Showing posts with label Scottoline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scottoline. Show all posts

Friday, September 7, 2018

"After Anna" by Lisa Scottoline

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline is about Maggie, a mother who loses custody of her baby girl because of her husband having her declared unfit due to her postpartum psychosis.  She remarries a widower who is a doctor named Noah and becomes a stepmom to his 9-yr-old son, Caleb.  They have a happy family until Maggie gets a call from her daughter asking her to come to the college to meet.  Maggie's sees a news article about her ex-husband dying in a plane crash and is ecstatic about finally seeing her 17-yr-old daughter after being separated for so long.  Will Anna finally become part of a happy family after feeling abandoned for so many years?  Will Noah be welcoming?  Is Anna a nice girl or a manipulative brat?  Did Noah get framed for murder or did he really kill his stepdaughter?

 I felt bad for Noah all through this book and was rooting for him and Maggie to be happy together once again.  This was a very entertaining read for me.  I liked the trial parts and was completely surprised by the unexpected twist.  Unfortunately, the twist was unbelievable and Maggie being the heroin really was far out.  I would have preferred the book be written in chronological order but it was cool how the story got told by much of the trial.  I liked it and was happy with the ending.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

 Teaser from page 2:  His life had exploded like a strip of firecrackers at a barbecue, igniting the patio furniture and spreading to the house until everything was blazing out of control, engulfed in a massive fireball.
His entire world destroyed.
It had all started with Anna.  

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, October 19, 2017

"Exposed" by Lisa Scottoline, A Good Legal Thriller (Updated)

Exposed by Lisa Scottoline is a legal thriller that kept my interest all the way through. Lawyers Bennie Rosato and Mary DiNunzio found themselves working together on a murder case after Mary almost left the firm to work on a case that had a conflict of interest for the firm. Mary chose to help her friend, Simon, try to get his job back that he was fired from unjustly. He has a little girl that is in need of a bone marrow transplant and has high medical bills. This is about a conspiracy resulting in a murder. Bennie and Mary wind up putting their lives on the line when they are attacked and abducted just as they discover what really happened.

I liked this book very much and was surprised by the ending! Poor Simon’s problems just keep getting worse and worse while his lawyer and friend, Mary, tries to help him. This has action, family issues and suspense!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 8/20/17:
In Exposed by Lisa Scottoline, Mary and Bernie are partners in their law firm, but a case comes up that Mary feels she must take even if that means leaving Bernie due to a conflict of interest.  Somebody does not want this case to go to court and will do anything to stop it, putting Mary and Bernie both in danger.

This book is pretty good.  The main characters are well developed.  The pacing is okay--it kept my interest.  There is good action at the end but would have loved more throughout the book.  That being said, I still give it four stars--well worth reading!
  
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

"Corrupted" by Lisa Scottoline - Inspired by Kids for Cash Scandal!


In Corrupted by Lisa Scottoline, lawyer Bennie Rosato takes on a murder case to defend Jason who she feels she let down when he was sent to Juvie 19 years ago. She also finds romance with Declan, the uncle of the Ritchie, the guy who her defendant is accused of killing. This book was inspired by kids-for-cash scandal in the judicial system in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

This book got my attention right away with the glimpse into the juvenile detention system and following two 12-yr-old boys. I found it to be very interesting and the story moved along quickly. I like Bennie and felt bad for her when she and Declan had to put a hold on their relationship. I liked how the reader was kept informed all along the way of what Bennie was thinking and feeling and how she prepared her case. This book delves into what justice is in a very readable way. If you like to read about trials and enjoy seeing things from a lawyer’s point of view, I highly recommend this book.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Link to the real kids-for-cash scandal: http://jlc.org/luzerne-county-kids-cash-scandal

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, June 20, 2015

"Every Fifteen Minutes" by Lisa Scottoline

In Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline, the main character, Dr. Eric Parrish, works in a psychiatric unit.  He is recently divorced but that is the least of his problems.  As his problems pile up, he is treating a young boy named Max (a teen sociopath with OCD) that presents him with a whole new set of problems. 

You usually can't go wrong with Lisa's books; however, I thought this book kind of dragged in certain parts.  the two separate stories are okay but not exactly page turners.  This book is readable, but not one of her best.
(Gerard's review, 3 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, June 5, 2014

"Keep Quiet" by Lisa Scottoline is One We Both Liked (UPDATED)

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline is a good book because the family it is about has likeable characters that I could easily identify with.  When the dad who is trying to get closer to his teenage son uses poor judgment by acting like a friend rather than a responsible parent, it starts a whirlwind of trouble.  This book is about how far parents will go to protect their loved ones and how things aren't always as bad as they may seem.  Although I liked the ending, it seemed too neat and not very believable.

