Eternal by Lisa Scottoline

Lisa Scottoline first drew my attention with her legal thrillers set in Philadelphia; they became a nostalgic read recollecting our fifteen years in that city. Scottoline expanded into stories inspired by social issues, and now with a new publisher, has written her first historical fiction novel about a time and place that has intrigued her for decades: Italy under the fascist dictatorship of Mussolini. 

She has incorporated events that few remember, and for that, I have to commend her. She obviously did her research and her passion shows.

Three best friends in Rome are challenged when the two boys, Marco and the Jewish Sandro, fall in love with the girl, Elisabetta. The early part of the novel reads like a young adult romance, teenagers learning to deal with their new feelings and the problems entailed. All three families are ardent supporters of the Fascist government, and all three families have deep roots in Rome. But there are family secrets to be revealed.

The plot becomes more intense when Mussolini aligns with Hitler and brings anti-Semite laws to Italy; the families begin to doubt the government. Marco's family is torn apart, Sandro's faces the loss of everything they have built, and Elisabetta finds herself alone and fending for herself, torn between her two best friends vying for her love.

It is interesting to see how each individual must decide between loyalty to country and leader and their moral conscience and religious beliefs. Mussolini proclaimed that he was always right, and extolled duty and loyalty to him.

My Goodreads friends have rated the novel highly, drawn in by the plot line and the love story. You will see glowing reviews across media. The finale is heart-rending.

I love Scottoline. She is a great person and has given me hours of entertainment. But...I am sorry to say, I do not love this book. I did not love the writing. I felt the characters were flat and their growth without meaningful development. The dialogue was sadly cliched. 

Because the violence  and sexual content is handled delicately, I could recommend the book to young adult readers as well as to the general reader of historical or women's fiction. And again, I commend the author for bringing to readers a time period that can give insight into our contemporary political issues. 

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

Click on the titles to see the previous books I reviewed by Scottoline:

• Corrupted
• Damaged
• After Anna
• Feared
• Exposed

Eternal
by Lisa Scottoline
G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pub Date March 23, 2021 
ISBN: 9780525539766
hardcover $28.00 (USD)

from then publisher

#1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline offers a sweeping and shattering epic of historical fiction fueled by shocking true events, the tale of a love triangle that unfolds in the heart of Rome...in the creeping shadow of fascism.

What war destroys, only love can heal.

Elisabetta, Marco, and Sandro grow up as the best of friends despite their differences. Elisabetta is a feisty beauty who dreams of becoming a novelist; Marco the brash and athletic son in a family of professional cyclists; and Sandro a Jewish mathematics prodigy, kind-hearted and thoughtful, the son of a lawyer and a doctor. Their friendship blossoms to love, with both Sandro and Marco hoping to win Elisabetta's heart. But in the autumn of 1937, all of that begins to change as Mussolini asserts his power, aligning Italy's Fascists with Hitler's Nazis and altering the very laws that govern Rome. In time, everything that the three hold dear--their families, their homes, and their connection to one another--is tested in ways they never could have imagined.

As anti-Semitism takes legal root and World War II erupts, the threesome realizes that Mussolini was only the beginning. The Nazis invade Rome, and with their occupation come new atrocities against the city's Jews, culminating in a final, horrific betrayal. Against this backdrop, the intertwined fates of Elisabetta, Marco, Sandro, and their families will be decided, in a heartbreaking story of both the best and the worst that the world has to offer.

Unfolding over decades, Eternal is a tale of loyalty and loss, family and food, love and war--all set in one of the world's most beautiful cities at its darkest moment. This moving novel will be forever etched in the hearts and minds of readers.

Feared by Lisa Scottolline

It was Lisa Scottoline's Rosato and DiNunzio series that brought me to reading her and Mary DiNunzio remains a favorite character. Who can resist a South Philly girl with a close Italian community that includes so many Tonys--Pigeon Tony, Tony 'Two-Feet', Tony-From-Down-the-Block, not to forget Mary's husband Anthony! Just reading about her mother's gravy makes me hungry for pasta.

