Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
HarperTorch (2002), Edition: Reprint, 528 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. HTML: In a case steeped in blood and memory, it will take a stroke of brilliance to save Pigeon Tony. But if anyone can see justice done, it may be this gutsy young attorney. She'll risk everything for her client...including her life. In The Vendetta Defense, Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of Moment of Truth and Mistaken Identity, tells a wonderfully rich story of past sins, love and justice. Lawyer Judy Carrier takes the case of an elderly pigeon racer, Tony Lucia, who has been arrested for the murder of his lifelong enemy Angelo Coluzzi. "Pigeon Tony," as he's known, confesses to Judy that he killed Coluzzi because of a vendetta begun more than fifty years ago. Her client's guilt, however, is only the beginning of Judy's problems. The Coluzzi family wants revenge, and they are determined to finish off Pigeon Tony and Judy before the case can go to trial..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member MamaCass13
My first Lisa Scottoline book and I am hooked!
I have always enjoyed legal thrillers and strong women characters. What a thrill to have both! And toss in humor, charm, warmth and characters that complement each other and you've a wonderful read. I love the all female law firm and can't wait to read
I have always enjoyed legal thrillers and strong women characters. What a thrill to have both! And toss in humor, charm, warmth and characters that complement each other and you've a wonderful read. I love the all female law firm and can't wait to read
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all books by this author. Show Less
LibraryThing member craneflat
I found this as a book on tape at a used bookstore and was having a blast listening to the book until I got to a tape that was damaged. I searched at used bookstores to find another copy but I came up empty-handed. I was too cheap to buy the new book-on-tape and found the used paperback instead. I
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just couldn't get into it without the cool narrator. I've got to look for this on CD at the library and finally finish it now that it's been a few years. Show Less
LibraryThing member PermaSwooned
I actually like Judy Carrier and her pal Mary better than I like Bennie Rosato, who is the attorney that heads up the law firm featured in Lisa Scottoline's books. Good story....a good legal thriller-type read.
LibraryThing member WeeziesBooks
How could I not enjoy a book with many of the characters named ‘...Tony’ and featuring a delightful and heartwarming old man named Pigeon Tony (Tony Lucia), whose life is shaped by a lifelong vendetta? When Pigeon Tony is charged with first degree murder, the lawyer Judy Carrier is pulled into
I had never understood the stories behind pigeon racing and now I have a greater appreciation of the sport. Scottoline develops her characters well and I became vested in their lives and the story's outcome. There is hatred, sorrow, loyalty, love, romance and suspense. The courtroom scenes felt fairly realistic and the dialogue was entertaining. The involvement of the Tony’s (Pigeon Tony’s friends) was similar to the feeling an Badacci’s Camel Club characters. The connection to the title “The Vendetta Defense” was clear from the beginning and that was a refreshing change.
I have not read many Lisa Scottoline books but I will definitely read another as this book was enjoyable and easy to follow with enough action to keep me reading. A fun read for a cold winter night by the fire or on the beach on a warm summer day. I give this a 4 not because it was a great book, but because it was a very enjoyable read.
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defending him, with great reluctance. When he admits his guilt in killing his lifelong enemy Anthony Coluzzi in Italy, the story become challenging for the attorney and for the reader. I had never understood the stories behind pigeon racing and now I have a greater appreciation of the sport. Scottoline develops her characters well and I became vested in their lives and the story's outcome. There is hatred, sorrow, loyalty, love, romance and suspense. The courtroom scenes felt fairly realistic and the dialogue was entertaining. The involvement of the Tony’s (Pigeon Tony’s friends) was similar to the feeling an Badacci’s Camel Club characters. The connection to the title “The Vendetta Defense” was clear from the beginning and that was a refreshing change.
I have not read many Lisa Scottoline books but I will definitely read another as this book was enjoyable and easy to follow with enough action to keep me reading. A fun read for a cold winter night by the fire or on the beach on a warm summer day. I give this a 4 not because it was a great book, but because it was a very enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member Conkie
This book is simply great. Ms. Scottoline wrote a book with depth, humor, suspense, and Ms. Rosenblat did herself proud in the narration. I strongly encourage anyone to listen to this unabridged edition of the book, just to fall in love with Pigeon Tony and his friends. Ms. Rosenblat makes these
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characters come to life through consistent use of vocal nuances and following the expert pacing set out in the author's lyrical dialogue. If you are new to Ms. Scottoline's writing and/or audiobooks, this is the perfect one to start with. Don't be intimidated that this book is number eight in a series, as it stands so well by itself. Show Less
LibraryThing member auntieknickers
I received this book as a Christmas gift. I confess that reverse snobbery had kept
me from Ms. Scottoline's books up till now -- I had assumed that anyone
who appeared on the bestseller lists so regularly would not be to my
taste. Well, I was wrong. I enjoyed THE VENDETTA DEFENSE and will seek
out
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more of the author's work.It's my impression that many, if not all, the Scottoline books deal with
the all-woman law firm headed by Benny Rosato, highlighting a different
attorney in each book. THE VENDETTA DEFENSE features military brat and
artist Judy Carrier as the attorney who takes her first murder case when
a friend's father enlists her help for a pigeon-racing buddy. "Pigeon
Tony" has broken the neck of Angelo Coluzzi, a man he's known and hated
for sixty years both in fascist Italy and in Philadelphia. He admits the
killing, but says it isn't murder, because Coluzzi was responsible for
the deaths of Tony's wife and, more recently, his son and
daughter-in-law. Judy is pulled deeper into the case by her strong
attraction to Pigeon Tony's handsome grandson.
For the first 50 pages or so I wasn't enthralled with this book, but I
kept going and soon found it hard to put down. Judy must use both her
legal and investigative talents, with help from Pigeon Tony's equally
elderly friends and the ex-wife of a Coluzzi henchman, in doing her best
to win an acquittal for Pigeon Tony. The characters were very believable
and the Philadelphia setting drawn by someone who obviously really loves
her city. Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member Maydacat
In this novel, lawyer Judy Carrier has a case that seems impossible to win. A vendetta that began 60 years ago in Italy comes to fruition in the Italian neighborhood of Philly and results in a killing, but not a murder. At least, that’s what the perpetrator believes. Now all Judy has to do is
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convince a jury of that in a courtroom while dodging bullets and avoiding pipe bombs during her investigations. A page turner, this thriller has elements of mystery, humor, romance, and history. The verdict? This book is a winner. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
Just re-read this book for a book discussion and loved it all over again. Funny, great characters, a little pre-war Italy history, lots of Italian culture, and some courtroom drama to finish it all off.
LibraryThing member Carol420
I have to give it credit for being a very interesting story but parts of it were just boring and unrealistic and I sometimes found myself getting lost in the sheer number of characters. The thing that I disliked the most was that it went quickly from being a mystery to being mainly a romance. I had
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to give it a 3 star rating because it was well written and I generally like this author...and...you guessed it... it fit a challenge very well. Show Less
LibraryThing member rmarcin
A rather easy read. Pigeon Tony is arrested for killing a lifetime enemy, and Judy Carrier must defend him, and try to save his life in the process. Was Tony getting revenge on his enemy for wrongs against him?
LibraryThing member morrisonhimself
After re-re-reading "The Vendetta Defense," I can say, as is usual with Lisa Scottoline's books, this is great, full of memorable and usually likeable characters and plenty of plot.
Alas, she makes one gross error, double alas, one made by too, too many writers, including those propagandists and
"News" people and, as I said, too many writers constantly mis-use the term "jury nullification," sometimes because of abysmal ignorance, and sometimes because of willful and intentional distortion.
"Jury nullification" is voting because the jury members oppose a law.
For example, a defendant accused of the heinous crime of selling, or even just growing, marijuana might be voted "not guilty" because the jurors recognize the immorality and/or stupidity of The Insane War on Some Drugs.
Jury Nullification is, in truth, part of the American tradition, part of our heritage.
It goes back to the John Peter Zenger trial.
And even further back to very courageous jurors in England defying the persecutorial government and even risking their own lives to try to prevent a legal wrong.
Fully Informed Jury Association is available to give us the facts. It's headquartered in Montana, but accessible via the Internet. Too bad that so many people, even lawyers and judges, don't know the truth, the history, and even the law: There are states, though not very many, that require judges to inform jurors that they, those jurors, are judges not only of the facts of a case, but of the law.
THAT, gentle reader, is "Jury Nullification."
If you ever get conscripted for a jury, don't let a judge or prosecutor tell you any different. That judge or prosecutor might not be lying: He might actually believe his nonsense. But he is still wrong.
Alas, she makes one gross error, double alas, one made by too, too many writers, including those propagandists and
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ignorami at "Law and Order": "Jury nullification" is NOT the correct term to apply to a jury's voting "not guilty" because they don't like the prosecutors and/or the prosecution case, and do like the defendant."News" people and, as I said, too many writers constantly mis-use the term "jury nullification," sometimes because of abysmal ignorance, and sometimes because of willful and intentional distortion.
"Jury nullification" is voting because the jury members oppose a law.
For example, a defendant accused of the heinous crime of selling, or even just growing, marijuana might be voted "not guilty" because the jurors recognize the immorality and/or stupidity of The Insane War on Some Drugs.
Jury Nullification is, in truth, part of the American tradition, part of our heritage.
It goes back to the John Peter Zenger trial.
And even further back to very courageous jurors in England defying the persecutorial government and even risking their own lives to try to prevent a legal wrong.
Fully Informed Jury Association is available to give us the facts. It's headquartered in Montana, but accessible via the Internet. Too bad that so many people, even lawyers and judges, don't know the truth, the history, and even the law: There are states, though not very many, that require judges to inform jurors that they, those jurors, are judges not only of the facts of a case, but of the law.
THAT, gentle reader, is "Jury Nullification."
If you ever get conscripted for a jury, don't let a judge or prosecutor tell you any different. That judge or prosecutor might not be lying: He might actually believe his nonsense. But he is still wrong.
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LibraryThing member NatalieRiley
It’s been awhile since I’ve spent time with the Rosato & Associates series. Lawyer Judy Carrier defends an elderly Italian man, Pigeon Tony, accused of murder. He admitted to killing Angelo Coluzzi because of a vendetta that started more than 50 years ago. Lots of spicy Italian drama and a new
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love blooms for Judy. An entertaining read with laughable moments in Lisa Scottoline’s style. Show Less
LibraryThing member BONS
Book 6 of the Rosato & Associates legal thriller. Previous books have helped introduce each attorney by focusing most of the book's plot around each associate. I'm enjoying this series as it makes me think of the James Patterson Women's Murder Club series that I've completed. This one involves 60
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year old Italian history, Attorney Judy and one of the Tony's that is known as Pigeon Tony. I found this book a bit deeper, still the usual humor but it put me in the center of the question what actually is justice? Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2002)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2001
ISBN
0061031429 / 9780061031427