A review by canada_matt
Courting Trouble by Lisa Scottoline

adventurous funny informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

After discovering a short story by Lisa Scottoline, I became highly curious about the series to which it relates. Diving in, I have devoured seven of the novels in a week and the binge addiction is real. This is a series that mixes great legal topics with a strong thriller foundation, allowing characters to grow and present all sides of themselves for attentive readers. This novel presents another associate at the law firm of Rosario and Associates, complete with her dark backstory. Anne Murphy developed a stalker during one of the cases that helped put her on the map. When the man was incarcerated, Anne was sure that was the end to her troubles. However, a friend is killed in her home while Anne is away and everyone is sure it’s Anne who met her demise. Who wants her dead and how will Anne get to the bottom of it? She will have to reach out to her colleagues and boss to get answers, while staying off the radar, as she could be next, with a killer on the loose. Scottoline presents another unique case with legal implications that will have the reader highly impressed.

Anne Murphy is a great attorney, willing to bend the rules to get convictions, even if that means raising some eyebrows. However, one of her cases leaves a stalker to follow her, even after he is placed in custody for a long time. Moving to Philadelphia, Anne joins the law firm of Rosato and Associates, when Bennie Rosato welcomes her to the all-woman firm. When a friend of Anne’s is murdered while house sitting, it soon becomes clear that it was a case of mistaken identity. Laying low, Anne lets everything think she’s still dead, though she is determined to discover the truth. Reaching out to Bennie and her colleagues, Mary DiNunzio, as well as Judy Carrier, Anne will have to sneak under the radar to get answers. 

Sure that this is her stalker back on the loose, Anne begins laying a trap, only to discover that a prison break in California leaves Anne’s ideas a distinct possibility. Fear and determination help Anne continue to work the awe, though she will have to be sure the actual victim’s family is aware of their horrible loss. Bennie, Mary, and Judy work hard to help, all while trying not to leave any crumbs in a case that is sure to garner many headlines, once the vultures of the press discover what’s going on.

All this, while a high-profile case is on the horizon and Anne has high hopes of winning in the courtroom. Anne thought dodging her stalker was enough, but the budding romance with the opposing counsel as well keeps things form getting boring. Forced to juggle it all at once, Anne will have to make her moves succinctly as she skirts danger at every turn. However, something will have to give if Anne is going to come out on top and live to tell the story. Scottoline does it again with a legal thriller that has teeth.

There is a great sense of excitement and interest that comes across me when I read the novels in this series. Lisa Scottoline does a masterful job offering up a great narrative, filling the books with details of the law, as well as a peppering of humour. There is so much action to follow and a significant amount of backstory for those characters who have already graced the pages of the series, particularly the female protagonists. Adding Anne Murphy to the group will create new flavourings and perspectives to enrich the larger story arcs of the series. Plot lines in this novel work well with some of the past sentiments and directions, but new ideas pop up in the best places. There is a richness to the series that emerges with each book and I cannot wait to see how things progress. As this portion of the series is almost done, I will have to devour the last few books before pushing into new and exciting ones to keep me entertained.

Kudos, Madam Scottoline, for never failing to impress!

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