Killer Smile

Spunky, young lawyer Mary DeNunzio becomes passionately entwined in a dusty, old estate settlement involving an Italian-American immigrant who comes to life in Mary's imagination. When an associate is murdered, Mary is convinced it's related to her case and pursues the truth against all odds. Barbara Rosenblat deftly delivers many colorful secondary characters. Her treatment of older people is especially sensitive and credible. She presents the heroine with an almost neutral voice, underplaying Mary's South Philadelphia identity. An interview with the author at the end of the recording provides entertaining insight, especially on the topic of Italian-Americans interned during WWII. N.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

March 22, 2004
A starred or boxed review indicates a book of outstanding quality. A review with a blue-tinted title indicates a book of unusual commercial interest that hasn't received a starred or boxed review.

KILLER SMILE
Lisa Scottoline
. HarperCollins
, $25.95 (320p) ISBN 0-06-051495-7

Scottoline's previous thrillers (Dead Ringer
; Courting Trouble
; etc.) have featured the women of the all-female Philadelphia law firm Rosato and Associates, and have concerned the usual elements of murder, stalking, bribery and corruption. This novel by the former trial lawyer and Edgar Award winner, while embracing the requisite ingredients, is especially engaging because of its personal angle: growing out of Scottoline's discovery of her own grandparents' alien registration cards, the book involves the case of an Italian-American who was interned during WWII. Amadeo Brandolini emigrated from Italy to Philadelphia, where he started a family and worked as a fisherman. When the war broke out, the FBI arrested and imprisoned him (along with 10,000 other Italian-Americans). He lost everything and wound up committing suicide in the camp. Rosato and Associates' young star, Mary DiNunzio, steps up to represent Brandolini's estate as it sues for reparations. Mary "grew up in South Philly, where she'd learned to pop her gum, wear high heels, and work overtime" and silently prays to saints when she can't find things. This case, a pro bono one, means a lot to her; the local small business owners and family friends she grew up with want retribution for Brandolini as much as she does. Mary puts all of her energy into the job, and when clues suggest Brandolini's death may have been a homicide, she becomes even more enthralled. As Mary learns more, the enemy camp (another Italian-American family, the Saracones) turns its murderous eye on her. Scottoline skillfully weaves a complicated, gripping and fast-paced tale, at turns comical, nerve-wracking and enlightening. Agent, Molly Friedrich. (On sale June 1)

Forecast:
Scottoline's last book
, Dead Ringer, debuted at #5 on the
New York Times bestseller list—her personal best.
Killer Smile is poised for similar success, aided by a 13-city author tour and national radio and print ads. Look for an Innovators profile of Scottoline in the April 26 issue of
PW.

May 15, 2004
After Dead Ringer, Mary DiNunzio and the all-women law firm of Rosato & Associates are back in another installment of the popular series. While it's chock-full of Scottoline's trademark murder, mayhem, and merriment, this time she has a more important and personal story to tell-that of the little-known internment camps for Italian Americans during World War II. Scottoline discovered her own grandparents' alien registration cards, giving her the impetus and passion to bring this story to light. DiNunzio has taken on a pro bono case for the family of Amadeo Brandolini, an Italian immigrant fisherman who settled in Philadelphia but died under mysterious circumstances in one such camp in Montana; now, his family is seeking retribution. DiNunzio takes his case to heart, but her fervent research uncovers more subterfuge than she was supposed to find. Her crazy blind dates offer some comic relief, but the threats, violence, and bodies continue to pile up, and the truth remains elusive throughout this complex and riveting tale. Highly recommended for all fiction collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/04.]-Stacy Alesi, Southwest Cty. Regional Lib., Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2004
Lawyer Mary DiNunzio gets a new take on her latest case-the suicide of an Italian American in a World War II internment camp-when she starts receiving ominous threats.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2004
In the latest installment of Scottoline's best-selling series starring the all-female Philadelphia law firm of Rosato & Associates, young Mary DiNunzio takes center stage. Mary has taken on a pro bono case representing her "peeps"--an Italian American business group (the " circolo") working on behalf of the estate of Amadeo Brandolini, who committed suicide while interned during World War II. The estate seeks reparations, and Mary feels drawn to the case, so much so that others fear she's obsessed with it. Under the guise of taking a vacation, Mary visits the site of the internment camp in Montana where Amadeo killed himself and finds herself with still more unanswered questions. Interesting author's notes at the end of this engaging drama disclose Scottoline's own discovery of her grandparents' internment, lending this unusual story a welcome authenticity. Expect another hit from Scottoline, who has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that legal thrillers are not a male-only subgenre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)