became an instant New York Times hardcover bestseller and stars the young associate Mary DiNunzio whose terror over a late-night threatening phone call is only escalated by a suspicious car that seems to be tracking her every move. And, when a lawyer close to Mary turns up dead, she begins to suspect that the case she's been working on — involving the suicide of an Italian-American in an internment camp during World War II — may not be history after all.
Add to that the fact that everybody around Mary has decided that she's not allowed to be a Young Widow anymore, and is fixing her up with blind dates from hell. Then a killer comes after her, and it's more than any girl can handle — but not any woman.
Reads of Killer Smile, Lisa's eleventh novel, are earning Lisa enthusiastic, two thumbs-up reactions across the board. In fact, in addition to rave reviews from industry insiders, Killer Smile has been chosen as Main Selections by both Literary Guild and Mystery Guild. It has also been featured in Doubleday Book Club, Quality Paperback and Book of the Month Club.
While all of Lisa's books draw on her own experiences, Killer Smile is truly personal. The foundation of the story grew directly from the discovery of her grandparents' alien registration cards (see below). Although U.S. citizens for over thirty years, with a son (Lisa's father) serving the country in the U.S. Air Force, Lisa's Italian-American grandparents were forced to register as enemy aliens during World War II. This little-known fact of history inspired Lisa, and she found her research so fascinating, she wanted to share some of it with you.
"Running From the Law"
 |
| Loved this book. |
"Running From The Law" was Lisa Scottoline's first hardcover book, and it received a glowing endorsement from Kirkus by earning a starred review.
In it, wisecracking, poker-playing, Philadelphia lawyer, Rita Morrone takes on the defense of the Honorable Fiske Hamilton, a prominent federal judge accussed of sexual harassment, who happens to be the father of her live-in lover.
But all bets are off when the case turns deadly, and Rita finds herself at the center of a murder.
"Betrayed"
 |
Lots of turns and
twists in this story.
Another winner
for Scottoline.
|
When Betrayed opens, Judy Carrier finds herself at a crossroads in her life. Her best friend, Mary DiNunzio, has just become partner and is about to become a bride, leaving Judy vaguely out of sorts. She's not jealous, but she's not happy either and she's wondering where her own career and love life are going.
To make matters worse, she is rocked to her emotional foundations when she learns that her beloved Aunt Barb has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She races to her aunt's side, and so does Judy's mother, only to find that her aunt is dealing with the sudden death of a friend who had been helping her through chemo.
The friend, Iris Juarez, was an undocumented worker at a local farm, but her death doesn't look natural at all, to Judy. Judy begins to investigate, following a path that leads her into an underground world far more dangerous than she ever imagined.
Judy has to dig to uncover what happened to Iris, and at the same time unearth the secrets in her own family.
"Every Fifteen Minutes"
 |
I had dreams about
the characters
while reading this
novel. It's a real
grabber of a story.
|
When Dr. Eric Parrish, longstanding chief of a successful psychiatric unit at a hospital outside of Philadelphia, responds to a routine emergency room consult and agrees to add a troubled teen to his private practice, he unwittingly makes a life-altering decision that could unravel everything that he values.
As Eric struggles to balance his workload with his recent separation and custody issues regarding his small daughter, he becomes the target of a ruthless sociopath hell-bent on destroying his reputation and his life.
When a murder is committed and Eric's troubled patient disappears, Eric takes matters into his own hands to protect a vulnerable client and himself. Soon he is hopelessly ensnared in a sociopath's cat-and-mouse game and may not escape unscathed.
"Accused"
 |
Another solid
book by my new
favorite author.
|
Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, Judy Carrier, and Anne Murphy are back with all cylinders firing in "Accused." They'll face their most challenging and dangerous case ever, which begins with an astonishing request from a 13-year-old client, Allegra Gardner.
Allegra's sister Fiona was murdered six years ago in what seemed like an open-and-shut case: the accused, Lonnie Stall, was seen fleeing the scene; his blood was on Fiona and her blood was on him; and most damningly, Lonnie Stall pleaded guilty. But Allegra believes Lonnie is innocent and has been wrongly imprisoned.
Taking on the case seems foolhardy to Mary DiNunzio, because Allegra's parents oppose reopening the case and the Gardner family is one of the richest and most powerful in the country. But the women of Rosato & Associates are suckers for an underdog.
It will take a team of unstoppable lawyers, plus one 13-year-old genius, to find out if justice was really served all those years ago.
"Don't Go"
 |
This book kept
my rapt attention.
I read it in two
days -- Scottoline
is a master of
convoluted plots
and quick turns.
|
Lisa has thrilled millions with her emotionally-charged novels that feature strong women exploring the boundaries of family, justice, and love. In Don’t Go, she breaks new ground and delivers the story of a soldier who discovers what it means to be a man, a father, and ultimately, a hero.
When Dr. Mike Scanlon is called to serve as an army doctor in Afghanistan, he’s acutely aware of the dangers he’ll face and the hardships it will cause his wife Chloe and newborn baby. And deep inside, he doesn’t think of himself as a warrior, but a healer.
However, in an ironic turn of events, as Mike operates on a wounded soldier in a war-torn country, Chloe dies at home in the suburbs, in an apparent household accident. Devastated, he returns home to bury her, only to discover that the life he left behind has fallen apart. His medical practice is in jeopardy, and he is a complete stranger to the only family he has left — his precious baby girl. Worse, he learns a shocking secret that sends him into a downward spiral.
Ultimately, Mike realizes that the most important battle of his life faces him on the homefront and he’ll have to put it all on the line to save what’s dearest to him – his family. Gripping, thrilling, and profoundly emotional, Don’t Go is Lisa Scottoline at her finest.
