KN Magazine: Reviews

Corrupted by Lisa Scottoline / Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

Find Corrupted at Killer Nashville's associate, Amazon.com*

Lisa Scottoline
Credit April Narby

Best-selling author Lisa Scottoline offers another compelling read in Corrupted, the next book in her re-launched Rosato and DiNunzio series. The now-adult Jason Lefkavick is being charged for the murder of the bully that caused him to be sent to a juvenile detention center as a child, a case that has haunted Bennie Rosato for thirteen years. The novel echoes the real life “Kids for Cash” scandal in Pennsylvania, in which thousands of children were jailed by corrupt judges.

Scottoline makes the story her own by focusing on Bennie, who thought she had put that case behind her. Bennie is not sure of Jason's innocence, but feels she owes him for her failure to win his case years ago. There are personal complications, as well as legal ones, which makes the story even more compelling.

This novel is more than just a legal thriller. Scottoline explores themes of ethics, legality, and morality. As readers, we are appalled at the injustice that resulted in the incarceration of the young Jason, and find ourselves cheering Bennie on as she struggles to find a just resolution. The novel has many twists and turns thatkeep the reader flipping pages to the very end.

Along the way, Scottoline presents fascinating knowledge about the legal system, but it is deftly done. She avoids the pitfalls of too much information, giving us just enough to bring the starkness of Juvenile Justice and the intricacies of a murder trial to life.

Corrupted offers a treat for fans of Scottoline’s Rosato and DiNunzio series. But it can also be read as a stand-alone novel for readers new to the series, or to Scottoline’s other works.


Kelly Saderholm has written, blogged, and lectured about aspects of the mystery novel. She has moderated panels and presented papers at literary conferences, on both the Mystery Novel and Urban Fantasy. She is currently shifting from writing about mystery fiction to writing actual mystery fiction, and is working on a novel, as well as a non-fiction book dealing with Folklore in the American South. She is a recipient of a Kentucky Foundation for Women grant. She lives in South Central Kentucky with her family and two feline office assistants.


If you have a book you would like featured, send an ARC for consideration. The Killer Nashville Book of the Day Reviews are coordinated by Clay Stafford with the assistance of Emily Eytchison and credited guest reviewers.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.comwww.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

And be sure to check out our new book, Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, an anthology of original short stories by New York Times bestselling authors and newbies alike.

“Murder, mayhem, and mystery!  Every story in KILLER NASHVILLE: COLD-BLOODED is filled with

suspense, sizzle and startling twists. I loved it!”- Lisa Jackson, New York Times Bestselling Author

*Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale. Killer Nashville receives zero compensation (other than sometimes the book to review) from publishers who have been selected for the Book of the Day.


Want to review books for the Killer Nashville family?

With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to books@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you.

Read More

Submit Your Writing to KN Magazine

Want to have your writing included in Killer Nashville Magazine?
Fill out our submission form and upload your writing here: