CORRUPTED

4 stars out of 5

This is the third in the author's Rosato & DiNunzio novels, I believe, but it's a first for me. And I must say that overall, it just didn't quite grab me. In fact, I waffled between 3 and 4 stars for my rating - but I rounded up just because I didn't not enjoy it. 

As I said, I'm not familiar with either Bennie Rosato or her law firm partner, Mary DiNunzio; and after reading this, I still don't know much about the latter, who is pretty much a DiNoShow in this one. Bennie takes front, center and side stage as she takes on as a client Jason, who's been charged with the murder of a guy he's hated since middle school. Back then, Bennie defended him when, at age 12, he was sent to a juvenile detention center after getting into a fight with the kid he's now believed to have murdered. Professionally bruised and convinced that she wronged him back then by failing to get him out, she's hell-bent on making sure she doesn't drop the ball this time around.

Complicating things is the murdered guy's uncle, Declan, with whom Bennie had a brief fling (think just one weekend) during that first case that left her madly in love. Claiming family responsibilities, though, he bailed, breaking her heart. Now that her client is charged with the murder of his nephew 13 years later, he makes it clear he's in no mood to get cozy again (unless, of course, she drops the client she believes is innocent). Somehow, she musters up the courage to tell him no (personally, I'd have told him to put his ultimatums where the sun don't shine, but maybe that's just me).

Actually, both court cases - the second one involving a murder trial - make for very interesting reading; it's the sappy romance part that pretty much turned me off. Hunky appearance notwithstanding, I just couldn't warm up to Declan - and most of me fervently hoped she wouldn't take him back in the end (of course, my lips are sealed as to whether or not that happened). All in all, this is a pretty good book, but it's nowhere near the top of my favorites list.

Corrupted by Lisa Scottoline (St. Martin's Press, October 2015); 433 pp.