Book Talk: Lisa Scottoline, ‘Corrupted’

If you’ve read any of Lisa Scottoline’s “Rosato and Associates” or “Rosato and DiNunzio” books, you might think that Bennie (Benedetta) Rosato is actually a robot. She’s one of the best trial lawyers in the country, her favorite thing to eat is an opposing attorney, and her favorite coffee cup is printed, “I can smell fear.” So, it may come as something of a shock to suspect that Bennie just might find some romance in “Corrupted” (2015, 242 pages in hardback format).

Ordinarily, she does not handle juvenile cases. However thirteen years ago she accepted the case of Jason Lefkavik, a boy who was bullied by Richie Grusini. When Richie hit him, Jason pushed back. The incident was called a “fight” in a school that had a zero tolerance for bad behavior. However, Richie’s uncle was a state trooper, so he got a lighter sentence than Jason. But both boys wound up in the juvenile detention center in Mountaintop, Pennsylvania, even though they were only 12 years old.

Now, Bennie heads back to Mountaintop because Jason is in the firm grip of the legal system once more, this time accused of murdering Richie. First, she finds that Jason was not properly advised of his right to counsel. Second, she suspects that other factors in the case just don’t seem right.