Part 2 summary

After Mary gets the call that a body has been found, she goes down to the crimes scene as instructed by Brinkley.  Once down there, the body isn't Trish, it's Bobby. He had been shot at least twice . Mary was shocked and didn't know what to think. She then knew that it is possible that Trish is alive.  

The next day, Mary decides to make it her personal mission to find Trish. She drives to New Jersey to find "Cadillac", a guy mentioned by Trish in her private diary.  In the end, Trish is found alive in the Pokonos with Giulia's husband. Once Mary takes Trish back to South Philly, her mom confesses to the murder of Bobby and the book ends with Mary and Anthony on a date together, completing the theme of starting over.

Recurring themes in Lady Killer

After I read Lady Killer, I noticed that there were many recurring themes throughout the book.  

I've written about a few below:

Starting over: Throughout the book, Mary reflected on many events in her past that reflected where she is now. She was once in love with Bobby and was even pregnant with his child. Even some odd years later, she realized that she still had feelings for him. But by the middle of the book, she knows that she has to start fresh by finally moving on to a new guy.  Another example of starting over involves her job. When she is going to search for Trish, her boss, Bennie, gives her an ultimatum. Bennie needs help in a trial case and told Mary to stay at the office, but Mary walked out, therefore quitting her job on the spot. In the end though, she gets her job back.

Secrets can kill:  Instead of Trish being found dead, Bobby is found dead in an alley by his secret hideout spot.  Trish kept the secret of her mom killing Bobby instead of the Mob killing Bobby. Also, Mary was once pregnant with Bobby's baby, but never told anyone.  This secret was slowly killing her soul inside and her ability to love again.

Shortened version of Lady Killer part 1

Within the next few paragraphs, you will know the entire plot without having to read the 355 pages of the book.

We start with Mary and her job as a lawyer. Although she is successful, dealing with mostly large cases, she also deals with mundane cases. Those include the battle of the Sinatra fan clubs and finding counseling for a family friend's little boy. Trish comes to the law firm and Mary is very surprised to see her. Mary is unaware that the abusive boyfriend that Trish is talking about is Mary's first love from high school, until Trish mentions his name.  Mary doesn't believe that he is the Bobby she loved. In the book, we don't actually meet Bobby, he is just talked about. 

Mary really can't help Trish protect herself from Bobby, because Trish doesn't want to get a restraining order or go to the police. Trish leaves Mary's office shaken. Later that night, Mary goes home late and feels guilty for not helping Trish.

Early the next morning, Mary goes into work and is soon greeted by Giulia and her two sidekicks. The three girls are best friends to Trish and have come to complain that Trish has gone missing and it is all Mary's fault. Mary decides to cut a deal with the girls and help them find Trish. Little does she know that this mystery will take her career away.

The girls visit Trish's house and nothing seems out of place or odd, which could be a good sign. The author describes in great detail Trish and Bobby's immaculately kept modern home.

The only thing that Mary finds in Trish's home is a diary kept by Trish to document the abuse from Bobby.  After searching the house, the girls  go down to the South Philly Police Department and talk to Mary's friend, Officer Brinkley. They report Trish as a missing person and begin to actively search for her.  

Later that night, Mary goes on a "date" with Anthony. They are enjoying a friendly dinner when Brinkley calls her as they are eating dessert. Brinkley says 4 words that makes Mary's heart sink: "We've found a body."  Continued in the next post

Bobby, Trish, Mary and Anthony: The Love Connections

In Lady Killer, there is a love triangle. The love triangle isn't happening all at once, rather it is people in the pat complicating the present. Trish, Bobby, Mary and Anthony all went to high school together.  

Mary and Bobby: Mary and Bobby were high school sweethearts who went out for over two years. Mary broke up with Bobby in their senior year because she was going away for college and he was staying home.  Bobby never lost his love for her and was still heartbroken after many years.  Later in the book, I learned that they had slept together and she had become pregnant, but had an abortion because they went to a strict Catholic school. Mary also admitted later in the book that she still had feelings for Bobby.

Trish and Bobby: Trish and Mary weren't the greatest of friends, rather in high school they were acquaintances who were cordial to each other. As soon as Mary and Bobby broke up, Trish pounced on Bobby. Now, years later they are still together, but a different side of Bobby has come out.  Both his mother and his sister believe that he is abusive because he has had his heart broken before and doesn't want it to happen again, so he intimidates Trish so she can't leave the relationship. 

Mary and Anthony:  Mary is investigating the Trish case when love pops up in an unexpected place. Anthony is the son of one of  her clients.  One night, Anthony gives his mother and Mary a ride home. Mary had had a long day, so Anthony took her out to dinner. Mary had heard from his mother that he was gay, but in fact he was straight. He just loved nice wine and cooking.  Mary had a little crush on him. At the end of the book, Mary finally realizes that she doesn't want to be the girl who ends up alone, eating Ben and Jerry's in front of the TV watching tear-jerker romantic movies every night.  By the absolute end of the book, Anthony and Mary are dating.

 

Trish is gone.

The day after Trish's night with Bobby, Trish's best friend, Giulia, and her two sidekicks go to Mary's office. Mary knew something was up.  Giulia says that Trish didn't report to work and that is unusual. Mary and the girls then go to Trish and Bobby's home to investigate. There is no sign of Trish being forced out of the house. In fact, the author describes in great detail the house, with its white walls and contemporary minimalist furnishings. As Mary walked through the house, I almost felt I was there because of the author's imagery.

Since the girls don't find anything suspicious, they go to the police department to report Trish missing. Mary knows something isn't right because she found Trish's diary in Trish's car. In the diary, there are pictures of the injuries that Trish receives from the abuse. Mary decides that she can't say no to this case because she is confident she can find Trish alive.

Mary DiNunzio

Mary DiNunzio is a strong willed and beautiful lawyer in South Philadelphia. She grew up in South Philly and loves her job. The author describes Mary well, writing "She has gorgeous hazel eyes and brunette hair to match. Even though she grew up in South Philly, her accent isn't strong. She daintily walks to her desk with a cup of strong brewed coffee and the daily newspaper"(10). DiNunzio is a great lawyer, but she sometimes forgets who is important. She doesn't seem to prioritize and it seems that every night in the book, she is working late.  Most of her cases deal with family friends and are mundane, like the case she did for the battling Frank Sinatra groups. I don't think she has the ability to say no after reading the book. It's not until the murder case goes into full swing that she realizes that she can say no and things will turn out and the world won't crash down on her. 

In the book, her friend from high school, Trish, comes to visit her at her firm. Trish is nervous because her boyfriend, Bobby is abusive towards her and is the head of the Mob in Philadelphia. Trish is worried because the day she visits Mary, it's her birthday and Bobby is surprising her with something. Trish believes that he is going to propose to her. She doesn't want to say yes because she is scared to become a spouse of a mobster. If she said no, he would most likely kill her. Trish goes to Mary for help, but refuses to get a restraining order or anything that would keep Trish safe. Mary tried to do eveything possible to help Trish, but Trish refused, saying that other members of the mob could go after her.  Trish leaves Mary's office and later that night, she disappears.

Lady Killer Hopefully thoughtful post #1

Well here we go. Post number one for Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline.

Initial Reaction: I finished my book last week and I throughly enjoyed it. Like I said in my previous post, it was a murder mystery. I don't normally read these types of books, but it was recomendded to me by many people, so I thought I would pick it up and read it. The first few chapters were slow, but it quickly picked up the pace.

Characters:
Mary DiNunzio, main character, she is a lawyer for a powerful firm.

Trish Gambone and her boyfriend, Bobby Mancuso- Trish is the girl that goes missing and Bobby is believed to be the one that killed her.

Julia- Julia is a supporting character who works at the law firm with Mary.

Anthony-Mary's crush..Anthony's parents insist he is gay.

Brinkley-The officer who works in the Homicide department of the Philidelphia police and is a close friend of Mary's.

Giulia-Trish's best friend who helps look for Trish.

Mrs. Gambone-Trish's mother. She has an important role later in the book.



Setting: South Philidelphia, New Jersey and the Pokonos. Recent