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Rating: 
Summary: There are very few female sleuths I actively dislike
Review: , unfortunately I must add Amanda Pepper to that short list. She is hands down the dumbest sleuth I've ever come across.
She's weak and stupid and whiny and stultifying. I'm surprised she's lived as long as she has, I actually wanted the villain to kill her. Maybe, just maybe this was an aberration of Roberts' writing, but I can't take that chance again. I don't have that kind of time. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion and I found this book torturous.
Rating: 
Summary: Happy New Years!
Review: With her usual wit, Gillian Roberts has crafted another winner. The details of the "sub-culture," for lack of a better phrase, of the Italian-Americans in South Philly and of the highly overlapping "sub-culture," again for the lack of a better phrase, of the Mummers are wonderful, if not totally accurate. However, I view this from a Philadelphian's perspective and am not sure that a non-Philadelphian will not be a bit lost in these "cultures." For this reason I gave it only 4 stars although it is my personal favorite of the Amanda Pepper series so far.As expected, the book contains the usual - banter between Amanda and CK about his "real" name, their sometimes conflicts, the expected calls from her Mom, Bea. We also hear from her sister, her brother-in-law, her niece, and her execrable principal and his equally up-tight office assistant. Not to mention a totally obnoxious chiropractor turned radio psychologist. Beyond the wit and the repetoire of literary knowledge displayed in this series, I especially appreciate the characterizations. These are people I know; they live in neighborhoods I know; they shop where I do; go to the same dry cleaners. They eat cheese steaks. They watch the Mummers Parade every New Years Day!! I do not recommend this as a book to start reading the series. Start at the beginning and get to this once in sequence.
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