Tranquility, New Jersey hasn’t been all that tranquil. Good thing that Alberta Ferrara and her family are there to investigate and clear things up, in between trying flavors of vodka, eating Entenmann’s cakes and Italian dishes, and yelling at one another. This time around, Tranquility is all agog over the arrival of former child star Missy Michaels who is about to make her acting comeback on the town’s stage in a revival of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Unfortunately, before she tread the boards, Missy is found dead backstage, clutching a bottle of arsenic. Is it a dramatic suicide—or murder?
This is the fifth in the series of the Ferrara Family Mystery series, and it pretty much follows the same
formulas as the others. Center stage is
Alberta, accompanied by her granddaughter Jinx, sister Helen (who really was a
Sister—as in nun), and sister-in-law Joyce, who will investigate and solve the
crimes that leave town cop Vinnie scratching his head. While formulaic, the
series does have its moments, especially in the dialog between Helen, Joyce,
and Alberta. I have laughed out loud at
some of the lines, and the author does do a really good job of creating a vivid
backstory and filmography for Missy Michaels.
I know that sounds a bit odd, but by taking bits and pieces from various
real film series, he describes a fictional series that seems so very familiar
that I was half tempted to look it up in imdb.com. (There’s a graphic novel, Child Star
by Box Brown, which does the same thing.
It’s excellent.) Griffo has a background in drama, including writing
screenplays, so he knows his way around a stage.
There are some clunky passages and occasionally the plot spins
a bit out of control. Also, characters
tend to yell, announce, scream, shriek, and shout. There’s an information dump
near the end. Some readers have felt that the Italian characters are too
stereotypical.
Personally, I had a lot of fun with these. I don’t worry too much about plot and just
enjoy the back and forth between the Alberta, Joyce, and Helen. Helen in particular is very opinionated and
not afraid to speak her mind. She also
has a strong sense of self-worth. I would pay money to have seen her in this
production of Arsenic and Old Lace, with
or without Missy Michaels.
Of course, there is a cat:
Lola, aka Gina Lollobrigida.
The books in the series are:
Murder on Memory Lake
Murder in Tranquility Park
Murder at Icicle Lodge
Murder at Veronica’s Diner
Murder at St. Winifred’s Academy
Murder at the Mistletoe Ball
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