The Goddaughter by Melodie Campbell

 

Summary:

 

Gina Gallo is a gemologist who would like nothing better than to run her little jewelry shop. Unfortunately she's also "the Goddaughter," and, as she tells her new friend Pete, "you don't get to choose your relatives." And you can't avoid them when you live in Hamilton and they more or less run the place. When Gina bumps into Pete at the Art Gallery Gala, sparks fly. So do bullets, when her cousin Tony is taken down by rival mobsters from New York. It turns out Tony was carrying a load of hot gems in the heel of his shoe. When Gina is reluctantly recruited to carry the rocks back to Buffalo, the worst happens: they get stolen. Pete and Gina have no choice but to steal them back, even though philandering politicians, shoe fetishists, and a trio of inept goons stand in their way. It's all in a day's work, when you're the Goddaughter.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 134 pages (Paperback)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: September 1st 2012 by Raven Books

 

Back in March I had the opportunity to hear Melodie Campbell read at a local event and was lucky enough to find that the Toronto library had one of her books in the system when I looked  a couple of days later, and finally had the time to read it last month.

 

This was everything Melodie said her books would be. It was funny, quirky, had a mix of romance and a touch of mystery with good characters and a funny plot. This one had me laughing at least ninety percent of the time that I was reading it but I had a smile on my face the other ten percent.

 

I really liked Gina, she's the Goddaughter of a mafia boss and along with her love interest Pete got roped into helping "the family" do a job that involved border crossings, prostitutes, diamond smuggling, hot shoes and a little bit of murder. It might seem like there was a lot going on in this slim 134 page paperback and there was but the author did a good job of putting everything together to make a pretty damn good story.

 

I thought it was fast paced and well written but I like how the book didn't take itself to seriously. If you want something that will make you think as you read, this one might not be fore you because it was so fun. You aren't going to find a lot of character depth, or an iron clad plot but I've read much, much worse, and consider this one of the best little novellas I've read.

 

It was my first time reading a book by Melodie Campbell and it won't be my last because I loved how part of the story is set in Canada and that Melodie is a Canadian writer. I had so much fun reading this one that I'm adding her to my auto-buy list and I can't wait to read more from her.

 

I'd recommend this one to anyone looking for a quick and fun read. Whether you need a break from reading a heavier tome, or you just need something to read at the doctors, on vacation or just something to get you into reading or back into reading. It has a little something for everyone and reminds us that there are great authors out there using humour to make us readers love their stories.

 

 

Really Liked It!
★★★★

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