Show No Fear

This 12th book in the 'Nina Reilly' series is actually a prequel to the other books. It harks back to earlier times, when the defense attorney is still going to law school. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

In this prequel to the popular Nina Reilly legal thriller series, Nina is still living in her hometown of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California and has a lot going on in her life.

Professionally, Nina is preparing for her future career by working as a paralegal during the day and attending law school at night. Personally, Nina is the single mother of toddler Bob; is helping her mother sue the acupuncturist who caused her to lose a hand; is worried about her drug addict brother; and has an ambivalent relationship with her father - who divorced her mom and got a new girlfriend.

To add to Nina's woes, Bob's absentee father - an attorney named Richard Filsen - corners Nina and demands joint custody of the little boy, whom he's previously ignored. Nina, who considers Filsen a slimy dirtbag, is horrified by the idea.

Luckily, Nina is able to get assistance from the attorneys she works for. Her boss Jack McIntyre offers to help Nina fight Filsen's custody demands; and Remy Sorenson - a beautiful blonde who's on the fast track to a judgeship - takes Mrs. Reilly's malpractice suit. In an ironic twist, sleazy Richard Filsen represents the acupuncturist who hurt Nina's mom.

There's trash talk and threats among the litigants and attorneys as papers and writs are prepared, and tempers become heated on all sides.

Before long there are two suspicious deaths associated with the above cases, and Police Detective Paul von Wagoner investigates. Nina takes an active interest in the inquiries and finds evidence that helps solve the murders.....but endangers her life in the process.

The human interactions in the novel are complicated: Nina has a crush on her boss Jack, who's in love with Remy. Remy sleeps with Jack, but also plays the field; Paul - who's a philanderer - is attracted to Nina, but she's holding out for Jack. It reads like a high school soap opera.

Some of the characters introduced here are regulars in the series, and become more mature later on - so readers shouldn't judge by their behavior in this novel.

The book gets off to a slow start, but the action speeds up after the murders, and the story held my attention.

This book is an interesting addition to the series, and the backstories of Nina's mom, dad, and brother round out their personalities and provide some context for Nina's future law career. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to readers who like mysteries, especially Nina Reilly fans.

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This is the "prequel" to Perri O'Shaughnessy's Nina Reilly series. To be honest, at first it seemed a bit odd to have a prequel book after 13 years and 11 books in the series. I mean you "know" the characters and they've grown quite a bit over the years. But, it worked! I guess that shows the writing skill of the O'Shaughnessy sisters (Mary and Pam); to be able to take established characters and go backwards in time to create the story of their beginning.
If you've never read anything by Perri O"Shaughnessy's Nina Neilly series, I suggest you start with Show No Fear (book 12) and then start with book 1, Motoin to Suppress. If you like legal/crime mysteries or authors like John Grisham, Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich and/or Iris Johansen (Eve Duncan series), then I think you'd like this series. Not heavy, yet not too light. Just right when you want an entertaining and yet, "good" read!

This is a "guilty pleasure" mystery series featuring lead character and lawyer Nina Reilly. I've read the series (in order is recommended), which takes place in California / Nevada, primarily Tahoe in the latter and Monterey area in the former. Harmlessly entertaining mystery reading with a certain amount of meat (no goofing off here) and entertaining courtroom descriptions. The Bad Guys tend to be over the top bad guys - I suppose these people actually exist, although they seem rather cartoonish in these books, notwithstanding the serious tone - but Ms. Reilly of course always prevails, usually at some personal cost.

This book is a "prequel" to the series, and it's lack of quality, editing (really now), and meandering plot leads me to think that the sisters who co-write the series are running out of ideas. The books sets up later relationships and characters who are fleshed out during the series, so there are "A-ha!" moments, but still... it's not a great effort. The plot twist on which the motive rests of the ultimate Bad Guy in this book (there are several), is particularly silly.

One painful lapse: Ms. Reilly is still in law school and mentions in passing that laptops are showing up in her classes. Um, the story takes place in 1990 - I don't think so!

It's time for the authors to head Ms. Reilly back to Tahoe and some meatier cases - skip all the pant-pant stuff with her P.I. on again / off again B.F. and get back to a real mystery.

When I discovered that one of the co-authors is a fellow attorney, I incorrectly assumed that this book must be well-written. Some of the metaphors are preposterous and there are serious continuity issues. Also, this book is not character driven. Even though all of the characters had faults and tried to be three dimensional, they weren't. After the death of a major character, I felt no emotion. To me, that's poor writing.

That being said, I couldn't put the damn book down--my sole reason for awarding three stars. I kept reading because I wanted to know what the crime was. Unfortunately, the crime in the prologue did not take place until half-way through the book. This felt odd and disjointed. Show No Fear is a whodunit that probably won't keep you guessing, but, if you are looking for dumbed down reading, check it out.

I listened to this via audiobook and really enjoyed it. I'm a big Nina Reilly fan so it was nice to go back in time a bit and see Nina in the midst of her first murder case. Nina is so relatable to me and I always enjoy reading about her. She's such an interesting character - very real and multifaceted.

It was very well written and Perri O'Shaughnessy's handling of the plot twists and turns were wonderful. Maybe I'm naive but I get so sucked into the story & the characters that I forget to even try to figure out who did what so the final outcome is always surprising when I read a Nina Reilly book! Which is refreshing and wonderful.

Although this is not great literature, it is a wonderful series full of interesting characters who I always enjoy reading about!

I enjoyed this Nina Reilly book. My problem was that I know things from the previous books and I kept skipping ahead trying to figure out when things were going to happen. But if you are a fan of the Nina Reilly books this is a must read. Although now that I think about it, there can still be more prequels besides this one. We do not know how Nina ends up in Tahoe or how Paul becomes a private investigator and so forth. Interesting to see if there will be more prequels to come.

