Rating: 
Summary: Secrecy That Seduces From The Beginning!
Review: Lisa Scottoline's first novel is quite an accomplishment. A story that is gripping and gives you clues but not in an obvious way. I was surprised until the "big revelation." The characters are not super-human. They are regular people which lends to the authentic feel.Mary DiNuzio is a litigator on the fast track to partnership in a top lawfirm in Philly. Mary has thrown herself into her work after her husband's unexpected death. We are first endeared to Mary as she is asked to sing by a judge during a hearing. She wins the motion on her arguement but this shows her understanding of how the game is played. She starts to get the feeling that someone is watching her. Mary starts getting notes and calls where no one speaks but is still on the phone. A suspicious car is also seen frequently as Mary goes around down. Eventually the police are called but they don't really believe her accusations. Mary has a male secretary named Brent. He keeps her sane, safe, and on track to make partner. Mary's best friend, Judy, is also concerned about the calls, notes, and car following Mary. They work together to figure out who is sending notes to Mary and following her around in car. There are glimpes of Mary twin sister, Angie, and her parents. A new love interest, from the lawfirm , keeps us guessing about his motives. These characters are woven around Mary like a cocoon. The pacing of the activites are so craftly written. Watching the story unfold is like driving in traffic. Sometimes you feeling like you're moving along, the next minute you're getting cutoff, and lastly you just don't move. A wonderful mystery for those who enjoy a challange.
Rating:
Summary: Secrecy That Seduces From The Beginning!
Review: Lisa Scottoline's first novel is quite an accomplishment. A story that is gripping and gives you clues but not in an obvious way. I was surprised until the "big revelation." The characters are not super-human. They are regular people which lends to the authentic feel. Mary DiNuzio is a litigator on the fast track to partnership in a top lawfirm in Philly. Mary has thrown herself into her work after her husband's unexpected death. We are first endeared to Mary as she is asked to sing by a judge during a hearing. She wins the motion on her arguement but this shows her understanding of how the game is played. She starts to get the feeling that someone is watching her. Mary starts getting notes and calls where no one speaks but is still on the phone. A suspicious car is also seen frequently as Mary goes around down. Eventually the police are called but they don't really believe her accusations. Mary has a male secretary named Brent. He keeps her sane, safe, and on track to make partner. Mary's best friend, Judy, is also concerned about the calls, notes, and car following Mary. They work together to figure out who is sending notes to Mary and following her around in car. There are glimpes of Mary twin sister, Angie, and her parents. A new love interest, from the lawfirm , keeps us guessing about his motives. These characters are woven around Mary like a cocoon. The pacing of the activites are so craftly written. Watching the story unfold is like driving in traffic. Sometimes you feeling like you're moving along, the next minute you're getting cutoff, and lastly you just don't move. A wonderful mystery for those who enjoy a challange.
Rating:
Summary: If Somebody is Stalking You, Maybe Paranoia is Appropriate
Review: Mary DiNunzio works long hours at her law firm, trying to forget the recent accidental death of her husband. She's winning a lot of cases for the firm's wealthy clients when she starts getting crank calls. She thinks she's being followed and wonders if someone is trying to scare her off a case she's working on. Then the calls come more often, strange notes start arriving and someone breaks into her apartment. She starts suspecting anybody and everybody and as the danger escalates, she realizes she can depend on nobody but herself. A gripping thriller that will keep you up till the wee hours of the morning.
Rating: 
Summary: Some logic holes, but great characterization and action.
Review: Mary DiNuzio may not have it together with respect to getting the phone company to trace her calls, but she's interesting, smart, funny, caring, and tough. I'd want her for my lawyer even though, as a physician, I normally think less of lawyers than I do of the plague bacillus. The plot moved right along and kept me interested. The details of legal action and the details of how to become a partner in a law firm were interesting, too. I particularly liked the fact that the good people weren't entirely good. Apparently, nobody is perfect except Mary's best friend, Judy.
Rating:
Summary: Good mystery and great heroine!
Review: Scottoline is a very good writer---the pace is fast, the story interesting, and the characters refreshing. Mary is an especially wonderful character--very real. Every woman professional (regardless of her profession) has felt as Mary has (like a fraud). This was the first of Scottoline's books which I read and I immediately went out and bought several others (which didn't disappoint me). Scottoline is that rarity: an intelligent writer who respects her readers and moves them quickly thro' a story.
Rating:
Summary: Good to read
Review: Scottoline writes in a way that makes the reader feel like they are there witnessing the events as they unfold. I have never been to Philadelphia but after reading several of her books I feel like I know the city. Overall a decent book to read.
Rating:
Summary: Everywhere that Mary went...
Review: someone was sure to follow. Or so it seemed to this dynamic associate attorney in a Philadelphia law firm, who suddenly starts receiving threatening notes and phone calls after the hit-and-run death of her young husband. Mary soon realizes she has a stalker - and both her life and that of her friends depends on tracking him down. Scottoline's first book is a wonderful mystery. The characters are very vivid, especially those of Mary and her family. I also especially enjoy the way Scottoline uses the Philadelphia setting, which is very realistic and readable. If you enjoy this book, you will also enjoy some of Scottoline's other mysteries, including Mistaken Identity and Final Appeal.
Rating:
Summary: The Real Mary?
Review: The book itself was very good and I enjoyed it a lot. However, I've read several of this author's Bennie Rosato stories before it, and this one left me confused about the character of Mary. In the Rosato books, she's portrayed as a religious, mousy, goody-goody wimp who's afraid of her own shadow. However, in this story she's portrayed as an impulsive, foul-mouthed, pushy broad. Perhaps there's some development over time and one needs to read these books in order to understand it. But I found it very distracting.
Rating: 
Summary: I went with Mary and then... well, nothing
Review: The crude obscene language which the women use, both in direct quote and in relating what they will do, was bothersome to me. I cannot respect a woman who stoops to such gutter language. I was also annoyed by the apparent approval we were expected to give to the central character's belief that her cloistered twin sister was "throwing her life away." The scenario is pretty incredible, and the out of wack reaction Mary has when she gets mad seemed so stupid for a smart lawyer, and made me wonder how smart she could really be. I have no intention to read anything more by this author.
Rating: 
Summary: Annoying things about this book
Review: The crude obscene language which the women use, both in direct quote and in relating what they will do, was bothersome to me. I cannot respect a woman who stoops to such gutter language. I was also annoyed by the apparent approval we were expected to give to the central character's belief that her cloistered twin sister was "throwing her life away." The scenario is pretty incredible, and the out of wack reaction Mary has when she gets mad seemed so stupid for a smart lawyer, and made me wonder how smart she could really be. I have no intention to read anything more by this author.
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