I was drawn to reading a Lisa Scottoline novel because of her reputation for writing bestsellers involving clever cases and dedicated characters who are street smart and likable. And Daddy’s Girldid not disappoint me. In this book, law professor, Nat Gecko, who is a year away from tenure is the unlikely heroine who is thrown into a murder mystery. At the beginning, she agrees to accompany her colleague, Angus Holt to the legal clinic at the Chester County Prison and a riot breaks out and a prisoner and a guard are killed. Nat barely escapes being assaulted by one of the inmates before a correctional officer whispers his dying words to Nat: “Tell my wife it’s under the floor.”

 

Nat tries to deliver this message to Ron’s wife, but her life is then threatened by those who don’t want her meddling in the situation any more than she already has. Eventually, Nat herself is accused of murder and must go on the run and try to solve the mystery herself. Nat finds herself in a series of well-plotted events that clearly point to her guilt and she must try to prove her innocence.

 

This is a fast-paced book that keeps the reader interested and hooks you from the start. If you want a heroine that you can root for and cheer on then this is a good choice for you. I will definitely read another Lisa Scottoline book.

Emily Giffin's  latest novel explores infidelity and the impact that a single mistake can have on a marriage.  The interesting spin in this novel is that Giffin alternates the point of view of each chapter between the wife and the "other" woman.  Giffin does an excellent job of creating sympathetic characters on both sides.  You care about Tessa the stay-at-home mom who is feeling the strain of her marriage and wondering why her husband is pulling away and spending longer hours at work and not feeling as connected to her husband.  In the next chapter, you get the perspective of Valerie a single mother raising her son, Charlie who has been injured in a camping fire and is being treated by Dr. Russo, Tessa's husband.  Valerie and Dr. Russo become increasingly close and tension builds as their lives all become interconnected.    I thought this book was an interesting, thoughtful book.

My third grade son LOVES baseball and he tore through this book in a few nights.  So, I decided to read it based on his recommendation with the idea that it would be another "baseball" book.  Yes, Heat is about a 12 year old boy and his local baseball team, but this book encompasses more than baseball.  The main character, Michael Arroyo is an immigrant from Havana and he and his older brother Carlos are living by themselves in the Bronx after the unexpected death of their father.  Carlos is not yet 18 years old, so they must keep their father's death a secret as they do not want to be seperated by child services.  Michael lives to play baseball and is a star pitcher on his neighborhood ball team.  As the little league World Series approaches, Michael is questioned about his age and must supply his birth certificate to prove that he can play as a 12 year old.  Together with Carlos, friends, and teammates, Michael faces these challenges head on! 

 

Although there was a lot of detailed baseball play by play scenes this book kept my interest and I would definitely recommend it for 9-13 year old readers!  (and their mothers or fathers ).  Heat touches on friendship, sportsmanship, what it means to be a family, and the immigrant experience.