Rating: 
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyable legal thriller! Great book!
Review: Dead Ringer caught me off guard because I frankly did not expect a lot from it. Boy was I surprised when I discovered that this is an incredible legal thriller that rivals many of Grisham's books! Take any recent Grisham novel of choice, make all his legal-professional characters female, add some actual depth to his recent one-dimensional characters, and presto - Dead Ringer!Bennie Rosato, head of her own small law firm composed entirely of female professionals (lawyers and scretaries), is the main character of the book. The main plot revolves around how her twin sister almost destroys her life by trying to assume her identity when Bennie's wallet is lost. However, that is only the main plot. The depth of character development is enthralling as we learn of Bennie's struggles to maintain a financially depleted firm, make contact with a long lost father, develop a new relationship with a guy, and attempt to win a huge class-action lawsuit. Wow! If you are a fan of legal thrillers like Grisham writes, you will love this book. GUYS NOTE - yes, many of the main characters are female, and it is an all-woman firm. However, there is no man-bashing or overly sappy text. As stated before, its like a Grisham novel with female lead characters. This is a quality novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and so will you, no matter what age or gender!
Rating: 
Summary: I Really Wanted to like this book
Review: I brought this book based on the good reviews but ended up walking away wondering if I read the same book the other reviewers are raving about. The story goes all over the map and, in my humble opinion, lacks focus. Bennie has a crazy sister pulling one stunt after another and the character is too scatter-brained to protect herself. Even after the incident with Bear (her dog.) She does nothing thereafter to make sure he's safe when she leaves the house. If someone broke in once and took him, why wouldn't you think it might happen again? The characters tries too hard to be funny and they aren't. Corny--yes. Funny--no.
And why can't gay characters have a little more dept than just the sister-girl flame?
During the sagging middle I found myself longing to do house chores than to finish this book. Then the killer's motivation is so weak, it insults my intelligence. The crazy twin motivation thing craddles the line too because it mirrors the killers. And his reasoning to kill Bennie even more ludicrious. "I'm killing you becaue you don't believe the police."-? I know there are some dumb criminals out there, but...
My point is everything seems contrived. Not to mention how Bennie figured everything out...not one single clue-just...AHA! Whatever. Even the hunky bodyguard--I'm helping because I have nothing else to do. Go feed the homeless or something, pal.
Then the police. Why do detectives have to look incompetent in order to make the heroine/hero look good?
Then she impresses all these companies for filing a simple, and I do mean simple, motion in court to expedite and change the way lead council is selected. Basically, she just asked a question. Wow, wow, wow, what a smart attorney!! I doubt I'll give this author another try...but anything is possible I guess.
Rating: 
Summary: Plot or Money
Review: I like Lisa Scottoline. Really I do, but this is one of the worst books I read by her. She is a great writer, with such good books as Running from the Law, Courting Trouble, Rough Justice, and Moment of Truth. But this, this was a HARD read. We, the reader, have to suffer half the book before the plot really starts. The first 150 pages is about money problems. There are some high lights with Bennie's sister causing problems, but they are few and far between. Alice who was a major force in the plot of Mistaken Identity, is just window dressing here. There is no real ending just an oh gee, I told you who murdered who, but not the justice. If you are a new reader of Ms. Scottoline, then start with another book. The first in this series is Everywhere that Mary went. You meet Mary and Judy, before they start to work with Bennie. Dead Ringer is just plain Dead!
Rating: 
Summary: Good Writing; Holes in Plot
Review: I listened to the audio version of this book and I thought the narrator was fantastic. Unfortunately, the material left much to be desired. I thought the book started very well - the writing and plot very good, very interesting, and yes, believable. After things got underway, however, Bennie started acting very stupidly - she's supposed to be so smart & savvy but did not stay in that character. I listened on to the end to find out what happened, however, I was bored by Bennie's idiocy time after time. To compare to what else I read this week: 1. A "lighter" mystery, "Immaculate Reception" by J. Farmer had a tighter plot with characters who did smart things like inform the police of suspicions (which did not compromise interest or credulity or excitement). Well-written and funny, too. 2. Newbery Honor Book, a mystery of sorts: "House of the Scorpion" by N. Farmer - great writing, tight plot, very creative, haunting story & premises...not just for kids. Amazing book. No holes in the story and quite chilling/thought-provoking. I liked the writing in "Dead Ringer" enough to try another Scottoline - interesting setting and some very interesting characters. If you like your plot and the characters to not act stupidly (when they are supposed to be smart), however, you may want to skip this one.
Rating: 
Summary: More Bennie is always just enough!
Review: I met Lisa Scottoline at Book Expo Canada a few years ago, and she's a blast. So, whenever I saw her books, I nabbed them. But, truth be told, I'd not started reading them. Recently, I listened to 'Legal Tender,' and really enjoyed it, and so when I saw this and another Lisa Scottoline available on audio, I nabbed it.
