”You don’t ask for the truth; you pound it out of them.”Setting:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 1996Coverly Love?:No; This cover is about as boring as covers get, as far as I’m concerned.Plot:Benedetta “Bennie” Rosato has always been a standout, both as her job as a lawyer and her appearance. Six feet tall and with an intimidating demeanor and biting wit, these qualities have made her the perfect partner in her cutthroat law firm, Rosato and Biscardi. Her seemingly perfect life, however is slowly crumbling. Her dementia addled mother is slowly getting worse, her new client’s girlfriend is urging him to be uncooperative with her, and she just broke up with her boyfriend (who also happens to be her partner in the firm. Talk about awkward). Things get even MORE awkward when he decides to sell the firm and kick Bennie out. Needless to say, she’s furious, since she put down half of the down payment to start the firm. And just when things couldn’t get any worse for Bennie, the day after her ex informs her she’s out of a job… he winds up dead. Murdered. And all the evidence is pointed at Bennie. She has the means, motive and opportunity to commit the savage crime, according to the police. Determined to catch the real killer, Bennie does some investigating on her own… until yet ANOTHER dead body shows up, with her the prime suspect. With no time to lose and her life on the line, Bennie goes on the run. Will she be able to find the real killer, or will this hot shot lawyer find herself on the other side of the courtroom?I found this to be a considerably better installment than Everywhere That Mary Went. The author manages to deftly weave drama and humor on the same pages, and the main characters were wholly likable. The plot was extremely fast paced with a believable outcome to the situation, even though to start out with, the premise is kind of implausible. While there isn’t anything especially deep about this book, it’s fast pacing makes it an extremely quick read (considering I sped through this in one afternoon). Unlike her first book in this series, the lawyer talk is a bit more clear and less confusing to those of us who aren’t in law (and ever since watching How to Get Away with Murder, I don’t think I’ll ever want to!)Characters:I hope we’ll see more of Bennie Rosato in future novels in this series, because she’s hilarious. Honestly, I didn’t know lawyers could be this hilarious. Whether she’s trying to unintentionally kill her new pet cat or her sarcastic, one line zingers, Bennie always manages to find humor in otherwise non-humorous situations. Considering all she’s been through, it’s a miracle. Unfortunately for her, she always seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, with her being accused of pretty much every murder in the Philadelphia area. The perpetrators of said thrice horrible crimes are kind of obvious when you think about it, but the book is so fast paced that you don’t have a whole lot of time to contemplate the issue until the very ending, when they’re revealed. Unlike the first book, the bad guys were a more reasonable choice to commit said crimes.Grady is Bennie’s lawyer, friend and (later) lover. I thought he was a bit too much like an overeager puppy dog (a la Wes Gibbons), and a tad to milli-Vanilli for my taste, but hey. He was sweet and only wanted the best for her, so I shouldn’t be complaining. Pros:For such serious books, the author manages to write some insanely hilarious scenes. Most of these scenes involve cats, which is probably hilarious only to me because I’m an unabashed cat lover. ”You’re not fit to have this kitten!”“I am too!”“You are not! And it’s stupid to name all your cats the same thing!” Bitch, please. I’ve had two cats named Sooty and two cats named Chica. But don’t tell anyone, it’s considered uncreative. Cons:YOU DO NOT FEED CATS SNICKERS AND COCA COLA!!! You’re gonna kill the poor thing!!Honestly, that’s the only thing I found wrong with this book. Seriously. This book was pretty fantastic overall. Love Triangle?:Nope!Instalove?:Nope!A Little Romance?:Well, Bennie and her lawyer/friend Grady may have something going on in the romance department, and they do have one hookup…. But when you’re wanted for three murders and the police are looking for you, one simply doesn’t have time for romance. They do end up together by the end of the novel, minus the cat. Conclusion:Whether you’re up to snuff in the lawyer department or not, this book is a good start if you want to get into legal thrillers. The main character is pretty likable (I know, a likable lawyer!!!) and the plot will suck you in. If you’re a fan of watching legal thrillers on TV or just want to dip your toes into the genre, I’d definitely pick this book up.Read This!:This book is a part of the Rosato and Associates series. The books don’t have to be read in order for you to enjoy them, so I’d check out the other books in the series.Watch This!:While Bennie Rosato is a competent, likable, law abiding lawyer, the characters in How to Get Away with Murder are anything BUT. The only thing similar with these two are they’re both set in Philadelphia. But if you want to venture into the scary world of Shondaland, I’d watch this show.If anything watch it for Connor Walsh (the dude in the gif). Seriously, that kid has more sass than all of my cats and kid cousins combined, yet he’s so damn charming. He’s the best thing about the show.
