Killer Smile [Paperback]

Mary's situation is encouraged by having been recently widowed, so she has time on her hands . . . and blind dates to avoid. So when the budget for the Brandolini matter is exhausted, she works on in a dedicated way late into the night.

The case revolves around records, archives and fading memories of the few people who were alive then. Mary couldn't be more determined, even if it were for her own family.

From a few scattered clues, she becomes convinced that the story of Brandolini's death don't make sense. Could it be that there's a greater wrong hidden behind the government's interning hand?

If you love Mary DiNunzio and poking around in old mysteries through documents, you will think this is a fine novel. If neither one appeals to you, look elsewhere. This is a Rosato & Associates book you could skip without harming your understanding of the series.

I graded the book down a little because there's almost a little too much Mary. The other characters are not very real or present in the story. The plot is also way too convenient for how the clues keep turning up at just the right time. In a number of places, I felt like the plot development just didn't make sense . . . even after rereading the material to try to guess what I had missed. The courtroom ending will remind you of Perry Mason pulling a rabbit out of the hat at the last moment. And, well, I always thought those were pretty far-fetched too.

But how can I grade down a decent lawyer who looks out for the downtrodden? You don't find many stories like that in today's fiction.

Mary's need to know led her to the internment camp in Montana, where she searched for people to interview who might have known Amadeo Brandolini. She went to the cemetery where he was buried and went to the site where he allegedly committed suicide. Several clues of what she learned there haunted her ... It is totally amazing how Lisa Scottoline ties together the clues and discoveries as Mary DiNunzio is provided hints and gradually puts the pieces of the puzzle together. The reader is fascinated with the life of Amadeo Brandolino, a simple fisherman from Italy who came to the US to build a better life for himself and his wife Theresa. After Mary returns, she believes she is being followed by a black car ... the lawyer who hired her to investigate Brandolini's estate had removed her from the case before her trip (although she persisted investigating on her own) and is found dead in his office. She learns Amadeo's best friend in the camp ... is still alive and a very wealthy elderly Italian man, who also was from Philadelphia and lives in a rich suburban home. Under false pretext she visits him and exchanges a few words ... only to be struck in the face and spit on by his son. The ingenius methods by which Mary DiNunzio achieves her goals are worth discovering. With amazing twists and turns in the plot, the reader is taken for a wonderful reading experience. This reader is totally captivated by the dazzling writing style and talents of Lisa Scottoline.
Erika Borsos (bakonyvilla)

Mary's situation is encouraged by having been recently widowed, so she has time on her hands . . . and blind dates to avoid. So when the budget for the Brandolini matter is exhausted, she works on in a dedicated way late into the night.

The case revolves around records, archives and fading memories of the few people who were alive then. Mary couldn't be more determined, even if it were for her own family.

From a few scattered clues, she becomes convinced that the story of Brandolini's death don't make sense. Could it be that there's a greater wrong hidden behind the government's interning hand?

If you love Mary DiNunzio and poking around in old mysteries through documents, you will think this is a fine novel. If neither one appeals to you, look elsewhere. This is a Rosato & Associates book you could skip without harming your understanding of the series.

I graded the book down a little because there's almost a little too much Mary. The other characters are not very real or present in the story. The plot is also way too convenient for how the clues keep turning up at just the right time. In a number of places, I felt like the plot development just didn't make sense . . . even after rereading the material to try to guess what I had missed. The courtroom ending will remind you of Perry Mason pulling a rabbit out of the hat at the last moment. And, well, I always thought those were pretty far-fetched too.

But how can I grade down a decent lawyer who looks out for the downtrodden? You don't find many stories like that in today's fiction.