At the start of book 10 A Little Night Murder (I think) it's obvious there's some backstory missing; something that was going on between book 9 and 10. This short story fills in the gaps. It's not strictly necessary, but for a reader invested in the series, it's satisfying to have.

As a bonus (because not all between novel novellas are equal) this is a very well written, fully formed story about Mick's struggles to get out of the family business and stay legit. Martin always wrote Mick as a real person, struggling against his upbringing to be better and this story gives the struggle centre stage.

Really well done and reminds me why and how much I miss this series. ( )

Nancy Martin's Mick Abruzzo: The Second Wire is great! I thoroughly enjoyed it. This short story / novella (72 pages) is #9½ in the Blackbird Sisters Mystery series. All of the works in this series are highly recommended — four or five kitties! — and are a pleasing mixture of cozy mystery and chick lit. I always look forward to the next book in the series, so I can find out what happens next to Nora, Libby, Emma and Mick — and if a mystery or two get solved along the way, that's just icing on the cake!

The Second Wire is told, as you might have guessed, from Mick's point of view, rather than in first person from Nora's POV, as are the primary books of the series. I was hooked from the first sentence:

Against his better judgment, Mick Abruzzo agreed to meet his idiot brother at a noisy South Philadelphia college hangout where Little Frankie swore they'd blend in.

Idiot brother? Details — I wanted details!

It is a nice change of pace to get Mick's thoughts and viewpoint on things, since his background is so different from Nora's. Some of this background is revealed in The Second Wire, so if you've ever wondered about what makes Mick tick (ooh, bad pun, sorry about that), here's your chance to find out.

If you're like me and you want to read books of a series in order, be sure to read Mick Abruzzo: The Second Wire first (after reading Little Black Book of Murder, #9) and then read A Little Night Murder (#10 — release date August 5, 2014).



Note: The review copy of Mick Abruzzo: The Second Wire came from my personal library.

{Originally published at www.janereads2.blogspot.com} ( )

Nancy Martin's Mick Abruzzo: The Second Wire is great! I thoroughly enjoyed it. This short story / novella (72 pages) is #9½ in the Blackbird Sisters Mystery series. All of the works in this series are highly recommended — four or five kitties! — and are a pleasing mixture of cozy mystery and chick lit. I always look forward to the next book in the series, so I can find out what happens next to the Blackbird sisters (Nora, Libby, and Emma) and Mick — and if a mystery or two get solved along the way, that's just icing on the cake!

The Second Wire is told, as you might have guessed, from Mick's point of view, rather than in first person from Nora's POV, as are the primary books of the series. I was hooked from the first sentence:
• Against his better judgment, Mick Abruzzo agreed to meet his idiot brother at a noisy South Philadelphia college hangout where Little Frankie swore they'd blend in.
Idiot brother? Intriguing, but details — I want details!

It is a nice change of pace to get Mick's thoughts and viewpoint on things, since his background is so different from Nora's. Some of this background is revealed in The Second Wire, so if you've ever wondered about what makes Mick tick (ooh, bad pun, sorry about that), here's your chance to find out.

If you're like me and you want to read books of a series in order, be sure to read Mick Abruzzo: The Second Wire first (after reading Little Black Book of Murder, #9) and then read A Little Night Murder (#10 — release date August 5, 2014).

{Originally published on my blog, www.JaneReads2.blogspot.com } ( )