In Feared, Scottoline once again puts Mary in harm's way. But this time it's not just Mary's life that is on the line, for she is seven months pregnant.

Nick Machiavelli has targeted Bennie Rosato and her partners Mary and Judy in a lawsuit accusing them of sex discrimination in hiring. And their associate John's own words are being used against them. They are being sued as individuals and they could lose everything.

Then John turns up dead and Judy is the last one to have seen him alive.

Mary struggles with the demands of her career and impending motherhood. Judy mourns the loss of her happy ending. The clients are small fry business owners who are about to be swallowed by the big fish in the market. And John's brother with Cerebral Palsy may be force feed for convenience.

With her signature blend of humor, memorable characters, mystery, and thrills, the novel kept me turning pages. Through twists and turns and red herrings, you will be on a wild ride to an unexpected resolution.

I received an ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Feared: A Rosato & DiNunzio Novel
by Lisa Scottoline
St. Martin's Press
Pub Date 14 Aug 2018
ISBN 9781250099594
PRICE $27.99 (USD)

Scottoline Does Funny, Too

"We take real life and make it funny."--Lisa Scottoline

Philadelphia lawyer turned courtroom/thriller novelist Lisa Scottoline has also been writing "true stories and confessions." I thought it was about time I read one of her humor books, which she co-authors with her daughter Francesca Serritella. I picked up I See Life Through Rose'-Colored Glasses through NetGalley.

My husband and I began reading Scottoline's novels for their Philadelphia locale. We kept reading for her characters and plotlines. I followed her on social media and discovered her humor writing. I looked forward to that laugh-out-loud moment her posts always brought.

Like the snake in the toilet news story that had her horrified. She writes, "Now, this is where I reveal that I go to the bathroom to pee approximately thirty-five times a day. Seventeen of those are at night." The only thing worse than worrying about finding snakes when you lift the toilet seat lid is, well, there is nothing worse.

Scottoline's 'true stories' are written in her own voice, with a wallop of self-depreciation and a no-holds-barred admittance of the plight of being a woman 'of a certain age' and the indignities of aging. The stories "chronicle our lives" as mother and daughter she writes, looking "at the upside of ups and downs."

Her daughter Francesca writes about being a 21st c thirty-something female in NYC. I loved her "Can You Hear Me Now?" about her mother's struggle with technology--WiFi, phones, Face-Timing. Yep. We have a thirty-something son who we rely on as our personal technology service rep.

"The Ad That Stole Christmas" is about a Match.com ad makes singles feel bad about, well, being single during the holidays. But as her mother knows, the worst thing is not ending up alone, it is ending up with people who make you feel alone.

Scottoline is an animal lover and I enjoy seeing her rescued dogs laying on quilts on the couch. "Animals make us human" she states. "Lint rollers can only do so much," Scottoline admits, and the evidence is apparent on their clothing.

Oh, I do know about that. Our Shiba Inus shed 9 months out of the year, and the other three they exploded fur. We did not have dust bunnies, but dust puppies, and they rolled on the hardwood like tumbleweeds. I once found my dachshund's wiry hairs woven into my brassiere. Francesca writes about deciding to cut her dog's hair herself, which she discovers is not for the faint-hearted or neatnick.

The stories are brief and I like reading them one a day, like a vitamin pill, a daily laugh or chuckle to maintain good health.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

See Life Through Rosé-Colored Glasses: True Stories and Confessions
by Lisa Scottoline; Francesca Serritella
St. Martin's Press
Pub Date 10 Jul 2018
ISBN 9781250163059
PRICE $24.99 (USD)

Read my reviews of other Scottoline books:

Corrupted:
https://theliteratequilter.blogspot.com/2015/10/seeking-redemption-corrupted-by-lisa.html
Damaged:
https://theliteratequilter.blogspot.com/2016/08/guilty-until-proven-innocent-damaged-by_11.html
Exposed:
https://theliteratequilter.blogspot.com/2017/08/exposed-by-lisa-scottoline.html
After Anna:
https://theliteratequilter.blogspot.com/2018/04/after-anna-by-lisa-scottloine.html

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

There was life before Anna, and there was life after Anna. There was a happy marriage, then there was distrust and heartbreak. And it all fell apart, after Anna.

