Sprinkled (Lacey Luzzi Mafia Mysteries, #1)

by Gina Lamanna

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

4★ Audiobook⎮ I’ve been on a “mafia kick” lately. Over the holidays, I introduced my brother to The Godfather Trilogy while he was home from college. So it was fitting to discover The Lacy Luzzi Mafia Mysteries a couple weeks later.

To clarify, I am in no way comparing Sprinkled to The Godfather. You can stop peeking through your fingers now. Sprinkled was a much more fun and fluffy tale. I mean, take a look at the cover! In actuality, I would compare this more to The Princess Diaries than The Godfather. The main character (Lacey Luzzi) suddenly finds out that her long-lost family is actually spelled with a capital “F”. Get it?

She shows up on her newly discovered grandparents’ doorstep after being kept from them her entire life (28 years) and is given a job at their legitimate business, which is a front for their not-so-legitimate business. For some reason, Lacey wants to prove herself to her grandfather who doesn’t believe women have a place in the mob. She’s given small tasks which, of course, turn into gaffes. Bada bing, bada boom, there’s your story.

I really love the underpinnings of this story. A mafia story isn’t something I’ve come across before in cozy mystery form, especially not when told from a female perspective. Lacey is presented as a determined and ambitious protagonist. I love the fact that she is not only going up against a mob boss (her grandfather), but also the basic misogynistic framework of the mob itself.

Sprinkled definitely lived up to being a “humorous cozy mystery”, as advertised. Knowing that, I didn’t take it overly seriously. This was obviously the kind of story that’s meant to put a smile on your face, not break literary boundaries. I enjoyed the “mafioso” theme and colloquialisms, even if they were a bit stereotypical. The dialogue was kind of awkward, but for the most part, the writing was very enjoyable.

Lacey was an entertaining and pretty relatable character. There’s plenty of room for further development, though. Most of her backstory was glazed over in favor of the current plot’s action. I’m really hoping that Gina LaManna will use future installments to progress Lacey as a character through her backstory. We saw a glimpse of it regarding her ex-boyfriend, Blake. But I would specifically like to know more about her pre-mafia life and about her mother. Perhaps a prequel is in order?

Narration review: Caitlin Kelly’s voice is just so happy and perky that you can’t help but smile when listening to it. Her narration always seems to put me in a better mood. My attention never wandered when listening to Sprinkled. She made Lacey an instantly likable character. And, oh my gosh, Meg! Kelly brought such spunk and hilarity to the character of Meg. Her narration of Meg just oozed sass. Caitlin Kelly pulled off several very distinct regional accents (New York, Russian, Italian, Minnesotan, plus a little Marlon Brando). I was both surprised and impressed by the breadth of Kelly’s characterization skills. ♣︎

➜ This audiobook was graciously gifted to me by its narrator, Caitlin Kelly, in exchange for a review containing my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks, Caitlin!