Rosato and DiNunzio, a law firm started by two women which happens to have all female partners, find themselves being sued for reverse discrimination by three male attorneys who were not hired by the firm. Not only is the firm being sued, but each partner is being sued personally. This could financially ruin not only the firm, but each of the women as well. And it doesn't help when they are blindsided by the information that John, the male associate in the firm and one of the leads in a large anti-trust lawsuit, has told people outside the firm that he feels he won't make partner because he's a man, and is looking for another job.

Nick Machiavelli, Mary DiNunzio's nemesis, is lead counsel on the reverse discrimination lawsuit. He has lost to Mary before, and he is out for revenge. Mary is pregnant and has been told to lighten her workload, but given the circumstances, it's hard to do. Things go from terrible to worse, when John is murdered, and the police question whether someone in the firm committed the crime. While investigating John's murder, Mary finds evidence that the reverse discrimination lawsuit and the anti-trust lawsuit may be connected.

This book focuses a lot on Mary Dinunzio and her Italian South Philly family and friends who couldn't love her more and would do anything for her and her friends. It's a delight.

I love this series with it's strong women characters; who are tough and fearless yet have big hearts. I also like that each book in the series stands well on its own - you don't need to read the books in order to know what's going on. But if you have read any of the books in the series, it's like coming home to friends and family.

This is a very good read, and I recommend it highly.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Feared by Lisa Scottoline is a highly recommended legal thriller and the 6th in the series featuring Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, and Judy Carrier.

Three men are suing the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm for reverse sex discrimination, claiming that the firm wouldn't hire them because they are men. The men's lawyer is Nick Machiavelli. Machiavelli is out for vengeance after previously losing a case to Mary. The whole purpose of this case is to destroy Rosato & DiNunzio. To complicate matters Rosato & DiNunzio's lone male employee, John Foxman, is quoted in the plaintiff's disclosure that he felt like an outsider. When asked about it, Foxman admits the truth to his statement and that he intends to resign. Then the case turns deadly.

With her firm in danger and now murder is involved, Mary's health could be at risk due to the stress since she is seven month's pregnant. Now Mary must figure out what Machiavelli is up too with filing this false complaint and solve a murder. Machiavelli has made his stance clear with his news conferences and playing up to the media to impinge the Rosato & DiNunzio firm. The firm’s hired defense attorney Roger Vitez, who wants them to go on with their business as usual and play it cool, claims he knows how to handle the case.

Feared is wildly entertaining and the story propels forward with a sunny style, even when things are looking dark. (You know, if you follow the series, that it will turn out okay in the end.) Mary's large, diverse Italian-American family and her South Philly neighborhood is as much a character as all the Tonys. The characters are smart and diverse. There is humor along with the seriousness of the plot. But this is an ongoing series and fans have expectations that are met in Feared. Even if you haven't read any of the previous books in the series, you could jump in with this one as enough backstory is provided.

It must be said it is not a perfect novel. There was simply too much preoccupation with Mary's pregnancy and it becomes a tad bit annoying - Mary constantly mentions how huge she is and her pregnancy is the first thing on everyone's mind. The large-Italian-American-family-in-your-business stuff seems overdone and almost a stereotype. The plot twist and game changer is very convenient and a little unbelievable. However, setting aside those few concerns, Feared is an easy-to-read, very entertaining diversion and is a great choice for a relaxing, light summer read.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press via Netgalley.
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Feared is the 6th book in this series and I was thrilled to reunite with Mary DiNunzio and the the other characters. In this installment, the law firm is being sued for reverse sex discrimination by three males. The lawyer for these men is the one and only Nick Machiavelli, who is intent on destroying Mary and her firm after she beat him in court. Throughout the course of their investigation someone from their firm is murdered and their firm loses their reputation and their clients. Mary and her partners will stop at nothing to uncover the truth and restore their good name. It was wonderful to be reunited with this crew of characters. This story has a lot of build up and had me quickly turning pages, yet the ending left me feeling underwhelmed and was almost eye roll worthy. It won't stop me from reading the next in the series, but this was definitely not my favorite of the bunch. For me, Feared was ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this one! The story starts out a little slow, but it gets so much better! Stick with it and you won't be disappointed!

