Roberts, Gillian. How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Ballantine Books, 1994.
Reason read: to continue the series started in July in honor of Philadelphia’s Global Fusion Festival.
What is a mild mannered prep school teacher doing in seedy Atlantic City trying to solve a mystery? In a nutshell, photographer and fun girl, Sasha, is trouble and in trouble. Even though she is one of Amanda’s best friends, on her own she is a handful. Twice divorced, 6′ tall with wild raven-dark hair and bad choices in men. What could possibly go wrong? Add Atlantic City, gambling, crazy people, and a dead body to the mix and you have a whole new Amanda Pepper mystery. Sasha convinces Amanda to take a vacation with her to Atlantic City while she is on a photography assignment. Once there somehow she and Amanda are tangled up in the death of a well-liked financier who finds money for the elderly and underserved. Tangled because Jesse Reese was found in Sasha’s and there is a witness who saw the two of them together entering the room…
The breadcrumbs of clues: Frankie gave Sasha the upgraded hotel room, hoping for a date. Does he have something to do with it? Homeless lady babbles about losing her fortune. Who is she and why does she latch on to Amanda? In truth, I wanted Jesse to have faked his own death. That would have been a fun twist.
While Amanda is trying to clear Sasha of homicide charges, she is also trying to detangle her relationship with her cop. Mackenzie follows Amanda in hopes of talking about their relationship. She spends more time playing detective than figuring out where her heart is hiding.
Confessional: I spend a long weekend at Atlantic City not that long ago. the boardwalk of old is barely recognizable. The wicker furniture on wheels used to ferry tourists from place to place has long been replaced by extra long and extra speedy golf carts.
Lines I liked, “I tried to become Sasha, to add four inches to my height and geometric increments to my self-confidence” (p 27), “Cats are pragmatists, not romantics” (p 92),
Author fact: Gillian Roberts real name is Judith Greber.
Book trivia: How I Spent Last Summer is a very quick read and can be read independent of other Amanda Pepper mysteries.
Playlist: Harry Belafonte, “Sunrise, Sunset”, and Cher.
Nancy said: Pearl said it was always a pleasure to read the Amanda Pepper series.
BookLust Twist: from More Book Lust in the chapter called “Big Ten Country: The Literary Midwest (Pennsylvania)” (p 25).
~*LunaSea*~ 