"Come Home"
 |
Wow. This book
has more twists
and turns than I
was prepared to take.
But, in the long
run, I loved it.
|
Lisa Scottoline delivers taut thrillers with a powerful emotional wallop in her New York Times bestsellers Save Me, Think Twice and Look Again. Now, with her new novel, "Come Home," she ratchets up the suspense with the riveting story of a mother who sacrifices her future for a child from her past.n error occurred.
Jill Farrow is a typical suburban mom, who has finally gotten her and her daughter's life back on track after a divorce. She is about to remarry a great guy, her job as a pediatrician fulfills her, though it is stressful, and her daughter Megan is a happily over-scheduled thirteen-year-old, juggling homework and swim team.
Jill's life is turned upside-down when her ex-stepdaughter, Abby, shows up on their doorstep late one night and delivers shocking news — Jill's ex-husband is dead. Abby insists that he was murdered and pleads with Jill to help find his killer. Jill reluctantly agrees to make a few inquiries, and discovers that things don't add up. As she digs deeper, her actions threaten to rip apart her new family, destroy their hard-earned happiness, and even endanger her own life.
Yet, Jill can't turn her back on a child she loves and once called her own. "Come Home" reads with the break-neck pace of a thriller, but also explores the definition of motherhood. It asks the questions: Do you ever stop being a mother? Can you ever have an ex-child? What are the limits and love of family?
"Keep Quiet"
 |
I read this book in
two days. Strange,
but I felt that I
was involved in
the secrets of the
family.
|
Lisa Scottoline delivers once again with "Keep Quiet," an emotionally gripping and morally complex story about one father's decision to protect his son — and the devestating consequences that follow.
Jake Buckman’s relationship with his sixteen-year-old son Ryan is not an easy one, so at the urging of his loving wife, Pam, Jake goes alone to pick up Ryan at their suburban movie theater. On the way home, Ryan asks to drive on a deserted road, and Jake sees it as a chance to make a connection.
However, what starts as a father-son bonding opportunity instantly turns into a nightmare. Tragedy strikes, and with Ryan’s entire future hanging in the balance, Jake is forced to make a split-second decision that plunges them both into a world of guilt and lies.
Without ever meaning to, Jake and Ryan find themselves living under the crushing weight of their secret, which threatens to tear their family to shreds and ruin them all.
Powerful and dramatic, "Keep Quiet" will have readers and book clubs debating what it means to be a parent and how far you can, and should, go to protect those you love.
 |
| Cate was so BAD in the beginning of this book that I wondered how she could possibly turn into an admirable person -- bit she did. |
A riveting page-turner about sex and murder, "Dirty Blonde" starts in the elite chambers of a sexy female judge and ends in the cold, gritty alleys of Philadelphia. Cate Fante is strong and smart, but when she gets appointed a federal judge, even she wonders wher she can do the job justice.
After all, a job described in the United States Constitution would intimidate anybody. She's only in her thirties, so she feels like she's joining the world's most exclusive retirement village. And she worries inwardly that she only looks the part, in a designer suit donned like overpriced armor.
But Cate keeps her doubts a secret. And, as it happens, much else. For she leads a dark, double life that she hides from everyone, even her best friend. Then a high-profile case in her courtroom explodes into a shocking murder-suicide, and it blasts her cover wide open.
Overnight, the tabloids tell her secrets, her boyfriend dumps her, and her new career hangs in tatters. But Cate's troubles are only beginning. An enemy no one anticipated sends her running for her life-embarking on a journey that begins in the mystery of her childhood, where she first learned to lie. She'll have to fight her way back to the truth, or die trying.
She also writes a weekly column with her daughter Francesca Serritella for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled "Chick Wit" which is a witty and fun take on life from a woman's perspective.
These stories, along with many other never-before-published stories, have been collected in four books including their most recent, "Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim, "and the earlier "Best Friends, Occasional Enemies, Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog", which has been optioned for TV, and "My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space."
Lisa reviews popular fiction and non-fiction, and her reviews have appeared in New York Times, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has served as president of Mystery Writers of America and has taught a course she developed, "Justice and Fiction" at The University of Pennsylvania Law School, her alma mater.
She is a regular and much sought-after speaker at library and corporate events with more than 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries.
Lisa's official biography
 |
| A real page-turner. The mixup was plausible, and I couldn't put the book down until I finished. |
Is evil born or bred? This is the question Bennie Rosato must answer after her twin sister, Alice Connolly, drugs her and leaves for dead, buried underground in a remote field.
As Alice slips easily into Bennie's life, doing her job, interacting with her friends, seducing her boyfriend, she never counts on the fact that Bennie is tougher than she seems.
And that, against all odds, Bennie will escape.
But escaping is only the first challenge. Alice's sociopathic lies are so believable that she has everyone convinced that she is Bennie, and Bennie is her deranged twin sister Alice. As Bennie descends further into Alice's life, she starts to feel the pull of evil herself.
As the clock ticks and Alice gets closer to her ultimate goal, Bennie must face the shocking truth that she is perhaps more like Alice than she ever realized.
As Alice slips easily into Bennie's life, doing her job, interacting with her friends, seducing her boyfriend, she never counts on the fact that Bennie is tougher than she seems.
And that, against all odds, Bennie will escape.
But escaping is only the first challenge. Alice's sociopathic lies are so believable that she has everyone convinced that she is Bennie, and Bennie is her deranged twin sister Alice. As Bennie descends further into Alice's life, she starts to feel the pull of evil herself.
As the clock ticks and Alice gets closer to her ultimate goal, Bennie must face the shocking truth that she is perhaps more like Alice than she ever realized.
