Killer Smile [Mass Market Paperback]

Lisa Scottoline (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2005

Lawyer Mary DiNunzio's new case is a mystery—the strange suicide of an Italian fisherman interned during a dark, unspoken chapter in American history. Armed only with the puzzle pieces of a lock of hair, an old photograph, and a paper covered with indecipherable doodles, Mary digs deep into the case and suspects betrayal—and murder.

Meantime, Mary's friends worry that her investigation is becoming an obsession, so they set her up on a series of truly disastrous blind dates. She escapes romance only to risk life and limb to hunt down a ruthless killer. But someone in the shadows—powerful, cold-blooded, and very deadly—will stop at nothing to keep Mary from the truth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Scottoline's previous thrillers (Dead Ringer; Courting Trouble; etc.) have featured the women of the all-female Philadelphia law firm Rosato and Associates, and have concerned the usual elements of murder, stalking, bribery and corruption. This novel by the former trial lawyer and Edgar Award winner, while embracing the requisite ingredients, is especially engaging because of its personal angle: growing out of Scottoline's discovery of her own grandparents' alien registration cards, the book involves the case of an Italian-American who was interned during WWII. Amadeo Brandolini emigrated from Italy to Philadelphia, where he started a family and worked as a fisherman. When the war broke out, the FBI arrested and imprisoned him (along with 10,000 other Italian-Americans). He lost everything and wound up committing suicide in the camp. Rosato and Associates' young star, Mary DiNunzio, steps up to represent Brandolini's estate as it sues for reparations. Mary "grew up in South Philly, where she'd learned to pop her gum, wear high heels, and work overtime" and silently prays to saints when she can't find things. This case, a pro bono one, means a lot to her; the local small business owners and family friends she grew up with want retribution for Brandolini as much as she does. Mary puts all of her energy into the job, and when clues suggest Brandolini's death may have been a homicide, she becomes even more enthralled. As Mary learns more, the enemy camp (another Italian-American family, the Saracones) turns its murderous eye on her. Scottoline skillfully weaves a complicated, gripping and fast-paced tale, at turns comical, nerve-wracking and enlightening.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In the latest installment of Scottoline's best-selling series starring the all-female Philadelphia law firm of Rosato & Associates, young Mary DiNunzio takes center stage. Mary has taken on a pro bono case representing her "peeps"--an Italian American business group (the circolo) working on behalf of the estate of Amadeo Brandolini, who committed suicide while interned during World War II. The estate seeks reparations, and Mary feels drawn to the case, so much so that others fear she's obsessed with it. Under the guise of taking a vacation, Mary visits the site of the internment camp in Montana where Amadeo killed himself and finds herself with still more unanswered questions. Interesting author's notes at the end of this engaging drama disclose Scottoline's own discovery of her grandparents' internment, lending this unusual story a welcome authenticity. Expect another hit from Scottoline, who has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that legal thrillers are not a male-only subgenre. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (June 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006085846X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060858469
• ASIN: 0060514965
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #487,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Scottoline is the New York Times bestselling author of seventeen novels including her most recent, THINK TWICE, and also writes a weekly column, called Chick Wit, for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has won many honors and awards, notably the Edgar Award, given for excellence in crime fiction, and the Fun Fearless Female Award from Cosmopolitan Magazine. She also teaches a course she created, called Justice and Fiction at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and regularly does speaking engagements. There are twenty-five million copies of her books in print, and she is published in over thirty other countries.Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. degree in English, and her concentration was Contemporary American Fiction, taught by Philip Roth and others. She graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She remains a lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, where she lives with her array of disobedient pets.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hints from Beyond the Grave Lead to Justice ..., August 4, 2005

By 

Erika Borsos "pepper flower" (Gulf Coast of FL, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Killer Smile (Mass Market Paperback)

Here is another fascinating book by Lisa Scottoline which kept me glued to every word from beginning to end. Mary DiNunzio, a lawyer with Rosatto & Associates law firm represents the interests of a client, Amadeo Brandolini, who had died in 1942. The more she investigates his past, the more she learns about a little known historical/political event when Italian immigrants were interred in a camp during World War II to protect the US from potential harm. Mary becomes obsessessed with learning the truth of how he died and about a piece of paper she discovered in his wallet which she surmised was very valuable. It had circles and something else on it. Everyone to whom she showed it believed it was merely doodles but... her hunch was it had to be very important or else why was it folded carefully in his wallet? The more she dug, the more she wanted to learn the truth. The facts were he was Italian and Catholic and unlikely to commit suicide, this knowledge gnawed at her.

