Rating: 
Summary: Scottoline is coasting downhill
Review: Although Scottoline has some good mysteries and thrillers to her credit, this book has little mystery to it, and few thrills. A very slight plot is stretched quite thin over too many pages. As for the characters, the newest member of the all-woman law firm has plenty of pluck, but little common sense (why doesn't she whip out her cell phone and call for backup all those times she spots her stalker?) Worse still, the other members of the firm appear to have dumbed down considerably from the previous books in the series. If this was any lighter, it would blow away in your hands.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Story
Review: Yes, this is a very good story, and, as many say, vintage
Scottoline. But we have to consider the negataive of this
story, and that there is little genuine "mystery" to it, and
the author makes up for that by enlarging her usual theme of
female bonding in her all-female law firm in Philadelphia. The
"girl power" aspect of the story dominates and rather detracts
from the mystery aspect, which is too bad, because the elements
of mystery are quite good, and Scottoline handles them all with
mastery. It's just that the mystery elements are too blunted,
and too shortened, by the aspects of female bonding, and all
the fun the girls have gossiping and shopping, etc.
The mystery involves new attorney Anne Murphy, a tall, eye-catching redhead who insists on doing things "her way," and she
is largely successful until her life is blown up by the death
of her cat-sitter in circumstances that remind her of her former
stalker. She goes into hiding, while still trying to prepare
fo the up-coming jury trial that will make her career, but as
things continue to go horribly wrong for her, she finally
decides she must bring into the mix her fellow attorneys for
help, and that is when she discovers how much fun and happiness
there is in working with the other women in the office.
Part of the ending can be seen coming far ahead of time,
but there is a nice twist at the end that really adds to the
story.
We can hope Scottoline's mysteries of the future involve a little more of the crime and its solution and a little less
of the "gal pal" aspect of her attorneys.
Rating: 
Summary: Another strong and well-written thriller from Scottoline
Review: Lisa Scottoline writes some of the best mystery/thrillers around. Her books are quick, fun and interesting to read. You won't be sorry you picked this one up. Courting Trouble focuses on a new recruit to the all-woman law firm of Rosato and Associates. Anne Murphy seems to have it all-beauty, intelligence, ambition and a bright future. Her only fatal weakness seems to be a desire for nice clothes and a tendency to put it all on her credit cards (a weakness any woman can understand!).
Her life is not, however, all that it seems. She has fled to Philadelphia to escape a stalker and she is entangled in a complicated legal case which is not what it appears to be on the surface. While taking an unexpected vacation, she opens the paper and discovers that a young woman, believed to be herself, has been killed in her apartment. With the help of Bennie, Mary and Judy (her boss and fellow associates), Anne decides to remain "dead" in an attempt to smoke out her killer. This is where the book really comes together. Scottoline really understands women's relationships-while all four women become close in the course of the investigation, they remain very different people, driven by different motives and characterized by both affection and jealousy for each other. Scottoline's works aren't just about interesting characters and relationships though. She also does an outstanding job at creating and maintaining suspense. It is never clear until the very last pages of her book who the killer is and why he or she has committed murder. There aren't many writers who can maintain this kind of suspense right up to the very end. Don't miss out on this or any of Scottoline's other works.
Rating:
Summary: Ditziness conquers all
Review: This thriller starts out well. Lawyer Anne Murphy goes away for the Fourth of July weekend, leaving her home and cat in the hands of a female friend. The media report that Murphy has been killed by a shotgun blast in the foyer of her home. Believing the killer to be a man who had stalked her, Murphy initially stays out of sight. But she must appear in court to represent a client, thereby announcing that she still is alive. This interesting premise gets lost in the subsequent action. Murphy behaves recklessly, angering her female friends, alienating the police, and making herself a target for the stalker. The fortuitous intervention of another man saves her from being killed. The fast-paced dialogue among the women too often degenerates into ditzy comments about shoes and makeup. Murphy's mental notes become downright annoying.
Rating:
Summary: A cozy weekend mystery...