As with many of the reviewers of this book, this is my first time to read a Lisa Scottoline book. At first I didn't think I would like it. In fact I even stopped reading it at about 15% to read another book. When I started reading Feared again, I was pleasantly surprised. The plot was well written. There was romance, mystery, murder, legal intrigue, and dealing with a large Italian family. I couldn't put the book down. As I got to know the characters I found that I liked some, others not so much. But they were all interesting. It was a great book. I'm glad I finished it. I received this arc from NetGalley for an honest review.

I am a big fan of this series as the characters are so well developed that the reader can’t wait to catch up with their latest story. In the newest book of the Rosato & DiNunzio series, Bennie, Mary, Judy and Anne are not only attorneys but this time they are also the defendents! They are being sued for reverse sex discrimination and the plaintiff’s attorney is none other than Mary’s old nemesis, Nick Machiavelli. While this is clearly not true to fans of the series it has the potential to ruin both the reputation of the women personally and the law firm itself. In true fashion, Ms. Scottoline has many twists and turns throughout the book along with many familiar characters and I don’t use that term loosely! I was riveted by this book and didn’t get much sleep until I finished reading it. Well done!

Also reviewed on B&N and Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

In the sixth Rosato & DiNunzio novel, They are being sued by three men who are using reverse sex discrimination when they didn’t get jobs for which they applied for. Behind it is Mary DiNunzio’s nemesis from the neighborhood, Nick Machiavelli. He lost a cost against Mary once before and now wants to ruin her and the firm. But would he resort to murder?

I must admit I haven’t been following this series and may have missed a few but that doesn’t make a difference since each one is a standalone story. This time Mary is pregnant and close to her due date, which makes for some hilarious comedic moments. It doesn’t mean there aren’t any serious ones either. There are many. Also, love the characters from the South Philly neighborhood. They are so colorful. This is still a thriller and a mystery that had me stumped. The author certainly keeps my entertained!

*3-3.5 stars. This is my first taste of Scottoline's Rosato & DiNunzio series. I was forewarned that the series must be read in order but I persisted and felt the author filled in enough detail that it can definitely be read as a stand alone mystery. Having said that however, I wasn't that engaged by the story itself so perhaps a familiarity with the characters would have helped. It took until about 70% before I felt the mystery really started cooking--from there, it built to an exciting conclusion.

I received an arc of this mystery from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

Again in the face of their world turning upside down Rosato, DiNunzio, and their friends will work together to solve the crime and to make everything right.

This book is full of suspense at every turn of the page.


** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This is the 6th book in Scottoline’s Rosato and DiNunzio series, but the first that I have read. Mary DiNunzio, a named partner in the law firm, is seven months pregnant and her associates are throwing her a baby shower when the party is interrupted by a process server. The firm, and the partners, have been named in a reverse discrimination complaint. The opposing attorney is Nick Machiavelli, who has lost to the Rosato and DiNunzio firm, and Mary in particular, in a major case. They decide to hire an outside attorney, Roger Vitez, who specializes in lawyer malpractice, to represent them. When the only male lawyer in the firm, John Foxman, is found murdered, suspicion falls on the firm, and in particular, Judy Carrier, one of the other attorneys. The dead lawyer was a skilled antitrust attorney and although not the lead, was heavily involved in the biggest case the firm was handling - London Technologies. Having worked on many murder trials, DiNunzio becomes the leader in this book, delving into why Foxman was killed, why the firm has been targeted by the lawsuit, and ultimately who was responsible. I have enjoyed Scottoline novels in the past, so jumped at the opportunity to review this book (my thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC). It is an easy read and moves along, but a little light for me.

Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio and Judy Carrier are served papers at the office’s baby shower for Mary. This destroys the festive mood they are in. Even though John Foxman has been hired to work with them, they are sued for sexual discrimination — not enough men in the law office. Mary suspects that the plantiffs’ Lawyer has manufacture the case but Mary doesn’t know how. The office’s defense attorney says he has everything under control. John quits and then is murdered . It doesn’t help that Judy was dating John before he was killed. When one of the partners is a suspect, Bennie, Mary and Judy investigate. What will happen next?

The author has written another great mystery with surprising twists and turns. I am never disappointed with her stories. They are a quick and fun read at times due to Mary’s Italian family help. Enjoy yourself and read this!

There are some authors that I can always count on to provide a great read and Lisa Scottoline is at the top of that list. Her Rosato & DiNunzio series is one that is always enjoyable. The more of them the read, the more I love them, as I am more invested the more I get to know the characters. The storyline for this one was unique, as it was about a male that sues for reverse discrimination and the actions that occur in the firm because of this, including their only male employee stating he wants to resign due to there being some truth to the claims. The plot moves along fast and the characters are well developed.

An All Female Law Firm is Sued for Discrimination

Mary DiNunzio and Bennie Rosato, are proud of the law firm they started. It was all female lawyers, but they do have one male attorney, John Croft. He seems happy with the firm, but when the firm is sued by three lawyers for discrimination because they weren’t hired, Mary and Bennie discover that not everything is as rosy as it seems.

Nick Machiavelli, a lawyer Mary has tangled with before, is behind the law suit. Mary beat him once, and now he wants revenge. Mary and Bennie think they are secure. They have John, but suddenly he quits. Now they have a real perception problem.

Mary is heavily pregnant which adds to the difficulty of fighting a lawsuit, but she manages to use it to her advantage. She and Bennie are sympathetic characters trying to make their place in what was once a man’s world. One of the interesting parts of the book is showing the reaction of the men, John and Mary’s husband, to taking a secondary role to the ladies in their lives. It was well done and makes you think.

I love Mary’s South Philadelphia family. You have to laugh out loud at her father and his friends, the Tonys. It feels very real to be almost a part of that family.

If you enjoy a mystery with characters you can enjoy, this is a good read.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Clear your schedule! Once you start this book, you won't want to put it down. The associates at Rosato & DiNunzio law firm are like one big family. Besides her legal associates, Mary DiNunzio also has her huge extended Italian family looking out for her and the baby on the way. Between mega lawsuits and murder, she needs all the help she can get in this legal thriller. I definitely did not see the ending coming. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Lisa Scottoline's latest addition to her legal series. I look forward to getting better acquainted with the characters as I catch up on the back stories.

Accused, Betrayed, Corrupted, Damaged, Exposed, and now Lisa Scottoline's newest addition to the Rosato & DiNunzio series, Feared(There are also quite a few Rosato & Associates books published before the start of this series.). I 've read all the books in both series and Feared is another great read.

A very pregnant and uncomfortable Mary is surprised to see that her colleagues have planned a baby shower. It should be a happy time and a brief respite from the demands of clients and the law firm. However, rarely is anything slow or easy in this series and this day is no exception. Bennie wants everyone to hurry up and have a cupcake so they can get back to work(typical Bennie behavior). When a process server delivers papers suing Bennie, Mary, and Judy for reverse discrimination, it's bye bye baby shower and hello work crisis! Nick Machiavelli represents three men who claim they weren't hired because they are men. Nick would like nothing more than to see Rosato & DiNunzio fail, leading Bennie, Mary, and Judy to believe that he may well have set them up, but how are they going to prove it?

Add in a murder and you have a compelling story full of twists, turns, and secrets. It is the relationships between these characters that hooked me from the first book. They are friends, co-workers, and family and none of them are perfect, but they accept each other and their interactions often have me laughing out loud. It is very easy to quickly care and get drawn into the many different personalities and quirks that make these characters so relatable.

You could read this as a stand-alone, but given the choice, I would start at the beginning. You learn a little bit more about each character as the series progresses and did I mention that every book has been a stay up late, page flipping read! It is a very enjoyable series and as long as the author keeps writing, I will keep reading and wondering what comes next. If you enjoy legal mysteries and thrillers, I would highly recommend this series.
I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

Lisa Scottoline has done it again! Feared is a page turner that I could not put down. I always enjoy the books in the Rosato series and Feared did not disappoint.
Scottoline chose to focus on reverse discrimination in this story. As always, there are many twists and turns. One of the things that I love about her books is that she always focuses on strong women. I really enjoyed the strong legal background in the story as well as Mary’s awesome Italian Family.
I received an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was so good but I love legal thrillers/mysteries. Mary DiNunzio one of the partners at the law firm that was being sued for reverse discrimination figures out who is behind this bogus lawsuit and she also thinks he is behind the murder of one of their associates. The killer will surprise most of you. I was totally surprised and Lisa Scottoline has done it again. 5 Stars for keeping me awake until I finished reading until I found out who the killer was.

4 FEARED STARS 🌟🌟🌟🌟

“ Is it better to be loved? or feared?“

Love picking up a book from a favorite series, it is like coming home... and how much fun would it be to come home to that DiNunzio Family! This is the sixth book in the Rosato & DiNunzio series, but it could absolutely be read as a standalone...

Lisa Scottoline is definitely the queen of the legal thriller! I love all the lawyer jargon and court room drama... this time Mary and Benny find themselves the defendants in a reverse sex discrimination lawsuit.... The complaint is they only hire female attorneys.... when John their only male employee expresses that there might be some truth to this; and then quits things don’t look so good... then there is a murder with a tied to the case... and The most likely suspect? One of Rosato and DiNunzio’s very own.... when the ladies find out the lawyer filing the suit is their archnemesis, they know that something is not quite as it seems....

This book was perfectly paste and skillfully plotted... filled with all the twists and turns and clever reveals you would expect from a Scottoline book... I love Benny, Mary, and Judy and the bond they have... it was nice to see Mary pregnant and we got a lot of interaction with her delightful family! Got to love those DiNunzios.... this book really reminded me of how much I love this series, I think I’ve missed a couple books... I might need to rectify that!

Strongly recommend to fans of the legal thriller, this author, and some good old courtroom drama...

*** many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book ***

Absolutely love Lisa Scottoline and this book is no exception to that. The latest in this series doesn’t disappoint. A law firm of all women and one man is sued for reverse discrimination and mayhem and murder ensues. I can usually guess whodunnit but this one definately had me guessing until it was revealed. Can’t wait for the next book by Lisa Scottoline.

4.5 Stars

Lisa Scottoline's Rosato & DiNunzio series is one of my favorites although I love all of her books and have faithfully been reading every one since her first book was published in 1994. So it would not at all be a stretch to say that I'm a humongous fan of her novels; reading one is like sitting down with family, albeit a loud, noisy Italian one at times, but you can't help but just love her books, the characters, and feel like they are family and friends! Needless to say, I was thrilled to read Scottoline's newest entry in the Rosato & DiNunzio series, Feared, and it didn't disappoint at all! 

The law firm of Rosato & DiNunzio is being sued for reverse sex discrimination with Mary's nemesis Nick Machiavelli defending the three male plaintiffs.  They are being sued as a firm and individually so if they lose, they lose everything. This time, it's all on the line for Bennie, Mary, and Judy to win.

Although their law firm has always been made up of women until they recently hired John Foxman, they never set out to be an all-female law firm that discriminates against men. Yet, the case against them goes from bad to worse when a press conference they hold reveals John said things against the firm indicating he felt discriminated against. Then John resigns, which makes them look really bad and he's later murdered, and Judy, who turns out to have been secretly his girlfriend, is the last one to see him alive.

While Bennie finds a lawyer to represent them and defeat Machiavelli, Mary is sure that there is more to the lawsuit than just the discrimination suit. After all, she knows Machiavelli since they grew up together in South Philly and she's the one who defeated him in a lawsuit, which made them enemies. The more Mary starts figuring things out, she discovers she is right and there is more to the lawsuit than meets the eye.

I love Mary and in Feared, she is 7 months pregnant, so it was interesting to see a new side to her since she is a bit vulnerable while trying to balance impending motherhood and her career yet fiercely determined at all costs to defeat Machiavelli's schemes and clear Judy's name once she became a person of interest in John's murder. 

As always, Mary’s South Philly family and friends bring such humor to the novel. I love her Italian family and the "Tonys"! They bring such delight to the books and are loyal to a fault. The neighborhood adores their Mary and would do anything for her, which proves to be a vital turning point in the novel! The ending of the novel was full of suspense, twists that I never saw coming, and some shocking moments that had me holding my breath! Scottoline certainly knows how to keep you glued to the pages!! 

Scottoline is, in my opinion, the master of the legal thriller genre, and Feared is Scottoline at her best. What makes her books really stand out is how Scottoline is not afraid to tackle some serious and emotionally charged subject matters, such as reverse sex discrimination, which she handles with great sensitivity, style, and always her own special brand of humor. 

I highly recommend Feared if you love legal thrillers, mysteries, or books with great female characters or female friendships! The novel has satisfying, suspenseful twists, mystery, a cast of strong female characters, friendship, and family--and the ending is just so wonderful..it will put a smile on your face or in my case, a tear of joy in your eye as well! It can be read as a standalone, but I definitely recommend reading the first five books as well or any of Scottoline's books because they are so good! 

**Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.**