Customer Reviews

Vendetta Defence

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When someone kills another, is it always murder, and can such killing of another be justified? Lisa Scottoline tackles these moral and legal dilemmas in THE VENDETTA DEFENSE, her newest work. And saying it right up front, this reviewer feels that it's her best work to date.

The very first line of this book states that Tony Lucia killed Angelo Colluzi that morning. Pigeon Tony, as he's known to his friends, is an elderly man who gets his name from the pigeons he loves and races, as he has done all his life. He is arrested for the murder of Colluzi, who it turns out, has had a vendetta going against Pigeon Tony and his family since the days when they both lived in Italy during the Fascist era.

The Philadelphia law firm of Rosato and Associates will be familiar to those who have read Ms. Scottoline's previous novels. Bennie Rosato and Mary DiNunzio make appearances, but in this one Judy Carrier takes the lead role of Pigeon Tony's defense attorney against the wishes of Bennie, who is her boss. And just to further complicate issues, Judy falls in love with Pigeon Tony's grandson, Frank.

A master at characterization, Lisa Scottoline writes about South Philadelphia, its environs and its people as if she's strolled through the streets, examining the cracks on the sidewalks, noting the walls that have peeling paint, remembering which parking meters are not functioning. Her attention to detail comes from one who has experienced the area and its people, not just imagined them. She makes one visualize her characters as real, multi-dimensional people, and not just flat caricatures.

And speaking of descriptions, look out for the details about Judy Carrier's new bright green VW Beetle if you want an example of how the author pays attention to visualizations, right down to the flower in the glass bottle in the console. This is just one small example.

As a mystery writer, Ms. Scottoline has successfully drawn on her experiences as an attorney. She further deals with touchy legal ethical issues in this book, something she has lectured on at law schools before.

As in her previous novels this book is at times movingly sensitive and compassionate. At other times it is humorous, funny in a subtle way, and at other times you'll want to laugh out loud.

I didn't think that a "vendetta defense" such as this was a plausible plot when I first read about it. Ms. Scottoline seems to bring her three-dimensional characters to life, and make the concept conceivable.

If you have come to enjoy Lisa Scottoline's writing style, her characterizations and her subtle sense of humor, then this is a book you will find to be amongst her best. And if you haven't read any of her previous works, you may want to pick up a few of them in addition to this one.

You won't be sorry you did!

Update: have bought a number of hardbound and paperback copies of this book for friends since I first read it in 2001. It's still one of Ms. Scottoline's best.

(This is a relisting of an original review of the hardback edition first posted in May 2001)

I picked this novel up as a light read, was drawn in by the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the story.

This is not a story that will withstand close forensic dissection but it gives a fine mixture of likeable characters, evil villains and moves at a fair clip to a satisfying conclusion. At least, I found it satisfying.

Along the way I learned a little about pigeon racing and quite a bit about human nature. This is the second Scottoline novel I have read, and I'll be looking for others.

Recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith