The Artful Goddaughter

Gina Gallo #3

by Melodie Campbell

Mob goddaughter Gina Gallo stands to inherit two million bucks from her great-uncle Seb, a master forger. But there's a catch: Uncle Seb wants Gina to make things right and return an extremely valuable painting to the City Art Gallery. If she can't do it, her rat-face cousin Carmine gets the boodle. Reluctantly, Gina comes up with a plan for a reverse heist, as she has learned things never go as planned when her family gets involved. The wrong painting gets replaced, and Gina finds herself with two priceless masterpieces in hand! It won't be long before someone realizes what's going on. The Artful Goddaughter is the third novel in a series featuring Gina Gallo, who wants nothing more than to run her little jewelry store. But try as she might, Gina can't escape the family business, with hilarious consequences.

Genres: Humor, Mystery

136 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

"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).

Reviews

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - rounded up to 4! Another great read in the Gina Gallo series. Love these books - mob crime, lots of laughs, great characters and good fun!

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The books in this series are short enough to easily read in one day but I'm savouring them and enjoying the main character, Gina, amidst the ongoing ridiculous (and funny) storylines. In this third book of the series, Gina's uncle has died and left her an impossible task in order to receive a huge inheritance. It involves mayhem at the Hamilton art gallery, a swearing parrot, and some inappropriate seniors, among other things.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of 'The Artful Goddaughter' from LibraryThing and Orca Publishing yesterday and finished today. On the side cover it says "Rapid Reads" and this truly was a very quick read. Gina Gallo is a geologist who receives an inheritance from her Great-Uncle Deb but there's a small catch, she has to return a priceless painting back to the museum where he "acquired" it from. See Seb's an art forger, a really good art forger; that is until he checked out, permanently. This is a fun, tongue-in-cheek story of a very typical Italian-Jewish family who thinks nothing of having a family member offed. Kept chuckling throughout the book.

Now don't be thinking this is a hard-driving mystery or one that will make you think a lot - this book isn't written to go up against longer, more in-depth books. This book is from Rapid Reads, a division of Orca Book Publishers who basically wants to get adults who have literacy goals to read - and I imagine that this book could very easily inspire someone to read this book and want more. Even the paperback copy I received has physical aspects that would encourage reading from the larger, cleaner pages to the paper that has a bit of a blue cast making it easy on the eyes (less strain).

[Jackson Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy these short little reads from Orca Books and the Gina Gallo series might be my favorite. I find her “made” family to be funny to hear about and while they are always getting her into things she does not want to be doing it’s all done in a pretty lighthearted way. This one makes her do a reverse heist on a famous painting. The second book might have been funnier, but I still enjoyed my short time with Gina!

[Jenny Zuege Wehmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another quick read, but kept my interest. Good book for poolside reading!

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cute and easy read. But the corny writing style was too much for me. Phrases like "Carmine the rat nearly cooked my goose..." got in the way of my enjoyment.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Canadian book :) It takes place in Hamilton, ON, which I have been to (briefly). It's so much fun reading books where you've actual been to (and close to).

This was a nice, quick, easy read that I really enjoyed. It had humor that I reminds me of One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. This is the third book in the series and I've only read The Goddaughter's Revenge, which is the second. I find that you don't have to read the previous ones in order to enjoy the later ones. What you may have missed in the other books is briefly mentioned so that you are essentially caught up. But if you have read the previous books, not too much detail is given so that you feel like you're re-reading them. I felt this one had a quicker wrap up. Some details go into building the situation and then it felt like only a few (3-4) chapters were given to conclude it (including the plan execution).

Gina is funny and, despite her being a Canadian, I tend to give her a Jersey/Boston/Mob accent. Paul, the fiance, is given a little more involvement and I find him funny as well. Nico is by far my favorite family character!

I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a cleanser book, or they like mysteries. It's also highly recommended to Canadians - because we have to read our books :D

[Alison E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following the Goddaughter's adventures from the beginning and each one makes me long for the next. This isn't the kind of series that requires the reader to start from the beginning, however. The Goddaughter books are more like chips. You won't want to stop at one.

The Artful Goddaughter finds Gina cleaning up after her family's messes once again, but this time with a big inheritance at stake. If you're a fan of screwball comedy, you'll love it.

Also check out:
The Goddaughter
The Goddaughter's Revenge

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, mob goddaughter Gina Gallo is trying to avoid the family business and focus on her upcoming wedding, but somehow they manage to pull her back in for one more caper with the usual humorously unbelievable results.

This time Gina will receive two million dollars from her great-uncle Seb’s estate…IF she appeases his guilty conscience and returns a valuable painting to the art gallery that is unknowingly displaying a forgery that was painted by Uncle Seb.

If she doesn’t do this, then her detestable cousins that constantly get her in trouble will get the millions. Can Gina manage to pull off the switch without chaos and laughter ensuing?

This typical Rapid Reads novel for reluctant readers will hold students’ interest due to the captivating characters and laugh out loud moments.

[Stephanie (the nerdy princess) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

very fun fast read only 129 pages


this was the first book I have read in the gallo series and this being book 3 I had no trouble following along and enjoying this book.

we met gina gallo who is a gemologist who owns a jewelry store. she is engaged to pete a very famous sports reporter. she has a not so great family(mobsters). she is trying to get out of the family business but when her uncle dies and leaves her 2 million dollars with a note that she has to make his wrongs right or the cousins will get the money.

will gina risk everything to get the money or will she swear off the family???

a must read!!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This passed a pleasant hour--almost literally; it's really a short novella or a long short story--few pages, large margins...Gina wants to be an honest gemologist, but her mobbed-up family keeps getting in her way. Now, just as she's getting ready for her wedding, great-uncle Seb leaves her a fortune, if she'll only switch the genuine painting he swiped from a museum for the imitation he left in its place. If she won't try, or if she fails, the money goes to her sworn enemies. So Gina calls in a lot of favors and a lot of friends in order to give the gallery back a painting they don't even know is missing.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was geared toward slightly older readers, as there were quite a few sex references in here. I must say that the Older People Dating Club made me chuckle. The whole idea of having to switch the paintings was taken a bit lightly, and the whole deal with the parrot and old people and counterfeit money was a bit far-fetched (yet predictable). The whole story seemed a bit preposterous, but hey, that's what books are for, right? It was an interesting short story that I read in under an hour, so it didn't waste too much of my time.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast read, action moves along at a nice clip. Silly but good, some action is implied or plans are made that the reader isn't privy to until the plan is in play. Third in a series, so I should like to go find the first two and get acquainted with Gina and her connected 'family'.
Gina stands to gain a couple million from her recently deceased uncle, the art forger. Gina wants out of the Mob biz, but can't seem to shake 'family'.
I like that it's in her blood, family is everything even if they aren't exactly on the straight and narrow path.
A fun fast book.

[Esil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book on Librarything and really did not know anything about the book, publisher or author. I was quite surprised to receive such a thin book with big writing. Another reviewer on Goodreads gave it context. I gather it is designed to encourage adult new or reluctant readers. With that perspective, I appreciated it. The characters and story are very light, but it's quite funny. The comparison to Janet Evanovich is apt. And it's set in Hamilton Ontario, which is quite an achievement.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected pleasure; entertaining, fun, and a quick read. Reminds me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Lots of interesting and funny characters, and best of all, it takes place in an unlikely setting...in my neck of the woods - Hamilton, Canada! What stories ever take place in Hamilton, Canada?

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that this book is the poor man's Stephanie Plum, in Canada, and it's shorter. She is a gemologist and her whole family is in the mob. Her uncle, Sebastian, passes away. He was a forger. He gives her an inheritance but in order to get it she has to make a museum switch for a Kugel. It doesn't go well and they have to try it again. Does she get the inheritance?

[Ruth Linka · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third in the hilarious series featuring Gina Gallo. These funny mysteries are light and fun and quick reads. The characters and their escapades make me laugh. Congrats to a writer who can tell a good story in a short amount of space.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Artful Goddaughter is the third novel in the Gina Gallo mysteries. Don't worry if you haven't read the others though... it was easy to follow along. This book was a quick read, bursting with lots of action and laughs. The characters were lively and entertaining and the plot was enjoyable.

[Jason Stuckless · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful book in this trilogy. I'm sorry to see it end (although rumblings are...). A delicious, hilarious read following the heroine and her bumbling sidekicks & family. I highly, highly recommend this series.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third in the series. A very quick read - the Kobo said it took me one hour. Gina tries to replace a fake painting with a real one in Hamilton's art gallery. Funny and light, but I think slighter than the first two.

[Kate Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little read.

[Dee Willson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious romp of a story!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cute one. The same old gang and in trouble since a painting needs to be returned to the gallery and the fake gotten out. Quite a wild ride as always.

[Eddy Galle · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun

[Kirsty Tunstall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Quick easy read. Wish all the stories were in one book though.