A friend whose opinion I value recommended this author to me. Huh? I thought is was nothing but a typical male fantasy - female judge bedding working class pick-ups. A waste of time - really stupid, poor plotting, 1-dimensional characters.

Okay, this was a good read. I love the was Scottoline writes. Her heroines are never without fault, and the heroine in this novel certainly did have fault. That is what made her so interesting. Quick, enjoyable read.

Cate Fante has just been named a judge in the Eastern District Court of PA, and she is excited about the job. However, Judge Fante has a dark secret, and once it is exposed, threatens her life and the lives of those close to her. While Cate is hearing a case about the idea for the TV series Attorneys@Law, she also leads a secret life having sex with strangers. When she rules on the case, the parties in the suit erupt in a fight, and later one is found dead. The cops suspect Cate. Who is the killer, will Cate retain her reputation? Will Cate resolve whatever it is that leads her to a destructive lifestyle?
Not your typical judge story!

I would have to say that this was my favorite Lisa Scottoline book that I've read. The story was engaging and suspenseful and the main character, Judge Cate Fante, was interesting and well-developed. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, from Cate's best friend and godson to the detectives FBI officers. A great and entertaining read!

If you are into murder mysteries...Lisa Scottoline is an author you should look into! What I love in particular about her is that all of her books are set in philadelphia and living there for a few years it was really interesting.

This book was a great read and I never wanted to put it down!! Scottoline's writing makes you feel like you are right there with the characters...as I said before, if you are into murder mysteries this is the author for you and this book is one of many great ones by her!

This is another one I wish I could rate 2.5 intead of a 2 or a 3. The main problem with this book - ugh, I just didn't care about the main character. I supposed Lisa Scottoline was trying to illustrate the double standards still in society, especially in the judicial system. But really - who cares that the main character picks up strangers in bars. Although - it's really hard to feel any sort of sympathy for a character that is that stupid.

Honestly, when I read the blurb, I was not really expecting the story to occur as it did. I thought I'd dislike Cate more than I did, and I also thought that her "dark double life" would be... well, darker than it turned out to be.

And another point of honesty -- I loved that this book involved Centralia as a (rather sizable) portion of the plot. For those who don't know about Centralia, it's a town in northeast Pennsylvania. It used to be a huge coal mining town. However, now, it's a ghost town (or nearly -- with a population of just 10 people as of 2010). In 1962, a mine fire started in Centralia; the mine shafts are pretty much a huge spider web, and due to multiple reasons, the fire was not put out. As of this year, it's been burning -- continuously -- for 53 years.

It sounds crazy, right? But it's true. I've been there. And it is eerie. There are cemeteries there, with signs warning you not to walk in them, because the ground could collapse at any moment and dump you into a pocket of fire, poisonous gas, or both. Parts of the roads are closed off, because the underground fires have cracked, weakened, or entirely buckled sections of the pavement. Steam and smoke and noxious gases are everywhere in Centralia.

Anyway. I could write an essay on Centralia and how sad it is -- yet how fascinating -- but that's not the point of this book review. But the fact that Scottoline got the facts right about Centralia made me happy. :)

A fairly fast-paced book, although I gotta admit I'm not used to a judge being the protagonist of a murder mystery. It was kind of a nice change of pace, although I kept wanting her to act more like a detective or cop since that's what I'm used to from most thrillers.

Also, I struggled a bit with the fact that the Centralia portion of the book seemed to be very disconnected from the other portions of the book. And Cate did act very immaturely at times, which was also just plain odd to me, and a bit of a turn off. Yes, I liked her, but she definitely had some pretty huge character flaws and ones that would probably keep me from wanting to read any other books about her (I know this isn't part of a series).

3.5 STARS

"Cate Fante is strong and sexy and wears designer suits like overpriced armor. She's just become a judge but leads a dark double life that she hides from everyone.

Her cover is blown when a high-profile case in her courtroom takes a stunning turn. Overnight the tabloids tell her secret, her boyfriend dumps her, and her new career hangs in tatters. But Cate's troubles are only beginning. An enemy no one anticipated sends her running for her life, and she'll have to fight her way back to the truth . . . or die trying." (From Amazon)

Another fair legal drama by Scottoline. I enjoy her law thrillers and would agree with those who dub her as the "female John Grisham." Her novels are more city based with humour and female protagonists.