She Treads Softly: Feared

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Feared

Feared by Lisa Scottoline
St. Martin's Press: 8/14/18
eBook review copy; 400 pages
ISBN-13: 9781250099594
Rosato & DiNunzio Series #6

Feared by Lisa Scottoline is a highly recommended legal thriller and the 6th in the series featuring Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, and Judy Carrier.

Three men are suing the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm for reverse sex discrimination, claiming that the firm wouldn't hire them because they are men. The men's lawyer is Nick Machiavelli. Machiavelli is out for vengeance after previously losing a case to Mary. The whole purpose of this case is to destroy Rosato & DiNunzio. To complicate matters Rosato & DiNunzio's lone male employee, John Foxman, is quoted in the plaintiff's disclosure that he felt like an outsider. When asked about it, Foxman admits the truth to his statement and that he intends to resign. Then the case turns deadly.

With her firm in danger and now murder is involved, Mary's health could be at risk due to the stress since she is seven month's pregnant. Now Mary must figure out what Machiavelli is up too with filing this false complaint and solve a murder. Machiavelli has made his stance clear with his news conferences and playing up to the media to impinge the Rosato & DiNunzio firm. The firm’s hired defense attorney Roger Vitez, who wants them to go on with their business as usual and play it cool, claims he knows how to handle the case.

Feared is wildly entertaining and the story propels forward with a sunny style, even when things are looking dark. (You know, if you follow the series, that it will turn out okay in the end.) Mary's large, diverse Italian-American family and her South Philly neighborhood is as much a character as all the Tonys. The characters are smart and diverse. There is humor along with the seriousness of the plot. But this is an ongoing series and fans have expectations that are met in Feared. Even if you haven't read any of the previous books in the series, you could jump in with this one as enough backstory is provided.

It must be said it is not a perfect novel. There was simply too much preoccupation with Mary's pregnancy and it becomes a tad bit annoying - Mary constantly mentions how huge she is and her pregnancy is the first thing on everyone's mind. The large-Italian-American-family-in-your-business stuff seems overdone and almost a stereotype. The plot twist and game changer is very convenient and a little unbelievable. However, setting aside those few concerns, Feared is an easy-to-read, very entertaining diversion and is a great choice for a relaxing, light summer read.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press via Netgalley.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.