Big truck, big dog, big hair. Bad attitude.
Roxy Abruzzo, bestselling author Nancy Martin's latest creation, is the loud-mouthed, sexy, independent-minded niece of a Pittsburgh Mafia boss trying to go (mostly) straight. She'd like to stay completely out of her uncle Carmine's shady business dealings, though he's trying to reel her in. She'd like to concentrate on the architectural salvage business she runs mostly on the up-and-up for a tidy profit. She'd like to keep her rebellious teenage daughter on the straight and narrow. But Roxy knows where all the good intentions in the world usually lead, and when she can't help herself from tucking away an ancient Greek statue that's not really hers, she pays for it by getting caught up in the chaos surrounding the sordid murder of the statue's former owner, the heir to a billion-dollar Pittsburgh steel fortune.
Of course, Roxy has plenty of help getting in and out of trouble, including her sidekick, "Nooch" Santonucci, who is too dumb to say no to whatever Roxy wants to do and strong enough to do it; her widowed aunt Loretta, a lawyer whose big hair and short skirts are as big a help to her in court as her brains; and Patrick Flynn, ex-marine, professional chef, and former high school flame, fresh from Afghanistan to torture Roxy, just like old times.
With her wicked sense of humor and a devilishly clever new series premise, the author of the beloved Blackbird Sisters mysteries has crafted another mystery destined to be a bestseller.
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"Despite mixed reviews, I really enjoyed this book and perhaps more than the Blackbird Sisters series. Being from outside of Philadelphia, I was first drawn to the Blackbird Sisters, but as I said, Roxy was a great character and the slight spin-off from the Abbruzzo family was a great idea. I am looking forward to hopefully the next book in this series."
— Deneen (4 out of 5 stars)
White gives distinctive vocal characterizations to the well-drawn characters.... Her narration captures the irony and wit of the zany characters and their sometimes-wicked repartee.
— AudioFile“In this stellar first in a new series, Martin introduces Roxy Abruzzo…a tough girl like Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, if with an edgier vibe.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“White gives distinctive vocal characterizations to the well-drawn characters…Her narration captures the irony and wit of the zany characters and their sometimes-wicked repartee.”
— AudioFile“A clever and naughty mystery.”
— Library Journal“Nancy’s new series puts Pittsburgh on the mystery map, right between Laura Lippmann’s Baltimore and Robert B. Parker’s Boston…I loved it.”
— Harley Jane Kozak, author of A Date You Can’t Refuse" First off, I have to complain about the grammar mistakes and dropped punctuation in this book. I don't think anyone read the finished product and just let spell check do it for them. Now that my mini-rant is over, I can say that I liked this novel. I liked that Roxy was a tough cookie. The storyline dragged in a few places, but overall it was good. It definitely was different from the Blackbird Sisters. I think I will give the next Roxy Abruzzo novel a try when it comes out. "
— Courtney, 2/11/2014" not bad but not as good as her Blackbird sisters mysteries. "
— Marty, 1/31/2014" A humorous mystery. The heroine is quite independent and runs her own architectural salvage business with the help of one employee. She's related to a Pittsburg Mafia boss (uncle) who wants her in the "family business". On the grounds of a ruined estate, she finds an ancient Greek statue and rescues it. But, the family it belongs to want it back for their own reasons, not all of them compatible. Interesting details about the architectural salvage business. "
— Dorothy, 1/27/2014" So far, I like the Blackbird Sisters series better. I'd read more in this series if they exist. :) "
— Dena, 1/10/2014" I bought this book for my kindle because I read that it was supposed to be funny like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and I had read other books by the author and liked them. Unfortunately, I did not like this book. I did not think it was funny and I really didn't like the main character. She was just too deep-seatedly angry for me. "
— Mindy, 1/8/2014" I love Nancy Martin's The Blackbird Sisters mysteries and was eagerly awaiting this book. I was very disappointed. It reminded me of Janet Evanovich, which to me is not a good thing. "
— Johanna, 12/31/2013" I liked it and I like Roxy but not as much as I like the Blackbird sisters. "
— Julie, 12/30/2013" B; Not too bad. Had to start a few times but it was mostly because I was listening to a similar style of book in the van and tried to do this one at work. I just put it off until I finished the other and then all was well. It was interesting enough for me to check out more by this author. "
— Cathy, 11/7/2013" Looking forward to the next book in the series. "
