By: Lisa Scottoline
Rosato & DiNunzio #4
ISBN: 9781250099624
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Publication Date: 8/16/2016
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 4 Stars “Scottoline writes riveting thrillers that keep me up all night, with plots that twist and turn.” –Harlan Coben One boy. One lawyer. One chance for justice. Ten-year-old Patrick O'Brien is a natural target at school. Shy, dyslexic, and small for his age, he tries to hide his first-grade reading level from everyone: from his classmates, from the grandfather who cares for him, and from the teachers who are supposed to help him. But the real trouble begins when Patrick is accused of attacking a school aide.
The aide promptly quits and sues the boy, his family, and the school district. Patrick's grandfather turns to the law firm of Rosato & DiNunzio for help and Mary DiNunzio is on the case. Soon Mary becomes Patrick's true champion and his only hope for security and justice. But there is more to the story than meets the eye and Patrick might be more troubled than he seems. With twists at every turn and secrets about the family coming to light, Mary DiNunzio might have found the case that can make her a true protector, or break her heart...
With Lisa Scottoline’s trademark emotional depth and fast-paced action, Damaged will have readers riveted to the last page as they root for the beloved characters and their fight for justice.
My Review
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Lisa Scottoline returns following Most Wanted (2016) with DAMAGED (Rosato & DiNunzio, #4) featuring attorney, Mary DiNuzio—(law partner) about to be married to Anthony, and becomes involved in a complex legal, and highly charged emotional case which threatens her personal and business life. Mary DiNunzio, a partner in the Philadelphia law firm Rosato & DiNunzio, takes on a heartbreaking case involving a dyslexic fifth grader, Patrick O’Brien, who’s bullied at school and is getting no support for his language disability. Patrick, is being raised by his paternal grandfather, and allegedly attacked a school aid with scissors, and the aid is suing both Patrick and the school board for damages. Edward O’Brien, grandfather--in his seventies and comes the law firm for help. His grandson is special needs (dyslexic) and needs representation. On top of his learning disabilities, he is being bullied at school, plus turns out suffering from much more. Robertson is represented by Nick Machiavelli, known for his dirty practices. Mary is caught in the middle and falls in love with Patrick and quickly comes to his defense. She even wants to adopt him, after winning her heart. Her parent’s also rally around her as well as the other gals at the law firm. However, things get complicated when she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, after Edward’s death. Mary has many difficult choices to make involving her own relationship with college professor Anthony-, torn between her love and dedication to Patrick, when scrutinized by everyone, including Machiavelli. I enjoyed learning the author’s inspiration behind the novel –a best friend, a fellow lawyer, who works on special-education cases. What is the best thing to do for a special needs child, when lines are blurred between ethical, moral, professional and personal lives. Gripping! A intense fight for justice- A mixture of legal suspense thriller and riveting domestic suspense. From education, sexual abuse, learning disabilities, bullying, and parenting. A nice balance with loads of Scottoline’s signature winning style. An avid legal and Scottoline fan, as always love catching up with Judy, Bennie, and family.
I also purchased the audiobook book while traveling, narrated by Rebecca Lowman for an engaging performance. On a personal note: Having raised three stepsons with dyslexia, am very familiar with the learning disability and the many ongoing challenges, when compared to my own two sons. Their educational needs, from tutoring, untimed SATs, to daily social interactions required special monitoring and attention. From behavior, health, development, personality, writing, reading, motor skills, and even time management inconsistencies, are some of the many traits and behaviors.
The characteristics can vary from day to minute, and each child is different in many ways. Many times they are highly creative with high IQs; however, their learning disabilities may become quite challenging for children, teens, college students and even into adulthood--without the proper guidance, research, compassion, education and support.
Review Links:
Rosato & DiNunzio Series
Have read them all. Each One is a "Must Read!"
Advance Praise
“Outstanding…Tensions mount until the story concludes with a satisfying, unexpected twist.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Damaged
“Scottoline’s merging of the themes of her family-driven stand-alone thrillers with her ongoing legal series continues to work splendidly.” –Booklist on Damaged
“With DAMAGED, Lisa Scottoline once again masterfully delivers a top-notch thriller guaranteed to to grab you from the opening page and not let go. Scottoline tackles a tough subject matter head-on with heart and unflinching honesty.” – Heather Gudenkauf ~ New York Times bestselling author
About the Author
Lisa Scottoline is The New York Times bestselling author and Edgar award-winning author of 26 novels, including her latest work, MOST WANTED.
She also writes a weekly column with her daughter Francesca Serritella for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Chick Wit” which is a witty and fun take on life from a woman’s perspective. These stories, along with many other never-before-published stories, have been collected in a New York Times bestselling series of humorous memoirs including their most recent, Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?, and earlier books, Have a Nice Guilt Trip; Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim; Best Friends, Occasional Enemies; My Nest Isn’t Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space; and Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog, which has been optioned for TV.
Lisa reviews popular fiction and non-fiction, and her reviews have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has served as President of Mystery Writers of America and has taught a course she developed, “Justice and Fiction” at The University of Pennsylvania Law School, her alma mater. Lisa is a regular and much sought after speaker at library and corporate events. Lisa has over 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries. She lives in the Philadelphia area with an array of disobedient pets, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Read Lisa’s official biography.
