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Rosato and Associates #11
Think Twice
Is evil born in us―or is it bred? That is the question at the heart of this penetrating novel from blockbuster New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline
Bennie Rosato looks exactly like her identical twin, Alice Connelly, but the darkness in Alice's soul makes them two very different women. Or at least that's what Bennie believes―until she finds herself buried alive at the hands of her twin.
Meanwhile, Alice takes over Bennie's life, impersonating her at work and even seducing her boyfriend in order to escape the deadly mess she has made of her own life. But Alice underestimates Bennie and the evil she has unleashed in her twin's psyche. Soon Bennie, in her determination to stay alive long enough to exact revenge, must face the twisted truth that she is more like Alice than she could have ever imagined . . . and by the novel's shocking conclusion, Bennie finds herself engaged in a war she cannot win―with herself.
With its blistering speed, vivid characters, and perplexing moral questions, Think Twice is a riveting emotional thriller that will keep readers breathless until the very last page.
Bennie Rosato looks exactly like her identical twin, Alice Connelly, but the darkness in Alice's soul makes them two very different women. Or at least that's what Bennie believes―until she finds herself buried alive at the hands of her twin.
Meanwhile, Alice takes over Bennie's life, impersonating her at work and even seducing her boyfriend in order to escape the deadly mess she has made of her own life. But Alice underestimates Bennie and the evil she has unleashed in her twin's psyche. Soon Bennie, in her determination to stay alive long enough to exact revenge, must face the twisted truth that she is more like Alice than she could have ever imagined . . . and by the novel's shocking conclusion, Bennie finds herself engaged in a war she cannot win―with herself.
With its blistering speed, vivid characters, and perplexing moral questions, Think Twice is a riveting emotional thriller that will keep readers breathless until the very last page.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
837 people are currently reading
6,131 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Scottoline
137Ìýbooks14.9kÌýfollowersLisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and Edgar award-winning author of 33 novels. Her books are book-club favorites, and Lisa and her daughter Francesca Serritella have hosted an annual Big Book Club Party for over a thousand readers at her Pennsylvania farm, for the past twelve years. Lisa has served as President of Mystery Writers of America, and her reviews of fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She also writes a weekly column with her daughter for the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled Chick Wit, a witty take on life from a woman’s perspective, which have been collected in a bestselling series of humorous memoirs. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in English, and cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she taught Justice and Fiction. Lisa has over 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries. She lives in the Philadelphia area with an array of disobedient pets and wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,604 reviews
June 12, 2011
I am reading this for my SD bookclub. Under protest. They haven't been able to pick a halfway decent book yet.
Book finished. There are so many ridiculous and stupid things in this book (I'm the real twin, no I'm the real twin!) wont even try to name them all. I'll just sum it up : Anyone ever heard of FINGERPRINTS?
Book finished. There are so many ridiculous and stupid things in this book (I'm the real twin, no I'm the real twin!) wont even try to name them all. I'll just sum it up : Anyone ever heard of FINGERPRINTS?
September 20, 2010
I haven’t read a book quite this bad in a long time, and once again I notice when reading a terrible book that there is an author note at the end. Unfortunately even with the guilting I cannot hold back from a scathing review.
The book begins with the introduction of twins, nobody and nobody. One is an ultra-slut, the other a prim and proper successful lawyer. As predicted by the blurb, prim is drugged and thrown in a coffin, while slutty goes out and steals her life.
The story continues from here like a slap-stick comedy. Slutty repeatedly tries to sleep with Prim’s boyfriend, impossibly manages to fake her way as partner lawyer (and almost steal every cent of Prim’s money). Aside from all this being so unbelievable, it’s all just so terribly predictable. Even once Prim gets free, she struggles to convince others of her identity (quick fact: even identical twins have different fingerprints) as everyone she knows is on vacation (way to add plot tension woah!)
Worst of all we spend far too much time with Prim’s associate, half of her family, and all her real-estate and boyfriend issues, as if the author thought that between the identity theft and potential murder that we needed some character development. I admit something was needed to save this plot, but mundane minor characters is not it.
Like all cheese-fests, the books ends without any hard choices, terrible consequences, or any tragedy to speak of. In fact if the author had ended with the line “and they all lived happily ever after� I think it would have made the novel marginally better.
The book begins with the introduction of twins, nobody and nobody. One is an ultra-slut, the other a prim and proper successful lawyer. As predicted by the blurb, prim is drugged and thrown in a coffin, while slutty goes out and steals her life.
The story continues from here like a slap-stick comedy. Slutty repeatedly tries to sleep with Prim’s boyfriend, impossibly manages to fake her way as partner lawyer (and almost steal every cent of Prim’s money). Aside from all this being so unbelievable, it’s all just so terribly predictable. Even once Prim gets free, she struggles to convince others of her identity (quick fact: even identical twins have different fingerprints) as everyone she knows is on vacation (way to add plot tension woah!)
Worst of all we spend far too much time with Prim’s associate, half of her family, and all her real-estate and boyfriend issues, as if the author thought that between the identity theft and potential murder that we needed some character development. I admit something was needed to save this plot, but mundane minor characters is not it.
Like all cheese-fests, the books ends without any hard choices, terrible consequences, or any tragedy to speak of. In fact if the author had ended with the line “and they all lived happily ever after� I think it would have made the novel marginally better.
