Lady Killer

Reviewed: October 27, 2009
By: by Lisa Scottoline / read by Kate Burton
Publisher: Harper Audio
5 CDs, $31.95

“Mary DiNunzio sat across from the old men, deciding which one to shoot first. Her father, Matty DiNunzio, was the natural choice because he was the most stubborn, but his three friends were tied for second. They sat next to him at the conference table, a trinity of Tonys — Pigeon Tony Lucia, Tony-From-Down-The-Block LoMonaco, and Tony Two Feet Pensiera, who was called Feet, making him the only man in South Philly whose nickname had a nickname.”

Mary’s father and his friends, as members of the Dean Martin Fan Club, want to bring a libel suit against some local members of the Frank Sinatra CLub who have made disparaging remarks about Dean.

Pacifying them is the least of Mary’s problems. Almost before they are out the door her high school nemesis, Trish Gambone, turns up with her fellow Mean Grrls in tow and hires Mary to deal with her abusive partner, Bobby Mancuso who, once upon a high school time, was briefly Mary’s boyfriend.

Mary also has to deal with the case of an Indian youngster with learning problems who is being short-changed by his school and with conflicts between her and her boss over how she is allocating her time in her various cases.

The situation is not helped when Trish disappears and Bobby turns up dead in an alley.

This was a story full of twists and turns worthy of Agatha Christie, but told in a completely American manner. I don’t know what got left out of the abridged version that I listened to, but it felt like a very complete story and was most enjoyable, with moments of high drama as well as high comedy.

Print Preview