Lady Killer
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

After a couple of stand-alones, Scottoline returns to Rosato & Associates, abandoning the courtroom this time for the streets of South Philly. The tale focuses on shy, businesslike attorney Mary DiNunzio, who may have moved uptown but is still rooted to South Philly's Italian American community. She's shocked one day when her high-school nemesis, Trish Gambino ( We used to call you Holy Mary . . . . Little Miss Perfect ), barges into her office in hysterics. She's had enough from abusive boyfriend Bobby Mancuso and wants out. Unfortunately, he's Mob connected, and she's afraid that he'll kill her if she leaves. When Trish refuses to take Mary's advice to go to the cops, Mary tries to put the episode out of her mind, though her long-ago crush on Bobby makes it hard. Then Trish and Bobby both disappear, and Mary, feeling guilty, plays detective. It's all wildly improbable, with Mary sacrificing all for someone who constantly tells her she's an idiot, but there's a clever twist at the close, and Scottoline makes good use of South Philly argot and stereotypes. And, of course, Mary comes out of it all with an understanding of her own, quite considerable, strength of character. Not the best of the Scottolines, but plenty good enough to please the author's enormous audience.--Zvirin, Stephanie Copyright 2007 Booklist

Philadelphia attorney Mary DiNunzio, last seen in Killer Smile (2004), agrees to help her high school nemesis, Trish Gambone, at the start of this less than convincing thriller from bestseller Scottoline. Trish, whom Mary used to regard as "the quintessential Mean Girl," has turned in desperation to the lawyer, "the all-around Most Likely to Achieve Sainthood" at St. Maria Goretti High School, because she wants to escape from her abusive, and possibly Mafia-connected boyfriend, Bobby Mancuso. Trish rejects Mary's practical suggestions for dealing with Bobby, but once Trish disappears, Mary finds herself under pressure from other high school classmates as well as people from her old neighborhood who blame her for not doing enough. Mary unwisely hides a connection with Bobby from the Feds, who then shut her out of the search for Trish when they learn of it. Scottoline fans will cheer Mary as she stumbles toward the solution, but others may have trouble suspending disbelief. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

High school good girl Mary DiNuzio, now a successful businesswoman, is shocked when high school bad girl Trish comes looking for protection from her gangster boyfriend-and promptly disappears. With a six-city tour. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Philadelphia's favorite all-female law firm is back with a case that poses refreshingly little danger to life, limb or professional ethics. Nobody would be more surprised than Mary DiNunzio (Killer Smile, 2004, etc.) to hear that she's the rainmaker at Rosato & Associates. True, her lawsuits on behalf of neighbors with bad roofs or schoolchildren with special needs, and her legal advice to the Dean Martin Fan Club of South Philly when they contemplate action against the Sinatra Social Society, will never make her rich. But her billable hours are through the roof, and Judy Carrier, her associate and best bud, thinks Bennie Rosato should make her a partner--until Trish Gambone walks through the door. Mary's high-school nemesis has become a beautician who's finally found a bigger bully than she is: low-level Mob soldier Bobby Mancuso, who alternates between skimming from the heroin payments that pass through his hands and beating the tar out of the woman he hopes to make his wife. Trish won't run away from her abuser; she won't apply for a protective order against him; she won't do anything except wail that Bobby's going to kill her on her birthday, which happens to be that very day, and that Mary is no help. Trish vanishes overnight, leaving Mary with a major case of guilt and an immediate future crystal-clear to fans of the Rosato franchise (Daddy's Girl, 2007, etc.)--trouble with the cops, trouble with her client's family and Mean Girl friends and trouble with her boss, who gives her an ultimatum: Forget about Trish or leave the firm. If you can't predict Mary's choice, you must be new around here. As usual in Scottoline's recent cases, the opening movement is the best. This time, the half-hearted mystery is upstaged by Mary's pleasantly unlikely romance. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

After a couple of stand-alones, Scottoline returns to Rosato & Associates, abandoning the courtroom this time for the streets of South Philly. The tale focuses on shy, businesslike attorney Mary DiNunzio, who may have moved uptown but is still rooted to South Philly's Italian American community. She's shocked one day when her high-school nemesis, Trish Gambino ("We used to call you Holy Mary . . . . Little Miss Perfect"), barges into her office in hysterics. She's had enough from abusive boyfriend Bobby Mancuso and wants out. Unfortunately, he's Mob connected, and she's afraid that he'll kill her if she leaves. When Trish refuses to take Mary's advice to go to the cops, Mary tries to put the episode out of her mind, though her long-ago crush on Bobby makes it hard. Then Trish and Bobby both disappear, and Mary, feeling guilty, plays detective. It's all wildly improbable, with Mary sacrificing all for someone who constantly tells her she's an idiot, but there's a clever twist at the close, and Scottoline makes good use of South Philly argot and stereotypes. And, of course, Mary comes out of it all with an understanding of her own, quite considerable, strength of character. Not the best of the Scottolines, but plenty good enough to please the author's enormous audience. Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.

High school good girl Mary DiNuzio, now a successful businesswoman, is shocked when high school bad girl Trish comes looking for protection from her gangster boyfriend-and promptly disappears. With a six-city tour. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

It's great to be back with the all-female law firm of Rosato & Associates, especially when Mary DiNunzio takes center stage (after a four-book hiatus). Mary is young and sharp as a tack yet somehow exudes an Old World charm despite dealing with impending wars between the Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin fan clubs, high school "Mean Girls" all grown up, or the mob. She's bringing home the bacon with all the neighborhood cases she takes, so it's no surprise that former parochial school classmate and head mean girl Trish "Trash" Gambone looks to Mary for help when she fears for her life because of her abusive gangster boyfriend. But Trish isn't walking down any legal avenues to help herself, and she ends up disappearing along with her boyfriend. Mary is beside herself with worry and guilt, and the rest of the mean girl claque go into overdrive harassing her, the cops, and anyone else they think will help them find their friend. Scottoline's latest is a thoroughly enjoyable read with warm, wonderful characters, gentle humor, and some unexpected twists and turns. Highly recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/07.]—Stacy Alesi, Boca Raton, FL

Philadelphia attorney Mary DiNunzio, last seen in Killer Smile (2004), agrees to help her high school nemesis, Trish Gambone, at the start of this less than convincing thriller from bestseller Scottoline. Trish, whom Mary used to regard as "the quintessential Mean Girl," has turned in desperation to the lawyer, "the all-around Most Likely to Achieve Sainthood" at St. Maria Goretti High School, because she wants to escape from her abusive, and possibly Mafia-connected boyfriend, Bobby Mancuso. Trish rejects Mary's practical suggestions for dealing with Bobby, but once Trish disappears, Mary finds herself under pressure from other high school classmates as well as people from her old neighborhood who blame her for not doing enough. Mary unwisely hides a connection with Bobby from the Feds, who then shut her out of the search for Trish when they learn of it. Scottoline fans will cheer Mary as she stumbles toward the solution, but others may have trouble suspending disbelief. (Feb.)