I read a few books I didn’t like and so picked up Feared by Lisa Scottoline because I thought it would be a safe bet. I’ve enjoyed her other books that feature the female lawyers Bernie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, and Judy Carrier. The title of the book comes from a quote from Machiavelli that if you can’t have both, then it is better to be feared than loved.
The firm is in the middle of a large case when they are hit with a reverse discrimination suit. Several qualified men had applied for jobs as associates and not been hired, they alleged, because they were men. To make matters worse, one of the few men on the team, John Foxman, had admitted that he felt uncomfortable at work and that he thought he was not getting promotions because he wasn’t a woman. The lawyer for the other side was Mary’s nemesis Nick Machiavelli. Mary knew that Machiavelli would do anything to win, but how far would he go?
There was a lot to like in this story. The character of Mary DiNunzio had the spotlight and we see her juggling work, friendship, family, and being very pregnant. There is always a bit of humor with Mary because she was raised Catholic, in an Italian family and neighborhood. She maintains a lively internal dialog that is witty and informs us of her values. Sometimes it seems a bit campy, such as when the “three Tony’s,” who are older DiNunzio family friends, all talk at once. Being occasionally campy is OK and doesn’t detract from the story.
I was a little surprised, however, with the depiction of Judy. We are used to Judy (she’s from California) wearing bright clothes, being independent and quirky. In Feared she was always eating and didn’t seem like much of a star. Also, I was able to guess some of the plot points, but not the ending. The ending didn’t have as much depth as I was expecting. I listened to the audio version and, and those things aside, I overall enjoyed the story.