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Fina Ludlow #3
Brutality
Gutsy, relentless, wisecracking P.I. Fina Ludlow is back with her most hard-hitting case yet in the critically acclaimed series by Ingrid Thoft.
When soccer mom Liz Barone is attacked in her kitchen and left with a life-threatening injury, Fina Ludlow is hired by Liz’s mother to identify her attacker. It’s unusual for Fina to take a case that isn’t connected to the family firm, Ludlow and Associates, but Liz was in the process of suing her alma mater, New England University—a suit that could be a legal gold mine.
Twenty years earlier, Liz was an NEU soccer star known for her physical toughness; however, a serious cognitive decline has soured her soccer memories. She’s convinced that her aggressive style of play—and the university’s willingness to ignore head injuries in favor of a win—has put her health and her future in jeopardy, and someone needs to be held responsible.
Was Liz attacked to stop her lawsuit, or were there other secrets in the seemingly innocent woman’s life? Fina convinces her father and boss, Carl, to take the case, and discovers that wading into the financially lucrative and emotionally charged world of collegiate sports requires nerves of steel. As the list of suspects grows and hidden agendas are revealed, Fina wonders if any game is worth the price.
When soccer mom Liz Barone is attacked in her kitchen and left with a life-threatening injury, Fina Ludlow is hired by Liz’s mother to identify her attacker. It’s unusual for Fina to take a case that isn’t connected to the family firm, Ludlow and Associates, but Liz was in the process of suing her alma mater, New England University—a suit that could be a legal gold mine.
Twenty years earlier, Liz was an NEU soccer star known for her physical toughness; however, a serious cognitive decline has soured her soccer memories. She’s convinced that her aggressive style of play—and the university’s willingness to ignore head injuries in favor of a win—has put her health and her future in jeopardy, and someone needs to be held responsible.
Was Liz attacked to stop her lawsuit, or were there other secrets in the seemingly innocent woman’s life? Fina convinces her father and boss, Carl, to take the case, and discovers that wading into the financially lucrative and emotionally charged world of collegiate sports requires nerves of steel. As the list of suspects grows and hidden agendas are revealed, Fina wonders if any game is worth the price.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published June 23, 2015
27 people are currently reading
745 people want to read
About the author
Ingrid Thoft
15 books200 followersINGRID THOFT was born in Boston and is a graduate of Wellesley College. Her interest in the PI life and her desire to create a believable PI character led her to the certificate program in private investigation at the University of Washington. She lives in Seattle with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
December 4, 2022
This 3rd book in the Fina Ludlow private investigator series continues what is turning out to be a richly rewarding crime series with strong characters, a well-considered plot and plenty of intrigue to keep you on your toes.
The brutal attack on Liz Barone in her own kitchen leaves her in a coma and fighting for life. Her mother hires Fina to investigate the attack, hoping that she can give it the attention that the overworked police can’t.
She agrees to take on the case with the added incentive being that there’s the potential that the family law firm might be able to take over the lawsuit that Liz was planning to file against New England University related to brain injuries she claims were sustained while playing soccer for the university. The question in Fina’s mind is whether the attack and the lawsuit are related.
The investigation she conducts serves to highlight just how willing she is to get in the face of potential suspects in order to get information. Her methods are adversarial, forthright and sometimes amusing and consistently entertaining.
In the meantime we are treated to the functional dysfunction of Fina’s relationship with her family. She works for her father’s law firm as the company’s investigator but it’s clear she enjoys being the burr on his butt. To say the family dynamics are complicated would be understating things immensely. Her mother is incapable of love or even sympathy, two of her brothers - lawyers in the firm - are in their father’s thrall and committed to kowtowing to him and then there’s the spectre of her older brother, Rand, with his history of child abuse that sits heavily in Fina’s mind. There’s a lot to absorb but it’s all capably handled by Thoft’s clear narrative.
Although the majority of the story consists of interviews with potential suspects that appear to get her nowhere, there is a steady progression in the case. Add to that the family drama and Fina’s slightly eccentric love/hate relationship with the local police force and I came away feeling suitably fulfilled.
This book won the 2016 Shamus Award for Best Novel, a fitting reward for a perplexing mystery combined with vividly created characters - a few even likable!
The brutal attack on Liz Barone in her own kitchen leaves her in a coma and fighting for life. Her mother hires Fina to investigate the attack, hoping that she can give it the attention that the overworked police can’t.
She agrees to take on the case with the added incentive being that there’s the potential that the family law firm might be able to take over the lawsuit that Liz was planning to file against New England University related to brain injuries she claims were sustained while playing soccer for the university. The question in Fina’s mind is whether the attack and the lawsuit are related.
The investigation she conducts serves to highlight just how willing she is to get in the face of potential suspects in order to get information. Her methods are adversarial, forthright and sometimes amusing and consistently entertaining.
In the meantime we are treated to the functional dysfunction of Fina’s relationship with her family. She works for her father’s law firm as the company’s investigator but it’s clear she enjoys being the burr on his butt. To say the family dynamics are complicated would be understating things immensely. Her mother is incapable of love or even sympathy, two of her brothers - lawyers in the firm - are in their father’s thrall and committed to kowtowing to him and then there’s the spectre of her older brother, Rand, with his history of child abuse that sits heavily in Fina’s mind. There’s a lot to absorb but it’s all capably handled by Thoft’s clear narrative.
Although the majority of the story consists of interviews with potential suspects that appear to get her nowhere, there is a steady progression in the case. Add to that the family drama and Fina’s slightly eccentric love/hate relationship with the local police force and I came away feeling suitably fulfilled.
This book won the 2016 Shamus Award for Best Novel, a fitting reward for a perplexing mystery combined with vividly created characters - a few even likable!
October 1, 2015
I loved this book! So glad it's part of a series - I went to the library and found 2 more. Fina is a cracker-jack PI who reminds me of Kinsey Milhone.
March 16, 2017
I received Brutality by Ingrid Thoft in a giveaway sponsored by the publisher. Review is unbiased.
Brutality is the third book in the Fina Ludlow series. Fina is entertaining as she was in the first two books. She is a tough-no-nonsense character who sticks with it until she solves the case. Her family is a complete trip especially her clueless Mom. Fantastic story. Will definitely continue on with the series. 4 stars
Brutality is the third book in the Fina Ludlow series. Fina is entertaining as she was in the first two books. She is a tough-no-nonsense character who sticks with it until she solves the case. Her family is a complete trip especially her clueless Mom. Fantastic story. Will definitely continue on with the series. 4 stars
August 16, 2015
I love this author! This was another mystery solved by Fina Ludlow. She cracks me up! I love her sense of humor, her integrity and loyalty to those she loves. The story was very good, too, with lots of twists and turns to keep the read off card. I'm guessing there will another one and I can't wait!
September 26, 2017
It's been a while since I've read a mystery novel that actually held my attention the whole way through. Throft's writing kept me reading long into the night. Fina's techniques for getting information are fun and/or thrilling and I'm so into it.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
May 30, 2015
I really do love the Fina Ludlow series. What a great and fun read! Fina is a P.I. in Boston who comes from a powerful family that owns a huge law firm. Never becoming a lawyer herself - she proves invaluable to the family firm whether investigating cases for it or on her own cases that wrap around to the firm one way or another. The family dynamics are one of the things I love about these novels. I swear I want to throttle Fina's cold and clueless mother. The recurring cast of characters of family and friends makes reading a new addition to the series feel like you are catching up with old friends. That's a great accomplishment for the author. That said, this a great thriller standing on its own. Yes, reading the first two in the series is something I recommend because they too are great and you get a richer insight into the dynamics of all the characters. But it is not necessary. Ingrid Thoft deftly provides just enough background so that you can pick up Brutality and enjoy a smart, well-written, often funny, thrilling ride with lots of twists and turns. This one is great. It opens with a mother who has been attacked in her kitchen, left in a coma. She happened to have been initiating a lawsuit against her university for cognitive damages she claims were caused by playing soccer with concussions years ago. And then it is off and running. Only bad thing - I read it too fast and now have to wait for the next one to be published.
May 27, 2015
I love the character of Fina so much. She is like a younger, hipper Kinsey Milhone.
I won this book in a Goodreads contest that I signed up for. Imagine my surprise when it arrived in the mail. There was no advance warning, so it was an excellent suprise.
Fina is trying to figure out who killed Liz Barone. There are so many possible suspects. She always has family drama going on while she is working on her cases. Her parents range from very difficult to impossible. She has three brothers, two she gets along with and one who is a pedophile.
Since the copy I have is an uncorrected proof, I am not sure how much I should say about the book. I do think that it will be a big hit, and no one will ever be bored while reading about Fina Ludlow.
I won this book in a Goodreads contest that I signed up for. Imagine my surprise when it arrived in the mail. There was no advance warning, so it was an excellent suprise.
Fina is trying to figure out who killed Liz Barone. There are so many possible suspects. She always has family drama going on while she is working on her cases. Her parents range from very difficult to impossible. She has three brothers, two she gets along with and one who is a pedophile.
Since the copy I have is an uncorrected proof, I am not sure how much I should say about the book. I do think that it will be a big hit, and no one will ever be bored while reading about Fina Ludlow.
July 10, 2015
The "Fina Ludlow" series is one of my favorites and the 3rd book "Brutality" didn't disappoint!!! :D Fina is such a great character and I loved seeing more of her other sides as this one went even more into her friendship with Risa and them dealing with Risa's biological aunt, as well as all her family drama, and her deepening relationship with Cristian. I really liked the case too and came to care about Liz's mother Bobbi and husband Jamie as well. The supporting characters with the case were great as well. Just love this series and can't wait for the 4th one!!! :D
August 4, 2015
I eagerly awaited this book, having read "Loyalty" and "Identity." As w/the others, I couldn't put this down.
Fina is up to her ears in a death, deceit, lies, an attempt on her life, her family (esp. her mother and Rand who now has a girlfriend w/two young girls), and her love life possibly getting serious.
If you haven't read any of Thoft's other "Fina" series, start w/the first. If you have, pick this up when you have a few hours to spend turning pages because you won't want to stop reading.
Fina is up to her ears in a death, deceit, lies, an attempt on her life, her family (esp. her mother and Rand who now has a girlfriend w/two young girls), and her love life possibly getting serious.
If you haven't read any of Thoft's other "Fina" series, start w/the first. If you have, pick this up when you have a few hours to spend turning pages because you won't want to stop reading.
July 3, 2015
A new Ingrid Thoft book is like a big box of chocolates wrapped up with a bow. A complete treat. Suspenseful, funny, and warm all at the same time. I want to be friends with Fina, the heroine of this series. Flawed yet like able, she is relatable and smart, which makes this series so fun to read.
February 15, 2021
These Fina Ludlow books are totally formulaic. Fina drinks a lot of diet soda and hot chocolate, interviews people while learning nothing and then solving the mystery. Her mother is still a terrible and ignorant person, she sees the same friends etc etc. This one was better in that she didn’t get attacked for once and worse in that it ended too abruptly and wrapped up sloppily. A bunch of untied threads. Don’t know why the sports booster guy did what he did. Don’t know why scientist guy was such an ass. Any repercussions for the doctor? What were the results of Liz’s brain exam? 2 1/2 stars.
January 19, 2018
Excellent. I love Fina and the rest of the Ludlows.
November 24, 2016
This is the third book in the Fina Ludlow series. Fina is a PI in Boston who works primarily for her father's big, prosperous law firm but also takes cases on her own. In this outing Fina is asked to investigate the death of a young woman in her home. The woman had been diagnosed with a brain injury that she was blaming on concussions sustained while playing soccer 20 years ago for New England University and had planned on suing NEU. In the course of the investigation, Fina's father becomes interested in taking over the law suit. There seemed to be less drama between Fina and her "friends with benefits" Milloy and Cristian in this outing which was unfortunate. Those scenes often lent much humor and fun to the books. I didn't think the story was told in as compelling a fashion as the previous two books, and the story seemed to drag on a bit. I am also getting a bit tired of the drama between Fina and her parents, particularly her mother. The thread involving Fina's brother Rand continues in this story. There are certainly seeds planted for the next book which shows promise for a return to the things I liked most about the first two books.
August 28, 2015
A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to nab the ARC of Ingrid Thofts' first Fina Ludlow mystery. Today I finished the latest (#3) in the series, and it's only getting better. I thoroughly enjoy the way Fina unravels the mystery. She's such an incredible creation, tough, funny, extremely competent, as well as being compassionate and fierce. All these qualities shine through in Ms. Thofts' writing. My only caveat would be, this particular story had alot going on and, consequently, took a bit longer to wrap up towards the end. I was, luckily, enjoying it, so it wasn't a huge setback. However, it was a bit of a bummer that I didn't get to see everyone get their due, or figure out, truly, how the lawsuit was going to ruin so many people that everything unfolded just so. Small small complaint to an otherwise sparkling story!
August 7, 2015
Ingrid Thoft's Fina Ludlow, investigator for her family's Boston law firm, takes on a case of her own in the third book in the series. When Liz Barone, a former collegiate soccer player, is assaulted in her kitchen and left with life-threatening injuries, her mother hires Fina with the grudging consent of Liz's husband. Fina, as snarky as ever and downing more junk food than Brenda Johnson of The Closer, suspects the attack on Liz may have been motivated by her lawsuit against New England University, where Liz played soccer and now works as a researcher. She's not wrong, but many people have a stake in Liz's allegations that her recent memory loss resulted from playing soccer with a concussion.
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever
July 22, 2015
Another FANTASTIC Fina Ludlow adventure by Ingrid Thoft!!! Fina is the best PI out there, she's smart, sassy and lives the life people would dream of living!! She takes on the case of Liz Barone, who is attacked in her own home. Many have reasons to want Liz dead, her boss, her colleagues and a few others with whom she is involved. She believes the cognitive issues she is experiencing were caused during her college days at NEU playing soccer, and was making the decision to sue her alma mater when she was attacked. Fina's family, friends and her "cop friends" are once again featured giving Fina other situations to deal with while trying to solve her case. Can't wait for Fina's next case!!
August 2, 2016
I thought this book was good...i might have even gone with 3 and a half stars if that was allowed, but i could not go to 4. I just think there were too many side stories that didnt really go anywhere. I'm not too sure why the story with the aunt with cancer came into the story. I did like hearing about her side relationships. The main story kept me guessing and thats what made me really like the book. Is there another book coming along for the lawsuit? thats what i was left thinking about that part of the story, because it just ended with out answers... I could say so much, but will end here. Overall, it was a pretty good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2015
Liz Barone is attacked in her kitchen and left with a life-threatening injury. Fina Ludlow is hired by Liz's mom to find her attacker. Was the attack a random act or was it connected to Liz's lawsuit against her alma mater, New England University.
This is the 3rd book in the Fina Ludlow Series but you don't have to read the first 2 to enjoy this book.
This is the 3rd book in the Fina Ludlow Series but you don't have to read the first 2 to enjoy this book.
July 18, 2015
Brutality is another entertaining Fina Ludlow mystery, fraught with slick and slimy characters that seem bright and shiny on the outside. It's great fun to want everyone to be guilty! I only hope author Ingrid Thoft will allow Fina some personal growth in future books (unlike some other series with female protagonists, like Stephanie Plum or Kinsey Millhone)
June 30, 2015
I listened to the audio version of Brutality. I love the character Fina Ludlow! Anyone reading, and not listening to Rebecca Soler's narration is missing out. Rebecca Soler brings Fina's character to life! I can't wait for Ingrid's next installment in this series. All of her characters are well developed and I am always invested in all of them!
November 22, 2015
If you enjoy a good P.I. story, you have to read Ingrid Thoft's Fina Ludlow series. Rooted in the Dashiell Hammett and Ross MacDonald tradition, Fina is younger, hipper and female but the intricacies of plot and characters hark back to the golden age of mystery. Get on the bandwagon now, and just hope that Thoft has many more stories to tell.
August 28, 2015
I'm so glad I found this series - Fina Ludlow kicks butt and would be such a great friend to have. Love the Boston-based setting and the pacing, too. I can't wait to see what comes next.
June 2, 2017
In author Ingrid Thoft's third Josefina "Fina" Ludlow series book, "Brutality", the crafty bad ass PI is working on a case outside of the family business. Fina is hired to help find the attacker of former New England soccer star Liz Barone. Liz's mother Bobbi against the advise of the police, hires Fina to find out who broke into Liz's house one morning and smashed her over the head putting her in a coma. Liz who had currently been starting a law suit against NEU for brain injuries from playing hurt (Concussed) some 20 years before. She'd been struggling with cognitive issues for a long period of time and they'd been getting worse. Liz was suffering a condition similar what former football players suffered playing with too many concussions. (Called MCI) Fina soon finds out NEU top booster Kevin Lafferty was doing everything he could to stall the law suit. Fina is also very frustrated by Liz's husband Jamie who seems to be wandering around in his own little world. Fina goes after the doctor for the NEU woman soccer team and gets chastised by the police working on the case. In addition to the Barone case Fina is still acting as a go between friend Risa and her 'Aunt" Greta. Greta sure wants that kidney. With making very little progress on the case Fina huddles between good friend Milloy and Detective Christian Menendez. Menendez it seems wants to attach to the always unattached Fina. At just over 440 pages the plot does run a bit long at points. However the lively protagonist who lives on a diet that would scare doctors and mothers to the bone is a dynamo who refuses to back down or let up. This third Fina Ludlow book is every good as the two previous reads if not better. Very difficult to put down through most of the book it's a solid who done it thriller. Author Ingrid Thoft has quickly proved to be a very capable story teller. Thoft's characters who seem at times to be stiff but yet essential foils for Fina's interactions creating several surprises as the conclusion comes roaring into focus. "Brutality", mixes in plenty of action sequences as it's suspense builds. I've become a big fan of Fina Ludlow. Hopefully I'll get to the fourth book in this series soon. Fives stars out of a possible five stars for author Ingrid Thoft's, "Brutality". This series is a must read for suspense thriller readers. If you haven't discovered Ingrid Thoft's Fina Ludlow books you're certainly missing out on some good stuff. Be sure you get that first book in the series, "Loyalty" and jump right in.
January 20, 2020
Fina Ludlow is a private investigator that among other things works with and for her father. The relationship between Fina and her parents is not a loving one by any means, her father treats her as a lowly employee whose only reason for existence is to bring business, revenue and profits to his law firm. Fina has siblings and their relationships to the parents are similar to hers.
Liz Barone is a former soccer player at New England University, and she is in the process of suing the university for what she is claiming is cognitive decline due to repeated head injuries she suffered while playing for the university. She is attacked in her kitchen and suffers serious injuries, which ultimately prove fatal. Not happy with the actions of the police, Liz’s mother hires Fina to dig into the circumstances of Liz’s death and hopefully uncover the culprit(s).
Fina’s tactics are simple, interview, re-interview and politely harass all people where their name has popped up in her inquiries. There is little text devoted to deep thought on the part of Fina, she openly admits to having an “annoy with questions” style of investigation. Even if she has to interrupt the course of their lives and inject conflict. It reached the point where I found her tactics annoying, developing empathy for all the people she harassed.
There is no gunplay or significant physical conflict in this story, so if you enjoy that style of detective novel, you will be disappointed. Fina ultimately solves the case, so if you are a fan of the female detective that restricts herself to being a pain in the sit-down to almost all players, this is a book for you.
Liz Barone is a former soccer player at New England University, and she is in the process of suing the university for what she is claiming is cognitive decline due to repeated head injuries she suffered while playing for the university. She is attacked in her kitchen and suffers serious injuries, which ultimately prove fatal. Not happy with the actions of the police, Liz’s mother hires Fina to dig into the circumstances of Liz’s death and hopefully uncover the culprit(s).
Fina’s tactics are simple, interview, re-interview and politely harass all people where their name has popped up in her inquiries. There is little text devoted to deep thought on the part of Fina, she openly admits to having an “annoy with questions” style of investigation. Even if she has to interrupt the course of their lives and inject conflict. It reached the point where I found her tactics annoying, developing empathy for all the people she harassed.
There is no gunplay or significant physical conflict in this story, so if you enjoy that style of detective novel, you will be disappointed. Fina ultimately solves the case, so if you are a fan of the female detective that restricts herself to being a pain in the sit-down to almost all players, this is a book for you.
January 24, 2017
Brutality is the tale of a sassy PI with a family full of lawyer brothers. Fina Ludlow departs from the rest of the family's law career path to go into PI work. This bodes well for her father's law firm, as he hires her on a regular basis to suss things out. In this episode of the Fina Ludlow series, Fina investigates the attack of suburban soccer mom in the middle of a lawsuit against a big university. Fina's client is the mother of Liz Barone. Fina dives headlong into a tangle of characters, all of whom have some connection to Liz and perhaps, some reason to hurt her. Thoft does a great job of creating characters that seem plausible to the storyline. Fina Ludlow shines as a sarcastic and strong female lead. The book definitely kept me reading as I was dying to find out whodunit. I would definitely recommend this book as a fun and interesting read for someone who likes a mystery that's not too dark.
I received my copy of Brutality from a Goodreads giveaway in partnershp with the publisher Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
I received my copy of Brutality from a Goodreads giveaway in partnershp with the publisher Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
December 31, 2018
I raced through the four Fina Ludlow books (Loyalty, Identity, Brutality and Duplicity) and cannot wait for the fifth! Ingrid Thoft has created a strong, complex PI and a surrounding cast of interesting characters. The storylines in each book are intense and absorbing, with threads of humor and clear-eyed observations of relationships and emotions. And the best part of all is Thoft’s writing. She has a good ear for conversation and a keen eye for interpersonal relationships- and the result is that both read true and genuine throughout the four books. The action is consistently paced in such a way that it pulls you along but doesn’t beat you up with too much action/anxiety all at once. I highly recommend all four books! Ingrid Thoft is one my favorite finds for 2018!
May 4, 2017
I sped through Brutality, the third in Ingrid Thoft's Fina Ludlow PI series. This one is definitely a step up from the first two. The flow is somewhat similar, in that Fina does an awful lot of running around chasing down clues, but this volume really sticks together well. Part of it has to do with changes in some of Fina's relationships, which lend extra interest and a bit of tension, and part has to do with slight refinements in the writing. Fina still has her hilarious diet, and makes some very entertaining use of Facebook. Matters within her family of origin continue to fluctuate. I'm looking forward to the next one, although I'll probably read a few more library books first.
October 20, 2020
2 - 2.5* I like the protagonist and this series, but this book is not nearly as interesting or polished as the earlier two. The pace crawls. So much of the book is interviews with suspects that only inch the plot forward, and multiple characters are interviewed multiple times, adding very little to what we already knew. The tedium and slow movement are probably realistic from an investigative perspective, but don’t make for great reading. Fina also has less interaction with her family in this book than she did an earlier books, and understanding her in the context of her family is part of what interests me about her character. I feel like the book could easily be condensed 50 to 75 pages.
August 24, 2023
Liz, a former soccer star, is attacked in her kitchen and is in a coma. Liz’s mom hires Fina to find out her attacked Liz. During Fina’s investigation she uncovers, infidelity, drug usage, and lots of secrets. Liz had filed a lawsuit against her university due to having head trauma for years which is attributed to years of playing soccer. Who wants Liz out of the way? Fina is helping her friend, Risa, with a difficult decision as well as dealing with her mother, her niece and her brother, Rand, who is a pedophile. So many issues in this book. Plus the fact that it all takes place in Boston which I know very well.
November 8, 2023
This is another entertaining book by Thoft. The main character, Fina, isn’t quite as quirky as she is in the earlier books—reading about every diet soda and sugary snack loses its “charm” after a while.
The story does not have as much action as the book before it. It is predominantly interviews and food.
Both of which will entertain you. I am making it sound boring. It isn’t.
Lastly, the author had a character “smirk”—three pages later, someone else smirked and a few pages later ANOTHER character smirked. I almost smirked and threw the book in the trash!! Are good editors hard to find?
Ignore my grumbling. Enjoy the book.
The story does not have as much action as the book before it. It is predominantly interviews and food.
Both of which will entertain you. I am making it sound boring. It isn’t.
Lastly, the author had a character “smirk”—three pages later, someone else smirked and a few pages later ANOTHER character smirked. I almost smirked and threw the book in the trash!! Are good editors hard to find?
Ignore my grumbling. Enjoy the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews