Okay, this book is a doozy. Nancy Martin, who also writes the Blackbird Sisters Mystery series, has come up with a character that has more than a few issues. To put it simply, I did like this book but I had more than a few problems with Roxy Abruzzo, owner and manager of an architectural salvage company, who sleeps with anything that has a dick at the drop of a hat! Seriously, she doesn’t even have to know the guy but will fling him a condom and “...test his mileage.” Hey, don’t blame me. Her quote, not mine. Now if she wasn’t such a . . . what’s the word I’m looking for . . . slut (and I really hate that word) then this would be a really great book. If you can however get past her not so endearing hobby, Roxy is a funny, tough, level headed, independent single mum who struggles to pay the bills and stay out of her Uncle Carmine’s employment (mob boss), yet is loyal to her friends like Nooch.
I have no idea whether this is part of a series, but I can definitely see more books featuring Roxy. This gals got so much baggage to work through that you could get a whole Eve Dallas sized series out of her. Her ex-lover Patrick Flynn (and father of her daughter) is back in her life. A nice enough guy, Flynn's troubled past is hinted at here and there, but although he's still drawn to Roxy, he’s dating someone. You can see the sparks fly between Flynn and Roxy that would have them wind up together in any future books, but with all the emotional baggage weighing them both down they’d more than likely sink like a bloody stone. An emotional train crash just waiting to happen.
The storyline for this book is simple, wife burns down house (with husband and his mistress inside), and from the ruins Roxy salvages a few items – including a nude Greek statue. Turns out that this statue is worth an absolute fortune and was being hidden in plain site by the family’s matriarch (who is in and out of a convenient coma at a nursing home) and when her son is killed the same night Roxy takes the statue then it turns into a race against time until she can offload the antique for a good price, or the killer finds her.
The real scene stealer for me in this book was Rooney. A moth eaten looking pit bull Roxy adopted that loves his momma, and will take a bite out of your arse at her say so.
Now, I’m not sure if I’d ever buy this book to put on my bookshelf, but I can see myself borrowing it again in the future. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who isn’t keen on reading sex scenes, not that it’s terribly graphic, but she does get around. You do get sucked into Roxy’s world so it doesn’t take long to read. Great for a bus or train, or even during your lunch hour.
Rating: 3 / 5
