Rating: 
Summary: adolescent prattle
Review: As much as I've loved Scottoline's previous mysteries, this one was a huge disappointment. The thoughts that Mary and Jack were having in their minds about the other were so amateurish that I had to look and make sure I was reading a Lisa Scottoline novel and not a romance paperback. This type of prose surprised me from someone of this author's caliber. Love her, hated this book, but will keep reading Scottoline because everyone is entitled to a bad one now and then.
Rating: 
Summary: What a disappointment!
Review: Scottoline's analogies for the most part were distractingly bad. For instance, describing a man's hair as being like the silver of weathered cedar shakes. Is she serious? And she didn't do her homework on the forensic stuff. Bodies don't stay in full rigor mortis very long. I think it is between 12 and 18 hours or so after death. The body of the victim was well beyond that at autopsy. Also, I don't believe pathologist do autopsies on bodies in full rigor. I found the main character uninteresting and not very bright. To call this woman the female John Grisham is wrong.
Rating: 
Summary: Not up to Scottoline's par
Review: I was loving this witty and well-paced book until I got about 4/5 of the way through, when the story and all credibility fell flat as a souffle in an earthquake. Where did that preposterous ending come from? The first 290 pages get 5 stars; the other 20% of the story gets one.
Rating: 
Summary: A Twister
Review: This is the first novel of Scottoline that I have read. I enjoyed it very much. Unlike some other reviews on this book, I thought I had the ending figured out. Surprise, I didn't. Very enjoyable read. Read it, you will be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: What fun!
Review: I loved this book just I love all of Lisa Scottoline's books, but this was different. The main character was missing (Bennie)and at first I missed her but the story was so much fun that I stopped by the 5th or 6th chapter. Maybe it was a little predictable but it was still a great read. I hope that Jack & Mary become a regular item and that Bennie comes back soon!
Rating:
Summary: Scottoline's newest
Review: As much as I love Lisa Scottoline's legal thrillers, this, alas, is not one of my favorites. Although attorney Jack Newlin, determined to frame himself for the murder of his wife which he thinks his teenage daughter has committed, is the pivotal character, he remains such a shallow, one-dimensional character that I never really got a feel for him. Bennie Rosato doesn't appear in this novel. Instead, the defense of Jack Newlin is taken on by associates Mary DiNunzio and Judy Carrier. Mary soon discovers the cracks in Jack's confession and, against his express wishes, begins an investigation. Mary, being an inexperienced trial lawyer, makes some colossal blunders and some fairly inept, unprofessional judgment calls in her quest for the truth and almost gets herself killed. Moreover, the warm, empathetic Mary develops a major crush on the wooden, aloof, workaholic Jack. Puh-leez! While I found this novel fast paced and entertaining, I did find myself exhorting Mary to "Grow up", "Get a grip", and "No! Don't do that" a lot. And I really would have liked to know more about who Jack was and what made him tick -- unless it was the author's intention that there really was no substance to him. Overall, I liked the book but didn't love it as I usually do Scottoline's work, and felt let down by the nagging ambiguities and loose ends.
Rating:
Summary: Humorous and snappy dialogue makes up for the creaky plot.
Review: I love the humor of Lisa Scottoline. When Mary DiNunzio, the lawyer and main character of "Moment of Truth," visits the "Young and Hip" floor of a department store, she meets a young and hip salesgirl. She describes the salesgirl as "a skinny young woman with about three hundred plastic clips in her . . . short, canary-colored hair that looked greasy on purpose, [with] no discernible shame about her black roots, and a tongue pierce that created a speech impediment". Scottoline does not take herself or her characters very seriously and this is refreshing. Mary takes on the case of Jack Newlin, who falsely confesses to killing his wife, Honor, in order to protect his daughter, Paige. Mary's colleagues, Judy and Lou, provide her with support and with the same camaraderie that they have in previous Scottoline novels. Mary's old-fashioned Italian parents are as warm and as funny as usual and Mary is a smart, self-effacing and lovable character. The novel also features two cops, Brinkley and Kovich, who seem like real cops and are nicely fleshed out. Unfortunately, the plot is not as strong as the characters and the dialogue. It is a mishmash, especially the tacked on ending that makes little sense and is completely out of left field. Scottoline is using the "surprise ending" ploy which rarely works, and it doesn't work here. However, the plot is almost a side issue, since the characters and the humor carry the book along nicely. "Moment of Truth" is a fun read.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid
Review: The plot of this novel is really a great one (father protecting daughter in a VERY unique way), and it would be hard to screw it up, and the author doesn't. It's a good page-turner, the best read since "The Shape: A Novel of International Suspense." John Grisham may have spawned a lot of "attorney" thrillers, but this is one of the good ones
Rating:
Summary: Scottoline's Best
Review: This is Lisa Scottoline's best book (and all of her previous books have been great!) I love Mary DiNunzio as her lead character. I'm hoping to see Mary and Jack Newlin develop a relationship in Lisa's next boook! I couldn't put this book down and read it in 24 hours!
Rating:
Summary: Very dissapointing effort
Review: Let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Scottoline, and have enjoyed her previous works a lot. Her books are normally fast, funny, and suspenseful, with lots of interesting twists. Unfortunately, this one seems to be stretched too thin, and is flat right from the start. It is obvious who the killer is right away, and the way it is tied together at the end is really contrived and unbelievable. None of the characters are particularaly interesting either; even Mary who was a good character in previous books. And then there is the daughter who is pregnant and worried about the baby, yet has no qualms about doing drugs. The only reason for the three stars is to give Scottoline the benefit of the doubt, because as I said, I have always enjoyed her books in the past. Hopefully she will return to form next time.
|