August 27, 2014
This was not a bad book but it wasn't so good I would run out and tell everyone to read it either. It was very reminiscent of in style - short, choppy chapters, in this case alternating between the two parallel story lines, maintaining momentum so that it was hard to put the book down. The characters were not well developed so it was hard to care what happened to them. I was more upset about the dog being hurt than I was about the leading character, but then I am a softy for animals. This was my first book by this author and I will certainly give her a second try sometime soon.
January 9, 2018
The storyline of good twin versus evil twin, who was impersonating the good one and taking over her life, was interesting. With very short chapters, it moved quickly. BUT the ending was beyond improbable and went right to ridiculous. It's a bummer to enjoy a book, even if the events are unlikely but entertaining, only to have the ending kinda spoil it. I will say that it is a fun page turner overall.
January 13, 2011
Grade: C+
The premise of this book is really intriguing. It definitely had a lot of potential. I have read a few of Lisa Scottoline's novels before and have thoroughly enjoyed them. Although I enjoyed this book, I felt it was lacking some of the suspenseful elements that kept me interested in the past.
The character development was seriously lacking in this book. I didn't care about any of the characters, and I was seriously irked by how clueless some of them were. We didn't get to see much of our protagonist until the second half of the novel, but even by then, I found I didn't care.
I read this novel pretty fast because I was expecting for it to get better. I was waiting for some shocking twist, or incredible plot revelation that would make this book worthwhile. It never came.
Lisa Scottoline has written some mysteries in the past that I have devoured because they were so suspenseful, so I would like to say that this particular novel was just a fluke. The enjoyment factor just wasn't there. It wasn't horrible though, but I am glad I got it from the library.
The premise of this book is really intriguing. It definitely had a lot of potential. I have read a few of Lisa Scottoline's novels before and have thoroughly enjoyed them. Although I enjoyed this book, I felt it was lacking some of the suspenseful elements that kept me interested in the past.
The character development was seriously lacking in this book. I didn't care about any of the characters, and I was seriously irked by how clueless some of them were. We didn't get to see much of our protagonist until the second half of the novel, but even by then, I found I didn't care.
I read this novel pretty fast because I was expecting for it to get better. I was waiting for some shocking twist, or incredible plot revelation that would make this book worthwhile. It never came.
Lisa Scottoline has written some mysteries in the past that I have devoured because they were so suspenseful, so I would like to say that this particular novel was just a fluke. The enjoyment factor just wasn't there. It wasn't horrible though, but I am glad I got it from the library.
July 20, 2015
OMG
Why do I keep reading Lisa Scottoline? Because once upon a time she was a great mystery writer, funny, intricate, with unusual characters...
But this is the worst! Do not try it: it is trite, simplistic, soap-opera-ish. One more mistaken identity evil twin twist, and I was going to scream! One step away from the "amnesia" plot device. Horrible!
Why do I keep reading Lisa Scottoline? Because once upon a time she was a great mystery writer, funny, intricate, with unusual characters...
But this is the worst! Do not try it: it is trite, simplistic, soap-opera-ish. One more mistaken identity evil twin twist, and I was going to scream! One step away from the "amnesia" plot device. Horrible!
September 28, 2022
Scottoline is quickly becoming a favorite author for me. This was a great read, great characters, and an awesome plot line. I was a little apprehensive at first because of the situation of the lead character, but I got past it ok.
This would have gotten 5 stars if I would have gotten more closure, I feel like it was a bit unfinished. That could be because of it being a part of a pretty long series. Otherwise it was fantastic. I look forward to reading more from her.
This would have gotten 5 stars if I would have gotten more closure, I feel like it was a bit unfinished. That could be because of it being a part of a pretty long series. Otherwise it was fantastic. I look forward to reading more from her.
August 15, 2017
OMG! What an amazing book! This book was such a page turner, I couldn't put it down! I finished this book in 1 day! with my kids running around making noise, I didn't even hear them I was so into this book (luckily they didn't kill each other lol)
June 9, 2010
Another doppelganger tale..., February 5, 2010
OK -- does anyone but me have a problem with a book that uses the old "switched places" thing between identical twins? I remember this ploy from way back in the old Patty Duke Show days (sorry, I date myself), and it was lame then and remains so now. I don't care if Alice and Bennie are IDENTICAL twins -- they are NOT so much of a mirror image that their intimate friends can't tell the difference! The most recent novel I read that uses this device, the doppelganger theory as I call it, was The Likeness: A Novel, and I felt that it failed miserably too. The truth is -- twins come weigh in on this -- there are so many variations and subtle differences between even identical twins that no one would be able to get away with this charade as Alice does when attempting to impersonate Bennie. COME ON! What kind of friends and business associates does Bennie have that they don't even realize that the demon Alice is pretending to be their boss?
Despite that weak premise of a plot device, the story was interesting enough to give this an "ok" rating. Problems with the narrative include, however, the short, cliffhanger ending chapters -- each told from a different point of view which I found irritating, and the predictable outcome of the whole charade. We have harrowing encounters, near death experiences, love lost and found, and ultimately resolution and redemption of a kind. Still, of course, leaving a bit of wiggle room for a follow-up novel.