We return to Bennie Rosato and find her just as snarky, sarcastic, and tough as ever. The reader still being Kate Burton really helped, as she's got the perfect voice for the character.
Now, since I've been reading this out of order, some characters I knew weren't in it (apparently, the relationship that began in 'Legal Tender' didn't work out, for one), and I didn't know that Bennie had a twin (I must have missed a book between this and the last one). But when her twin starts to show up and make malicious attempts to ruin Bennie's life, things get interesting. Especially when Bennie's own little law firm is on the financial rocks. And when her biggest client ends up murdered, Bennie's in real trouble - because what if the murderer is her twin? Or are they unrelated? Or, is someone else also trying to ruin Bennie?
Solid stuff, this story, interesting, and the mystery had me confounded (bonus points for that). Thumbs-up, especially for Kate Burton's reading voice.
'Nathan
Rating:
Summary: This is a bestselling book???
Review: I read this book based on the "best-seller" status combined with good reviews on-line. What a joke. I was embarrassed for this author! Forget the lack of plot depth, etc. the writing is just plain terrible. She's trying so hard to write 'believable' characters and how they would talk, etc. but it comes out as just plain ridiculous. And her attempts at "witty" or "comedic" dialogue is again just embarrassing. I haven't read her other books - I hope they are better than this one. Waster of time.
Rating:
Summary: Not Up To Par
Review: I usually enjoy the "Rosato and Associates" series, but this was was really lacking. In previous books in the series, all the characters except Mary came off as strong and independent, but you always got the feeling that Bennie was in charge and kept that fine line between employer and employees. That line has been erased. Bennie is portrayed as "one of the girls," and the associates (whom she annoyingly refers to as "the kids" throughout the book) seem to have taken over the asylum, demanding to know Bennie's financial situation as if it's their right, and standing by their homegirl as one united entity. That's all well and good, but in the real world, single women would be hitting the pavement looking for interviews if they found out their job might not last another two months. The dialog between them seems as if they're in a high school home ec class, filled with silly slang that isn't befitting a group of women professionals. And some of the writing left a lot to be desired -- his change jingled unhappily in his pocket as he ran? Do coins have the ability to be happy or unhappy? Where on earth would Ms. Scottoline come up with drivel like this? The problem with the story is that it's too scattered. Bennie's twin is back playing havoc with her life, but we never really understand why, even after she tells us. She breaks into Bennie's house and kidnaps her dog, who Bennie obviously loves dearly, and all she does the next day is put the dog in the basement as a safeguard? Then there's the "mysterious stranger" who shows up to save the dog and suddenly devotes his life to trailing Bennie to make sure she's safe. Wow. That sure happens every day. Then you have the client to whom Bennie seems to form an unnatural attachment, her law firm's financial troubles, the offer to buy her firm, the trumped-up charges against her -- there was just too much going on, but not enough detail paid to any of these things to make you care much about them. Bennie also came across as stupid in this novel. She's a lawyer, yet she has no problem interfering in a police matter just because she feels like it (because of this unnatural attachment to her client). She gets arrested and doesn't know enough to keep her mouth shut while Carrier represents her. She knows her life could be in danger, yet she takes off on her own looking for a pay phone -- in a construction area. It was just too ridiculous to believe. And then she figures out who the murderer was -- with no clues or hints at all...it just comes to her in the blink of an eye! Maybe she should join the police force. This was a very disappointing effort from a writer I usually enjoy very much.
Rating:
Summary: Bennie Bites the Bullet Big Time
Review: In Dead Ringer, Lisa Scottoline brings all the excitement of her character's lives, along with the ambience of the Philadelphia area. Having been born in Philly and attended Penn, I can say with pride that she took all that she learned in her creative writing classes, inherent intelligence, talent, pride in her city and characteristics of her Italian heritage and made it all real in the context of her thrillers. This one is so welcome, because all Scottoline fans have been waiting for years to see what became of her twin, Alice. This is a must read for her fans, and all those who can appreciate a super thriller, a tome about responsibility and friendship and the fact that your family, when you are wise enough to recognize it is what you make.
Rating:
Summary: Too good to put down
Review: It is such a pleasure to write a glowing review rather than commenting on the last Patterson cut and paste formula fiasco. This story was funny, clever, well constructed and a complete pleasure that I couldn't let go of. Move over James Patterson and Dean Koontz. This lady writes like you used to James, and you never could, Dean!
Rating:
Summary: So-so legal thriller
Review: It's my first book by Lisa Scottoline. Maybe I didn't pick the best one by this author but I found this book without much suspense, without well developed and believable characters (as much as author tries very hard to create ones), with weak plot that is not always very well logically connected. I don't say that it's a bad book, it's just not very good. Also, the fact that the main character is a lawyer doesn't make it a courtroom thriller (as it is advertised).
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