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Attorneys often work late. They often lose track of time when immersed in law books and legal briefs. But when Mary DiNunzio gets a phone call from a man threatening to kill her, she instantly regrets being alone in the office at 10 o'clock at night. She can hardly leave quickly enough. Once outside, though, she believes she is being followed and can't shake the feeling that someone is watching her every move. It doesn't seem possible that anyone could be interested in the case she is working on, since it is a straightforward case of finding and returning property to one Amadeo Brandolini, a detainee from the camps of WWII. DiNunzio wants to serve justice by reimbursing his estate for the loss of some boats. Seems pretty benign.
Bennie, head of the all-female law firm, gives specific orders for Mary to cease work on Amadeo's file. She has business out of town and needs some important cases covered in her absence. In the spirit of pleasing the boss, Mary agrees, with somewhat exaggerated enthusiasm. She immediately ignores Bennie's orders, landing her in hot water not only with her boss and some influential clients, but also the sinister forces trying to keep her from learning an old and highly damaging secret. With so much at stake, they aren't about to let an impetuous lawyer meddle in their business.
Lisa Scottoline ratchets up the action when DiNunzio returns from a discovery trip to Montana. Having picked up some good leads there, Mary sneaks out to pursue some of them and nearly returns in an ambulance. In addition to trying to avoid the office tattletale, Bennie's files and some nasty folks bent on doing her harm, she tries to dodge an endless parade of well-meaning matchmakers. Too many of her friends --- okay, nearly all of them --- believe she needs to get over her dead husband and start dating again. With all of this going on, Mary's plate is beyond overflowing.
KILLER SMILE beams with gusto and wit. While I wouldn't quite call it a thriller, it kept me rapt throughout its 350-plus pages. Chapters passed almost before I knew it. There's a darned good mystery here and a courageous heroine to carry the day.
--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
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