Dirty Blonde

dirty little secrets

i don't usually like abridged books because i think you lose character development. i like lisa scottaline and couldn't find this audio unabridged.i was not disappointed.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A GREAT INTRIGUE

Lisa Scottoline is by now a well known commodity. Her women have, hitherto, been bright, attractive and starkly consumerist. Good people but obsessed with the things that are the tokens of success. This novel marks a move in a more human and humane direction. Her judge finds herself in a situation requiring a ruling according to law not justice which becomes tangled with the judges private life. Friends and associates also become involved (pay close attention to cell phones)and attitudes clash and shift. While deep motivations -childhood, friendship, family- make sense, there are also some unrealistic bits. The conclusion is somewhat scurried after the lingering development, but this is a real improvement over ealier works. One little thing, I really could do without the expression :aargh" regularly appearing throughout...

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Decent

This book was good but not one of my favorites by this author, whom I love. Still a decent read.

Recommend this book and author

Always looking for an author to enjoy.

Delicious!

This is what I always hope for in a thriller/mystery. Being hooked in the first two pages & having a plot unfold in an unexpected way that is more daring/horrifying/mortifying or scandalous than I could imagine! I found this to be a read that hit all the right notes.

Scottoline is a good read

I really like this author, and plan to eventually read all of her books.

Dark and suspenseful

I love Lisa Scottoline's books. They contain drama, suspense and humor. I found Dirty Blonde to be a little darker in subject matter than some of her other books, but I loved it.

Junk Mystery

I became curious about Ms. Scottoline's novel when I saw her interviewed on Court TV - what she has in presentation - verbally telling a story to an audience like any great attorney - she lacks as a writer.

None of the characters were developed enough to make you believe any of the actions they took; she gives you a bio of who the main character is, but expects you to believe that the undertow characters are moved to greatness without giving you any context for their actions.
The plot summary was interesting - it's what made my buy the book when I read the jacket, but the jacket is as good as it got - it fell flat after that.

This is a good gift for the office blond you don't like, but don't have the courage to call her a name to her face.

not bad, not great

the story moves quickly and is fairly engaging. however, the characters are not developed with a lot of depth and the storyline gets a little hard to believe.

some interesting real life touches on a mysterious town in Pennsylavania and a parent raising a child with autism.

Fantastic

Cate Fante is young, beautiful and has lots of money, one would think she has it all. But wait! She gets appointed as a federal judge, a very good and rewarding job. Now she really does have it all. Or does she? There is just something a bit off in Cate's head, because she apparently can't believe she deserves her success, because this blonde has a dirty little habit. She sneaks off to sleazy bars, meets sleazy men and has sleazy sex. Then one of her first cases results in a murder and a suicide and this causes the dirty blonde's secrets to come to light. She's suspended from the bench and all of a sudden she is a woman on the run, because the man she ruled against in that fateful case seems bent on revenge in this very fast paced stand alone thriller by Lisa Scottoline. I think it was very brave of Ms. Scottoline to venture away from her tried and true formula for success and abandon the women of the all-female Philadelphia law firm Rosato and Associates and try something new, but boy did she hit paydirt when she did. This book will reach right out, grab you, tie you down and keep your eyes glued to the pages as your fingers keep 'em turning. Wow, that's what I have to say about this book. Keep them coming, Lisa Scottoline.

A STERLING READING BY KATE BURTON

Thirteen may be an unlucky number for some, but certainly not for Lisa Scottoline. Already entrenched as one of the most popular authors of legal thrillers, this Edgar winning author scores again with her thirteenth release following on the heels of Devil's Corner (2005). We open with a scene of celebration. Attractive thirty-something Cate Fante has just been appointed a Federal Judge. Clad in a Chanel suit 'donned like overpriced armor,' she accepts accolades from her peers at Philadelphia's Four Seasons. Coming from a very modest background, a small ming town, she seems to be on top of the world - until we read the last page of the Prologue. Hailing a cab she starts home only to spy a dingy looking tavern. She tells the driver to let her out there. Once perched on a bar stool sipping a glass of Miller, she wonders how long it will take - not long at all. Soon there is someone beside her with his hand on her knee. '.....he had bloodshot blue eyes, heavy stubble, and hair that shone in greasy strands.' Nonetheless, Cate moves that hand onto her thigh and tells him her name is Karen. Obviously, our heroine has a really serious problem, one that she cannot keep hidden for long after a famous TV producer, Art Simone, is brought before her. Prosecutor Richard Marz accuses him of stealing his idea for what has become a popular television show. Cate rules in favor of Simone who is soon murdered. Naturally, Marz becomes the prime suspect until he, too, is found dead. Enter the prosecutor's partner, a reprehensible police officer who digs deeply enough into Cate's life to discover her seamy secrets. Once they become headline news everything important to her is in jeopardy, as well as her life. Scottoline is a master of fast paced dialogue and plot twists that keep the pages turning, and Kate Burton's sterling reading keeps us listening. - Gail Cooke

Very Good Read

Like all of Lisa Scottoline's novels, this is a fast-paced, enjoyable novel. The new character of Cate Fante is a strong female main character with a great sense of humor. I love that all of Lisa's lead characters are down-to-earth females, and Cate is no exception. The ending of the novel was unexpected, and the novel wrapped up nicely.

Entertaining

Lisa Scottoline's razor sharp wit was the best part of this story. I found the mystery less suspenseful than it could have been but the main character was very, very witty. I also enjoyed some of the behind-the-scenes legal acitivity. This was my first by Scottoline, and I will definetly read more of her work. Very entertaining. I did have a problem with the story's central premise, however, and didn't really see the problem with a single, adult woman having a consensual one night stand with a single adult male, even if she is a judge. She's still a human being. Would a man be judged as harshly?

Don't be misled by the bad reviews below!

I cannot for the life of me understand the bad reviews posted here about this book. This book was excellent. Cate, the judge, is a perfect example of how a judge is human, too. Also, I loved the true historical data that Lisa Scottoline includes in this book, and in her other books. I had no idea about the mine fires in PA, that still burn today. This book was truly fabulous.

a good read

I really enjoyed Cate's character, and I found the book to be very entertaining (you just had to appreciate Cate's sense of humor)and couldn't put it down - the suspense kept the pages turning. This is the first book I've read by Scottoline and plan to read the rest.

Not the Lisa Scottoline characters I'm used to,

I have been an avid fan of Lisa Scottoline, have read each and every one of her books and never failed to be satisfied. However, in Dirty Blond, I was disappointed enough to miss Bennie, Mary and Judy and their usual antics to stop reading the book halfway through. I find this book difficult to retain my attention and found my mind trying to relate to Lisa's new Cate Fante. Bring back the old pals......please!

Scottoline does it again

A federal judge who loses her cover due to a murder-suicide is a plot that is classic Scottoline. Total A+. Too bad there isn't room for a 6-star rating, because this book would get it.

an avid reader

I usually like Scottalini's books. This one was mildly interesting, but patently unbelievable. The storyline did not flow, and in several instances, subjects or situations seemed to be added artificially to please the author. I kept waiting for the added information to be tied into the story or the character's motivation in some way, but that didn't happen. A disjointed, hodge-podge book.

A great thriller, will keep you turning

Scottilone at her best, this thriller kept me turning page after page. Dirty Blonde moves her to the top. Grab this one and settle down for a thrill ride.

Dirty Blonde

Although I liked the characters and the story, the final outcome came from out of the blue and didn't really work. There were so many more interesting paths that could have been taken! Also, facts surrounding Partridge's death didn't make a lot of sense, either. I love Lisa Scottoline, but this definitely was not her best work.