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Gina Gallo #1
The Goddaughter
Gina Gallo is a gemologist who would like nothing better than to run her little jewelry shop. Unfortunately she's also "the Goddaughter," and, as she tells her new friend Pete, "you don't get to choose your relatives." And you can't avoid them when you live in Hamilton and they more or less run the place. When Gina bumps into Pete at the Art Gallery Gala, sparks fly. So do bullets, when her cousin Tony is taken down by rival mobsters from New York. It turns out Tony was carrying a load of hot gems in the heel of his shoe. When Gina is reluctantly recruited to carry the rocks back to Buffalo, the worst they get stolen. Pete and Gina have no choice but to steal them back, even though philandering politicians, shoe fetishists, and a trio of inept goons stand in their way. It's all in a day's work, when you're the Goddaughter.
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
17 people are currently reading
457 people want to read
About the author
Melodie Campbell
47 books106 followers"the Canadian literary heir to Donald Westlake"
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
NEWS: THE GODDAUGHTER DOES VEGAS is on the Ontario Library Association 2020 Forest of Reading GREAT STORIES list!
THE B-TEAM has been shortlisted for the 2019 Arthur Ellis Award for Excellence in Crime Writing! Melodie Campbell is a double finalist this year, with A SHIP CALLED PANDORA (Mystery Weekly Magazine) being a finalist in the short story category.
THE GODDAUGHTER'S REVENGE has won the DERRINGER AWARD and the ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD for Crime Writing!
The Toronto Sun called her Canada's "Queen of Comedy." Library Journal compared her to Janet Evanovich.
Melodie got her start writing comedy so it's no surprise that reviewers and editors have called her fiction "hilarious" and "laugh-out-loud funny". She has over 200 publications, including 40 short stories, 15 novels, and has won 10 awards for fiction.
"The Goddaughter" a comic mob caper, has been called "Just right for Janet Evanovich fans...impossible not to laugh" by Library Journal.
"The Goddaughter's Revenge" from Orca books, was dubbed 'Real Gold' by the Hamilton Spectator. It won the Derringer Award in the States, and the Arthur Ellis Award in Canada.
Book 5 in the series, "The Bootlegger's Goddaughter" was a finalist for the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak Award. Book 6 in the series, "The Goddaughter Does Vegas" is now available.
Top 100 Bestseller "Rowena Through the Wall," was the first novel in the Land's End comic time travel fantasy series. The entire Land's End trilogy is a Top 50 Amazon Bestseller (all books).
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
NEWS: THE GODDAUGHTER DOES VEGAS is on the Ontario Library Association 2020 Forest of Reading GREAT STORIES list!
THE B-TEAM has been shortlisted for the 2019 Arthur Ellis Award for Excellence in Crime Writing! Melodie Campbell is a double finalist this year, with A SHIP CALLED PANDORA (Mystery Weekly Magazine) being a finalist in the short story category.
THE GODDAUGHTER'S REVENGE has won the DERRINGER AWARD and the ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD for Crime Writing!
The Toronto Sun called her Canada's "Queen of Comedy." Library Journal compared her to Janet Evanovich.
Melodie got her start writing comedy so it's no surprise that reviewers and editors have called her fiction "hilarious" and "laugh-out-loud funny". She has over 200 publications, including 40 short stories, 15 novels, and has won 10 awards for fiction.
"The Goddaughter" a comic mob caper, has been called "Just right for Janet Evanovich fans...impossible not to laugh" by Library Journal.
"The Goddaughter's Revenge" from Orca books, was dubbed 'Real Gold' by the Hamilton Spectator. It won the Derringer Award in the States, and the Arthur Ellis Award in Canada.
Book 5 in the series, "The Bootlegger's Goddaughter" was a finalist for the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak Award. Book 6 in the series, "The Goddaughter Does Vegas" is now available.
Top 100 Bestseller "Rowena Through the Wall," was the first novel in the Land's End comic time travel fantasy series. The entire Land's End trilogy is a Top 50 Amazon Bestseller (all books).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
September 29, 2012
My review:
I needed to read something which is funny, positive and has no greater deeper meaning. The Goddaughter by Melodie Campbell was right to the spot! It was such an enjoyable read which was well written easy to read and I laughed my way through it!
