Dead Ringer

Dead Ringer

Philadelphia lawyer Bennie Rosato has her eye focused firmly on the bottom line, especially since she has three dedicated young associates and a very pregnant secretary on her payroll, and she takes a professional risk, charging into a class action lawsuit that could make -- or break -- her career. Never mind that she's never handled anything like this before. Having won nearly every civil and criminal case she's ever tried, the brilliant and unconventional Bennie has the guts, and she'll do what it takes to succeed. Even if that means wearing pantyhose and putting herself on a curse diet. Then her wallet goes missing. And Bennie's life goes crazy. It's not just that one of her associates has dyed her hair pink. Or that another's old-world Italian mother gives Bennie the evil eye. But someone posing as the outspoken, blue-eyed, blond attorney is wreaking havoc around town, apparently determined to destroy everything Bennie loves. Only one person can pull off this double deception -- Bennie's identical twin sister, Alice Connelly. But as far as Bennie knows, Alice left Philly long ago and never looked back. When events escalate into murder, the maverick lawyer realizes that the stakes are far greater than she feared. But Bennie Rosato refuses to be anyone's victim. To find the killer, she'll plunge head-first into a life-and-death investigation that will bring her face-to-face with evil darker yet more familiar than anything before. A riveting legal thriller set against the backdrop of a richly emotional family story, Dead Ringer is this author's most intriguing novel yet. According to USA Today, "Scottoline's writing style is sharp, intelligent, funny, and hip. She gives fans of legal thrillers a good, twisty plot, lively characters, and an all-around fun read." With this book, Scottoline delivers a tour de force that is not to be missed. Bennie Rosato's all-female Philadelphia law firm has seen better days so it's no surprise when Bennie jumps at the chance to represent Robert St. Amien, a debonair European businessman whose U.S. interests are being stolen by a naive trade association's collusive practices. Though Bennie sees dollar signs, there is a group of similarly situated foreign businesses also seeking damages, which brings the case to class-action status, something about which neither Bennie nor her associates possess much expertise. Bennie is game to learn as she goes, but her learning curve is slowed by other distractions, mainly the reappearance of her estranged identical twin sister (from Mistaken Identity , 1999), who is impersonating Bennie and causing no end of trouble. This episode is a bit short on thrills, but it's nice to have Bennie back in the spotlight in a series whose focus jumps among the four partners. Mary Frances Wilkens Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved As if lawyer Bennie Rosato doesn't have enough problems trying to keep her struggling firm afloat, she finds that someone has been impersonating her around town and causing mayhem. Then the cops arrive and Bennie is accused of robbing a jewellery store. Just another rip-roaring day in the all-female Philadelphia law firm of Rosato and Associates, whose wacky staff deal with adversity by kicking it in painful places. Scottoline has built a big reputation with her Rosato sequence of legal thrillers, their ingenious blend of farce and suspense earning her the Edgar Award for crime fiction as well as a host of other honours. This time Scottoline excels herself with a novel that combines crime and an emotional family saga. Bennie, the heroine, is a feisty individual who can't help wise-cracking even when death stares her in the face. She doesn't find it especially funny, however, when her ex-convict identical-twin sister Alice turns up and sets out to cause ruin. A would-be murderer then begins to stalk Bennie just as it seems she has found a way to save both her reputation and cash-strapped law firm. The plot has many labyrinthine twists and a wonderfully conceived ending, while the cast of hardboiled characters and their sizzling dialogue are unforgettable. Americans seem to write this type of novel particularly well - in particular Scottoline's writing can be compared to that of Scott Turow and Janet Evanovich. Previous books in the Rosato series have been criticized for their excessive use of profanity. It seems Scottoline has got the message - the swearing here is pared to a minimum. This is by far the best Rosato book yet. (Kirkus UK) --Amazon In great condition --Seller Lisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and award-winning author of more than thirty-two novels. She also co-authors a bestselling non-fiction humor series with her daughter, Francesca Serritella. There are more than thirty million copies of Lisa's books in print in more than thirty-five countries. She lives in Pennsylvania with an array of disobedient but adorable pets.