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Lisa Scottoline Biography:
Lisa Scottoline was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the 1st of July 1955. She then grew up in Bala Cynwyd, a suburb just not far from the city. She graduated first in her class, earning a degree in literature at the University of Pennsylvania in 1976. The focus of her studies was contemporary American short stories. Philip Roth, the famous writer, was one of her professors, a man who played a key role in the development of Lisa’s passion for writing. Following her insatiable curiosity, she carried on with her studies and she also earned a law degree at the Pennsylvania Law School in the year 1981. As a lawyer, she soon became an authoritative figure and she kept on working until her daughter Francesca was born. This life changing event pushed her to give up her career in the law firm and become a fulltime writer, a choice that will shape her life and open new horizons.
A New Career
Her career as a writer started in the year 1994 with Everywhere That Mary Went. The book became a bestseller and was awarded by the Mystery Writers of America. Since then, Lisa has written 11 legal suspense novels, all of which made the lists of bestselling books published by New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly and Publisher’s Weekly. Thanks to the novel Final Appeal she won, in 1995, the Edgar Allan Poe prize, while Moment of Truth, published in 1999, was ranked 5th in the New York Times bestsellers list. Look Again, published in the year 2009, received a nomination as best book of the year by the Washington Post. Truly, quite an exceptional career.
Generally speaking, the author has sold over nine millions of copies in the United States and her work has been published in 23 countries all over the world. Furthermore, Lisa Scottoline is now the president of the Mystery Writers of America. She also writes, together with her daughter Francesca, a weekly column on the Philadelphia Enquirer titled: Chick Wit. Lisa finds the time to publish on average one book per year and still lives in Philadelphia, the city she loves, with her beloved dogs.
The Beginning
Her first published novel, Everywhere That Mary Went, talks about the adventures of Mary diNunzio. The author uses her experience as a layer and decides to use a prestigious law firm in Philadelphia, where she did a apprenticeship, as background for an incredibly thrilling story. Mary works precisely for that same law firm but her life is suddenly interrupted by a series of phone calls, which become more and more sinister as the story unfolds. The telephone rings in the exact instant when she gets to work and in the precise moment when she steps back into her apartment. Someone knows her habits, then; someone sees what she is doing during the day. Slowly these doubts turn into reality and the worst fears come knocking at Mary’s door. Now, the battle is not legal anymore: it is a matter of survival. Throughout the novel, Lisa enters the intricate world of human emotions, presenting a well-designed series of characters, stepping into legal labyrinths, without ever losing her sparkling writing style.
In her second book, Legal Tender, the reader follows the life of Benedetta (Bennie) Rosato, a lawyer and a businesswoman who has everything. Her career and her life, however, suddenly fall apart, turned upside down by an absurd murder: Mark Biscardi, Bennie’s business partner and ex lover, is found dead at his own desk. All the evidence points at Bennie, who had a motive and a shaky alibi. Hours before he was killed, in fact, Mark told her about his decision to dismantle their company and his will to replace her with his new lover. And if this wasn’t enough, the murder weapon is found in Bennie’s apartment, while her last client is accused of placing a bomb under the desk of an important manager. The woman turns into a fugitive, a homeless drunk, but behind these decadent appearances Bennie’s mind is lucid: she is trying to find out who was the real murder; she wants her life back. And even if the circumstances aren’t romantic, the lawyer finds also a new lover. The book leaves you breathless. Evidence and details are planted throughout the plot, allowing the reader to witness a realistic investigation, magnificently described. The characters are well drawn and the city, the background of the story, seems to develop its own personality, playing an active role in shaping what happens to the protagonist.
Short Stories and Beyond
Lisa Scottoline’s work exceeds the boundaries traced by novels and short stories. The author, in fact, published also 4 books that righteously reside in the field of Nonfiction. The first one is titled Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman, and was announced by the author in her popular column on the Philadelphia Inquirer. This is how Lisa Scottoline explains her choice, saying: “ I write short stories, which means that I usually have 100.000 words to tell a story. In a column I have only 700 words. I can barely say Good Moring in 700 words. I am Italian”. So, she decides to bring together her columns, using way more than 700 words, in order to create a beautiful volume shaped by a sharp, witty irony and framed by 70 cartoons. Very funny are the sections titled: A man’s most important body part and Interrupting an art form. The subjects she tackles vary enormously: Lisa talks and jokes about life, love, family, domestic animals and even trousers.
The meeting with the Nonfiction has become an unforgettable ritual repeated year after year: after this first piece of work published in 2009, My Nest Isn’t Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space followed in 2010. Once again, Lisa is funny and witty. Best Friends, Occasional Enemies: The Lighter Side of Life as Mother and Daughter was then printed in the year 2011, clearly inspired by the relationship between the author and her daughter, Francesca. Finally, Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2012.
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9 Responses to “Lisa Scottoline”
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Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
I love finding a good author who has written a lot of books. I start at the top of the list and work my
way down. I have really enjoyed Lisa Scottoline’s books that I have read so far. I have read only one of the non-fiction books with her daughter which I thoroughly enjoyed. Laughed all the way through it!
Keep writing!
I read a few of your early books. I am looking forward to seeing you in Bristol, Ct on October 19, 2023, which is tomorrow. Thanks for the great books.
Love your books. I have read many of them. I started with the Rosata and Denunzio series then I was off reading your other books and enjoying them. My daughter and I just saw you on April 6th, 2023 at Westminster, MD at the Carroll County Library. You were terrific! I have heard you speak before but my daughter never had so when I learned you were coming to us nearby I just had to get tickets for her, her mother in law and myself. Now they know what I was raving about. Thank you so much for coming please come again and have a Happy Easter 🐇🐣
I just finished reading Dead Ringer. I ordered from Amazon. Loved it. Liked all the twist and turns.
I love your books, especially Rosato and DiNunzio. I miss those but its been a while since I read the first one. I can always start over.
Hello Lisa,
I have read many of your books and love each of them! Your writing style is terrific and good humor doesn’t hurt.
I havent’t read all of your latest books, but plan to.
BTY, good luck getting to the world series!!!
Love ya, Sheila
just finished eternal what a great read any other hitorical fiction in the works
Any more Rosato & DiNunzio books coming. Have read them all and really enjoyed them.
hi. am reading your books at present, excellent reads thank you.
Judy New Zealand.