The Bootlegger's Goddaughter: A Gina Gallo Mystery

By Melodie Campbell

As Gina gets ready for her Christmas wedding, all is quiet in Steeltown. Then she's robbed, cousin Jimmy has a heart attack, and someone in the city has hijacked a transport truck full of booze. But who? And why? Gina knows bootlegging used to be a family business, but they stopped that in the '30s. Didn’t they?

Gina and Nico work feverishly to keep the latest bungled family matter under wraps, but the police are closing in. And, once again, everything points to the Holy Cannoli Retirement Home.

The Bootlegger's Goddaughter is the fifth book in the Gina Gallo Mystery series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: Feb 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781459814158

Melodie Campbell

Melodie Campbell is the winner of many awards for crime writing, including the Derringer and the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for The Goddaughter's Revenge. She has over 200 publications, including 100 comedy credits, 60 short stories, 17 novels and the Goddaughter series in the Rapid Reads line. Her work has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Star Magazine, Canadian Living, the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and many more. She has been called the "Queen of Comedy" by the Toronto Star. Melodie lives in Burlington, Ontario.

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Reviews for The Bootlegger's Goddaughter

[drsyko_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in this series that I've read. I have enjoyed both of them. They are short with a brisk plot and interesting characters. This book is humorous and fun, but also has some darker moments of violence that are somewhat disturbing. If you're looking for a very quick read that is entertaining with an intriguing story, I recommend this book and others in this series.

[wearylibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gina wants nothing to do with the family business...so of course she is involved...every few minutes it seems. This is a quick and fun read. Following Gina and her somewhat disfunctional family can leave the reader breathless from the constant excitement and laughter. I am going to have to read the other books in the Gina Gallo Mysteries.

[chrisweir-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Received this as an early review copy from Library Thing. Was a fun little book and there's a reason it's called a rapid read, it took right about an hour to read it cover to cover. The book has a young Italian woman who has a string of bad luck that was foretold by an aunt living back in Sicily seeing a black crow. She tries to stay out of the family business but keeps getting drawn back in. She learns that the family is still in the business of making bootleg alcohol. All in one day she gets mugged and guns shot at her and the reception hall for her wedding gets blown up.

[readerbynight · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For sheer wackiness, character portrayals and laughter galore, you can't go wrong with Melodie Campbell's Gina Gallo mysteries! Rapid Reads give you a complete story in a novella, the perfect combo for Gina Gallo's exploits trying to escape her family "business" whatever it may be. No matter how hard she tries, she is always drawn in. But what do crows have to do with anything? Well, obviously everything, because as so-called harbingers of bad luck they are outdoing themselves in this latest book. Not to mention everything is screwing up her upcoming wedding. From being robbed to her wedding venue blowing up, and being shot at, she is not having a good day. Such is the life of a Sicilian goddaughter who is a don't-wannabe. Her continued efforts to stay out of the family businesses are hilarious and make for a great series in a quick but full-fledged read. I love Gina Gallo's exploits.

[lazybee_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Bootlegger's Goddaughter is a short novella about Gina Gallo, a member of a crime family who is trying to stay out of the family business and plan her wedding. It's described as a mystery, but it's more a series of funny misadventures involving crime. Gina is a likeable and entertaining heroine. There wasn't a lot of development of the minor characters, but that could be because they've been introduced and developed more in previous books, which I haven't read. This was a fun quick read, and I would read another of Melodie Campbell's books if I was in the mood for something light and entertaining.

[bah195 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Poor Gina. All she wants to do is marry Pete but with a family like hers it's not that simple. The Bootleggers's Goddaughter is the fifth book in the Gina Gallo Mystery Series. Just like the other four books in the series, this one is full of laugh out loud chapters.The characters are well developed and the story is well written. You don't need to read the other books in the series to enjoy this one.When I read this series it reminds me a little of my family. From Zia Sophia seeing a crow to poor Gina not wanting to know what's going on with "the business". I love that the book is only 117 pages long. You can sit in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and enjoy the story in one sitting.I can't wait for the next book to see what's going to happen.I won this Library Thing Early Review copy and voluntarily submitted a review.

[cmolini-581139 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a super-quick read, Gina is a great character. This would be a great book to have at the pool with the kids. Gina professes a desire to be honest but family gets in the way. It was just fun.

[macygma · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really don’t like short books. There, that’s over with. I loved Melodie Canpbell’s new Goddaughter novelette The Bootlegger’s Goddaughter but I needed another 200 or so pages. I only wish I’d known about the other novels first but when you win a book for review you go with what you’ve got.I laughed myself silly with her characters. Gina is wonderful but the rest of the cast is even better. Mad Magda and her sweetie Jimmy. Zia Sophia in Sicily…they are all there to entertain and they do it well.Off to find the rest of this madcap series.

[bbofje · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received an Advance Reading Copy of The Bootlegger's Goddaughter by Melodie Campbell through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. This is the second book in this series that I've read. It is a quick but delightful storyline. Mostly humorous with a touch of whimsical evil.