Nina Reilly is barely holding her head above water. She is a single mother and trying desperately to improve life for her son Bob and herself. Nina is working as a paralegal by day and going to law school at night. Her life is a constant round of working, studying and finding time to play and work with Bob.

Nina's personal life is not trouble free either. Her parents are divorced. Her mother has been diagnosed with an ongoing condition which affects her health and balance. After going to a doctor for some alternative medicine, she is left much worse off and is contemplating a lawsuit. Nina's younger brother is drifting through life, out of college and dabbling in drugs. Her father has just informed her that he is having a new baby with his much younger wife. Then there is Richard. Richard is Bob's father but Nina didn't tell him about the baby when she got pregnant and he has never been a part of Bob's life. Although Richard is a successful attorney, his narcissistic personality and controlling nature made him someone to avoid not someone to parent a child with. Now suddenly, Richard has shown up and is making noises about wanting a relationship with his son.

Things take a much worse turn when Richard's body is discovered. Nina is an instant suspect as are her brother, father and mother. Richard had a partner who needed and feared him. He had other women in his past who regard their time with him as a mistake. He had debts at every gambling establishment nearby. Who killed Richard?

Nina had met an interesting man named Paul but it turns out that he is the investigating officer of Richard's murder. Although Paul is interested in Nina, she realizes that it would be a mistake to get involved with him. As he investigates the murder, things keep coming back to Nina and her family. Who is responsible?

This novel is part of the Nina Reilly series. Although it isn't the first in the series, it gives readers a look back to the time before Nina becomes an attorney and gives her story. Readers will find themselves cheering for Nina who balances all her responsibilities while forging a future for her son and herself against long odds. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

More soap opera than murder mystery as most of the story consists of sex, affairs, office romance, jealousy, child custody conflicts, drug addiction, and blind ambition among the lawyers and investigators. The two murders in the story are just for background. The ending is not conclusive as the villain's death is implied, but not clearly stated (it is reminiscent of the Kathleen Turner movie, BODY HEAT).

If you have read the Nina Reilly series so far, there are some interesting revelations: how Nina first met Paul, reason for Matt's devotion to Nina, Bob's bio dad is not revealed here but was a featured in INVASION OF PRIVACY, and first appearance of coroner Susan Masumi.

The final 50 pages take place in December, and the climax occurs after a Christmas party, so this book should qualify as a Christmas mystery.

I loved this story! This novel is the 12th book (2008) in this 13-book series. I have read all 12 and loved this one as well as the others. The O’Shaughnessy sisters have done it again. They keep on delivering. This is a riveting story and they maintained the suspense right up until the end. I’ll anticipate reading their 13th and final novel in this series, “Dreams of the Dead” (2010) with excitement and sadness. They have created such a great protagonist in the character of Nina Reilly

Narrator: Joanna Parker

Pros: great narrator, Bay Area locations, interesting story
Cons: too much romance for my taste although not overdone, too many character complications, quick reveal for murderer and subplots at the end. But overall, it kept my interest in the characters and story more than I assumed it would based only on the description, which is what drew me to the story in the first place. I might try some more of this series but I’m not sure.

This one is a flashback to when Nina was still in law school and working at the law firm in Monterrey, CA, her son is just a little boy. We are introduced to Jack (later, Nina's ex) and Paul (her investigator/off and on again lover). I didn't care for it as much as the later ones set in Lake Tahoe.

I've read all the Nina Reilly books, and while I enjoyed the back stories here, the mystery wasn't that great - lame motive - and I got really annoyed with Nina's love life. Hard to believe this Nina with her lack of focus except for hankering after the men in her life could become the good lawyer (and mother) she turned out to be. Almost like a different character.

Not the best in the series, but I still enjoy the characters.
Nina's mother has suffered terrible loss potentially at the hands of an acupuncturist and Nina herself is suffering from too much attention from a former lover.
I had the murderer picked out by about half way through the book, but couldn't figure out why.

Although this is #12 of the series, it went back to when Nina was still in law school. It mostly involved her family and her. It made some things more clear and how she became the good lawyer she is.

Back to the beginning

Enjoyed filling in some blanks about Nina's first marriage and start in law. I particularly enjoyed the Remy character, but am curious about what became of her.

Pretty disappointing read. I haven't read Perri O'shaughnessy before so I can only rate based on this one book. I didn't care for the style of writing (lame metaphors, shallow characters, gratuitous sex ). Think I will pass on any further books in this series.

Nina's backstory that includes her brother's problems with drugs, her mother's death, her father's remarriage, Bob's father and Nina's first meetings with Jack and Paul. It was a great story since I had already read all the other books in the series.

This is a prequel to the other books about Nina Reilly. I've liked them all but this one just might be the best.

Explained a lot from beginning in the prequel. Understand more about Nina.

3.5 stars. I enjoy this series and the world the sisters O'Shaughnessy have created. This book being a prequel, it was interesting to see how some of the characters developed.

Another prequel twice at once . Not as good as earlier/later Nina Rileys, but ok

If this was the first Nina Reilly book I read it probably would have been the last. OK but a bit disjointed.

Interesting characters, a single mother paralegal in Carmel becomes involved in two murders. Had suspicions of who did it but never sure til the end.

The story was a little disjointed, but an exciting and unexpected finish as the plot unwound.

A good and interesting addition to the Nina Reilly series, as it goes back to Nina's early life as a lawyer-in-training. Some good surprises and new information about on-going characters.

It was an fast mystery. I had troubles getting into the characters but overall it was a good book.