I like Bennie Rosato and her lawyer stories - this novel however was not one of those. Having read all her previous books, I beg Lisa Scottoline to return to her usual storytelling and typical legal thriller tale. This is a story that really didn't need to be told. It didn't endear me any more to the characters in her series that I've grown to know and love. It was just FILLER. It served no purpose and lacked even a rationale for being written. We already knew Alice was a problem and she's still on the loose. I hope Scottoline doesn't revisit this twin thing. I've had enough of Alice and hope you have too!
All in all, the novel was fast paced but offers nothing new in suspense thriller literature.
If you want to read it, borrow it.
OK -- does anyone but me have a problem with a book that uses the old "switched places" thing between identical twins? I remember this ploy from way back in the old Patty Duke Show days (sorry, I date myself), and it was lame then and remains so now. I don't care if Alice and Bennie are IDENTICAL twins -- they are NOT so much of a mirror image that their intimate friends can't tell the difference! The most recent novel I read that uses this device, the doppelganger theory as I call it, was The Likeness: A Novel, and I felt that it failed miserably too. The truth is -- twins come weigh in on this -- there are so many variations and subtle differences between even identical twins that no one would be able to get away with this charade as Alice does when attempting to impersonate Bennie. COME ON! What kind of friends and business associates does Bennie have that they don't even realize that the demon Alice is pretending to be their boss?
Despite that weak premise of a plot device, the story was interesting enough to give this an "ok" rating. Problems with the narrative include, however, the short, cliffhanger ending chapters -- each told from a different point of view which I found irritating, and the predictable outcome of the whole charade. We have harrowing encounters, near death experiences, love lost and found, and ultimately resolution and redemption of a kind. Still, of course, leaving a bit of wiggle room for a follow-up novel.
I like Bennie Rosato and her lawyer stories - this novel however was not one of those. Having read all her previous books, I beg Lisa Scottoline to return to her usual storytelling and typical legal thriller tale. This is a story that really didn't need to be told. It didn't endear me any more to the characters in her series that I've grown to know and love. It was just FILLER. It served no purpose and lacked even a rationale for being written. We already knew Alice was a problem and she's still on the loose. I hope Scottoline doesn't revisit this twin thing. I've had enough of Alice and hope you have too!
All in all, the novel was fast paced but offers nothing new in suspense thriller literature.
If you want to read it, borrow it.
November 3, 2011
Oh my God, seriously?? SERIOUSLY?? That ending? Really?
The premise was great, as I love Bennie. I always thought the mysterious twin plot device was hokey, but I loved the idea that the "evil twin", Alice, would actually bury Bennie alive. Holy shit, girl! You for real! The first 2/3 of this book were outstanding. Bennie's terror, Alice's evil...it all felt real. I love Judy, Mary, and Mary's family and so I loved spending time with them (even though I wish Judy would get a little more "screen time"). If I had stopped reading there, I would have given this book 4 stars.
But I kept reading. Mary's relationship (I forget the guy's name) was ridiculous. I don't know how long it's supposed to have been since her husband's death, but I'm really tired of it. I love her, but I want to smack her and say, "Snap outta it!" (Sorry, I know I sound harsh). The whole "you make more money than me" plot was boring and the way it was resolved (I love you! Buy the house! We just won't live together yet!) was insipid.
But that ridiculousness pales in comparison to how the Bennie/Alice thing wrapped up. The dog barking at the end was like the final nail in the coffin. Way too cutesy for bad ass Bennie. Yuck.
As an aside, I read with dismay how the author has fallen into the "successful, rich, brainy woman gets no sex" stereotype that is far too common in books. I'm not sure I'm successful (just a teacher), definitely not rich, but I am smart and haven't noticed that problem. It's kind of offensive...like you can't get laid if you dare to have a job and show your brain off. I might have even given the book an extra star if Bennie was out having booty calls prior to being buried alive.
The premise was great, as I love Bennie. I always thought the mysterious twin plot device was hokey, but I loved the idea that the "evil twin", Alice, would actually bury Bennie alive. Holy shit, girl! You for real! The first 2/3 of this book were outstanding. Bennie's terror, Alice's evil...it all felt real. I love Judy, Mary, and Mary's family and so I loved spending time with them (even though I wish Judy would get a little more "screen time"). If I had stopped reading there, I would have given this book 4 stars.
But I kept reading. Mary's relationship (I forget the guy's name) was ridiculous. I don't know how long it's supposed to have been since her husband's death, but I'm really tired of it. I love her, but I want to smack her and say, "Snap outta it!" (Sorry, I know I sound harsh). The whole "you make more money than me" plot was boring and the way it was resolved (I love you! Buy the house! We just won't live together yet!) was insipid.
But that ridiculousness pales in comparison to how the Bennie/Alice thing wrapped up. The dog barking at the end was like the final nail in the coffin. Way too cutesy for bad ass Bennie. Yuck.
As an aside, I read with dismay how the author has fallen into the "successful, rich, brainy woman gets no sex" stereotype that is far too common in books. I'm not sure I'm successful (just a teacher), definitely not rich, but I am smart and haven't noticed that problem. It's kind of offensive...like you can't get laid if you dare to have a job and show your brain off. I might have even given the book an extra star if Bennie was out having booty calls prior to being buried alive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2012
I’m not sure why I keep reading Lisa Scottoline. Could be for the unintended humor in her books with their “pulse-pounding� action. I had not read any of her Rosato and Associates series so I’m not sure about the back story for this book. However, in this installment, lawyer Bennie Rosato’s evil identical twin, Alice, tries to assume Bennie’s identity to steal her money. Alice either murders or tries to murder several people, including Bennie who is taken out of action by being buried in a box (I won’t spoil how she gets out; it’s too priceless). Alice is able to get pretty far along in her quest for cash once she gets all of Bennie’s ID and finds her Rolodex card (lol!) with passwords for online banking etc. This last is probably too true to life. Just a few obstacles like Bennie’s dog (kick down basement stairs) and boyfriend (go for it!) get in her way. I have to say, Alice is a much more interesting and funny character than Bennie herself. From the ending it sounds like we’ll get to hang with Alice in future books. Bennie comes out of her harrowing experience changed (or so she says) so maybe she’ll be more fun in future. Enjoyable quick read if you don’t expect it to be a serious thriller
January 14, 2018
While I will admit to a predictable ending and somewhat choppy chapters, I must confess to really enjoying this book! Lisa Scottoline earned her fourth star because I could not put it down.
Main character Bennie is facing a huge problem as her identical twin sister tries to literally take over her life, attempting to steal all her money.
An easy read with an intriguing plot.
Main character Bennie is facing a huge problem as her identical twin sister tries to literally take over her life, attempting to steal all her money.
An easy read with an intriguing plot.
January 6, 2019
(I decided to delete my review for professional reasons. My response was very aggressive and I've been embarrassed of it ever since. Feel free to unlike to those of you that gave it one.)
May 9, 2010
Horsefeathers! I don't know where that came from but I don't know where the plot for this book came from either. I love Lisa Scottoline and her characters too. I'm willing to give her a tiny bit of latitude in stretching credulity but this was absurd. If it hadn't been for the strength of her writing, her ability to move the plot along and familiar characters, I'd have thought I was reading the script for a soap opera. We didn't have amnesia but we did have the evil twin. Actually, we'd had the evil twin before and that may have been the problem. Lisa let her get away last time, so I guess she had an evil twin just laying around when plot time came. So, instead of writing another realistic legal thriller, she decided to have some fun. OK, I forgive you. Can I have my regular Scottoline please?
July 4, 2022
Bennie and her twin look exactly alike. When Alice (her twin) tries to bury and kill Bennie, she fights hard and gets away only to find out that Alice has taken over her whole life. It's Bennie who looks like the intruder to the police, the hospital, and even her own associates.
July 11, 2010
Your classic soap storyline ...
That review headline isn't exactly a criticism; it's more of a term of endearment. Because the fact is that this book is VERY easy to read and goes like lightning. I started it in the sun on July 5 and finished it that same evening, and was entertained most of the time.
However, it's definitely a plot I've seen on CSI and most certainly a plot that's been used on many a soap. It's the classic good twin/evil twin story, and of course the evil twin tries to take over the good twin's life. You know, if the good twin wasn't a successful lawyer with a fat bank account, these evil twins would probably never attempt that kind of stuff.
Anyway, there are a few twists and turns, but it's very predictable. Even down to the fact that the evil twin tells everyone that the evil twin (really the good one) will probably come around saying she's her! Oooh, shocker! :)
Some of the ancillary characters were very interesting and I'd have liked to have known them better. On the other hand, some of them seemed oddly misplaced, and made me wonder if perhaps they each feature in their own books in the author's lexicon, and I'd know them if I'd read some of her other books first.
One thing that did charm me was when we met Mary DiNunzio's (mostly stereotypical) family. This description was really one-of-a-kind: "No matter how many people came over for dinner, her parents never ate in the dining room, which was reserved for Christmas, Easter, or some other occasion when something really good happened to Jesus Christ." If the rest of the book had been that cleverly written, it would have been awesome. Instead, Mary's family was almost hackneyed, except for the confusing presence of Fiorella. I'm still not sure I understand her place in this book.
Anyway, it was interesting, and great for a "beach read" (or my back deck, in this case), but I'm having a hard time picturing it for a book club. We'll see how that goes on July 15!
That review headline isn't exactly a criticism; it's more of a term of endearment. Because the fact is that this book is VERY easy to read and goes like lightning. I started it in the sun on July 5 and finished it that same evening, and was entertained most of the time.
However, it's definitely a plot I've seen on CSI and most certainly a plot that's been used on many a soap. It's the classic good twin/evil twin story, and of course the evil twin tries to take over the good twin's life. You know, if the good twin wasn't a successful lawyer with a fat bank account, these evil twins would probably never attempt that kind of stuff.
Anyway, there are a few twists and turns, but it's very predictable. Even down to the fact that the evil twin tells everyone that the evil twin (really the good one) will probably come around saying she's her! Oooh, shocker! :)
Some of the ancillary characters were very interesting and I'd have liked to have known them better. On the other hand, some of them seemed oddly misplaced, and made me wonder if perhaps they each feature in their own books in the author's lexicon, and I'd know them if I'd read some of her other books first.
One thing that did charm me was when we met Mary DiNunzio's (mostly stereotypical) family. This description was really one-of-a-kind: "No matter how many people came over for dinner, her parents never ate in the dining room, which was reserved for Christmas, Easter, or some other occasion when something really good happened to Jesus Christ." If the rest of the book had been that cleverly written, it would have been awesome. Instead, Mary's family was almost hackneyed, except for the confusing presence of Fiorella. I'm still not sure I understand her place in this book.