This is the 4th in the series which I have read in order, and this is the best so far. It's about tall, blonde Philadelphia lawyer Benedetta "Bennie" Rosato and her quest to find the murderer of her ex-lover and partner Mark Biscardi after she becomes the #1 suspect. All the evidence points to Bennie who can't provide a credible alibi and had lots of motive. Because she has sued the police dept. numerous times in the past for misconduct and excessive force, she doesn't get any sympathy from Detective Azzic who is out to prove her quilty. She suddenly becomes a client instead of a lawyer; and an associate in the firm, Grady Wells, becomes her lawyer. When it's obvious she will be arrested, she becomes a fugitive on the run. Her latest client, Bill Kleeb, was an animal rights activist who was roughed up by the police which Bennie was in the process of suing. He is later found dead of an apparent overdose. Bennie is being hunted for this murder as well. Are the two cases connected? She finds some interesting ways of hiding out in plain sight. Another side plot is about her mother who has severe mental issues and the decision Bennie must make as to whether or not her mother should have electric shock therapy. Fast paced with witty dialogue. I only gave it 3 stars as I know the series gets much better.
What do You think about Legal Tender (1998)?
I’ve had this paperback issue of Legal Tender by Lisa Scottoline on my To-Read shelf for more than a decade (!!), and finally I gave it go. I enjoy Lisa Scottoline’s writing: her pen is fluid and easy. She’s an author able to give the story a good rhythm right from the start with enough wit and intrigue, so that you’ re hooked right away. Meet Bennie Rosato, who’s quite an interesting character - a female lawyer with plenty of personality, ambition, humanity and drive. Here, in Legal Tender, Bennie is accused of murdering her ex-lover and business partner, Mark Biscardi, and as the plot thickens, Bennie realizes that she’s the only one who can uncover the truth: who killed Mark? And why frame her? Bennie is very inventive and creative, that’s what I liked about her. It was so smart to hide in plain sight.I think this was an enjoyable read for most part, but towards the end, I would’ve like the author to elaborate more on the actual murderer(s). I wanted more explanations. How? Why? I felt bereft. It really felt like the author was in a hurry to finish the book.So all along I would’ve given this book a three, but seeing the end really disappointed me, it’s a 2,5 ** stars.
—Marleen
Review of Legal TenderReview of Legal TenderI gave this book two stars because, even though I've read others by this author, I felt it was way too long, too convoluted, and simply unbelievable. Also, as an animal lover, I was very distracted by the way the kitten was treated (diet coke and snickers bars? definitely not the way to treat a helpless animal, fictitious or not) and it was wholly unnecessary to the plot. I'm sorry to give this book such a poor review, because I think the author is a talented writer. Maybe the problem was that I just didn't like the plot.
—Jan Flores
Tall, athletic Bennie Rosato is a full partner in a law firm she started with her former lover, Mark. While she is excelling in her career, her emotions are in a turmoil as she watches her law partner and ex-lover carry on with one of their legal associates. Unknown to most, her mother is tormented by the demons of her mind and lives in a constant state of terror. When Mark tells her he wants to dissolve the partnership and has already made firm plans to evict her from their law offices, she is angry and an argument ensues. Then Mark is murdered in his office and all the evidence points convincingly to her.On the edge of so many emotions, she decides that if she doesn't unmask the killer, then she will be convicted for the crime. On the run, she experiences betrayals and counter betrayals before she gets to the bottom of the crime.An enthralling page turner with an admirable and flawed main character. For the 2015 Reading Challenge, this is the book I finished in one day!
—Gail
