Lady Killer

Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline ~~



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.

After several years, Lisa Scottoline finally brings back Mary DiNunzio and her friends at the law firm of Benny Rosato. And even though Mary still isn't 100% convinced of her skills as a lawyer, she has become somewhat of a rainmaker for her little firm, especailly with the help of all the people from her old neighboorhood. When an old high school nemesis turns up looking to Mary for help, all her childhood angst comes back to haunt her. Unfortunately Trish refuses to take any of Mary's advice, and she ends up missing. Now Trish's friends are on Mary's case to do something, and in order to ease her feelings of letting Trish down, Mary dives head first into finding out what happened. And in the process loses her job at Rosota and Associates. The book moves along at a fast pace, keeping the reader turning the pages. While I didn't love this book as much as the others, it was great to see Mary and friends back - and Mary once again fighting for what she believes in.