The Goddaughter is really a rapid read, and I loved every single page of it. If you need something which has snappy dialogue, is lovable and fun and entertaining to read, then you will love The Goddaughter. I did.
Meet Gina who has tried to escape from her family, especially her uncle Vince who is the synonym with godfather. Gina does not want to have her uncles protection, but sometimes blood is just thicker than water. Can't hide from your family and who you are.
Gina is drawn into an adventure together with Pete Malone, a sports reporter. This suspicious adventure takes you from Canada to US and back and involves stolen gems, dead bodies and other interesting activities. And as a reader I really giggled a lot and laughed out loud. The writing style is so cleverly fine tuned with humor, so it was pure pleasure to read The Goddaughter.
I also liked how the author is combining her other book Rowena Through The Wall into the story. Brilliant! And poor Pete, now he just has to marry Gina! Or get whacked! :) Read it and you will understand!
Well done! One of the best comic suspense stories ever!
5 stars.
I needed to read something which is funny, positive and has no greater deeper meaning. The Goddaughter by Melodie Campbell was right to the spot! It was such an enjoyable read which was well written easy to read and I laughed my way through it!
The Goddaughter is really a rapid read, and I loved every single page of it. If you need something which has snappy dialogue, is lovable and fun and entertaining to read, then you will love The Goddaughter. I did.
Meet Gina who has tried to escape from her family, especially her uncle Vince who is the synonym with godfather. Gina does not want to have her uncles protection, but sometimes blood is just thicker than water. Can't hide from your family and who you are.
Gina is drawn into an adventure together with Pete Malone, a sports reporter. This suspicious adventure takes you from Canada to US and back and involves stolen gems, dead bodies and other interesting activities. And as a reader I really giggled a lot and laughed out loud. The writing style is so cleverly fine tuned with humor, so it was pure pleasure to read The Goddaughter.
I also liked how the author is combining her other book Rowena Through The Wall into the story. Brilliant! And poor Pete, now he just has to marry Gina! Or get whacked! :) Read it and you will understand!
Well done! One of the best comic suspense stories ever!
5 stars.
February 14, 2013
Another wonderful book by Ms. Campbell. Once again, this author had me rolling in the aisles. Her sense of humour is outstanding. This is a quick, entertaining read about mob families and some love on the side. I read it in one happy sitting. I can't even count how many times I laughed out loud. The scene on the plane made my ribs hurt. The scene with the geraniums was so funny it was almost obscene. And the whole thing was just a pleasure to read. Ms. Campbell has a talent for saying so much in short, evocative sentences. She does not need to go on and on with huge paragraphs of description; she can make her point with a few well-chosen words. And the result had me reeling. Oh, and Pete Malone was pretty darn sexy too. I would reread this one with great pleasure.
October 26, 2013
For a quick, fun, and sweetly romantic read, join The Goddaughter on this Mafia relative's cross-two-countries hunt for her missing shoes. When Gina Gallo says her heels are killing her, she isn't joking. But the author usually is, and she makes us laugh throughout this novella/short novel/great little book.
Marketed in the Canadian publisher Raven Books' Rapid Read line, Melodie Campbell's story of new lovers unwilling involvement in a wacky jewel heist is definitely worth savoring. This isn't junk food, folks. It's deliciously light fare you can eat in a single sitting without feeling stuffed.
Marketed in the Canadian publisher Raven Books' Rapid Read line, Melodie Campbell's story of new lovers unwilling involvement in a wacky jewel heist is definitely worth savoring. This isn't junk food, folks. It's deliciously light fare you can eat in a single sitting without feeling stuffed.
October 11, 2012
The Goddaughter is lighthearted suspense with a charming heroine and the kind of hero every woman wants to meet. A fast-paced and funny page-turner that takes you on a wild ride from beginning to end, leaving you satisfied and smiling when it's over. I read this book on a flight to New Orleans and I was a lot happier with my choice of entertainment than the seatmates who kept switching from one in-flight movie to another, searching for something worth watching. The Goddaughter is highly recommended reading!
May 15, 2013
A part of the Rapid Reads series, this book is just that - in the best of ways. It's certainly a fast read - largely because you want to find out what happens next. The characters are concisely and wittily drawn, the dialogue is snappy, the action never lets up. A rollicking good read - fun from start to finish.
