Customer Reviews

Running from the Law

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

A good poker player is also a good actor. Rita Morrone is certainly a good poker player and brings her acting skills to her day job as a fast thinking and tough trial lawyer in Philadelphia.

However the acting takes a low priority when she becomes defence lawyer to her prospective father-in -law, Fiske Hamilton, who is charged with sexual harassment of his young female private secretary. Soon after the first charges are laid, the private secretary is found murdered and so opens another chapter more sinister and deadly than what went before. Fiske is the prime suspect but as the tale unfolds other characters enter the frame as possible perpetrators, amongst them her fiancé Paul Hamilton. When her own father is the subject of a violent attack, the case becomes even more personal for Rita than it was already. There are more suspects, more players, more motives, more unknowns and consequently an even greater web of mystery.

As is the case in many of Scottoline's books the heroine, the lady lawyer, rapidly assumes the role of sleuth, leaving her legal role to play second fiddle to the built-in cop, her alter-ego. Rita gets tangled in a web of intrigue, conspiracy and mystery as she tries to establish the truth. Her life is in danger through her own actions as she delves more deeply into the mystery towards the final chapters. There are times when her activities really do stretch the limits of credibility but, in a work of fiction, this goes with the territory. However, with several characters having possible motives the reader is challenged (in Agatha Christie style) to try and untangle the riddle of whodunit.

A great touch in the writing is the frequent use of double dialogue in which Rita first thinks the words she wants to use but then utters the ones most appropriate, often the opposite. Example one: Paul: "Aren't two heads better than one?" Rita (Not when I want to knock yours off.) "I don't think so. If I need help we have investigators at the firm." Example two: Journalist: "Is the judge guilty Miss Morrone?" Rita (Your guess is as good as mine, bucko.) "Absolutely not. My client is innocent of any and all charges against him."

This is a light and easy read, entertaining and with enough surprises to hold the reader's attention throughout.

To read Running From the Law is to enter the reality of a driven woman lawyer. Although exciting, fast-paced, and fun to read--taking only a few hours--the main character, Rita Morrone, comes perilously close to caricature. The plot is one of crime and mystery, and the surprise "who done it?" is elegantly structured. There is no lawyer like Rita who would represent her lover's father, a federal judge, on a murder charge, especially after finding out how her (ex) lover figured into the plot

The audio book narrated by Barbara Rosenblat is perfect for the daily commute. Attorney Rita Morrone is a risk taker, in poker, love, and the courtroom. Her favorite weapon is the bluff, in this story against an unknown opponent who is demonstrably capable of bloody murder. The action moves right along, aided by Rita's sharp tongue (in asides to herself). Don't look for deep thoughts or the meaning of life in this book. For that matter, don't look too carefully at the plot. The holes in the evidence, in fact, add to the mystery, allowing for a wide range of suspects and bewildering Rita about whom she can trust. Some characters are always there for Rita, while others are nasty, and some are complicated and of questionable sincerity. I actually like that in a book, that some characters will never betray the heroine, and others might. Rosenblat does a superb job as narrator. She distinguishes all the characters and makes males convincingly masculine. I had no difficulty knowing when Rita was speaking to herself and when out loud. Rosenblatt's reading skill made the humorous scenes even funnier, as when an Italian-American was attempting a British accent by imitating various movie and TV characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; I even laughed out loud a few times. I don't ever re-hash the storyline when I take the time out to do a review - it is done again & again - so you already know the essence. I will say that the plotline is sound, the dialog refreshing & the characters are endearing. RECOMMENDED!

Rita Morrone is a trial lawyer in Philadelphia who not only defends her clients, but upstages the entire local police force by single-handedly solving the crimes for which her clients are charged. Believable? Well, hardly, but it does make for an intriguing plot.

Rita's live-in boyfriend Paul is a forensic architect (a WHAT? do I hear you gasp?) and his father a respected and well-off federal judge. When Daddy is accused of sexually harassing his young secretary, Patricia, Rita naturally takes on his defence. Then the secretary is found murdered, and the judge and son Paul, who had also been carrying on an affair with Patricia, both come under suspicion. The judge is charged with the murder, and Rita not only takes on his case, but determines to prove him innocent, at tremendous risk to herself, by attempting to uncover the true identity of the killer.

Lisa Scottoline has written a fast-moving tale, with plenty of plot twists and more than a couple of red herrings. The dialogue is feisty, witty, and very bitchy in places. The characterisations are sharp, particularly those of Rita's butcher father and his poker-playing cronies, who come across as full of spirit and humour, and the book makes for an entertaining read -- if you can suspend disbelief long enough to accept the basic plot.

I can understand how Lisa Scottoline's distinctive writing style would appeal to some readers but turn off other readers. I thought the dialog was catchy and humorous. The characters were credible. The plot and sub-plots were believable enough to hold my attention. There were even a few moments of pathos. Best of all for me, the book was highly entertaining.

This is the third book I've read by Lisa Scottoline. I enjoy her style of writing, the humor she incorporates into each story and the colorful characters she introduces us to. I especially liked Rita's father's poker playing friends. This one kept me guessing until the very end. I look forward to reading more!