Review: *Courting Trouble* was my second Lisa Scottoline, after starting with *Legal Tender*. Scottoline does a great job of keeping it all in the family, legally speaking, as she introduces and utilizes returning characters from previous novels. The plots are somewhat formulaic, but if you're just in for an evening of suspense, you need look no further. Bennie Rosato's all-female law firm gets more than they bargained for after hiring Anne Murphy, an attorney with a mission. Anne, on the brink of a high-profile case, heads out for a short July 4th vacation on the beach after hiring an acquaintance from the gym to catsit. As she tortures herself with a quick run the next morning, she sees her face staring back at her in the newspaper accompanied by a murder headline. She immediately assumes it's her erotomanic ex-boyfriend, Kevin Satorno, and returns to Philadelphia determined to find him. She keeps herself in hiding with her attorney co-workers' assistance. As the weekend goes on, Anne investigates the case, keeps her clients as happy as possible, and pursues a love interest. *Courting Trouble* is a quick read, and readers won't have a hard time enjoying themselves. It's not necessary to read the books in order, as Scottoline keeps the plots completely separate. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: A Keeper
Review: I really enjoyed "Courting Trouble" by Lisa Scottoline. I borrowed it from the library, but it's what I call a "keeper". I am dismayed by how few "stars" it received in the readers' reviews. Not only did I enjoy the mystery in the book, I enjoyed the main character, Ann Murphy. I was definitely interested in watching her grow in her relationships with her friends and with Matt, the opposing counsel. Ann's relationship with her mother progressed in a satisfying yet believable way. Her thoughts in italics were sometimes humorous, sometimes deep. For those of us who feel we were cheated out of happiness because of being from dysfunctional families, here's a pithy saying from this book: "Clients come to us and we don't have the luxury of choosing them. They're like family that way." Maybe this will help us keep our families of origin in perspective and accept them more easily even with their imperfections. None of us had Ricky Ricardo and Lucy for parents (see book); they're not real.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable and formulaic
Review: A suspenseful and original mystery/thriller is always a great find. A predictable and formulaic novel of the aforementioned genre is a complete waste of time and money. Courting Trouble is the ladder. When her friend is found murdered, Anne Murphy realizes that her mysterious past has come back to haunt her. Someone's out to get her, which is why she has to maintain a low profile. But how could she do that when she's working on a highly publicized case? The overall story development is slow and misguided at times. Also, as previously mentioned, the novel follows a rather predictable formula. However, I will not rule this author's work out entirely. Perhaps in the future she will write a thriller that will set it apart from the rest...
Rating:
Summary: Not a good sign when you wish the book would end....
Review: I read "Running From the Law" a couple of years ago and loved it...actually, I listened to it on a Recorded Books, Inc. tape read by the fantastic reader Barbara Rosenblat, a true audio "star." I thought the style amusing and unique, and the whole idea and the way it was put together brilliantly creative. I have tried to like other work by the author, but have been disappointed with each subsequent book. It reminds me of Julie Smith's fabulous debut, "New Orleans Mourning," and her feminist heroine Skip Langdon...loved that one, too, but the books that followed just didn't live up to the promise of the first. It's as if the poor author is forced into writing the same kind of story, with the same gimmicky style, again and again, because the first was a smash hit. In the case of Scottoline and Smith, it hasn't worked. I kept wishing this book would end. That's not a good thing. I found Anne's thought promises annoying...to begin with, Scottoline has put Mary and Benny's style into Anne's mouth. Anne is a young, California woman...the cutesy "tough girl" thoughts...even down to the Blahniks...just didn't ring true. Only street-smart easterners think and speak as Anne does in this book. I just kept saying, over and over to myself...Implausible...implausible... The good things about the book were the author's sensitivity about a major feminist issue: women being threatened by and competitive with beautiful women; and the scene in which Mary's mother tells Anne that she has been cursed by an "evil eye." This was almost a tad too sentimental, the whole scene, but it was warm and cute, and well-drawn. But I have to admit - I won't be reading or listening to Lisa Scottoline again, unless she writes a different kind of book.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book. Fun and worth reading.
Review: This is an entertaining novel full of suspense, humor and good old fashion fun. What emerges from the experience of reading this novel is that Lisa Scottoline is someone who clearly understands charactar development and pacing of the storyline. This, in turn, makes for a terrific book and one that leaves you caring about the story, the points being made and the people in this tale. Simply put, this is a fine book by a talented writer. Buy it and you won't be disappointed. I had the pleasure of being in the audience at a seminar where Lisa spoke. She was a wonderful and warm speaker who connected with her audience and conveyed the essence of her work to those attending. This book is truly representative of that great work.
Rating:
Summary: interesting
Review: I have not read any of Scottoline's other novels, so I have nothing to compare it to. And many of the scenes that take place are highly unrealistic, which ordinarily would annoy me. There are other annoying quirks, such as the "Mental Notes." But I liked Anne Murphy, silliness and all. I read this in a day because it was fun and a diversion from most of the serious stuff I read for a living.
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