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From Publishers Weekly

Rookie federal judge Cate Fante's early days on the Philadelphia bench rapidly descend into nightmare in this compelling stand-alone legal thriller from bestseller Scottoline (_Devil's Corner_). Fante is the presiding judge in an intellectual property case in which Richard Marz, a former Philly prosecutor, is suing Art Simone, a powerhouse Hollywood producer, for stealing his idea for a TV series about a team of prosecutors called Attorneys@Law. The day after Fante dismisses the lawsuit, someone plugs Simone in the forehead with a .22 outside the restaurant where he was dining with his attorneys. Marz is the chief suspect, and the authorities believe Fante could be his next victim. But her troubles really begin after Marz's crooked police partner discovers her secret vice of picking up nameless strangers in seedy dives for one-night stands. While some may be dissatisfied by the out-of-left-field solution to the mystery and the limited efforts to explain the judge's motives for her reckless behavior, the fast pace and ever-increasing tension will keep readers turning the pages. 12-city author tour. (Mar.)
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From

Drama verges on melodrama in this thirteenth offering from Edgar Award winner Scottoline. Neophyte Philadelphia federal judge Cate Fante thought she could keep her sex life a secret until a case involving high-powered Hollywood producer Art Simone exposes every tawdry fact. Judge Fante had decided in favor of Simone in his blistering legal battle with aspiring writer Richard Marz (each claimed ownership of the idea behind the top-ranked TV series, Attorneys@Law). Simone, it turns out, was also at work on an edgy new project about a female federal judge who bears a striking similarity to Fante. When Simone is killed outside a popular restaurant, the judge is among the suspects. Soon the details of Judge Fante's dual personalities are splashed across the tabloids, and her life is in ruins. She's particularly worried about best pal, Gina, and Gina's autistic son, Warren, whose daily struggles are destined to become grist for the television mill. Former trial lawyer Scottoline, now a on best-selling writer, renders snappy dialogue and vivid descriptions of her native Pennsylvania in this engaging--if somewhat over-the-top--suspenser about consequences and truths. Allison Block
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