Anyway, it was interesting, and great for a "beach read" (or my back deck, in this case), but I'm having a hard time picturing it for a book club. We'll see how that goes on July 15!
January 11, 2011
Lisa Scottoline is one of my favorite authors and so I was very excited to begin reading this latest book revolving around the Rosato and Associates law firm. It did not disappoint. Revolving around the fact that Alice, Bennie's twin sister, takes over Bennie's life and attempts to completely ruin it. The chapters were very short, which is the case in many of her books, and although this structure might make most books come across as very choppy, it only helped to enhance the book. Each chapter focused on one of three characters: Mary DiNunzio, Bennie Rosato, or Alice Connely. What this format did was help to provide a character's viewpoint on a specific situation. Also, instead of placing multiple events on a single chapter to make it lengthy, then in the next chapter have another lengthy discussion on the same events but in a different character, we are given one event at a time, and a series of chapters on the same events with different characters. This allows the reader to clearly understand what event is being discussed without forgetting details. Also, when the characters are in different places, we are able to see what they are doing at the same time as somebody else. Also, along with the main storyline, we are given multiple subplots, which ties in easily with all three characters and their actions. The entire time I was reading the story, I was captivated by the events. I couldn't wait to see how everything was going to turn out when it seemed like all hope was lost. Also, when it seemed like the end was near, there was a whole new obstacle to leap for Bennie and Alice. This book brought the idea of an evil twin into a legal format and into a realistic situation that kept me enthralled.
February 10, 2010
First of all, I love Lisa Scottoline and her books with her wonderfully written characters. I've been to numerous events of hers in Pennsylvania. However this isn't one of her better books. This could be a stand alone book, but most will enjoy it more if they read the entire series. This book is very unbelievable especially considering it is about her long standing characters. I was shocked at the amount of liberties that Ms. Scottoline took. Bennie Rosato is a lawyer and founder of her own law firm. Her twin sister comes in and drugs her then buries her alive in order to take her identity. The fact that Ms. Scottoline believes that because her sister worked in a law firm as a paralegal for a couple months that she could pretend to be a lawyer is fascinating to me. I just felt that many of these longstanding characters would not make the decisions that they made in this book. I'm not sure that most people would. I found it very unbelievable that the FBI would just allow a US citizen to go to another country without a passport or proper ID. I also couldn't believe the gun play that was in this book by the main characters. On the good side, this book has Ms. Scottoline's typical fast pace with short chapters and in depth characters. You actually feel for the characters in their difficult situations and that takes an excellent writer. I would recommend this book to other readers of the series but in no way would I want them to read this book first and be turned off to the author's books by this one.
March 9, 2015
Well, wasn't this a disappointment? As of late, Lisa's writing has slipped some in her plotting. In this book in the series about the all female law firm headed by Bennie Rosato, her evil twin Alice shows back up. When last we saw her, Alice was on a paralegal job Bennie got for her. I knew it wouldn't last long because Alice is a sociopath/psychopath killer. This book starts with Alice inviting Bennie over for dinner and telling her she has quit her job and saying she'll come work for Bennie for $90,000. That was a sick joke because she has drugged Bennie and when Bennie wakes up, she is locked underground in a big wooden box with no food, water, or air. This alone made me dubious about this book. It just goes downhill from there and we are supposed to believe that through the WHOLE book Alice takes Bennie's place and despite barely knowing Bennie, she is able to make all of Bennie's friends, associates and even LOVER think she is Bennie. They all would have to be stupid beyond belief. Bennie and Alice only met recently. Alice does not know what was said and done between Bennie and these people and even twins who look identical have differences. She lost me with all of this. She can't seem to even get back to the office even after the wolf let her out of the box. Oh, yes, I did say that somehow there was a wolf in south Philadelphia that noticed Bennie was in the box and wanted to eat her so it opened a hole in her box so she could breathe and fought its way in except she was able to fight it off with a splinter. You see why I don't recommend this book?
October 10, 2012
This book was amazing! I couldn't put it down, and read it in three days. I even got scolded by some of my teachers. Everything about this book kept me hooked. I can't wait to read more books by her!
In the story Bennie helps her identical twin sister she (didn't know she had) Alice escape a jail sentence and now Alice is jealous of everything Bennie has. Alice tries to murder Bennie and buries her alive in a box, thinking she is dead. Alice starts to live Bennie's life and takes over completely. She becomes Bennie and everyone believes it, because they look exactly the same. One thing Alice never expected thought was that her sister might escape, and when she does she makes Alice jumps through a bunch of different hoops to try and maintain her lie.
I would recommend this book to anyone! I had a great time reading it and it was completely entertaining. If you don't like point of view switches this book might not be for you, but it was one of the thing that kept me interested. I always got to see things for a different perspective, and I saw how all of their lives tangled together. I loved this book!
In the story Bennie helps her identical twin sister she (didn't know she had) Alice escape a jail sentence and now Alice is jealous of everything Bennie has. Alice tries to murder Bennie and buries her alive in a box, thinking she is dead. Alice starts to live Bennie's life and takes over completely. She becomes Bennie and everyone believes it, because they look exactly the same. One thing Alice never expected thought was that her sister might escape, and when she does she makes Alice jumps through a bunch of different hoops to try and maintain her lie.
I would recommend this book to anyone! I had a great time reading it and it was completely entertaining. If you don't like point of view switches this book might not be for you, but it was one of the thing that kept me interested. I always got to see things for a different perspective, and I saw how all of their lives tangled together. I loved this book!
