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The Vendetta Defense
by Lisa Scottoline

Published: 2002-03-05
Paperback : 518 pages
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Judy Carrier takes the case of her career to defend Anthony Lucia, fondly known as "Pigeon Tony," who freely admits to killing his lifelong enemy in order to settle a personal vendetta. Her client's guilt, however, is only the beginning of Judy's problems. The victim's family wants ...

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Introduction

Judy Carrier takes the case of her career to defend Anthony Lucia, fondly known as "Pigeon Tony," who freely admits to killing his lifelong enemy in order to settle a personal vendetta. Her client's guilt, however, is only the beginning of Judy's problems. The victim's family wants revenge and is determined to finish off Pigeon Tony and Judy before the case goes to trial. Then there's Pigeon Tony's hunky grandson, who makes Judy think about everything but the law. In a case steeped in blood and memory, it will take brains and a lot of luck to save Pigeon Tony. But if anyone will see justice done, it's this gutsy girl who'll risk everything to win -- including her life.

Editorial Review

You can't read past the first chapter of Lisa Scottoline's newest legal thriller without mentally casting the actor who might play Pigeon Tony, the charming and totally authentic defendant who's on trial for killing the man who raped and murdered his wife, destroyed his son and daughter-in-law in a staged "accident," and has threatened the life of his grandson. Robert De Niro's too threatening, Joe Mantegna's too young, Marlon Brando's too fat, but somewhere there must be a celluloid counterpart to one of the most delightful antiheroes in recent crime fiction. Meanwhile, this wonderful character study of a man of conscience on trial for a crime of passion will divert and entertain fans of Scottoline's previous novels about Bennie Rosato's high-estrogen Philadelphia law firm (Moment of Truth, Mistaken Identity).

When Judy Carrier, one of Bennie's attorneys, takes on Tony's defense, she's faced with a legal and moral dilemma. Tony admits that he killed Angelo Coluzzi, but insists it wasn't murder but vendetta, a justifiable payback for a blood crime committed nearly half a century ago and a continent away. The Coluzzi family knows about vendetta, too--they've got their own payback planned, and the trick for Judy is keeping Pigeon Tony (and herself) alive long enough to get them to trial. There's a complication de coeur when Judy falls in love with Tony's grandson, a hunky stonemason who will do for fences what Robert James Waller did for covered bridges (Clint Eastwood's too old, Brad Pitt's too young, etc.). But all's well that ends well in a tidy little read that will probably earn Scottoline another well-deserved shot at the bestseller list. --Jane Adams

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Member Reviews

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  "Seemingly Unsolvable Legal Dilemma"by ELIZABETH V. (see profile) 09/06/11

Lisa Scottoline’s novels present interesting legal dilemmas.

In Scottoline’s THE VENDETTA DEFENSE, an old Italian man, “Pigeon Tony,” who lived in prewar Italy under Mussolini an

... (read more)

 
  "A many-layered novel"by Donna D. (see profile) 08/06/08

Very likeable characters and a storyline that was fun to read while providing much material for our club discussion. There was something for everyone: humor, romance, mystery, and an interesting commentary... (read more)

 
  "much to discuss about moral issues"by Gina S. (see profile) 08/06/08

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