Unwilling Accomplice

by Barbara Seranella

Los Angeles Times bestselling author. Munch Mancini, the struggling heroine of this series, is so powerfully depicted, with such exquisitely telling detail, that she seems drawn directly from life …... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074324558X
• ISBN13: 9780743245586
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A girl with a past

Munch Mancini's past is closer than it appears in the rear-view mirror. More than any other series character I've read, Munch makes me believe. Believe in her, her daughter, her relationships with men, her relationship with her addictions, everything she does rings true. She does what she can to make something of her future while constantly looking over her shoulder to see what part of her past might be catching up with her. But instead of running for cover, she confronts whatever shows up. Unwilling Accomplice fires on all cylinders.

Engaging Unique Characters

Auto mechanic and sometime limo driver, Munch Mancini is back. She is still clean and sober after years of hard living. She gets a phone call from her adopted daughter's aunt. Lisa Slokum has taken off from the witness relocation program with her daughters, Charlotte and Jill. Lisa calls Munch desperate for help; Charlotte has gone missing. No one knows if she has run away or if something more evil has happened to her. Munch decides to help her daughter's dysfunctional family. As she starts to investigate Charlotte's life, she comes upon a stash of stolen goods in her room. Her search for Charlotte leads Munch into trouble, but due to her early life on the street, it is not anything she can't handle. Munch is not quite as edgy as she was in earlier novels. Being a mother to Asia has softened her considerably not to speak of being "in love". Even a not-so-edgy Munch makes for a nice change from the run-of-the-mill type heroines in most detective novels. She is a very likable and admirable character. Barabara Seranella's books are so character driven that the strength or weaknesses of any given plot seems secondary. I enjoyed reading UNWILLING ACCOMPLICE and look forward to the next in the series.

tough love

Munch Mancini is a car mechanic with enough of a past to keep her present humming with conflicts and crises. A product of an abusive home and the streets, she went through years of hard living before picking herself up, dusting herself off, and establishing a hard-won stability for herself and her daughter, Asia. Asia's cousins, Jill and Charlotte, reappear with their ne'er-do-well mother after having vanished for years into the Witness Protection program. Unfortunately, teenager Charlotte soon disappears again. Munch has to do what she can to get the girl back safely. Seranella is wonderfully perceptive in showing Asia and Charlotte's perspectives, and of course it's always a treat to see the world from Munch's viewpoint. She gives us a chance to see how dangerous and destructive the place can be, while always coming down on the side of being there for family. Seranella is one of those rare writers who can appeal to almost any kind of audience. So if you haven't met Munch, I predict you have something to look forward to. Though this may sound odd, these books should be in the libraries of every women's prison in the country. They're so full of hope and redemption and the best kind of good sense about basic things. (And they're fun to read, too).

A Protagonist with heart and soul

This is another really strong entry in the series. Munch is such a wonderful character. One of the great pleasures of this series is watching Munch grow and change and attain happiness and security. While she makes mistakes, both in her life and her investigations, she never does anything out of character. You'd never find Munch going down into the basement without a torch. While lesser protagonists are standing nervously at the top of the basement stairs, peering into the darkness; you get the impression that Munch would have gone down the stairs, bashed the bad guy with her torch, and be in the middle of rewiring the basement in case of future problems. I love Munch's way of looking at the world - her sensitivity, empathy, down to earth attitude, and humour. Her relationship with Asia is very special. Barbara Seranella has long been one of my favourite writers and, with each successive entry in the series, her writing just gets better and better.

as much a character study as a mystery

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. Still fans of the series will enjoy the insight into Munch and her widening circle, but also feel a bit disappointed in the lightness of the intrigue.Harriet Klausner