Moment of Truth [Paperback]

Lisa Scottoline (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2001

Heart-stopping legal thriller from the woman who leaves John Grisham and Scott Turow in the shade with her fast-paced storytelling and witty dialogue. When Jack Newlin comes home to find his wife dead on the floor of their elegant dining room, he's convinced he knows who killed her -- and determined that the murderer should escape detection. Making a split-second decision, he sets about doctoring the evidence in order to frame himself for the crime. And to hammer the final nail in his coffin, he hires the most inexperienced lawyer he can find: Mary DiNunzio of Philadelphia law firm Rosato and Associates. Unfortunately for Jack, hiring Mary could turn out to be a big mistake. Inexperienced she may be, but Mary soon discovers that instead of defending the usual guilty client who claims to be innocent, she has an innocent client falsely proclaiming his guilt.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Moment of Truth begins with what appears to be an open-and-shut case. Jack Newlin, a wealthy attorney with one of the most influential law firms in Philadelphia, killed his wife in a moment of drunken passion, stabbing her repeatedly when she announced she wanted a divorce. Or at least that is what he is claiming to the police.

The fact is, Jack is framing himself because he fears his wife's murder was his daughter's crime of passion. Sixteen-year-old Paige Newlin is a successful model whose relationship with her manager-mother had been famously rocky. To make sure that he's convicted, Jack hires rookie lawyer Mary DiNunzio to defend him. But Mary doesn't buy Jack's story, and neither does the senior detective on the case. In a fascinating turn on the usual courtroom tale, then, Jack struggles to maintain his false story of guilt while his lawyer and the police struggle to prove him innocent. Meanwhile, Mary wrestles with both her uncertainty as a lawyer and with her attraction for her client.

Lisa Scottoline, often identified as the "female John Grisham," has led the pack of female authors in the legal thriller genre, winning an Edgar for her second novel, Final Appeal. Moment of Truth does have moments that don't, in fact, ring true. Why is Jack Newlin so quick to forgive his daughter when he thinks she's killed her own mother? And if he's so concerned with her welfare, why did he absent himself from her upbringing? But it's nonetheless interesting for its innovative plot conceit and its examination of high-profile murder trials. If one is able to overlook the problems with Newlin's motivation, the story Scottoline weaves is a compelling one, and her heroine, Mary, is an enjoyable, self-doubting twist on the super-lawyer at the center of most legal thrillers. --Patrick O'Kelley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

A bullet-proof premise distinguishes this expert crime thriller from Scottoline (Mistaken Identity): handsome, successful estates lawyer Jack Newlin frames himself for the murder of his heiress wife in order to shield the real killer, their 16-year-old daughter, Paige. It doesn't matter to Jack that Philadelphia's hyper D.A., Dwight Davis, wants the death penaltyAJack is determined to protect his girl, a legally emancipated model who dabbles in crystal meth despite her recently discovered pregnancy. But not everyone is buying Jack's eager confession. Something about his story bothers veteran detective Reginald Brinkley, who's convinced that the traces of physical evidence at the murder scene point to Paige, and possibly to her preppy boyfriend, Trevor. And Mary DiNunzio, the young lawyer Jack hires for her presumed inexperience, finds herself Jack's "worst enemy" as she, too, begins focusing on the jittery teenager. Scottoline cuts a few corners: it's implausible that Mary, schooled only in "the law according to Steven Bochco," would be running such a big case unsupervised, or that this lapsed Catholic with hardwired guilt would allow herself to represent Paige while fighting for Jack, on whom she's developed an unprofessional crush. But Mary is a most appealing crusader, with a highly developed working-class wit ("she struck Mary instantly as the kind of girl for whom the delicate cycle was invented"). Sharp, funny characters, crafty plot twists, and a flavorful depiction of high- and lower-middle Philadelphia society will keep readers riveted to this tense, often mischievous page-turner. Agent, Molly Friedrich. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins Pod (September 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007100337
• ISBN-13: 978-0007100330
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #815,742 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

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scottiline scores with another big hit, February 25, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moment of Truth (Hardcover)

Philadelphia socialite Honor Newlin manages the modeling career of her teenager. Honor becomes a murder victim in which her husband, successful estates lawyer Jack confesses to the crime. Police Detectives Kovich and Brinkley relish the ease of solving this high profile case. District Attorney Dwight Davis concludes that the killing is premeditated and decides to go for the death penalty.

The only problem with the official scenario is that Jack is innocent of murder. He tampered with the crime scene to turn the evidence towards him instead of his daughter Paige. He thinks Paige killed her mother after suffering years of emotional abuse from the woman. Feeling guilty for not stepping in over the years, Jack feels he deserves to spend life behind bars as a form of penitence. However, Jack had not realized how competent his attorney is and how much she believes she represents an innocent person.

Fans of legal procedurals know how good a Lisa Scottoline novel always is. The exalted author's latest tale MOMENT OF TRUTH stars a cast of characters who touch the heart of the reader. Especially endearing is Jack's lawyer Mary DiNunzio, a naïve, pious, warm-hearted person whose empathy for the pain of other seems genuine. The story line is interesting, as the reader knows the truth from the onset yet somehow the thrilling plot retains a high degree of excitement as one wonders how the tale will play out. Ms. Scottoline provides a special book that deservedly will gain her even greater acclaim.

Harriet Klausner

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SCOTTOLINE DOES IT AGAIN!, March 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Moment of Truth (Hardcover)

I coudn't put this book down but I didn't want it to end. Just when you think you know where the plot is going you turn out to be wrong. I got caught up in the characters and I look forward to seeing some additions in future books.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A PAGE-TURNING LEGAL THRILLER, April 18, 2000

By 

Nick G - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moment of Truth (Hardcover)

Jack Newlin is a lawyer in a prestigious Philadelphia firm, he has also confessed to murdering his wife...To ensure his conviction he hires inexperienced lawyer Mary DiNunzio. Mary knows her client is lying but WHY??? Mary sets out to prove her client is innocent and bring the the real killer to justice. Lisa Scottoline has written a fast paced legal thriller with enough plot twists and surprise ending to have you finish the book in one sitting. Scottoline has been called "The Female John Grisham", I have to say she is MUCH better!! If you have not read any of her books start with this one and then go back and read her earlier novels.