In Unwilling Accomplice, you meet an unusual Mom . . . but one who resonates with an unexpected amount of reality. She has a job. She has to be sure her daughter gets to and from school and does her homework. Meals have to be made ready. Even the details of her work resonate as she describes the typical mechanical problems that cars had in the 1980s.

But at the same time, Munch Mancini, Ms. Seranella's detective, is also an idealized version of what a modern woman can be. She has beaten drugs, alcohol and harmful relationships with men. Her past has scarred her, but left her stronger for it. She can still be vulnerable and can give love a chance.

Unlike most books about crime, you should primarily read this one for the character development. It's not that the crime story is a bad one; it's that the crime story is secondary to the interesting and inspirational characters.

The crime story is also unusual though in that it involves teenagers, those who actually do more crime than any other age group. You see it from the perspectives of being both a Mom and an Aunt.

The book opens with a troubling scene in which Munch's daughter Asia learns that there's a reason to stick close to your chaperones. Next, Asia's Aunt Lisa appears from out of nowhere (she's been in the Federal Witness Protection Program) along with her daughters, punky looking Charlotte and ideal-kid-like Jill. Lisa's obviously in some sort of trouble, and Munch is soon brought into solve the problems.

Obviously, I think that the book has some weaknesses or I would have rated it higher. The plot itself could have used a lot of work that it didn't receive. In addition, Munch and Lisa's daughters are made to be a little too good to be true which steals power from the characters and the story. Munch's world is filled with ethically black and white people, either very evil or very good. The subtle shadings of reality are missing.

But the book is most enjoyable, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.