August 20, 2020
Short, sweet, improbable fun. Gina Gallo has tried to sever ties with her mobster family, but keeps getting dragged back, this time with a good looking reporter. Reminds me of Agnes and the Hitman which I think was a bit better, and hilarious.
June 28, 2014
Back in March I had the opportunity to hear Melodie Campbell read at a local event and was lucky enough to find that the Toronto library had one of her books in the system when I looked a couple of days later, and finally had the time to read it last month.
This was everything Melodie said her books would be. It was funny, quirky, had a mix of romance and a touch of mystery with good characters and a funny plot. This one had me laughing at least ninety percent of the time that I was reading it but I had a smile on my face the other ten percent.
I really liked Gina, she's the Goddaughter of a mafia boss and along with her love interest Pete got roped into helping "the family" do a job that involved border crossings, prostitutes, diamond smuggling, hot shoes and a little bit of murder. It might seem like there was a lot going on in this slim 134 page paperback and there was but the author did a good job of putting everything together to make a pretty damn good story.
I thought it was fast paced and well written but I like how the book didn't take itself to seriously. If you want something that will make you think as you read, this one might not be fore you because it was so fun. You aren't going to find a lot of character depth, or an iron clad plot but I've read much, much worse, and consider this one of the best little novellas I've read.
It was my first time reading a book by Melodie Campbell and it won't be my last because I loved how part of the story is set in Canada and that Melodie is a Canadian writer. I had so much fun reading this one that I'm adding her to my auto-buy list and I can't wait to read more from her.
I'd recommend this one to anyone looking for a quick and fun read. Whether you need a break from reading a heavier tome, or you just need something to read at the doctors, on vacation or just something to get you into reading or back into reading. It has a little something for everyone and reminds us that there are great authors out there using humour to make us readers love their stories.
This was everything Melodie said her books would be. It was funny, quirky, had a mix of romance and a touch of mystery with good characters and a funny plot. This one had me laughing at least ninety percent of the time that I was reading it but I had a smile on my face the other ten percent.
I really liked Gina, she's the Goddaughter of a mafia boss and along with her love interest Pete got roped into helping "the family" do a job that involved border crossings, prostitutes, diamond smuggling, hot shoes and a little bit of murder. It might seem like there was a lot going on in this slim 134 page paperback and there was but the author did a good job of putting everything together to make a pretty damn good story.
I thought it was fast paced and well written but I like how the book didn't take itself to seriously. If you want something that will make you think as you read, this one might not be fore you because it was so fun. You aren't going to find a lot of character depth, or an iron clad plot but I've read much, much worse, and consider this one of the best little novellas I've read.
It was my first time reading a book by Melodie Campbell and it won't be my last because I loved how part of the story is set in Canada and that Melodie is a Canadian writer. I had so much fun reading this one that I'm adding her to my auto-buy list and I can't wait to read more from her.
I'd recommend this one to anyone looking for a quick and fun read. Whether you need a break from reading a heavier tome, or you just need something to read at the doctors, on vacation or just something to get you into reading or back into reading. It has a little something for everyone and reminds us that there are great authors out there using humour to make us readers love their stories.
October 21, 2012
The Goddaughter by Melodie Campbell is a delightful and humorous story about Gina, a goddaughter to the mob. Gina is doing her best to distance herself from her life’s connections, but it’s just not working.
When Gina’s cousin is unfortunately taken out of the picture, Gina has no choice but to step in and move some stolen gems. The gems are then stolen from her, and she’s got to retrieve them with the help of Pete, a non-mob romantic interest. I won’t say the fun begins there, because it starts on the first page and just keeps building.
The only complaint I had about this book is that I wish it was longer. I didn’t want to see it end. I highly recommend The Goddaughter to everyone looking for a story to lighten their day. Gina will make you laugh out loud.
When Gina’s cousin is unfortunately taken out of the picture, Gina has no choice but to step in and move some stolen gems. The gems are then stolen from her, and she’s got to retrieve them with the help of Pete, a non-mob romantic interest. I won’t say the fun begins there, because it starts on the first page and just keeps building.
The only complaint I had about this book is that I wish it was longer. I didn’t want to see it end. I highly recommend The Goddaughter to everyone looking for a story to lighten their day. Gina will make you laugh out loud.
September 25, 2012
Gina Gallo is caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock – gems hidden in a custom-made pair of shoes that are stolen while Gina takes them across the border. The hard place – Pete, a reporter, is the proverbial hard man that's good to find.