April 23, 2010
Great book as all of the Bennie Rosato series have been. What a bummer to have an identical twin who is a murdering psychopath. It is really bad when she turns on you and takes over your life.
July 7, 2010
ho hum. I think her glory days are past.
Shelved as 'never-finished'
October 3, 2014Not for me. Good writing and story for someone else's tastes. The animal brutality just killed me though. And in the end i didn't want to read on.
July 30, 2020
Intriguing plot and characterization. Loved it.
April 2, 2010
The biggest mystery in this book is not one of who-did-what or will-that-someone-get-her-comeuppance? The biggest mystery is one of IQ. How could so many purportedly intelligent or capable or trained minds have been so impossibly dumb?
WARNING: DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, PLOT SPOILERS APLENTY AHEAD
Brilliant and successful lawyer, “Bennie,� has a body to die for � and an an identical evil twin, Alice. Both women are so driven � Bennie in a “good� way and Alice in an “evil� way � that neither one has developed any close friendships with members of either gender. But Bennie has at least managed to accumulate $3 million in liquid assets. Apparently, evil doesn’t pay as well, since Alice has only got a few thousand from a sideline selling illegal drugs, a Toyota instead of a Lexus, and a gangster trying to kill her.
As the book opens, Alice has decided to solve her problems by burying Bennie alive, stealing her identity, and making off with all that cash that Bennie has so cleverly left lying around. Bennie walks right into a ruffie because even after having gotten Alice off a murder rap that involved her selling recreational drugs with a cop, Bennie is utterly clueless about the depths of her sister’s depravity.
Fortunately for Bennie, however, Alice doesn’t kill her. Bothered by the thought of seeing her “own face on a dead body,� Alice instead compassionately chooses to bury Bennie alive in a wooden box � I guess so that she can be bothered by the image of her own face gasping her last while trying to claw her way out of a coffin. It takes Bennie only three days, a _deus ex machina_ in the form of massive haying equipment, and a retarded wolf to escape from the box.
Meanwhile, Alice has appropriated Bennie’s car, house, password list, boyfriend, and business. She immediately begins schlepping Bennie’s moola into a Bahama-based bank, and develops a closer relationship with one of Bennie's legal minions than Bennie has ever managed.
Oh, did I mention Bennie’s dog, Bear? Bear is a “huge� dog who is subdued by a few kicks from Alice and a nudge down the cellar stairs. Alice arranges to have Bear put to sleep, but Bennie’s boyfriend-who-got-away-but-who’s-conveniently-back-now instead arranges for the dog to have risky surgery, which ultimately saves this utterly worthless watch dog.
You know, while reading this book, I spun a half dozen plots-that-never-existed about how various people in Bennie’s life suspected that something was up, only to realize that apparently, no, they were all absolutely as dumb as lumber.
The only one to suspect was a supposedly wildly successful junior member of the law firm whose business image involved dressing like Ronald McDonald and dying her hair to match. Are we surprised that no one listens to her? I’m haunted by the image of Ronald McDonald serving as my defense attorney.
Did I mention the frightening uber-witch from Italy? The fake super-strega with a British accent, Armani dresses, and designs on a junior law partner’s deaf and dumpy father? Did I mention that _she_ is the real hero of this story? The only one who can (magically, I guess) tell the difference between a psychopath and a tin-plated saint? The only one who can (magically, I guess) figure out where, geographically, this will all end up and show up just in time to keep our heroine from murdering her deserving evil twin?
Once Bennie is induced to abandon her I-guess-I’m-as-evil-as-you-are pose, she immediately morphs back into Wonder Woman, and all is forgiven as she resumes the reins of her empire.
Oh, and whatever happens to Alice? Given Bennie’s epiphany, Alice becomes so unimportant that the author never even bothers to wrap up that loose end. Saying that “she’s as good as dead already,� is apparently more than enough resolution for those of us who wade through to the end.
Here’s the one good thing I can say about this book � and it is actually a very good thing � I started the book last night and stayed up all night to finish it. So, it does grab and hold one’s attention, even if much of that attention is devoted to spinning alternate plots or marveling at the Munchkin-like size of the cast’s communal IQ.
To be fair to the author, she obviously spent some mental effort on backstory and motivations. It’s just that she either missed or ignored the huge amount of stupidity required to get this plot to work.
For reasons of full disclosure, please note that I won this book in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway.
WARNING: DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, PLOT SPOILERS APLENTY AHEAD
Brilliant and successful lawyer, “Bennie,� has a body to die for � and an an identical evil twin, Alice. Both women are so driven � Bennie in a “good� way and Alice in an “evil� way � that neither one has developed any close friendships with members of either gender. But Bennie has at least managed to accumulate $3 million in liquid assets. Apparently, evil doesn’t pay as well, since Alice has only got a few thousand from a sideline selling illegal drugs, a Toyota instead of a Lexus, and a gangster trying to kill her.
As the book opens, Alice has decided to solve her problems by burying Bennie alive, stealing her identity, and making off with all that cash that Bennie has so cleverly left lying around. Bennie walks right into a ruffie because even after having gotten Alice off a murder rap that involved her selling recreational drugs with a cop, Bennie is utterly clueless about the depths of her sister’s depravity.
Fortunately for Bennie, however, Alice doesn’t kill her. Bothered by the thought of seeing her “own face on a dead body,� Alice instead compassionately chooses to bury Bennie alive in a wooden box � I guess so that she can be bothered by the image of her own face gasping her last while trying to claw her way out of a coffin. It takes Bennie only three days, a _deus ex machina_ in the form of massive haying equipment, and a retarded wolf to escape from the box.
Meanwhile, Alice has appropriated Bennie’s car, house, password list, boyfriend, and business. She immediately begins schlepping Bennie’s moola into a Bahama-based bank, and develops a closer relationship with one of Bennie's legal minions than Bennie has ever managed.
Oh, did I mention Bennie’s dog, Bear? Bear is a “huge� dog who is subdued by a few kicks from Alice and a nudge down the cellar stairs. Alice arranges to have Bear put to sleep, but Bennie’s boyfriend-who-got-away-but-who’s-conveniently-back-now instead arranges for the dog to have risky surgery, which ultimately saves this utterly worthless watch dog.
You know, while reading this book, I spun a half dozen plots-that-never-existed about how various people in Bennie’s life suspected that something was up, only to realize that apparently, no, they were all absolutely as dumb as lumber.
The only one to suspect was a supposedly wildly successful junior member of the law firm whose business image involved dressing like Ronald McDonald and dying her hair to match. Are we surprised that no one listens to her? I’m haunted by the image of Ronald McDonald serving as my defense attorney.
Did I mention the frightening uber-witch from Italy? The fake super-strega with a British accent, Armani dresses, and designs on a junior law partner’s deaf and dumpy father? Did I mention that _she_ is the real hero of this story? The only one who can (magically, I guess) tell the difference between a psychopath and a tin-plated saint? The only one who can (magically, I guess) figure out where, geographically, this will all end up and show up just in time to keep our heroine from murdering her deserving evil twin?
Once Bennie is induced to abandon her I-guess-I’m-as-evil-as-you-are pose, she immediately morphs back into Wonder Woman, and all is forgiven as she resumes the reins of her empire.
Oh, and whatever happens to Alice? Given Bennie’s epiphany, Alice becomes so unimportant that the author never even bothers to wrap up that loose end. Saying that “she’s as good as dead already,� is apparently more than enough resolution for those of us who wade through to the end.
Here’s the one good thing I can say about this book � and it is actually a very good thing � I started the book last night and stayed up all night to finish it. So, it does grab and hold one’s attention, even if much of that attention is devoted to spinning alternate plots or marveling at the Munchkin-like size of the cast’s communal IQ.
To be fair to the author, she obviously spent some mental effort on backstory and motivations. It’s just that she either missed or ignored the huge amount of stupidity required to get this plot to work.
For reasons of full disclosure, please note that I won this book in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2013
wow! i am a big fan of lisa scottoline, and this book does not disappoint. i am an identical twin myself. i have to say i love her to death and she is my best friend, but if she tried the stuff that these twins went thru i am afraid i would kill her. (sorry steph!) but it is true. i read this book in one day because it was very fast pace and well written.
this book goes between 3 people. alice, mary, and bennie. alice and bennie are twins. they have the same mom but alice was given away for adoption and had 2 different parents. bennie is a well known lawyer. owns her own firm and has everything going for her. alice is well nothing. she is a drug addict. goes from boyfriend to boyfriend and is sellings drugs. she is on the run from an ex boyfriend who is going to kill her over money. bennie had gotten alice a job with another law firm and she did good until alice stole money.
alice broke into a house and invited bennie over for dinner. she made up a whole story about her life and how good she is doing. she slipped bennie a roofie in her wine and waited for her to go to sleep. alice then buried bennie alive. alice then went to philly and stole bennies life. she found out that bennie had over 3 million dollars in the bank so she was making plans on off shoring the money and leaving right away. she only had to play lawyer for a couple of days.
meanwhile, mary is a co worker for bennie. she is trying to make partner and is doing a lot of extra work. she is dating a man named anthony who is a professor but not working. they always fight because she makes more money than him. they are trying to start a family and get a house but the who has a better job keeps getting in the way. mary believes alice's story and goes to court to keep "alice" away from the office and is helping with this escape route. that is until she starts to get suspicious.
bennie is fighting for her life in the coffeen. she is trying to make a hole and she hears an animal that is also trying to make a hole so it can kill whatever was in the box. bennie has to figure out how to get out alive. when she finally gets out she has to make the town believe that she is in danger and not some drunk homeless drug addict. on top of the drug deals thinking she is alice and wanting to kill her
you are going to have to read the rest to figure out what happens!
this book goes between 3 people. alice, mary, and bennie. alice and bennie are twins. they have the same mom but alice was given away for adoption and had 2 different parents. bennie is a well known lawyer. owns her own firm and has everything going for her. alice is well nothing. she is a drug addict. goes from boyfriend to boyfriend and is sellings drugs. she is on the run from an ex boyfriend who is going to kill her over money. bennie had gotten alice a job with another law firm and she did good until alice stole money.
alice broke into a house and invited bennie over for dinner. she made up a whole story about her life and how good she is doing. she slipped bennie a roofie in her wine and waited for her to go to sleep. alice then buried bennie alive. alice then went to philly and stole bennies life. she found out that bennie had over 3 million dollars in the bank so she was making plans on off shoring the money and leaving right away. she only had to play lawyer for a couple of days.
meanwhile, mary is a co worker for bennie. she is trying to make partner and is doing a lot of extra work. she is dating a man named anthony who is a professor but not working. they always fight because she makes more money than him. they are trying to start a family and get a house but the who has a better job keeps getting in the way. mary believes alice's story and goes to court to keep "alice" away from the office and is helping with this escape route. that is until she starts to get suspicious.
bennie is fighting for her life in the coffeen. she is trying to make a hole and she hears an animal that is also trying to make a hole so it can kill whatever was in the box. bennie has to figure out how to get out alive. when she finally gets out she has to make the town believe that she is in danger and not some drunk homeless drug addict. on top of the drug deals thinking she is alice and wanting to kill her
you are going to have to read the rest to figure out what happens!
