Feared

Feared by Lisa Scottoline is another thriller which has the law firm of Rosato & DiNunzio in trouble this time. The story is about how far a person will go for money and their own selfish motives at the expense of the lives of others. This is another fast-paced story with a good measure of learning about shell companies and how easily a malicious business person can hide the true intent of their endgame for personal gain.
Rosato & DiNunzio are being sued for reverse discrimination in regard to refusing to hire three applicants who were male. John is pulled into the thick of the controversy when he admits he conducted the interviews with the three applicants and made the decision on his own to refuse to consider them for the job opening. John also makes some personal remarks about not feeling accepted at the law firm and he did not think he would make partner with the firm. All of this is a problem for Bennie, Mary, Judy, and Anne. A lot of conflict arises within the firm and John decides to resign. Now the trouble really starts!
Machiavelli is blasting the media with references about Rosato & DiNunzio and how their firm is run with an unfair advantage to male employees and associates. What is his secret motive?
I won’t post spoilers, but there are depths to the reasons for Machiavelli’s harassment and lawsuit against Rosato & DiNunzio. Also, Mary is expecting her first baby and there are a couple of scenes which had me worried about the safety of Mary and the baby. Whewww! Things get physical before this story is over!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lisa Scottoline’s Rosato & DiNunzio series is extremely popular because Scottoline has created a cast of lovable, empathetic characters who live and work within a community (that serves as a character in and of itself) and find themselves facing legal, moral, and frequently deadly consequences, with a good dose of humor thrown in. Feared is no exception. In this sixth installment, Mary DiNunzio is pregnant and, despite her boundless love for her unborn child and husband, Anthony, she has not yet come to terms with the changes that motherhood will bring to her life. At the outset of the story, she has not yet realized that, however.

Mary has beaten her old legal nemesis, Nick Machiavelli, a guy from her Italian-American Philadelphia neighborhood, in the courtroom in the past. Now Mary is convinced that he is seeking revenge, although she is not entirely sure why. But she is determined to find out.

Three men, represented by Machiavelli, announce that they are suing the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm for reverse sex discrimination. They claim they were not hired because they are men. The outrage Mary and her partner, Bennie Rosato, feel pales in comparison to the sense of betrayal they experience when they learn that attorney John Foxman — their only male employee — made comments giving credence to the plaintiffs’ claims. John had never voiced that he felt he would never be named a partner in the firm — because of his gender. When his feelings are revealed, he insists upon resigning, leaving the firm in the lurch since John was the lead counsel in a complicated anti-trust case.

Things go from bad to worse when John is murdered, and it is revealed that partner Judy Carrier — who is also Mary’s best friend == was romantically involved with him.

In Scottolilne’s capable hands, complex plot threads intersect with complicated personal and professional relationships in a fast-paced, tautly constructed mystery. Pregnant Mary struggles both physically and psychologically as she, along with her partners, mourns the loss of a valued colleague while, with the assistance of the firms investigator, trying to learn the identity of John’s killer and save their beloved law firm. Machiavelli attacks on numerous fronts in vile, unethical ways, which Mary finds somewhat mystifying. She is convinced that he is involved in John’s murder, but his motive is not immediately apparent and, worse, the police are zeroing in on Judy since she quarreled with John about the discrimination lawsuit just before he was killed.

Mary is forced to face her physical limitations — for the sake of her own health, as well as that of her baby — as she considers what matters most to her and how she will juggle her commitments to family and career once the child arrives. Scottoline never lets the pace of the story slacken. As Mary moves closer to discovering the truth, Scottoline prominently features Mary’s neighborhood and its eclectic residents in the story, providing humor and warmth even as Mary contemplates whether she wants to be someone who is loved — including by all of her extended family and friends — or feared as a fierce advocate in the courtroom. Scottoline inserts her signature plot twists and a shocking resolution that most readers will not see coming.

Feared, like the other titles in this series, is a deeply satisfying and entertaining story, filled with pathos, as well as intrigue, that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the lives of Mary DiNunzio, et al.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.

I have always loved Scottoline’s stand-alone novels. This is the first in this series this I have read, but I found I did not need to read the previous ones to understand this one. But now I would like to go back and read the previous five in the series.

Mary DiNunzio and Bennie Rosato are partners at the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm and Mary’s best friend Judy also works there. Nick Machiavelli, considered a neighborhood thug, is rolling in dough. But he and Mary have had previous conflicts and this time he is determined to take the entire firm down. He has manufactured a reverse discrimination suit on Mary, Bennie, and Judy for denying employment to three male attorneys who had applied. To make matters worse Machiavelli has manipulated their one male attorney into incriminating them. Since the law suit is directed at the ladies individually they stand to lose everything. Then a member of the Rosato & DiNunzio firm is murdered and Machiavelli accuses Mary, Bennie, and Judy of the murder. Everything is now truly on the line.

Mary and her husband Anthony are expecting their first child. Her late-term pregnancy presents complications but also more humor. Mary’s South Philly family is delightful. Her parents and neighborhood buddies bring heart and humor to the story, and wherever her parents go “the Tonys” also go. They are so funny! And loyal to the end! The character development was superb which is why I want to read more of the series so I can revisit these memorable characters.

The ladies are determined to find the murdered of their colleague. This places demands on Mary as she juggles her dedication to her firm and friends and her health (and that of her baby) in these last two months of her pregnancy.
Amidst all this chaos they still have a client to represent – a small company that stands to be eaten up by a couple of mega firms. Thus the story line gets a bit more complex. There are several threads going in this story and, at first, they seem to have no connections. But I wouldn’t shut that door just yet.

A mastery of dialogue, humor, suspense, a lot of heart, and family all come together to give us a book that is fun to read, that tugs at our hearts, that gives us an example of strong female friendships, and keeps us glued to it late into the night.

I gave the book a four star rating (versus a five) because the motive behind the murder didn’t quite seem believable. But other than that I loved it and definitely recommend it to others.

I received an Advance Reading Copy from the publisher.

Scottoline knocks it out of the park with her latest Rosato and Dinunzio legal thriller! Her acerbic wit adds to the story of the firm being sued, an associate being murdered and Mary being pregnant. What is most memorable about the book is the family relationships and the support of Mary’s family, no matter what she is going through. It is also the family relationship that Mary establishes with Judy, determined to help her during a great loss as well as to act as her friend and loyal supporter. It was relevant that two law firms were suing each other at the same time that Bennie’s firm was filing a huge lawsuit against a tech firm, so that was a very modern touch. The author’s knowledge of law practice is very evident in this novel, shown directly in the dialog between the characters, in the police station and in court. Fans of Scottoline will definitely want to read this new installment of the series, and new fans will be thrilled to find someone who writes with expertise about lawyers and their dealings with each other. The whole book was a delight to read, with fast-paced action and cutting-edge banter between the characters. Scottoline is a master at the craft of drawing the reader in quickly and keeping them enthralled throughout the story. I highly recommend this book!

Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions that I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wonderful book! In a storyline that could be taken out of today’s headlines, the firm has been served with a reverse discrimination suit by three men that said that they weren’t hired because the firm is all women. There’s something fishy in the entire lawsuit but no one can figure it out. Then the only male employee, John, decides to resign & it causes more tension & problems. Besides defending themselves, they are trying an anti-trust suit & John was a big part of the team. As they try to rotate duties & pacify the clients, John is murdered & his girlfriend, Judy, is a person of interest. Can things get any worse?

Lisa Scottoline writes terrific legal thrillers with a touch of romance. She manages to keep the plot intense & interesting while keeping up a good pace. The storyline doesn’t drag. The women have really developed a sense of family at the firm & are shocked when John admits to feeling he won’t be advanced there. There are multiple storylines going on but they are all kept straight & resolved by the end of the book. I love that Mary’s loud, brash Italian family are a big part of the story & the way it ends.

Yay for women who fight back!!!!

Like all Lisa Scottoline books, I was engrossed from the first page. And, as usual, the ending as a total surprise.

Feared is an amazing legal thriller. It is book #6 of the series but can easily be read without reading the rest of the books. As with most standalone series, reading them in order gives the reader more background to the story and the character but this book in wonderful on its own.
In Feared we find the women of the law firm going against Nick Machiavelli. He holds a grudge against Rosato & DiNunzio after losing to them in a past case. The case is a reverse sex discrimination case, three men are accusing Rosato & DiNunzio of not hiring them because they were men and the law firm is all women. Mary and Bennie along with the rest of their law firm stay strong, work together, and figure out how to fight fire with fire. From the beginning there is no doubt that the women will win, the women will stay strong and figure out how to save their jobs and their lives.

In this book, we get an inside look at the home lives of the women. They head home to get dirt on Nick since he was from a family in the neighborhood. I loved seeing how these strong Italian families get together, protect each other, and fight for themselves. I liked seeing how their families come first, religion holds a strong place in their lives, and how family included all those who live in the neighborhood.

Lisa Scottoline is a must-read author, this series is one of my favorites, and I will always recommend everyone read them.

I am a longtime fan of Lisa Scottoline, and her latest in the Rosato & DiNunzio series, “Feared,” only reinforces my love of her writing.

The characters are all relatable, from the dedicated, intelligent members of Bennie and Mary’s law firm to Mary’s larger than life South Philly Italian family and their kooky but warm-hearted neighbors.

Ms. Scottoline always strikes the perfect balance between amusement and down and dirty crime solving. And she is one author that I can’t outguess when it comes to figuring out who the murderer is. With most other authors, I am usually able to narrow down to several possible suspects and be right a lot of the time. With Lisa, the revelation at the end is always a clever surprise.

I give “Feared” 5 stars, and promise you will enjoy it.

Love the Rosato law firm books. Love the characters especially Mary DiNunzio and her Italian family.