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Summary: Fast-paced tale of revenge, regret and family
Review: Philadelphia lawyer Judy Carrier takes on the case of "Pigeon Tony" a self-confessed murderer of Angelo Coluzzi, another octagenarian Italian-American with whom he has had a "vendetta" for 60 years. This story is an interesting look at the culture of the Italian families in Philadelphia and their history and culture, particularly the acknowledged requirement to avenge wrongs from the past. Through flashbacks, we relieve Tony's experience as a 17 year old farmer in Italy, his meeting with his wife, his bullying by Coluzzi...P>There are interesting characters and a love interest for Judy. I enjoyed Tony's logic and flashbacks and even didnt mind the broken English.Much of the action took place before Tony's trial for murder, so I would categorize this book as more a legal procedural than a courtroom thriller. The ending was interesting: some reviewers here don't think it was believable but I can see how a jury could make the same choice. A very entertaining read.
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Summary: Scottoline Scores!!!
Review: Since reading "Every Where That Mary Went", I have read each Lisa Scottoline novel as quickly as they have been published. "The Vendetta Defense" certainly deserves five stars! One of the best things about this series is that each book has featured a different character or combination of characters from the law firm of Rosato & Associates. This time it's Judy Carrier's turn to shine. For those who follow the series, Bennie Rosato and Mary DiNunzio both make brief appearances here. But it's Judy who picks up the murder case and consequently falls in love. Her client is an elderly Italian man whose main interest is taking care of and racing his beloved pigeons. Pigeon Tony is a terrific character and Ms. Scottoline does a wonderful job making him feel very "real" to the readers. There really isn't a "mystery" because Pigeon Tony tells Judy immediately that he is responsible for Angelo Coluzzi's death. The interest is how Judy will build a defense and how she will escape the vengeful Coluzzi family. This is Lisa Scottoline at her best!
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Summary: Swift and entertaining
Review: The Vendetta Defense sets itself apart from generic courtroom thrillers with Lisa Scottoline's snappy dialogues and vivid characterization. No less intriguing is the the plot that revolves around hot-shot lawyer Judy Carrier stumbling onto a murder case in which Tony Lucia - an octogenarian particularly fond of pigeons - kills the influential Angelo Coluzzi out of vengeance. The read vacillates to expound on Tony's hatred towards Coluzzi. Not only did he perniciously murdered Tony's wife Silvana but claimed the lives of his son and daughter-in-law in an automobile sabotage. Lisa Scottoline shrewdly creates empathy for the defendant and then jolts us with provocative questions as to seek balance between compassion and justice. The last few pages fly by electrifyingly with Judy's twisting the evidence and solid arguments. Equally captivating is the scope on Italians' culture in Philadephia who integrates in the frenetic pacing of the novel to bring out texture beside the galvanizing action. The Vendetta Defense moves swiftly with its colorful ensemble of characters - and judiciously uses the procedural to excite and thrill.
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Summary: a story of revenge, love, hate & more
Review: This audio adaptation of Lisa Scottoline's the Vendetta Defense tells a story of revenge, love, hate, and more. The "Vendetta" between Angelo Coluzzi and Tony Lucia "Pidgeon Tony" over the killing sixty years ago of Lucia's wife, as well as son and daughter in law, runs deep. Judy Carrier, the attorney who takes Pidgeon Tony's case, has all she can do to keep him from ruining his case, with the jury; given the hard bitten prosecutor who'd like to see him punished. Kate Burton does a fine job at reading the book, but her accents for the "Italians" are a bit exaggerated. She does better with the English speaking doctor. Still, a fine book.
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Summary: Excellent read!
Review: This book, the first of her books I have read, was gripping from beginning to end. I love lawyer/mystery type books. When people call her the female John Grisham, they are so right, but she has much better endings to her books than he does. I have read many since this one, and loved each individually. I had a chance to see her speak, and she is as funny and sharp as her books read. Loved it and hated when it ended.
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Summary: Is the Idea of a "Vendetta Defense" Really Plausible?
Review: 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!
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