Lisa Scottoline's After Anna is a riveting story of the destruction of a marriage, innocent imprisonment, and a mother's deep love.

Noah and Maggie have created a happy life together, both having overcome past tragedy. Maggie's postpartum mental state led to her being institutionalized, her husband divorcing her, taking sole custody of their infant daughter. Noah lost his wife and raised his son alone until falling for Maggie. They are truly happy together.

Maggie is ecstatic when her daughter Anna, now seventeen, contacts her. With the death of her father and step-mother, Anna wants Maggie in her life and asks to be taken in. Noah is supportive. They will be a happy blended family.

Maggie is desperate to make up for failing Anna as an infant, and Anna uses that guilt to manipulate her. Noah insists that Anna follow house rules and parental guidance. Anna is not pleased.

Everything goes wrong. Anna accuses Noah of sexual advances and takes out a restraining order. And when Anna turns up dead, Noah is the prime suspect and is convicted of her murder. Maggie is devastated and preparing to sue for divorce when she is contacted by Anna's school therapist and everything Maggie thought she knew is turned upside down.

The novel is told in two time lines, Noah and Maggie before Anna's arrival and leading up to her death, and Noah on trial and in prison 'after Anna.'

It is an entertaining read that I didn't want to put down. As usual, Scottoline delivers a novel with suspense, human interest, and a twist of contemporary social concerns, with lots of courtroom and legal scenes.

I received a free e-book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

After Anna
by Lisa Scottoline
St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 9781250099655
PRICE: $27.99

Exposed by Lisa Scottoline

Mary DiNunzio comes from an Italian South Philly family and her loyalty to her neighbors is fierce. When the son of one of her dad's best friends comes to her needing representation, she had to accept the case, even if a conflict of interest means she has to give up her new partnership with Bennie Rosato in a top law firm.

As Bennie and Mary try to hash out the legal aspects of representing businesses owned by the same parent company, Mary's client Simon is not only fighting being wrongfully fired from his job, his daughter is in the Children's Hospital battling leukemia.

Simon does not know that he has inadvertently revealed a fatal design flaw in his company's product, and there are people willing to do anything to protect themselves.

I always love a DiNunzio book; she is a character with heart and a dedication to those she loves. In Exposed she makes hard choices, she and Bennie suffer horribly, but the book ends with joyful news.

Scottoline always has a nice quick read to offer, and this legal thriller does not disappoint. The last half kept me turning pages. And besides, I love that Simon graduated from Temple University-my alma mater!

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Exposed
Lisa Scottline
St Martin's Press
Publication August 15, 2017
$27 hard cover
ISBN: 9781250099716

Works in Process--Books to Come

I have the corner appliqué to finish on these new 1857 Album blocks from Sentimental Stitches. I will do the embroidery on all of the blocks when the blocks are all finished. I am so enjoying these blocks.

Since making my William Shakespeare portrait I want to make more poet portrait quilts. Next up is Edgar Allan Poe. He was quite a craftsman as a writer. You can read how he wrote The Raven in his Philosophy of Composition here.

I want to drape a 'purple curtain' over the quilt because of the beautiful lines in the Raven: "And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain/Thrilled me-- filled me, with fantastic terror never felt before."

Little Hazel by Esther Alui is sadly being neglected. I failed at machine piecing this block and started hand sewing it. I dislike hand sewing (although I like hand appliqué--go figure) and this is as far as I have gotten...a quarter of a block.

I finally started hand quilting my Austen Family Album by Barbara Brackman, finished a year ago. I expect it will take me a year of quilting to finish!

Quilt Books news:

I will be reviewing Suzie Parron's Following the Barn Quilt Trail from Ohio U Press! They are sending me the book. Perfect timing since last month Suzi was at my quilt guild and I took her workshop.

I have Bill Volckening's new book Modern Roots--Today's Quilts from Yesterday's Inspiration from C&T Publications to review. Bill has an amazing quilt collection. You can see his quilts shared on his blog Wonkyworld.

And the Schiffer Publication's books Inspired By The National Parks and Hmong Story Cloths are on my NetGally shelf.

Also, my review of Thomas Knauer's The Quilt Design Coloring Book will come out in August.

Fiction & Nonfiction

I was happy when St. Martin's Press reached out to offer me Lisa Scottoline's new book Damaged. Apparently they liked my review of Corrupted shared on Amazon. Having lived in Philly for 15 years my hubby and I appreciate Scottoline's books for the setting and enjoy her characters and stories.

I am currently reading Mad Enchantment about Monet and his water lily series and the novel Lucky Boy through NetGalley, and from Blogging for Books The Apache War.

Scheduled reviews to come include the Antarctic love story My Last Continent by Midge Raymond; David Abram's Iraqi war novel Fobbit; the Taming of the Shrew re-imagined in the Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler; Larry Tye's new biography of Bobby Kennedy; an exploration of race in Absalom's Daughters by Suzanne Feldman;  Angels of Detroit by Christopher Hebert; Rae Meadow's Dust Bowl novel I Will Send Rain; the time spanning Mr. Eternity by Aaron Thier; first published in 1864 The Female Detective; The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore (soon to be a movie); The Illustrated Book of Sayings from around the world; and Tara Clancy's memoir The Clancys of Queens.

My NetGalley shelf also holds Victoria:The Queen by Julia Baird; Candace Millard's Hero of the Empire about Churchill during the Boer War; Alice Hoffman's Faithful; The Electrifying Fall of Rainbow City by Margaret Creighton about Buffalo, NY during the 1901 Pan American Exhibition; and The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinbourough called "A beautiful book, honestly told" by Neil Gaiman.

Whew! 

Seeking Redemption: Corrupted by Lisa Scottoline

Bennie Rosato was one of Philly's best lawyers, capable and in charge both in and out of the courtroom. Until the day she came face to face with the only thing that could unnerve her: the past.

Corrupted, Lisa Scottoline's latest book in her Rosato law firm series, gives readers the low-down on Bennie's past, a time when she lost her boundaries between work and private life, resulting in heartbreak, failure, and losses from which she has never recovered.

Bennie's lapse in judgment thirteen years prior resulted in her being thrown off a case, and left her twelve-year-old defendant in Juvenile detention. Now he's back, accused of murdering the man who tormented his childhood. The man whose uncle once was the love of her life.

As children both her defendant and the murder victim were involved in a school fight and taken to jail and shackled. The judge who sentenced them to ninety days in juvenile detention was taking kickbacks for filling the new facility.

The boys are fiction, but the scheme was real. The novel is set in Luzerne County, PA, where two judges wrongly adjudicated thousands of juveniles as delinquent in the Kids-For-Cash scandal. Along with Bennie we learn about the impact juvie has on children's lives, how the experience creates problems that follow them, including PTSD. The lashback against troubled children after Columbine was too extreme, she argues.

Scottoline has moments of humor, like her clients the Stichin' Bitches quilting club, older women fired because of age discrimination. Her side-kick Lou is a retired policeman who knows all the good eats in Philly, calling ahead for Tacconelli's to have dough reserved for a pizza.

I first started reading Scottoline for the Philly setting. The novels are good reads, and I finished this one off in 24 hours. I really needed it after reading several nonfiction scholarly books!

Its clear in this novel Scottoline has an ax to grind. There is a lot of discussion of the law and the trial scene is pivotal. No car chases around the Philadelphia Art Museum in this book. But I think readers will relish learning about Bennie's past and meeting the one man with whom she had hoped to share her life.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Corrupted
Lisa Scottoline
St. Martin's Press
Publication date October 27, 2015
$27.99 hard cover
ISBN: 978125002793