I loved this book because it moved along quickly and held my interest all through.  I couldn't help but ask myself what I would do in their situation and was pleasantly surprised by the ending.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

In this novel, a father looks to have bonding time with his son, but a tragic accident brings them together like never before. This is a real page turner with very good twists and turns that I did not see coming. It goes fast and it does not take long to get hooked into it. Lisa always puts out great books and this one is no exception! Do not miss it!
(Gerard's review posted 5/30/14, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Friday, January 3, 2014

"Accused" by Lisa Scottoline (Updated)

I liked Accused by Lisa Scottoline because it is about Mary, a criminal lawyer who tries to get a case reopened because the sister of the victim believes the wrong guy was convicted for the murder.  It also includes the subplot of her personal life which includes her engagement to her live-in boyfriend and her lack of excitement.  Who the real killer is was a well kept secret and I liked how things were wrapped up at the end.

It's a good read if you don't need a lot of action to hold your attention and find crime investigations interesting.  I liked the interaction between the lawyers in this book and the Christian overtones with the accused and his mother.  I recommend it.  I think it is one of Lisa Scottoline's more believable novels.
(Karen's review 1-3
-13, 4 stars)

Accused by Lisa Scottoline is about a 13-yr-old girl who hires two lawyers to get the man who was found guilty of killing her sister out of prison because she thinks somebody else did it and he is innocent.  Her parents don't want this and it becomes a test of wills.  It's a good book but doesn't have enough action for me to give it 5 stars so it gets 4.
(Gerard's review 12-11-13, 4 stars)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

"Don't Go" by Lisa Scottoline is a Must Read! (UPDATED 7/3/13)

This is SO good!
Don't Go by Lisa Scottoline is about Mike Scanlon, an army doctor in Afghanistan who gets the awful news that his young wife is dead. Coming home, he finds out that his daughter does not even know who he is! He also discovers that the battles he has to face on the home front are more than he could have imagined.

This book is very hard to put down, a real page-turner with plenty of "Wow, I didn't see that coming" turns. The ending? Well, you have to read it to believe it! Books just don't get any better than this--a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

UPDATED 7/3/13:
Don’t Go by Lisa Scottoline is a good read about an army podiatrist who not only is a hero in Afghanistan, but also fights to become a hero on the home front in spite of being an amputee, his failing business, drug addiction, the death of his wife, and the custody battle for his baby daughter who doesn’t even know him. This book delves into issues vets have when coming home from seeing horrendous things in battle and the struggles they face. Dr. Scanlon has it tough but rises to the challenge after his passionate no-nonsense, kick-butt attorney, Stephanie, “lights a fire” under him and gets him back on track.

I enjoyed this book, it’s a good read and you can’t help but pull for the doctor to succeed and get to the bottom of things. I felt very sorry for him throughout the book; however, the suspense was kind of ruined by the book cover which gives away the ending. I think this would be a good book club read if done along the way because of the characters and the mystery of who killed the Doctor’s wife’s best friend.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

"Save Me" by Lisa Scottoline (UPDATED)

This book starts out good but goes downhill fast at about page 200 or so.  The lead character turns into Nancy Drew.  The story line goes from good to bad and then the main plot is absolutely ridiculous!  Save yourself the trouble, don’t bother reading this one!
(Gerard's review)

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline is a contemporary novel about the strong bond between mothers and daughters.  It looks at the issues of bullying, community, volunteering and ethics.  It is the story of a mom that I think any mother would find interesting and enjoy.  Rose rescues several children from a fire at the school while volunteering as a lunch mom, including her own daughter, is proclaimed to be a mom hero and then later is portrayed as a villain when one girl she thought was safe goes back in and ends up in a coma.  When Rose’s attorneys advise her to sue the school, she fires them and begins her own investigation to find out what really happened that day.  What she finds out was quite a shock! 
I liked Save Me because it made me want to keep reading to see what was going to happen.  Hunting for her daughter in the fire and then being in another fire trying to save the mother who was so mean to her was gripping.  My favorite line of the book is “Every mom is an action hero.”  Although the story is a bit farfetched, it certainly is a good read.  I recommend this to any mother. 
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

"Look Again" by Lisa Scottoline

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline is the second book I have read by her.  It’s about a Ellen, a journalist and single mother who thinks her adopted son looks a lot like the face of a missing child on a postcard she received in the mail.  She becomes paranoid that neighbors may think she kidnapped him and is afraid she may lose him.  Nevertheless, she can’t ignore the fact that her 3-yr.-old son, Will, looks like the missing kid, Timothy.  She goes on a search for the truth to hopefully prove Will is not the same child that turns deadly.  This is a book that starts slowly and an ending that did not surprise me.  My favorite characters were Marcelo, Ellen’s boss and Will’s cat, Oreo Figaro.  I didn’t care much for Ellen at the beginning but did get to like her by the end of the book.  She was smart and courageous. 
If you like books about fierce mothers who fight for their kids or books that address moral dilemmas, this is a good one for you.  I liked Save Me by Lisa Scottoline better though.  My husband starting this one but said it was a woman’s book and gave up on it.  I agree with him—it is geared more to women.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.
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