Dead Ringer (Hardcover)

In previous books in the series, all the characters except Mary came off as strong and independent, but you always got the feeling that Bennie was in charge and kept that fine line between employer and employees. That line has been erased. Bennie is portrayed as "one of the girls," and the associates (whom she annoyingly refers to as "the kids" throughout the book) seem to have taken over the asylum, demanding to know Bennie's financial situation as if it's their right, and standing by their homegirl as one united entity. That's all well and good, but in the real world, single women would be hitting the pavement looking for interviews if they found out their job might not last another two months. The dialog between them seems as if they're in a high school home ec class, filled with silly slang that isn't befitting a group of women professionals. And some of the writing left a lot to be desired -- his change jingled unhappily in his pocket as he ran? Do coins have the ability to be happy or unhappy? Where on earth would Ms. Scottoline come up with drivel like this?

The problem with the story is that it's too scattered. Bennie's twin is back playing havoc with her life, but we never really understand why, even after she tells us. She breaks into Bennie's house and kidnaps her dog, who Bennie obviously loves dearly, and all she does the next day is put the dog in the basement as a safeguard? Then there's the "mysterious stranger" who shows up to save the dog and suddenly devotes his life to trailing Bennie to make sure she's safe. Wow. That sure happens every day. Then you have the client to whom Bennie seems to form an unnatural attachment, her law firm's financial troubles, the offer to buy her firm, the trumped-up charges against her -- there was just too much going on, but not enough detail paid to any of these things to make you care much about them.

Bennie also came across as stupid in this novel. She's a lawyer, yet she has no problem interfering in a police matter just because she feels like it (because of this unnatural attachment to her client). She gets arrested and doesn't know enough to keep her mouth shut while Carrier represents her. She knows her life could be in danger, yet she takes off on her own looking for a pay phone -- in a construction area. It was just too ridiculous to believe. And then she figures out who the murderer was -- with no clues or hints at all...it just comes to her in the blink of an eye! Maybe she should join the police force.

This was a very disappointing effort from a writer I usually enjoy very much.