Corrupted

Corrupted

Adult fiction
"...She'd been working late when the call came in, from a time
she didn't want to remember and a place she didn't want to revisit.
Still she'd said yes. She couldn't assign the case to an associate
either. Nobody paid her debts but her. And she wanted redemption."
Honestly, is it possible to put a book down that contains that
in its first paragraph?
Fans of Lisa Scottoline's finely crafted novels are in for a
real treat. Corrupted pairs up a ripped from the headlines issue with
a gripping mystery.
Bennie Rosato heads up her own law firm. It's been a long time
since she took on a murder case. But this one is personal.
Jason Lefkavick has been indicted on a homicide charge. He's
allegedly stabbed a long time nemesis, Richie Grusini, to death in a
dark alley after a barroom confrontation. It's not the first time
he's been in trouble with the law. Under his school's zero tolerance
policies, as a twelve-year-old who still crafted with Legos, he was
arrested and jailed for a cafeteria incident that would have resulted
in detention or suspension in a pre 9/11, pre Columbine
world...cafeteria incident in which he stood up to the bully who had
taunted him about his recently deceased mother. Not so coincidentally
the bully was Richie Grusini.
Bennie represented Jason in his first brush with the law. His
father had contacted her, desperate to get him home for Christmas, a
daunting task made all the more difficult by a judge who regular
promised to put all kids who make trouble in juvie and his less than
cooperative colleagues. She had uncovered a waiver of counsel form
that seemed to violate Jason's constitutional rights and was working
her way through the Common Pleas Court when...
...Jason's father fired her after learning that she was sleeping
with Richie's uncle.
Fast forward ten years. Bennie has signed on to defend Jason
once again. She has no idea how she will. The story he's sticking
with sounds totally implausible. If she fails he will be sentenced to
life without possibility of parole.
But somehow she has to pull off a miracle to atone for the past.
Anyone who enjoys a riveting mystery, needs a good book to take
on vaca, or is seeking a book club read and discuss could not do
better than Corrupted. But please do not read it and set it aside.
We live in a world where zero tolerance policies and the school to
jail pipeline destroy many young lives and for profit prisons share a
mandate to stay full with hotels. We must be angry on behalf of
victims of this injustice and raise our voices.
On a personal note, I'm running on much too little sleep. I'm in the
middle of a reelection campaign where there are three people running
for two school committee places. After 11 years on committee, almost
half of them as vice chair, I am finally chair and able to implement
programs that can really help the school. People tell me not to worry
but I have seen chairs voted out. And I am vulnerable as a liberal in
a conservative town.
Oh, yeah, and in the middle of this six week ordeal I learn my only
child to home is probably moving out.
A great big shout out goes out to those who fight to protect
vulnerable youngsters from the judicial system and zero tolerance
policies.
jules hathaway



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