Running from the Law [Hardcover]

Lisa Scottoline (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

Agreeing to represent the respected Judge R. Fiske Hamilton in a scandalous sexual harassment suit by his secretary, wisecracking lawyer Rita Morrone Hamilton is stunned when the trial turns deadly. $50,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Scottoline's hardcover debut is a fast-paced, fast-talking legal thriller starring manipulative Philadelphia lawyer Rita Morrone, who is not above wearing black and wiping a nonexistent tear from her eye to advance her case in front of a jury. Rita, who narrates, is defending federal judge Fiske Hamilton, father of her boyfriend Paul, in a sexual harassment suit. Things go from bad to worse when, after Rita discovers evidence of more than just harassment, the woman pressing the suit is found murdered, with the judge as the prime suspect. In defending Hamilton, Rita has to face things about herself, her career and her relationship with Paul that she doesn't particularly want to acknowledge. All of this is window-dressing to the plot, which hinges on a least-likely-suspect mystery; but, through Scottoline's expert design, the window-dressing counts for much, turning this novel into something more than just a legal thriller from a female point of view. There's an intelligent sense of irony at work?from Rita's budding romance with the firm womanizer to her response to a personal tragedy that sounds a dark counterpoint to the masquerade of grief that opens the novel. Fans of Scottoline's paperback novels (the Edgar-winning Final Appeal and the Edgar-nominated Everywhere That Mary Went) will appreciate this offering, including how the author taps into her personal expertise as a former lawyer to advance plot and character; hopefully, the book's publication in hardcover will attract the new fans she deserves. $50,000 ad/promo; simultaneous HarperAudio; author tour; U.K., translation and dramatic rights: Columbia Literary Assoc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Against her better judgment, Rita Morrone, a smart-mouthed, poker-playing young lawyer, agrees to represent her lover's father, a respected judge, against a sexual harassment charge brought by his secretary. As she prepares to go to trial, little does she know that her lover, Paul, is also involved in the case and that the lady in question will end up murdered; furthermore, she doesn't suspect that her own life and that of her father will lie in the balance. Yet as she investigates, it becomes increasingly clear that the good judge is being framed. Despite her fury at Paul for his infidelity and her concern for her father, she does her homework and?with a little help from her octogenarian poker cronies?deftly nails the murderer. Readers of courtroom fiction will love this latest by Scottoline, who was nominated for an Edgar Award for Final Appeal (HarperCollins, 1994). Recommended for public libaries.?Susan Clifford, Hughes Aircraft Co. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st edition (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060176598
• ISBN-13: 978-0060176594
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #813,567 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

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for entertainment and humor, February 1, 2000

By 

martha woodworth - See all my reviews

This review is from: Running from the Law (Mass Market Paperback)

Very few contemporary detective novels are as amusing as this one was. I listened to it on a Recorded Books tape and couldn't wait to get home to hear what would happen next. If a silly whodunnit can be said to be "dear," this one made it. Scottoline is fresh and fun and I intend to read more. I must say I did read her next book (I think it was 'Rough Justice' but without the family shtick, it just wasn't as much fun.) Scottoline proves that a writer doesn't have to be Shakespeare to be worthwhile - I was quite happy during the time I was listening to her book, and making people feel good isn't such a bad thing. Thanks, Lisa!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can't put down, December 17, 2000

By 

natural375 (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Running from the Law (Mass Market Paperback)

The book is totally unrealistic but it does not matter. It's a fun read that never bores. I have read one other book by Scottoline and find her to be an author that keeps the fun coming. I am not giving it a five star review because there was not enough of Rita in court, the only flaw with the book. Take it on an airplane with you and you will finish before the flight is over.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early signs of greatness, September 18, 2005

By 

Jack D. Frost "FROSTY" (Bowling Green, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Running from the Law (Mass Market Paperback)

Who knew in 1996 that Lisa was going to be a superstar in the legal fiction field. I grew up in a 95% Italian immigrant community. Her character development is so real I was continually picturing all the beautiful people I grew to know and love.
The plot has great twists and really moves quite well. If you haven't read many of Lisa's newer books, you would do well to digest these earlier offerings. It really helps to see how her style has developed and improved. I would recommend all of Lisa's works if you enjoy strong, intelligent, and resourceful female characters - supported entirely by wonderful ethnic family and friends. If you don't like plots and characters that are well developed and real, you'll be in that small minority that don't enjoy Lisa's work.
I love these components and look forward to every new work that Lisa grinds out.