In the vein of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, this is a laugh out loud, screwball comedy. Easy to read but also twisty and clever. I can't wait for the sequel.
In the vein of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, this is a laugh out loud, screwball comedy. Easy to read but also twisty and clever. I can't wait for the sequel.
March 9, 2013
A new Canadian author to me. I really enjoyed her sense of humour. A quick read that was lots of fun. I think many of us can identify, even part of the time with Gina, who was asked "Do you ever have an ordinary day?" Full of comic twists and turns, that will make you laugh (or at least crack a smile and nod a knowing head).
September 30, 2017
3.5 stars
What a quick, fun read! Reminded me of the early Evanovich books. I really like books that I can read pretty quickly because I don't always have a lot of time to read. I laughed out loud a few times with this one. The characters are likable and the storyline is entertaining. Looking forward to reading the next one!
What a quick, fun read! Reminded me of the early Evanovich books. I really like books that I can read pretty quickly because I don't always have a lot of time to read. I laughed out loud a few times with this one. The characters are likable and the storyline is entertaining. Looking forward to reading the next one!
August 19, 2017
This very short novel (actually a novella) is about Gina Gallo, a certified gemologist. She is also related to the local mob in the Hamilton, Ontario area, but she insists that she is out of "the family business." Well, not exactly.
A botched diamond delivery leads to Gina being "convinced" to smuggle them across the border, to Buffalo, in the heels of a pair of fancy shoes. The shoes get stolen, forcing Gina, and local sports writer Pete Malone, to follow the thief, a bleached blond prostitute, to a hotel in Phoenix. The shoes are retrieved, and the pair head back to Hamilton.
Before the delivery can be made, there is the small matter of getting a recently murdered mob associate out of the Buffalo morgue before the autopsy. It involves the use of an ice cream truck to get the body across the border.
Do Gina and Pete get the diamonds to the right people in Buffalo? Since Pete now knows too much about internal "family business," his choices are to marry Gina, or get whacked.
This is a very short book that can be read in an hour or so. It's got some humor to it (the mobsters are not exactly at the level of the film "Goodfellas") and it will keep the reader entertained.
A botched diamond delivery leads to Gina being "convinced" to smuggle them across the border, to Buffalo, in the heels of a pair of fancy shoes. The shoes get stolen, forcing Gina, and local sports writer Pete Malone, to follow the thief, a bleached blond prostitute, to a hotel in Phoenix. The shoes are retrieved, and the pair head back to Hamilton.
Before the delivery can be made, there is the small matter of getting a recently murdered mob associate out of the Buffalo morgue before the autopsy. It involves the use of an ice cream truck to get the body across the border.
Do Gina and Pete get the diamonds to the right people in Buffalo? Since Pete now knows too much about internal "family business," his choices are to marry Gina, or get whacked.
This is a very short book that can be read in an hour or so. It's got some humor to it (the mobsters are not exactly at the level of the film "Goodfellas") and it will keep the reader entertained.
November 14, 2023
This author appeared on our library social media site to promote her upcoming author talk and I was immediately captivated by her sense of humour, signed up, and grabbed book 1 in the series. This is a well-paced, hilarious story with non-stop action, quirky characters, and no gruesome details, why I normally avoid the mystery genre. It's a short book, called a "rapid read" but I read it quickly because it was also purely entertaining. Gina Gallo, who runs a jewelry shop, is also tied into the mob and when her cousin Tony is shot by rival mobsters, she has to carry some hot gems over the Buffalo border. This book has references to Hamilton and Oakville, hilarious commentary on enmeshed families, plenty of curse words, and mayhem. I loved it and can't wait to hear the author speak tomorrow night.
June 21, 2018
Quick Read YA book with a woman half in, half out of a mob family. When something goes wrong with the transfer of stolen gems, she and a newspaper reporter get caught in the middle of everything and work together to stay alive. The plot moves quickly and there is enough action to keep distracted readers with the story. First of a series that I will recommend to students looking for a quick read.
February 23, 2022
I only read this because we are considering having the series is our high school library "Quick Read" section. The best thing it has going for it is that it is, indeed, a rapid read. However, the dialogue, plot, and character development is terrible. I can't see any of our high school students enjoying this book. I do not recommend it. I do feel that it could have been expanded and improved upon so that it would be an interesting YA read. Sadly, that would take much work.