— Nancy, 10/13/2013" I felt like this book/new character is trying to emulate the Evanovich/Plum series, even down to the cover art. I enjoyed this author's previous works with the Blackbird sisters and would love to see Ms Martin drop this series and continue with the sisters instead. "
— Leah, 10/5/2013" The Blackbird mysteries are more entertaining. It would have been cool if Martin had added Mick Abruzzo in there to tie the two together. "
— Michelle, 10/2/2013" Not as good as her Blackbird Sister mysteries, but entertaining. It grew on me. "
— Traci, 8/14/2013" This book was ok. I think it would have been better if the author got a little more in depth about Roxies past and what made her the way she is. Maybe she'll give us more in the next book. I will be reading it. It reminded me a little of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. "
— Kristin, 7/26/2013" Tolerable easy beach read.... nothing special but it won't leave you feeling dumber when it's over. "
— Melissa, 7/13/2013" Roxy Abrazza, niece of a Mafia crime boss, is doing her best to walk the straight and narrow. But sometimes the genes show through. When she purloins a Greek statue, she gets caught up in a much larger murder scheme. When an inheritance is at stake, anything can happen. "
— Kitty, 6/23/2012" Loved her Blackbird series but just couldn't get into this one. It seemed crass and trashy. "
— Julie, 5/26/2012" A fun mystery and a quick read. For fans of the Blackbird Sisters mysteries, this is in the same vein, only in a bit lower society. "
— Kristin, 1/25/2012" Far edgier and better than any Janet Evonvich I've ever read, though you still have a mid 30's woman from a working class neighborhood, an idiot sidekick, terrible car, and giant dog. Her redeeming qualities? Lots of sex and an awesome teenage daughter. Audio was pretty good. "
— Danielle, 1/18/2012" new ser, not good, too bad! "
— Michelle, 12/8/2011" I think this is up there with the Stephanie Plum novels!! "
— Terri, 7/23/2011" Very enjoyable! Glad to start on another series since I caught up with the Blackbird series. "
— Nancy, 7/22/2011" The first part was slow going. It seemed like the author was trying too hard and I almost gave up. Once we met Sage, however, I was hooked. I'll be watching for more in this series. "
— Beth, 5/17/2011" new ser, not good, too bad! "
— Michelle, 4/1/2011" B; Not too bad. Had to start a few times but it was mostly because I was listening to a similar style of book in the van and tried to do this one at work. I just put it off until I finished the other and then all was well. It was interesting enough for me to check out more by this author. <br/> "
— Cathy, 3/21/2011" I thought this would be fun as it takes place in Pittsburgh, but the references were vague or just seemed wrong (sitting in a bar drinking a Miller beer??). Mystery was ho um and the writing merely ok. "
— Janet, 3/16/2011" Roxy has issues! I'm not sure that this is my kind of mystery. I'll have to give it some more time, to decide if this is a series I'll continue with. "
— Tricia, 3/6/2011" Far edgier and better than any Janet Evonvich I've ever read, though you still have a mid 30's woman from a working class neighborhood, an idiot sidekick, terrible car, and giant dog. Her redeeming qualities? Lots of sex and an awesome teenage daughter. Audio was pretty good. "
— Danielle, 2/22/2011" I am looking forward to reading more Roxy Abruzzo stories. "
— Lorraine, 2/12/2011" I get it that she is damaged but its still too many sexual episodes. I don't mind a neurotic lady but I don't care for too much explicit sex that does not add alot to the story line. "
— Joann, 1/20/2011" Looking forward to the next book in the series. "
— Nancy, 10/29/2010" Roxy Abrazza, niece of a Mafia crime boss, is doing her best to walk the straight and narrow. But sometimes the genes show through. When she purloins a Greek statue, she gets caught up in a much larger murder scheme. When an inheritance is at stake, anything can happen. "
— Kitty, 8/1/2010" Wonderful characters, very witty, keeps you reading to see what happens next to Roxy Abruzzo. "
— Phyllis, 7/17/2010" Gutsy. Entertaining for the extreme personality types. Not my typical preference for this genre, but it's fun for an audio book. "
— Sharneel, 7/13/2010" The first part was slow going. It seemed like the author was trying too hard and I almost gave up. Once we met Sage, however, I was hooked. I'll be watching for more in this series. "
— Beth, 7/8/2010Nancy Martin, winner of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award for Mystery Writing from Romantic Times magazine, is the bestselling author of almost fifty novels in the mystery, suspense, historical, and romance genres. She is the author of the Blackbird Sisters mystery series, and she has been nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Mystery.
Karen White has been narrating audiobooks of all genres since 1999. Honored to be included in AudioFile’s Best Voices, she’s also a four-time Audie Finalist and has earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and Library Journal starred reviews.