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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This review is really hard for me. From everything I've heard from friends and from everything I've read about this series (including three pages of high praise from everyone from Janet Evanovich to Nora Roberts), I should love "Everywhere That Mary Went" by Lisa Scottoline. But I don't...And I can't figure out why.
Could it be because it confirmed my belief that a lot of judges are pompous, arrogant blowhards who don't deserve their position? Possibly. (I know I'm jaded, but given what's been happening the past year with my Wisconsin Supreme Court, I sadly have every right to that opinion.)
Could it be because I dislike shyster lawyers and kinda held it against Mary? Perhaps. (Yes, I realize that Mary had a conscience and ultimately decided to quit her firm and strike out on her own. Good for her. But I didn't really connect with Mary until the very end. Perhaps it was too little, too late...I don't know.)
Could it be because I found it hard to believe that the baddie could do increasingly heinous things over an extended period of time and yet no one -- neither his friends nor colleagues -- noticed that he was coming unhinged? Maybe.
Could it be because I found Mary's and Ned's relationship to be a little forced? Assumably. (Come on...They go on a date once in college; she marries someone else; they go on one date years later -- after the husband is dead, of course; they sleep together once and -- BAM! -- they're both totally in love. Really? Where was the build-up? I felt cheated.)
Could it be because this book questioned religious doctrine? Absolutely not. I actually liked that part. (And I really loved it when Angie finally left the convent.)
At any rate, I liked the ending...which I presume is the beginning for the second book. But I don't know if I liked this first book well enough to invest in the rest of the series. (I'm already involved in a series I don't particularly love -- "Body Movers" by Stephanie Bond -- and I'm not sure I want to get caught in that same trap again.) We'll see...
Could it be because it confirmed my belief that a lot of judges are pompous, arrogant blowhards who don't deserve their position? Possibly. (I know I'm jaded, but given what's been happening the past year with my Wisconsin Supreme Court, I sadly have every right to that opinion.)
Could it be because I dislike shyster lawyers and kinda held it against Mary? Perhaps. (Yes, I realize that Mary had a conscience and ultimately decided to quit her firm and strike out on her own. Good for her. But I didn't really connect with Mary until the very end. Perhaps it was too little, too late...I don't know.)
Could it be because I found it hard to believe that the baddie could do increasingly heinous things over an extended period of time and yet no one -- neither his friends nor colleagues -- noticed that he was coming unhinged? Maybe.
Could it be because I found Mary's and Ned's relationship to be a little forced? Assumably. (Come on...They go on a date once in college; she marries someone else; they go on one date years later -- after the husband is dead, of course; they sleep together once and -- BAM! -- they're both totally in love. Really? Where was the build-up? I felt cheated.)
Could it be because this book questioned religious doctrine? Absolutely not. I actually liked that part. (And I really loved it when Angie finally left the convent.)
At any rate, I liked the ending...which I presume is the beginning for the second book. But I don't know if I liked this first book well enough to invest in the rest of the series. (I'm already involved in a series I don't particularly love -- "Body Movers" by Stephanie Bond -- and I'm not sure I want to get caught in that same trap again.) We'll see...
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Great series! Glad I found it to start from the beginning and read through in order.
I probably enjoyed this more than I otherwise would have because of the Philadelphia setting.
It drew me in! Makes me think of my lawyer friend Stacy as the character Judy. I'll be reading more of this series.
I've been meaning to read this books for years, ever since laughing out loud at an essay the author wrote in the newspaper. I enjoyed it more than more than I expected to - a good light summer read. It's a legal thriller with a great sense of humor. I will definitely read more of this series.
The demonization of mental illness really threw me off and I couldn’t move past it. I get that it’s from 1993, but we let people seriously freaking out this badly if someone was taking prozac?