Philadelphia lawyer turned novelist (what a concept!) Scottoline has already won a best original paperback Edgar for Final Appeal. Now she might just nail down a hardcover one for her latest book -- a lovely combination of high energy, imagination and nasty good humor mostly directed against lawyers. Her central character this time out is a definite keeper: Benedetta Rosato, "Bennie" to everyone but her mother, a towering blonde who rows to keep her body in shape and duels with the police on a daily basis to keep her legal talents sharp. Most of Bennie's clients have a gripe against the cops, so Philadelphia's finest are less than sympathetic to her cause when she becomes the chief suspect in the murder of her ex-lover and soon to be ex-law partner. Hiding out in a truly original way, Bennie uses (and abuses) a big law firm to help find the real killers; you'll find yourself laughing and gasping all the way.


From Publishers Weekly
The heroine of Scottoline's rambunctious fourth legal thriller (after Running from the Law) may change the way readers think about lawyers. Benedetta ("Bennie") Rosato, who narrates, is a ravishing six-foot blonde, one of two partners in a thriving law firm. In quick order, the foundations of her world come crashing down. Her partner and ex-lover, Mark, turns up murdered shortly after he tells Bennie that he is planning to dissolve the partnership. It's not surprising that she then becomes the cops' prime suspect. When the murder weapon is found in her apartment, Bennie goes underground. Then a drug company CEO is killed, and she is falsely accused of that death, too. A hilarious caper ensues as Bennie disguises herself as, variously, a hooker, a bag lady and a lawyer "from the New York office" of a staid old white-shoe firm. In the midst of all her woes, she must also deal with a new boyfriend and a mother who's facing electroshock therapy. The Perry Mason-like ending is a bit strained but doesn't spoil the fun. Bennie, a delightful heroine, deserves an encore; and, again, Scottoline merits a big round of applause. $200,000 combined ad/promo for Legal Tender and the simultaneous HarperPaperbacks edition of Running from the Law; simultaneous HarperAudio; author tour; U.K. and translation rights: Columbia Literary Agency; dramatic rights: Linda Hayes. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
In this galloping legal thriller, Edgar-Award-winning author Scottoline (Running for the Law, LJ 10/1/95) unleashes an irresistible protagonist in Bennie, a big-boned golden retriever of a girl, a Philadelphia lawyer who stands by her friends even when falsely accused of three soul-chilling murders. As heartsick but gutsy Bennie rows her scull on the Schuylkill River in the middle of the night to find her rhythm, she's more appealing than a Grafton or Grisham heroine. Scottoline deftly delineates her characters using true-to-ear bantering dialog, irreverent humor, and the revelatory detail: her gay friend Sam's being "so fashionably thin," her mother's "belligerent" nose, and Hattie the savvy glitter T-shirted caretaker. The pacing in this full-focus story never flags, and there are a few gasping surprises, but her stick-to-the-ribs characters (except for the ex-lover, oddly stock with his "gorgeous brown eyes") are more compelling than the complicated plot. Recommended for most collections.-?Molly Gorman, San Marino, Cal.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Los Angeles Times
"A fast-paced, suspenseful and tongue-in-cheek legal thriller."


From AudioFile
Attorney Benedetta "Bennie" Rosato must prove her innocence when her law partner and former lover is found murdered. Edgar Award-winning author Scottoline's legal thriller is filled with mystery, tension and humor. Kate Burton excels as Bennie, expressing her thoughts, emotions and sarcasm. She successfully portrays the other characters, as well, mostly through slight inflections and distinct accents. Burton's emotional and enthusiastic reading enhances both the text and the reader's response. Thanks to Burton's talents, Scottoline is certain to attract new fans. M.H.S. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Benedetta "Bennie" Rosato may be tall, blond, and built to last, but she's no sucker for a man in uniform. She's a maverick lawyer who prosecutes police misconduct and excessive-force cases, and business at her firm of Rosato & Biscardi has never been better. Bennie's latest client is Bill Kleeb, an activist roughed up by police during a demonstration at a pharmaceutical company, Furstman Dunn. It's an open-and-shut case of police brutality until Kleeb confesses to Bennie that the protests are only part of the story. Angered at Furstman Dunn, Kleeb's group plans a far more violent punishment for the company president. Then, without warning, a savage murder tears Rosato & Biscardi apart. All the evidence points to Bennie, who has motive aplenty and an unconfirmable alibi. Her world turns upside down as the lawyer becomes the client and the cops she once prosecuted are now after her - with a vengeance. To prove her innocence, Bennie probes deep into the murder. Her only ally is her lawyer, Grady Wells - until she discovers secret meetings that make her suspect even him. Just as she closes in on the killer, another murder takes place, and Bennie finds herself indicted for a double homicide - a crime that is punishable by death.

SYNOPSIS

Benedetta "Bennie" Rosato is a maverick lawyer who prosecutes police misconduct and excessive-force cases, and business at her firm of Rosato & Biscardi has never been better.

Then, without warning, a savage murder tears the firm apart. All evidence points to Bennie, who has motive aplenty and an unconfirmable alibi.

FROM THE CRITICS

Los Angeles Times

A fast-paced, suspenseful and tongue-in-cheek legal thriller.

USA Today

Scottoline's writing style is sharp, intelligent, funny and hip...[She] gives fans of legal thrillers a good, twisty plot, lively characters and an all-around fun read.

Los Angeles Times

A fast-paced, suspenseful and tongue-in-cheek legal thriller.

USA Today

Scottoline's writing style is sharp, intelligent, funny and hip...[She] gives fans of legal thrillers a good, twisty plot, lively characters and an all-around fun read.

Library Journal