Book Review: Accused by Lisa Scottoline

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–winning author Lisa Scottoline revolutionized crime fiction when she introduced her all-female law firm of Rosato & Associates, thrilling readers with her twisty, fast-paced plots and capturing their hearts with her cast of strong and relatable female characters. Now Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, Judy Carrier, and Anne Murphy are back with all cylinders firing in Accused.
Mary Dinuzio has just been promoted to partner and is about to take on her most unusual case yet, brought to the firm by a thirteen-year-old genius with a penchant for beekeeping. Allegra Gardner’s sister Fiona was murdered six years ago, and it seemed like an open-and-shut case: the accused, Lonnie Stall, was seen fleeing the scene; his blood was on Fiona and her blood was on him; most damningly, Lonnie Stall pleaded guilty. But Allegra believes Lonnie is innocent and has been wrongly imprisoned. The Gardner family is one of the most powerful in the country and Allegra’s parents don’t believe in reopening the case, so taking it on is risky. But the Rosato & Associates firm can never resist an underdog. Was justice really served all those years ago? It will take a team of unstoppable female lawyers, plus one thirteen-year-old genius, to find out.
Review:
This is my first book from the Rosato & Associates series, but not my first from Lisa Scottoline. I’m a big fan of mystery novels especially those with suspense, and this one definitely had that! Even though I was new to these characters, it was easy to fit right into their lives. I felt for Mary, who was clearly struggling with her new relationship after losing her first husband to murder. The friendship she has with Judy got pretty intense once Mary is made partner, and that was really intriguing to read about. But of course, we are centered on the case Mary takes on – trying to find the real killer of Fiona Gardner, a young girl murdered in her own home. Her little sister Allegra is determined to find out the real murderer, as she is certain the wrong man is behind bars. It was fascinating to follow along with Mary and her gang, and I felt like I learned a lot about law and really all the well, legalities, that can come with cases. It could be pretty frustrating to read about a case that clearly wasn’t quite put together right, but there was about twenty hoops to jump through in order to get it reopened. The ending was especially intense and my jaw dropped when we find out the real killer. I hope you can read this and I hope to get my hands on more from the series!
4 stars