The Vendetta Defense by Lisa Scottoline

A murder in south Philly wasn’t what it seemed. It wasn’t a murder it was a vendetta execution. The courtroom isn’t the only place this unusual murder case is fought. The streets and pigeon coops of south Philadelphia provide the setting for an intriguing mystery.

I found Scottoline’s characters spot on. She captured the essence of the Italian community. Since I don’t know south Philly I can’t testify to the accuracy of her portrayal of that area but she nailed the ethnic culture from my own experience in the community I grew up in. The impetuous nature of Judy Carrier was a bit far fetched. I know a lot of attorneys and I can’t say I have met one with that level of impetuousness. The relationship between Pigeon Tony’s grandson and Judy was a bit predictable. I liked the way Scottoline showed the historic nature of the featured vendetta. I thought she did an excellent job portraying the depth of feeling and the length of animosity for perceived wrongs. The book was entertaining.

I recommend this book, particularly if you enjoy off beat courtroom drama and if you have a friend of Italian heritage, you have probably met some of the books more loveable characters.

Body of work of Lisa Scottoline

Review: http://www.themysteryreader.com/scottoline-vendetta.html

Web site: http://scottoline.com/Site/