June 5, 2017
Reads like a screenplay.
January 9, 2018
2 1/2 stars. The story was quick & the characters are quirky but the plot was random and confusing in places. But a nice light read.
January 25, 2018
this book was ridiculous but so fun.
October 10, 2018
I had a great time reading this short and funny book, Looking for a light read, fast paced story with a mystery thrown in and a "Goddaughter" that loves shoes. This is your book.
Want to read
July 26, 2019Synopsis: Gina is a gemologist but also Goddaughter. When her cousin gets shot in a mob hit while carrying gems, she's reluctantly involved.
Read
August 8, 2020Excellent read. If you like Janet Evanovich you should try this series!
December 25, 2020
Decent short story/novella. Onto the next!
September 19, 2021
It was a good short story. I don't think I will read again but still enjoyed it.
March 30, 2023
Perfect to take on vacation!
October 21, 2023
Short, ridiculous and not for me. Two stars for the courage to write it.
December 12, 2024
Cute fast read.
July 28, 2025
Quick, a little absurd, and definitely not a mystery despite what they want you to believe.
February 5, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
If you want something very unserious
If you want something very unserious
June 25, 2015
Here's the review from my blog. I read and reviewed both book (The Goddaughter and The Goddaughter's Revenge)
These are action packed, full laugh-loaded books. What makes that so amazing is that they are novellas. I've no clue how Melodie Campbell manage to stuff so much in so few pages. It's like magic. You get the full enjoyment of a novel in an hour's time. I have to think she's got something to hold over Time so it caters to her needs.
Seriously, these novellas have so much fun stuffed in them, you will swear they are full length novels, and time is just screwing with your head.
Living in New Jersey, I have come upon real mafia myself, but there is nothing like growing up in the family to truly grasp the complexity of their relationships. You'll get a great sense of what I'm talking about in these two books.
Once a young mafia stud threatened to blow my head off, right there in the middle of a traffic jam while a hundred people looked on.
So when Melodie has her characters do brainless things, I not only believe them, I'm pretty sure someone she knew did something similar to all the stupid-ass things that occur in the books.
Both books are superbly written. However, since I loved the story plot of book two more than book one, I'll give it 5 stares, and the first book 4.5 stars, rounding it up to 5, and hope it won't cause conflict in the book family. Given book two has won several awards, book one may be resentful, and since it cannot kill it's family, it might come after me.... Well, let me say the same thing I did to the mafia tough who once threatened me: "Oh, for God's sakes, just do it! You're giving me a headache."
Hopefully, book one will stare at me in baffled silence for a moment, then slam his book cover on my pc and storm off rather awkwardly. (Books are clumsy when storming off.)
Liza, going for her strangest review yet...because Melodie provoked her sense of humor with her crazy stories.
These are action packed, full laugh-loaded books. What makes that so amazing is that they are novellas. I've no clue how Melodie Campbell manage to stuff so much in so few pages. It's like magic. You get the full enjoyment of a novel in an hour's time. I have to think she's got something to hold over Time so it caters to her needs.
Seriously, these novellas have so much fun stuffed in them, you will swear they are full length novels, and time is just screwing with your head.
Living in New Jersey, I have come upon real mafia myself, but there is nothing like growing up in the family to truly grasp the complexity of their relationships. You'll get a great sense of what I'm talking about in these two books.
Once a young mafia stud threatened to blow my head off, right there in the middle of a traffic jam while a hundred people looked on.
So when Melodie has her characters do brainless things, I not only believe them, I'm pretty sure someone she knew did something similar to all the stupid-ass things that occur in the books.
Both books are superbly written. However, since I loved the story plot of book two more than book one, I'll give it 5 stares, and the first book 4.5 stars, rounding it up to 5, and hope it won't cause conflict in the book family. Given book two has won several awards, book one may be resentful, and since it cannot kill it's family, it might come after me.... Well, let me say the same thing I did to the mafia tough who once threatened me: "Oh, for God's sakes, just do it! You're giving me a headache."
Hopefully, book one will stare at me in baffled silence for a moment, then slam his book cover on my pc and storm off rather awkwardly. (Books are clumsy when storming off.)
Liza, going for her strangest review yet...because Melodie provoked her sense of humor with her crazy stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews