Courting Trouble

Rosato and Associates #7

by Lisa Scottoline

Anne Murphy thought she'd put her unhappy past a continent behind her when she joined Philadelphia attorney Bennie Rosato's all-woman law firm. Then a friend who's housesitting for Anne is murdered in what's clearly a case of mistaken identity, and Anne realizes that the past has caught up with her and that the only way to outrun it is to catch the killer before he realizes that she's still alive. But how can Anne play dead with a high-profile case just days away from starting? The only way to pull it off is to let her new colleagues in on the secret, which would mean telling them her other secrets, too, including the fact that she's in love with opposing counsel and the probability that her client may not be as innocent as she thought he was.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense, Legal Thriller

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 22, 2002

About the author

Lisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and Edgar award-winning author of 33 novels. Her books are book-club favorites, and Lisa and her daughter Francesca Serritella have hosted an annual Big Book Club Party for over a thousand readers at her Pennsylvania farm, for the past twelve years. Lisa has served as President of Mystery Writers of America, and her reviews of fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She also writes a weekly column with her daughter for the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled Chick Wit, a witty take on life from a woman’s perspective, which have been collected in a bestselling series of humorous memoirs. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in English, and cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she taught Justice and Fiction. Lisa has over 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries. She lives in the Philadelphia area with an array of disobedient pets and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

After discovering a short story by Lisa Scottoline, I became highly curious about the series to which it relates. Diving in, I have devoured seven of the novels in a week and the binge addiction is real. This is a series that mixes great legal topics with a strong thriller foundation, allowing characters to grow and present all sides of themselves for attentive readers. This novel presents another associate at the law firm of Rosario and Associates, complete with her dark backstory. Anne Murphy developed a stalker during one of the cases that helped put her on the map. When the man was incarcerated, Anne was sure that was the end to her troubles. However, a friend is killed in her home while Anne is away and everyone is sure it’s Anne who met her demise. Who wants her dead and how will Anne get to the bottom of it? She will have to reach out to her colleagues and boss to get answers, while staying off the radar, as she could be next, with a killer on the loose. Scottoline presents another unique case with legal implications that will have the reader highly impressed.

Anne Murphy is a great attorney, willing to bend the rules to get convictions, even if that means raising some eyebrows. However, one of her cases leaves a stalker to follow her, even after he is placed in custody for a long time. Moving to Philadelphia, Anne joins the law firm of Rosato and Associates, when Bennie Rosato welcomes her to the all-woman firm. When a friend of Anne’s is murdered while house sitting, it soon becomes clear that it was a case of mistaken identity. Laying low, Anne lets everything think she’s still dead, though she is determined to discover the truth. Reaching out to Bennie and her colleagues, Mary DiNunzio, as well as Judy Carrier, Anne will have to sneak under the radar to get answers.

Sure that this is her stalker back on the loose, Anne begins laying a trap, only to discover that a prison break in California leaves Anne’s ideas a distinct possibility. Fear and determination help Anne continue to work the awe, though she will have to be sure the actual victim’s family is aware of their horrible loss. Bennie, Mary, and Judy work hard to help, all while trying not to leave any crumbs in a case that is sure to garner many headlines, once the vultures of the press discover what’s going on.

All this, while a high-profile case is on the horizon and Anne has high hopes of winning in the courtroom. Anne thought dodging her stalker was enough, but the budding romance with the opposing counsel as well keeps things form getting boring. Forced to juggle it all at once, Anne will have to make her moves succinctly as she skirts danger at every turn. However, something will have to give if Anne is going to come out on top and live to tell the story. Scottoline does it again with a legal thriller that has teeth.

There is a great sense of excitement and interest that comes across me when I read the novels in this series. Lisa Scottoline does a masterful job offering up a great narrative, filling the books with details of the law, as well as a peppering of humour. There is so much action to follow and a significant amount of backstory for those characters who have already graced the pages of the series, particularly the female protagonists. Adding Anne Murphy to the group will create new flavourings and perspectives to enrich the larger story arcs of the series. Plot lines in this novel work well with some of the past sentiments and directions, but new ideas pop up in the best places. There is a richness to the series that emerges with each book and I cannot wait to see how things progress. As this portion of the series is almost done, I will have to devour the last few books before pushing into new and exciting ones to keep me entertained.

Kudos, Madam Scottoline, for never failing to impress!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Michelle Lowery · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first Lisa Scottoline book I ever read. I've since gone on to read a few other, earlier ones, and now I have to wonder what the heck happened between those and this one?! Her earlier books are really good, and I'm not even a big mystery fan. This was a departure from her usual talent in so many ways. There were several problems with this book, many of which have been thoroughly discussed here, so I'll focus on the one that bothered me the most: the constant, almost every-other-page mentioning of brand names.

I felt like I was reading commercials interspersed with the story. Anne Murphy doesn't just wear shoes, she wears Manolo Blahniks. She's in debt up to her eyeballs, but she's just gotta have those $500-a-pair shoes. And Oakley sunglasses. And a Mustang. And Deer Park water. Yes, even the water she drinks is mentioned by name. And...the list goes on. I got the sense that the author was maybe trying to get free stuff from those manufacturers. Hey look! I mentioned you in my book! Can I have a pair of shoes? I also got the sense that Ms. Scottoline was trying to make Anne Murphy out to be the legal version of Carrie from Sex and the City. She's just as annoying. Oh, I can't pay my rent, but I'll spend hundreds, no, thousands of dollars on shoes and then ask my friends to bail me out! Women spent a lot of years trying to bury those stereotypes only to have them thrown in our faces by writers this way. But I digress.

The story was ok, the characters ok, although Bennie's "mothering" went overboard at times. I'll be honest, I didn't see the plot twist coming and never suspected the real killer, not once, so kudos there. However, I also might have been very distracted and annoyed by that point with all the advertising.

If you're a Scottoline fan, I guess you'll need to read this one to know Anne in subsequent novels. If you haven't read her before, start with the older ones. She truly is a gifted writer with an awesome sense of humor that has me literally laugh out loud at times. This book must have been written during an off-year for her. Don't give up on her completely.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the seventh book in the Rosato & Associates series, and no, I haven't read them in order. This series is an odd combination of Legal Thriller and Chick lit. It moves at a fast pace and there is a lot of action going on, but it gets a little silly here and there. However, it was entertaining enough I gave it the benefit of the doubt. 3.5 rounded to 4

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attorney Anne Murphy is in the middle of a difficult and high-profile case when she decides to take a little holiday over the July 4th weekend and head to the lakeshore for a much needed mini-vacation. Before she left Philadelphia she arranged with a casual acquaintance, Willa, to take care of Anne's cat. While out for an early morning jog Anne spots the headlines at a news vendors stand and is shocked to see her own name on the front page. An intruder had broken into Anne's home and murdered Willa, but it is assumed that the body is Anne's. Anne is sure she knows who the killer is, a stalker who nearly killed Anne when she lived in Los Angeles. After he was arrested Anne fled the west coast to start a new life in Philadelphia. After she learns that Kevin has escaped from prison, Anne decides to remain 'dead', only letting a few people know that she is still alive, and try to find Kevin on her own.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd give this a 2.5 if I could - the narration was very good, but the story itself pretty weak. I've enjoyed earlier books in this series but found this one tough to get through and if I'd been reading the book rather than listening to it, I might have set it aside. I found myself saying "you moron" over and over to the CD as the protagonist did one idiotic thing after another. And this woman is a lawyer representing other people's interests? She exercises such poor judgment in her own life, she's fortunate she's not really dead.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointly mediocre and vapid, sort of a second rate Janet Evanovich knock-off. "Look Again" was my first Scottoline...well-written, interesting twists, finely developed characters, so I began collecting Scottoline books. Hmmmm, may be unloading them on Paperbackswap. The author tries to make her character 'hip' with all sorts of brand recognition (Manolo Bhlaniks), faux-snappy repartee, crazy-brave action. In the span of just a couple of days, her law firm co-workers go from hating and ignoring her for the year she has worked there, to being gal pals. Just too much of a stretch for me.

[Suzy Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

[Connie Donnelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to a good thriller. Although there were a few good moments and an ending I didn't see coming it really read like a Janet Evanavich wannabe. Scottoline has done better.

[vann_2.0 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars actually. Some parts feel slow, but at times where it’s picked up, it’s more of a fun read. I also found several parts to be written in a confusing way. Many corny moments as well, but no big deal. Also is feels like every other character is a blonde with blue eyes. Not a bad read overall.

[Susan Gottfried]

Wow. This turned into a dumpster fire.

First off, I want to know how someone with student loans for years and years to come can afford multiple pairs of Blahniks. And to rent a car and a house for the holiday weekend at the last minute. And live alone. And open her wallet at every turn, even though she makes a comment early on about debt.

I mean, yeah, sure, it's easy to see how she wound up in so much debt (although other than her credit card and those school loans, which iirc don't even come up until the end, making them feel tacked on and not something organic to the character at the start of the book), but it's kind of a Shopaholic series mindset, and it's totally not one I get. I don't have a lot of patience or sympathy for people who spend their way out of financial trouble.

If only Anne had stopped with the foolish behavior with the money stuff. But she doesn't, although it did lead to an interesting discussion between me and another editor about two tropes in fiction that feature prominently in this book.

The first is "The cops told me not to do it but I'm going to do it anyway and just not tell them." There are SO many problems embedded in this idea.

And yet Anne doesn't just thumb her nose at the cops, she thumbs her nose at her boss and her coworkers, who she quickly decides aren't just coworkers but are her girlfriends, too. This isn't how you treat a friend, Anne! (How quickly we go from liking a spunky heroine with a fun voice to absolutely loathing her.)

The second trope is "I'm going to confront the killer but not tell anyone what I'm doing or who the killer is." And... okay, we sort of have a pass for Anne here because she did tell people who the killer was...

HELLO. THE MAN IS A KILLER. HIS GOAL IS TO KILL YOU. ARE YOU TOO STUPID TO LIVE?

(Apparently. Or would be, in real life.)

So Anne runs off half-cocked, in her Blahniks, and thinks she's smarter than everyone. Ugh. Shudder.

And the men? Her client's a lech, her ex is a killer, her romantic lead joins her in doing stupid things that should really get them both in deep shit, the plaintiff's husband is physically abusive without a care, the cops initially don't want to do their jobs and don't do anything to help, the deputy or assistant or whatever police commissioner is passive and ineffective but glad to soak in the glory the women engineer, the doorman stares at everyone's breasts.

Is there a male in this book who ISN'T a loser?

Just... UGH.

Mary's parents are stereotypes thrown in because... WHY?

Was there really a safe house, or was that thrown in as a convenient last-minute plot device that got pulled out of thin air? Because that's how it felt.

And the ending goes on WAY too long. Again UGH. Those last 25 pages got skimmed and still bored me. End it already. Put me out of my misery. Oh, and don't open the door to healing in a toxic relationship at the very very tip of the Are We Finally There Yet? end. This does so much harm to anyone involved in a real-life toxic relationship with a parent who is pushed and pushed to fix things and make it right. That's an entire other rant for another time, but suffice it to say that it's not the heartwarming second chance authors want it to be. Toxic is toxic and an epiphany about how bad you acted for years and years may be real and it may not be real, but the person who suffered because of your bad behavior doesn't need to open themselves up to further hurt in the name of a heartwarming reconciliation engineered by others. An epiphany doesn't mean the toxic person has done the heavy lifting to change -- if they are even capable of it. It just means they're saying the words that people around them want to hear, and they only want to hear them out of hope to make things okay, not because they understand the situation.

UGH.

This is one of those books that makes me mourn for the time I spent reading it. Lost time. Time I can't get back. Time I can't spend on something as good as the early pages of this were.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character in Courting Trouble is a tremendous I Love Lucy fan. This book has all the reality of an I Love Lucy plot. Most of the women in the book are Lucy-ish scatterbrains. Luckily, parts of it are almost as funny as Lucy, and that makes up for a lot.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so back and forth with this one it was really hard to rate. I'd probably give it 2 1/2 stars but I'm rounding up because it did keep me turning the pages and the overall story was pretty good.
I liked that Anne had a cat and as she moved from place to place, the cat was mentioned and went with her so I wasn't constantly wondering where the cat was. But I didn't like how everyone kept giving the cat milk, and I HATED that the cat was declawed. That seemed really stupid and unnecessary.
I liked the overall "girl power" in this book. The women-only law firm, headed by a strong, ass-kicking woman is the reason I enjoy this series. In this one I especially liked the friendship that developed among the women, and the fact that relationships between women can be catty and difficult was addressed. I liked how the ladies all had each other's backs and never did they rely on a man to help them. Until (and here's the part I absolutely hated) Anne finally confronts her stalker and makes that final stand. Even though she initiated it and she went into the situation armed, she somehow still manages to become helpless and has to rely on a man to swoop in and save the day. I was extremely annoyed by that.
But then, just as I was ready to throw the book across the room, we find out that her stalker wasn't actually the killer! And she does handle and dispatch the killer herself, with no help from anyone. I liked the twist and the fact that she saved herself.
I also mostly liked Anne, but her constant Mental Notes were annoying and stupid.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Murphy is the newest member of the law firm Rosato and Associates. She’s a good lawyer though her mettle has yet to be tested in the real sense.

Anne’s current case has procured a case with the successful dot.com client Gil Martin who she met while going to university. As far as she’s concerned, she’s on her way. Gil has been charged with sexual harassment. His wife supports him and it looks like a slam dunk for Anne.
It turns out that Anne’s life at R&A is lonely, her associates have not warmed up to her, not the least of which is because she is a stunning redhead, always perfectly attired, coifed and made up. A bit intimidating to Judy and Mary, to say the least.

Anne is unable to bridge the personal gap so continues on her solitary road, going to the gym, work and home. She’s not much of a socializer and is new to the city. She relocated because she’d been the victim of an erotomaniac, Kevin Satorno, who stalked and threatened her life until she charged him and had him put away.

It’s the 4th of July weekend, Anne leaves the office after assuring her disinterested colleagues that she had a date, and headed to the gym. She ran into Willa Hansen, an interesting person as well, who encouraged her to leave town for the weekend and overcame her only objection by offering to cat sit. Perfect, off Anne went to the seaside to work on her files in relative peace and quiet, rather than the 4th of July zoo which would be happening outside her condo. Seems everyone’s happy. The next morning Anne glances at the local paper to find a headline that announces her murder. Panicked and not sure what has happened, she’s pretty positive it has something to do with Kevin, she rushes back. Sadly, the murdered woman is Willa. Anne goes into hiding with a resolve to solve the murder, when she finds out that Kevin has walked away from prison, her quest is to find and kill him herself.

I’m feeling that working for Rosato and Associates is kind of the same as living in Cambridge, bad things happen. The tribulations experienced by the associates and partners make good reading.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series! Lisa Scottoline writes excellent legal novels and interspersed within the storylines the reader can always count on navigating references unique to Philly (Philadelphia to out-of-towners) either in the areas of the city traveled, the food consumed, or the diversity of the law firm's lawyers, clientele, and the people they interact with throughout the city.

For anyone that has attended any part of the week long July 4th "Welcome America" holiday extravaganza celebrations in Philly is aware of the special delight on July 4th itself when a free outdoor concert is held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The concert is followed by fireworks. This venue in particular is an extraordinary celebration to attend but it's also easy to understand why a Philadelphia resident would want to escape the traffic, crowds, and road closures and parking restrictions. Anne Murphy, a newcomer to Philly and rookie at the Rosato & Associates law firm needs quiet to prepare for a major trial that begins on July 5th. Although last minute it seems she's on her way to her own extraordinary weekend getaway to have some peace and quiet work time at the Jersey shore. She didn't anticipate her past coming back to haunt her with the opening scene of her nightmare a newspaper headline proclaiming "Lawyer Found Murdered" and the lawyer's photo with a caption name that is her own.

Anne Murphy will make many "Mental Notes" through the novel and some are absolutely humorous while others are poignant reminders. Either way they are not to be missed and add another versatile layer of writing style in this novel.

[Jeannine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Scottoline's mysteries because of her strong women characters and the location of her novels in Philadelphia and South Jersey. A resident of the area since 1971, it's fun to read about places you know and people you can relate to. That being said, this was not a favorite. I found Anne Murphy a bit too shallow and narcissistic to be a likeable character or believable. While these may be characteristics of many lawyers (sorry) they don't fit in Bernie Rosato's firm. However the ending was unexpected and that was a plus.

[Gary Gallucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Murphy is a young, newly hired attorney at the all-female law firm of Rosato & Associates. Unfortunately, she brings with her a rather problematic past. Anne is apparently being pursued by a former, obsessive boyfriend who now seems intent on killing her. When Anne's recently hired cat-sitter is mistakenly murdered, Anne goes into hiding. As the Rosato team rallies around their fellow employee, Anne makes one stupid decision after another in her efforts to put an end to her ongoing nightmare. Rather than confide in the police, she places herself in danger time and again, to the point where the reader gets totally disgusted with her antics. I was totally disgusted with her antics.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne is the newest member of the all-female Rosato & Associates law firm. She's recently moved from the West Coast to Philadelphia to put a harrowing situation behind her.

A few days before her first big case goes to trial, her cat sitter is shot in her house, and Anne is proclaimed dead. Anne uses this case of mistaken identity to try and figure out who tried to kill her and why.

Entertaining yarn with a twist at the end, it has all of the marks of a Scottoline novel - snappy dialogue, high profile setting (Philly on the 4th of July), and romance.

[Nicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining but not very good. Started out fun. Was a bit corny. I started to not like the main character as she did one stupid thing after another, and got away with it and forgiven for it.
Plot: a young lawyer goes away and her house sitter gets murdered in her stead. She pretends to be the victim in order to catch the killer.

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m borrowing from several newspaper comments that are on the inside cover of this enjoyable paperback. “The scenes are fast-paced, the dialogue crisp. And, as usual with author Scottoline, the ending surprises.” “A good-hearted romp with enough fireworks to entertain even the most jaded palate.” I could not have expressed it any better!

[Kennedy]

I continue to be entertained. This read focuses on Ann Murphy and boy does she have trouble following her. Look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Judy Churchill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I guess I’ve read so many books of this genre that there was nothing very exciting about this one.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only for fans of the Rosato and Associates series.
Nice to see old friends: Mary, Benny, Judy, Mrs. DiNunzio (my favorite).
The new associate Ann is a cardboard cutout of a gorgeous redhead, with a couple details thrown in to make her appear more 3 dimensional. It did not work
The actual mystery is mildly entertaining but the series has written itself out. Formula is no longer effective.

[Amy Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just recently finished reading Lisa Scottoline’s novel Courting Trouble, a 300-page thriller following a young Philadelphia lawyer, Anne Murphy, after she is falsely reported murdered. Anne leaves town for Independence Day weekend, only to find her own face printed on the front page of the newspaper at her beach house, under a headline claiming that Anne was murdered in her Philadelphia apartment the night before. Letting the public believe she is dead, Anne sets out to discover who tried to kill her. And to stop them before they actually do succeed.

Layered with forbidden romance, blossoming friendships, and a past that Anne has tried to keep hidden since she moved to Philadelphia, Courting Trouble is engaging in ways that keep readers turning pages well into the night. Scottoline keeps readers guessing with unexpected plot twists and strategically placed cliffhangers that made the book nearly impossible to put down. The characters are developed with distinct personalities that help transport the reader into Anne’s life at the Philadelphia law firm of Rosato & Associates. Scottoline dives into Anne’s family life, romantic life, and work life at the law firm, while slowly revealing the past that she keeps trying to run away from.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a novel to read for pleasure. It may not be classical literature, but it is an excellent choice for readers in search of a fun, relatable page-turner. Filled with humor, suspense, and romance, Courting Trouble is an upbeat, pleasurable read -- and perfect for keeping your mind busy during this period of social isolation!

[Robert Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Murphy is a gorgeous redhead and the rookie at Rosato & Associates. She has a big case defending a start-up internet company Chipster.com from a sexual harassment suit. She has come from California fleeing the notoriety of a stalker sent to prison and the abandonment by her mother. And the women at R & A are not exactly welcoming. She converses with another loner at the gym and is convinced to take the July 4 weekend at the Jersey shore to have peace & quiet to work on her case. Instead while there she sees a newspaper headline declaring that she has been murdered at her home. She finds that her stalker has escaped prison & is probably in the Philadelphia area. She is sure that he is the murderer of her gym mate who has been cat sitting in her house. To protect herself she decides to remain dead until Kevin Satorno is again in custody. It will be 3 full days until the PD is back at full strength & all the city, state & federal offices are available for information. She wears several different disguises, plays hookie with Mary & Judy looking for K, sleeps with the opposing attorney, fights with her client, is slugged by his client, finds Benny is allergic to cats and generally is in deep trouble all through the holiday weekend. Then she barely escapes being killed by the complainant in the lawsuit who admits killing Willa. +

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 4th of July weekend in Philadelphia! What a great place to be to celebrate the birth of our country!

I love the all women law firm of Rosato & Associates! In this book, we get to know associate Anne Murphy, the smart & pretty stand-offish redhead with the perfect makeup. We learn she moved to Philadelphia from California to start over after testifying against Kevin Satorno, who had tried to kill her. And guess who has escaped from prison!

She heads to the Jersey shore to work on an upcoming case for the weekend… but her first morning there, she reads that she was found murdered in her home. Obviously not her! Sadly, it was her house sitter who had been murdered, but Philadelphia doesn’t yet know that.

Excellent book! Fast paced, action packed and fun! Anne is a very likable women, as it turns out… smart as hell and quite the rebel.

[L. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a book club choice that I'm sure I wouldn't have picked to read on my own. The writing style (not subject matter) reminded me of a cross between Stephanie Plum and the writer of 50 Shades, neither of which I care for. Main character is a gorgeous attorney who, while on a holiday weekend away, finds out she's been "murdered" in her home due to a mistake in identity. The actions she & the other characters take are too outrageous to be believable while they try to find her stalker ex they believe is the murderer before they disclose who the real victim is. Her "mental notes" made my eyes roll so hard that between that and the bad writing I gave up after 100 or so pages. Too many good books out there to waste time on this.

[Sandy Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne is the newest member of Rosato and Associates and feels unwanted and disliked. Anne felt her past had come knocking on her door and was determined to catch the presumed killer on her own by staying "dead". Both situations change when she is presumed murdered and the firm posts a $50,000 reward for the killer and then, accidentally, discover Anne is alive. A suspenseful hunt for her stalked left me breathless and amazed at the courage (and, possibly, stupidity) of these courageous young ladies as they put themselves in really dangerous situations. The story takes place Independent Day Weekend in Philadelphia and it was fun reading all the details of Philadelphia and some of its customs. And, as often happens with Scottoline mysteries, the ending comes from left field!

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Murphy is the newest associate at the Philadelphia law firm of Rosato & Associates. She is also a smart, gorgeous, young redhead with a sexual discrimination case that may be impossible to win, although her courtroom antics at least get her noticed.

When she takes the advice of a new friend and heads out of town for the weekend, she doesn't expect to see her own face in the paper next to a headline saying she's dead! Going back, she works with - and against - various people as she tries to solve her own murder while prepping up to solve her nearly unsolvable case.

Good antics, well written, with only the closing bit with the final clinic being not only unbelievable but distasteful.

[Arzikia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mental note: I enjoyed it, although the linking and pulling through of the plot was a bit ridiculous and over done. I didn't expect the final twist of Beth being the killer in the end, but by then my cup of this is somewhat absurd had run over.

How fortunate, however, to pick up a novel so timely by complete chance. Happy 4th of July to all the devout readers. May God continue to bless the USA.🗽🇺🇸

[Colleen Vacha tuescher · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. Worse than awful. Horribly unbelievable scenes, wholly improbable situations and the constant, I mean CONSTANT dropping of name brand products made it a real struggle to finish this book. Luckily I've read others and know that better exists. If this was my introduction to this author, i would never pick up another title.