Mary's need to know led her to the internment camp in Montana, where she searched for people to interview who might have known Amadeo Brandolini. She went to the cemetery where he was buried and went to the site where he allegedly committed suicide. Several clues of what she learned there haunted her ... It is totally amazing how Lisa Scottoline ties together the clues and discoveries as Mary DiNunzio is provided hints and gradually puts the pieces of the puzzle together. The reader is fascinated with the life of Amadeo Brandolino, a simple fisherman from Italy who came to the US to build a better life for himself and his wife Theresa. After Mary returns, she believes she is being followed by a black car ... the lawyer who hired her to investigate Brandolini's estate had removed her from the case before her trip (although she persisted investigating on her own) and is found dead in his office. She learns Amadeo's best friend in the camp ... is still alive and a very wealthy elderly Italian man, who also was from Philadelphia and lives in a rich suburban home. Under false pretext she visits him and exchanges a few words ... only to be struck in the face and spit on by his son. The ingenius methods by which Mary DiNunzio achieves her goals are worth discovering. With amazing twists and turns in the plot, the reader is taken for a wonderful reading experience. This reader is totally captivated by the dazzling writing style and talents of Lisa Scottoline.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her Father Would Be Proud...., July 13, 2004

By 

K. A. Stevenson "WIAPilot" (Tucson) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killer Smile (Hardcover)

Lisa Scottoline's "Killer Smile" is more than just a suspenseful and engaging mystery with great characterization and plot. It is historically enlightening as we are reminded of the internment camp relocation of over 10,000 Italian-Americans during the outbreak of World War II. But first and foremost- "Killer Smile" is a fantastic mystery.

Scottoline's story is compelling and sincere. What is even more touching is that Lisa draws from her own paternal grandparent's experiences for this novel. Her father would have been so proud of this book by his daughter.

"Killer Smile" is more than historically engaging, however. It is a mystery that has you turning pages quickly because it is so gripping and suspenseful.

I especially loved the thoughts of Mary throughout the book in regard to her feelings toward her family and friends. Some were particularly hilarious and Scottoline is quickly turning into one of my favorite authors.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Killer Suspense, June 3, 2004

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killer Smile (Hardcover)

Lisa Scottoline's 2004 legal thriller is as much about history as it is about personal danger in pursuit of justice. Mary DiNunzio is a young lawyer at the all-female firm of Rosato and Associates embarking on a pro bono case to sue the U.S. government for reparations on behalf of the estate an Italian-American who committed suicide in 1942 while at a internment camp in Montana. Wading through documents, Mary uncovers a lead that suggests perhaps Amadeo's death was not as simple as previously thought. Her persistent sleuthing puts her and others' lives in danger, and, as she gets closer to the truth, the stakes become obviously more modern day than historical.

After an awkward start and all-too-obvious false suspense, this novel picks up as Mary starts to understand the history of the Italian-American persecution during World War II and meets the characters both peripheral and pertinent to her case. The strength of this novel lies not in the suspense (which is decent but not page-turning) but in the unfolding of history as it relates to the present; to Scottoline's credit, these historical details are revealed through the experiences and voices of her characters, not through preachy passages. The characterizations are mostly memorable, although the characters that talk in all capital letters can be annoying, and the premise is a poignant one. Scottoline uses the setting of Philadelphia well, making it impossible for this thriller to be set elsewhere. Unfortunately, Scottoline's attempt to make history come alive in present-day Philadelphia results in forced plot turns and unneeded peril. The final revelation and its implications, however, rescue the rest.

Despite some clumsy writing and a premise that is more historical and sociological than by-your-throat suspenseful, KILLER SMILE is an entertaining read. Readers looking for high adrenaline levels will likely be disappointed, as will be those expecting a thorough look at American internment issues. This legal thriller is a light mix of suspense and history, a pleasant enough way to spend a few hours.