Customer Reviews

Everywhere That Mary Went

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Lisa Scottoline in her debut Everywhere That Mary Went introduces feisty Mary DiNunzio of South Philadelphia. Mary is a recently widowed, soon to be made partner of a prestigious law firm. Mary is also being stalked. She is receiving prank phone calls, notes and being followed by a car. She is getting spooked and beginning to wonder if the stalker could have been the hit and run driver who killed her husband.

She has two good friends who are very interesting characters, Brent, her secretary and Judy, fellow lawyer. She also has a new love interest who she is afraid may be the stalker.

Overall the book is a well planned and paced mystery, with characters who are interesting and entertaining. Book is not deeply intellectual, but that is not why one would read a book such as this. It has good entertainment value.

With intelligent humor and an eagle eye trained on life in the trenches of big firms, Scottoline delivers a can't-put-it-down mystery centering on a litigator in Philadelphia. Recently-widowed Mary DiNunzio, who now shares her apartment with only an indifferent cat, starts receiving strange messages and telephone calls. When she is followed by an unknown person in a non-descript dark car, and her apartment is entered, things start becoming alarming. Since Mary is up for partnership at Stalling & Webb, she suspects that the culprit may be a competitor, or someone else who is attempting to thwart her ambitions.

The novel's best feature is its on-the-nose description of law firm life. Any female litigator who has spent some time in court will wince with recognition at the opening chapter. One need not have been actually forced to sing to recognize the hubris of certain judges as it is played out in motion practice. And how's this analysis of how a firm runs:

"I walk back to my office. I've done my job, which is to make Martin look good. That's why he goes alone to Berkowitz's office, to take credit for the writ. Likewise, since Martin's raison d'etre is to make Berkowitz look good, he'll let Berkowitz take the credit when he telephones Harbison's General Counsel. Because Berkowitz has made the GC look good to his CEO, the GC will send him more cases. ASAP. And partners who bring in the most business make the most money."

Game, set and match.

My only slight disappointment with this book is that while you will keep guessing "who done it," the ending is somewhat contrived -- it does not make too much sense that the guilty party would be who she or he is. As in all good mysteries, however, the ends are neatly tied up. This book is a great first novel by one who would soon thereafter win an Edgar.

Mary DiNunzio is an associate at a reputable Philadelphia law firm and is arguing a motion in court for the second time. She is nervous, but well prepared. When the judge embarasses her by making her sing her client's jingle in open court she is reminded of how hard she has to work to impress and succeed in a profession dominated by men. She workes tirelessly everyday while also dealing with the memory of her husband who was killed less than a year prior in a hit and run car crash.

When Mary wins her motion she is, at first, elated, but when mysterious unsigned notes start showing up in her mail she worries that they might be tied to a recent string of hangup calls she is receiving. Then her male secretary is killed before her eyes in a hit and run crash that is eerily similar to the death of her beloved husband. She takes comfort in the arms of Ned Waters, coworker and law school classmate. But what she initially takes for love and affection may prove to be more than is appropriate in a healthy relationship. Mary finds herself looking over her shoulder trying to determine who, if anyone is out to get her and what their motive is. All the while, she is focused on preventing these threats from interfering with her continuing on the law firm partership track.

This is Lisa Scottoline's first novel that introduces Mary and Judy Carrier, each who play prominently in this series of legal thrillers that features strong female lawyers. The book is an easy read and fairly entertaining. I also continue to enjoy how Scottoline changes the narrator and point of view for each book, but continues to include the same cast of characters and revolve around their interactions and legal achievements.

The downside of this book is that it is very reminiscent of her novel Courting Trouble which I happened to read prior to this one. Maybe it is more accurate to say that Courting Trouble resembles this book given the order in which they were written, but it was disappointing to read this one and wonder if I had actually read this book before, or if it was just extremely similar and familiar to some of the others.

This series continues to be entertaining, but it is not particularly fantastic. Scottoline's plots are not overly original and sometimes her heroine's are a bit weak, but overall they are page turners and worth continued reading.

Lisa Scottoline's first novel is quite an accomplishment. A story that is gripping and gives you clues but not in an obvious way. I was surprised until the "big revelation." The characters are not super-human. They are regular people which lends to the authentic feel.

Mary DiNuzio is a litigator on the fast track to partnership in a top lawfirm in Philly. Mary has thrown herself into her work after her husband's unexpected death. We are first endeared to Mary as she is asked to sing by a judge during a hearing. She wins the motion on her arguement but this shows her understanding of how the game is played.

She starts to get the feeling that someone is watching her. Mary starts getting notes and calls where no one speaks but is still on the phone. A suspicious car is also seen frequently as Mary goes around down. Eventually the police are called but they don't really believe her accusations.

Mary has a male secretary named Brent. He keeps her sane, safe, and on track to make partner. Mary's best friend, Judy, is also concerned about the calls, notes, and car following Mary. They work together to figure out who is sending notes to Mary and following her around in car.

There are glimpes of Mary twin sister, Angie, and her parents. A new love interest, from the lawfirm , keeps us guessing about his motives.

These characters are woven around Mary like a cocoon. The pacing of the activites are so craftly written. Watching the story unfold is like driving in traffic. Sometimes you feeling like you're moving along, the next minute you're getting cutoff, and lastly you just don't move. A wonderful mystery for those who enjoy a challange.

This is a terrific book and, amazingly enough, Lisa Scottoline's first novel. Ms. Scottoline has the amazing ability to write books that move at the speed of lighting and yet are filled with interesting, complicated characters.

Mary is so real that you will feel that you know her. The same is true of all the supporting characters. I've read the book twice and enjoyed it both times.

The solution to the mystery is genuinely surprising. (And I'm a seasoned mystery reader and am not often surprised.)

Be sure to read all of Ms. Scottoline's other books as well. You don't have to love mysteries to enjoy them!

This is a light, fast paced and quirky novel. Her observations and insight into people are blended well with a quick story with a twisty plot.

You can't help but love the characters. I laughed out loud at some parts and was scared through others.

Mary DiNuzio may not have it together with respect to getting the phone company to trace her calls, but she's interesting, smart, funny, caring, and tough. I'd want her for my lawyer even though, as a physician, I normally think less of lawyers than I do of the plague bacillus.

The plot moved right along and kept me interested. The details of legal action and the details of how to become a partner in a law firm were interesting, too. I particularly liked the fact that the good people weren't entirely good. Apparently, nobody is perfect except Mary's best friend, Judy.

This is a debut novel and an accomplished one it is too.What I particularly warmed to about it is that , while not a comedy ,there is a welcome vein of mordaunt ,sardonic humour in the book and this is a pleasant touch in what tends to be on the whole a rather humourless genre ,

Its protagonist is Mary Nunzio ,a lawyer who has been with her employers ,a Phuiladelphia law firm ,for 8 years and is well in line to make partner .There are however some problems in her life -both professional and personal -which are casting dark shadows over her future .

She is a newly created widow ,having lost her husband in what the police have dismissed as a car accident ; Mary is unpersuaded and feels it may well have been murder .She is also receiving death threats in the form of notes and phone calls while her apartment is broken into .Add to these problems a major attack of conscience about her work , which is mainly to defend large corporations against often justified compensation claims ,together with some jealousy from work colleagues about her impending elevation to partner ,and you get a woman with a lot on her plate .
She confides in a coleague Judy and her gay secretary Brent ;events then take a darker turn when Brent is killed bny a hit and run driver ,Mary being the real target .She then falls in love with a prime suspect in the campaign against her ,a fellow lawyer .

This a well written and enjoyable bok and Mary is a character many readers will like .For my money ,the author gives her a few too many "issues " especially guilt over turning her back on religion (her sister is a nun ) and an abortion .This is a minor blot however and this is a very good start to what has since become an ongoing series

Recommended to lovers of the legal thriller and those seeking books with a strong female character in the pivotal role

Mary DiNunzio and her twin sister Angie have taken very different paths in life. Angie chose to become a nun, while Mary is a lawyer in a high-pressure law practice, working hard and hoping to become a partner. Things seem to be heading in the right direction for Mary except that she keeps receiving mysterious notes and phone calls which show that the one who is sending them knows more about Mary than she would like. The other problem in her life is recovering from the death of her beloved husband, Mike, and trying to decide if she's ready for a relationship with one of the other attorneys in the firm. This is the first novel by the talented Lisa Scottoline who quit being a lawyer so that she could write about them. Through the years she has perfected her style in which she creates a feisty, female attorney and surrounds her with an interesting and fast-paced plot. The combination makes for a very good read.

someone was sure to follow. Or so it seemed to this dynamic associate attorney in a Philadelphia law firm, who suddenly starts receiving threatening notes and phone calls after the hit-and-run death of her young husband. Mary soon realizes she has a stalker - and both her life and that of her friends depends on tracking him down.

Scottoline's first book is a wonderful mystery. The characters are very vivid, especially those of Mary and her family. I also especially enjoy the way Scottoline uses the Philadelphia setting, which is very realistic and readable.

If you enjoy this book, you will also enjoy some of Scottoline's other mysteries, including Mistaken Identity and Final Appeal.