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Nora Blackbird must overcome many obstacles. Two of her lesser ones are not driving and fainting. She needs to either be driven or take a bicycle because Nora has never learned to drive. She faints quite easily when she is confronted, so driving at this time doesn't seem to be a good option. Her financial situation is bleak and she must go to work as a columnist for the society page. Kitty, her boss, is intimidated by her competence. When Nora innocently breaks an important political story, Kitty is enraged. One of the parts of Nora's job is to attend all types of social functions. This is great fun for the reader. When Nora attends a posh cocktail party, she recognizes many regulars. Several of these folks are the party people from her past life. Unfortunately, an old family friend is murdered. There are lots of suspects and no doubt, it is someone that Nora knows. With a genuine desire to find the victim's killer, Nora puts herself in danger's path. She has to find the answers because family and friends are on the line. Nora has maintained close contact with her two sisters, Emma and Libby. For eighteen months, the 3 sisters regularly meet for lunch and chatting/arguing. They share the common bond of irresponsible parents and they also share the link of recent poverty. I enjoyed the distinctive features of this family unit. At the present time, only Libby is married. Former husbands, all deceased, have their own story. Passion for life and acting out is positively present in this family. Libby's husband, Ralph, is no exception. He is a Civil War expert, often dressing in the uniform. A wide array of characters kept me turning pages. Upon completing this book, I was reminded of Anne George and did experience a similar satisfaction. The locations are different - George's "southern sisters" are from Alabama and Martin's sisters reside in Pennsylvania. They are from a different generation but a parallel thread of subtle humor and care for these characters exist for this reader. My favorite character is Michael Abruzzo, a man with a rough and tumble exterior and family mob connections. Michael is gentle and persistent when it comes to Nora , always around whenever she needs him. Willing to be a helpmate and showing the reader what a moderate person he can be, he still has an indeterminate amount of clout. I liked this energy and the chemistry between the two of them. The relationship was there but not forced. Hopefully, he will appear in the second book of the series because I think that there is more to Michael than what Nancy Martin is sharing with us in this book. Thumbs Up!
Reviewed by Rita Ratacheck, October 2002
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