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Unwilling Accomplice
Barbara Seranella Book Review

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Plot Summary of Unwilling Accomplice
"

Scribner, May 2004, 24.00, 304 pp.
ISBN: 074324558X

Though family means nothing but heartache, betrayal and trouble to Munch Mancini, she tries to help her adopted daughter Asia come together with her cousins. Still the mechanic and former druggie prostitute wants her child to have everything she did not including a warm caring extended family. Munch even considers a mate so that Asia has the male influence of a father. When the daddy brigade turns up empty, Munch does what she felt was a better choice anyway which is buying Asia a cocker spaniel.

Meanwhile Asia's Aunt Lisa Slokum sends her usual friendly message filled with endearing profanities and orders to call. Lisa's preadolescent daughter Jill is Pollyanna while in contrast the older child Charlotte who is teen Goth. That is until she vanishes after a classmate is murdered and may have some stolen goods with her. Munch's former lover police officer Rico Chacon arrests Lisa leaving it up to Munch to mother Jill as well as Asia and to try to keep the still missing Charlotte safe from nasty killing thugs; not an easy task when you have no idea where she is.

This is as much a character study as a mystery as readers obtain a deep look at Munch, Asia and the latter's extended family. The suspense is more towards whether Rico is the one than the missing child investigation.

Harriet Klausner

"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Unwilling Accomplice
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - present (2000-2010)
Crime & Police story Yes
Story of - kidnapping
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - small businessman
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style: - a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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A Return to Christmas by Chris Heimerdinger
The Midnight Examiner by William Kotzwinkle


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Barbara Seranella Resident Scholar Profiles

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Harriet Klausner  

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