October 16, 2010
Park your sense of reality in the garage and jump right into Think Twice, a suspense novel built upon an incredible premise, but fun anyway. Benny Rosato, head of an all female law firm, is blindsided by her identical twin, Alice. No matter that Benny saved her from a murder rap; Alice is insanely jealous of her sister's hard earned fortune, and cooks up an intricate plot to put herself, literally, in her sister's place.
Author Scottoline must have had a wonderful time plotting this one out. Incredibly, Alice manages to pass herself off as Benny; she walks like her, talks like her, dresses like her, and, having worked as a paralegal, manages to pass herself off as a high powered attorney. Eventually, Benny's closest friends become just a tad suspicious. And Benny herself is fighting for her life, as well as for her identity.
Into this mix, Scottoline throws the queen of the witches, a relative of Benny's associate Mary, visiting from Italy. The Evil Eye, and Fiorella's uncanny ability to read souls, play an important behind the scenes role in getting to the bottom of things.
If you read it for the fun of it, you'll enjoy Think Twice.
Author Scottoline must have had a wonderful time plotting this one out. Incredibly, Alice manages to pass herself off as Benny; she walks like her, talks like her, dresses like her, and, having worked as a paralegal, manages to pass herself off as a high powered attorney. Eventually, Benny's closest friends become just a tad suspicious. And Benny herself is fighting for her life, as well as for her identity.
Into this mix, Scottoline throws the queen of the witches, a relative of Benny's associate Mary, visiting from Italy. The Evil Eye, and Fiorella's uncanny ability to read souls, play an important behind the scenes role in getting to the bottom of things.
If you read it for the fun of it, you'll enjoy Think Twice.
October 10, 2018
Do evil twin stories get old? I'm thinking not. Apparently this is book number 11 in a long series of books based on the character of Benne, but my first foray into her world.
Benne is a high profile lawer who has recently rekindled a relationship with her secret twin sister that she met a few years back. She goes to meet her at a new rental and things go awry from there.
Will Benne's friends and family realise that a swap has occurred? Will they solve the mystery in time to save her?
The first part of the book is Cornwell thriller, with time running out. However I ran into a few issues with the second half of the book that suddenly became a wild goose chase and really felt unneccesary and also a little bit dull. More time spent on the main mystery would have been a better bet in my opinion.
I am also slightly wary of the overuse of chapters ala James Patterson, and whilst we didn't get to 2 chapters a page type shortness, some chapters were very close to this.
Think Twice wasn't breaking any new ground in this type of novel, but it's not the worst I've read either.
Benne is a high profile lawer who has recently rekindled a relationship with her secret twin sister that she met a few years back. She goes to meet her at a new rental and things go awry from there.
Will Benne's friends and family realise that a swap has occurred? Will they solve the mystery in time to save her?
The first part of the book is Cornwell thriller, with time running out. However I ran into a few issues with the second half of the book that suddenly became a wild goose chase and really felt unneccesary and also a little bit dull. More time spent on the main mystery would have been a better bet in my opinion.
I am also slightly wary of the overuse of chapters ala James Patterson, and whilst we didn't get to 2 chapters a page type shortness, some chapters were very close to this.
Think Twice wasn't breaking any new ground in this type of novel, but it's not the worst I've read either.
August 30, 2010
Fast action, unlikely plot with somewhat predictable outcomes, but this book grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go. Identical twins Bennie Rosato and Alice Connelly were separated at birth and raised in entirely different circumstances. Bennie became a powerful Philadelphia attorney and Alice became a brilliant but pathological thief, drug seller, and con artist. Alice devises a plan to take over Bennie's life just long enough to get her money and escape to another country. This involves inviting her over for a meal, drugging her, and burying her alive in a box in a field. This happens right at the beginning of the book, so the plot unfolds as the story alternates between Bennie and Alice, with Bennie struggling to escape from her nightmarish situation and Alice trying to fool everyone in Bennie's world long enough to get the money and get out of the country. Bennie's escape from the box is only the beginning of her struggle to prove which sister is the real attorney and which is the evil twin.
August 18, 2015
This was not a bad mystery/thriller, but it was particularly great either. It was entertaining, if far-fetched. There were enough plot holes to drive a trailer truck through - starting with a person who had little legal training impersonating a lawyer and ending with a person with no ID and no passport being allowed to board an airplane and enter another country. Holy moly - I can suspend disbelief on many counts, but there are limits. The storyline is simple enough - twins sisters, one good and one evil. The evil sister drugs and takes the place of the good sister. Good sister fights to regain her life. Like I said, not great but mindless entertainment.
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