Think Twice (Rosato & Associates, 11) Mass Market Paperback – January 28, 2014

As with most Lisa Scottline books, this one starts with a boom and a bang and remains suspenseful throughout. Bennie Rosato, who owns a law firm, has a twin sister, Alice Connelly. They were separated as babies, Bennie growing up with her birth family and Alice with an adoptive family. Their lives had moved in totally different directions. They had only recently found each, neither knowing the other existed.Bennie was having dinner with Alice, whom she recently represented in a murder trial, which Bennie won. Despite Alice’s seemingly checkered past they seemed to be getting on as sisters. But Alice had other ideas.When Bennie woke up after the dinner she tried to sit up but found herself in a dark, space. Meanwhile, Alice had stolen her identity, taken on her persona and was planning to steal all her money.Meanwhile, Mary DiNunnzio, who works with Bennie in the law firm was having her problems. She wants to buy a house with her boyfriend, Anthony who seems reluctant because she makes more money than him. On top of that she suspects her dad is cheating on her mom.Alice has assumed Bennie’s role at the law firm and seems to have convinced everyone that she is Bennie, except Bennie’s dog Bear and a friend of the DiNunnzios, a self proclaimed witch. Mary was non the wiser to Alice’s deception.Alice was sure that Bennie would not escape from her confinement and started the process of cleaning out Bennie’s assets and heading out of the country. What followed was an adventure for all with lots of twists, turns, amazing opportunities becoming available and run ins with and escapes from various law enforcement authorities.This is a very fast read and will keep you enthralled, as long as you put reality on hold and enjoy the adventure. A give it 4.5 rating.

For readers, is there anything more exciting than a favorite author releasing a new book? As soon as I learned of Lisa Scottoline's new release, Think Twice, I was on it. Of course I didn't have to think twice before ordering from Amazon; I needed to get my hands on this book as soon as possible.Do you have a favorite author? More than one? There are only two authors that I "just can't wait for" when it comes to their next books. One is John Grisham; the other is Lisa Scottoline. I haven't read every Grisham novel, but I've read all 16 of Scottoline's (I haven't read it yet, but I have Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog, a collection of her essays). If I had to pick a favorite between the two, I couldn't. Although they both write about lawyers, and there are some similarities in how they tackle their subjects, they are different enough to make a choice impossible. On a personal level, Scottoline has the edge because her books speak to me in a way that those written by a southern gentleman from Mississippi never can, despite my connection to Mississippi.My copy of Think Twice arrived quickly, but unfortunately I had some review commitments I needed to fulfill before I could read it. A few days later, I sat in a waiting room for a few hours while husband Chip suffered through a routine medical procedure. I prepared myself with a diet Snapple and Think Twice. One of those cursed with a short attention span, I brought along my Nintendo DS and some games; when I needed to stop reading, I'd have something else to do. I needn't have bothered; Think Twice is so engaging, the time waiting flew by.I drove Chip home, and he was still groggy from anesthesia. Oh, happy day! He went to sleep and I got to continue Think Twice, which is so captivating even I couldn't put it down until the end. Ironically, I had been apprehensive about it because it brought back attorney Bennie Rosato's evil twin sister, Alice Connelly. I was thinking, "How much mileage can you get from the old evil twin device?" Well, the answer is plenty!Among Bennie's employees is Mary DiNunzio, another Italian-American from South Philadelphia. Mary's family has provided quite a bit of material in previous novels, and they are dependable sources of humor and pathos. Her parents are very old country, and I can identify with many of the situations she experiences, having grown up in an Italian-American family (ditto Lisa Scottoline, which is why she so faithfully depicts the family and neighborhood dynamics in her books) not far from South Philly.Early in Think Twice, Bennie finds herself drugged and buried alive at the hands of her sister who intends on impersonating Bennie and taking over her life (or, more specifically, her bank accounts). Alice needs an escape from her own life because she has totally screwed up.Another early development is the arrival of a visitor to the DiNunzio home; Fiorella is a strega whose "powers" are allegedly stronger than Mary's mother's (if you've ever been the recipient of the evil eye, you understand). Fiorella is also a very well preserved septuagenarian who is looking for her next husband (she's had a few). Every Italian family has a Fiorella--a sometimes-distant cousin who is nothing if not unique. No matter how eccentric or odd, these women are revered because who else can remove overlooks, "horns," or malocchio once they've been placed? God forbid they should die, because a powerful strega is a hard commodity to replace.Additionally complicating Bennie's situation are Mary and boyfriend Anthony's search for a home they can share, the return of Bennie's ex, Grady, and the question of a partnership for Mary. Scottoline flawlessly interweaves all these stories into a relentlessly gripping novel that grapples with notions of good and evil relevant to the reader as well as to the characters. Incorporating a solid sense of place, she brings Philadelphia and environs to life, right down to local colloquialisms ("I know, right?").I admit there are elements in Think Twice that are maybe a little too far-fetched (if you're not of Italian extraction), and the ending may be a little too pat (though emotionally satisfying), yet I still feel that it's a great read and highly recommend it. Having thoroughly immersed myself in Think Twice, I again find myself anticipating Lisa Scottoline's next work.Bottom Line: Would I buy Think Twice? I did, and I'm glad!

I am a fan of Lisa Scottoline and I enjoyed this book, but I wish that she would showcase Bennie in another manner than with her twin sister. Every book that Bennie is the main character it is in conjunction with her sister's shenanigans. The main plot swirled around Alice leaving Bennie for dead in order to take over Bennie's life to escape her own and the mess she had made of it. Will those close to Bennie realize that something isn't right? In the meantime, can Bennie convince others that she is the real Bennie? Subplots related include the return of Grady and problems with Bear.Other subplots Include: Mary making steps to grow up and become more professional, a troublemaker in the DiNuzio family, and a strong "witch" visiting the DiNuzios.Overall, I liked the book, but sometimes it seemed outlandish. I liked the return of characters from previous novel and their continuing stories. It comes down to the question does nature dictates if you are good or evil or is there another force.

As usual, Lisa Scottoline delivers. Her Philadelphia takes a side trip to Nassau, all seems to have turned bad until... There's an old/new villain, who's a doozy. A secondary character in the other novels becomes the central one in Think Twice. But even if you've never read one of her novels, Scottoline will keep you turning the pages. As usual.

Suspense....sisters....family....friends....jealousy....relationships....love....hate....rage....deception....greed....read it all in this well written book by Scottoline. I highly recommend this book to all woman over the age of 50.

Kept me interested but not captivated. I did read it through but have enjoyed other mysteries more. I probably wont buy another of hers

Great Seller, product arrived promptly and as described. Would definitely recommend.

Always a good read!