Review: Danger And Little Old Ladies
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 3, 2013
Title: Cold Moon Dead (Vinnie Esposito book 4)Author: J. M. GriffinPublisher: Lachesis Publishing Inc.Published - Kindle Edition 10-13-2012Pages: 230ISBN: 1-927-55505-1Genre: SuspenseTags: Mystery, CozyCresting a hill Vinnie Esposito swerves her Altima to avoid a car stalled in the slow lane.  Stopping and backing up in the emergency lane she calls the police to report the car and then gets out and walks toward the broken down car.  An elderly woman in ragged clothing berates her for "nearly killing" her.  She goes on to tell Vinnie that the least she could do is take her home.  Vinnie agrees and they get into Vinnie's car.  The old woman rummages in her tattered purse and suddenly pulls out a .38 and points it at her.  She tells Vinnie to pull over and tells her to get out.  When Vinnie reaches for her purse the old woman grabs it and tells Vinnie it belongs to her now.  Luckily Vinnie has her cell phone in her pocket.  Reluctantly she call the police to report the theft.  Knowing she was going to be ribbed mercilessly.  After all she is an instructor of criminal justice, you think she would know better than to pick up a stranger.Just to prove her day could go from bad to worse, after giving her statement to her friend Officer Freedom Banger, Freedom is called to an incident.  While waiting for her to return she hears what sounds like firecrackers.  Looking out the window she sees a car speeding off and memorizes the license plate number out of reflex.  Then an older man stumbles in the front door with blood dripping down his arm.  Grabbing paper towels to stanch the blood flow then man giver her a number to call and the he tells the person all the fall to come get him, that he has been shot.  After hanging up he tells Vinnie she looks familiar and asks her if her father used to own a pizza restaurant.  After Vinnie confirms that he did the man tells Vinnie to clean up the bloody towel and forget everything she has seen and him.  When a car screeched to a stop he goes out and gets in and leaves.  Vinnie tells no one. Later she calls her father and describes the man asking him if he knows who it is.  Her father tells her that it was Tony Jabroni and that Vinnie needs to stay far away from him as he is a "businessman", another name for mobster, from the Hill.Vinnie's friend Lola is going on a cruise and offers her car for Vinnie to use while she is gone and reminds her to keep an eye on her house.  Marcus nor Aaron are pleased to hear about the carjacking and Vinnie listens to their tirades.  While going through her mail she finds an invitation to a gallery grand opening featuring none other that her friend Lanky Larry.  Vinnie calls to congratulate Larry and he asks if she can help him finish a job at a clients house so he can get it done and concentrate on the opening.  Agreeing to go with him the next day.  As they are working to finish Larry begins to feel awful and and gets an appointment to see his doctor.  Vinnie is nearly finished but agrees Larry needs to see a doctor so they leave.  A decision she may come to regret.Mobsters, car jacking. shootings, intruders and threatening calls continue to bring excitement to her life that Vinnie would really like to do with out.  Vinnie, through no fault of her own, is drawn into the danger and must find the answers until someone takes her out of the equation permanently.  This, the fourth installment is a lively fast moving storyline that is fun to read.  Hopefully Ms Griffin will have the next book out soon.  Although all the books can stand on their own I recommend you read the books in order to get the full story from the beginning.  Vinnie's and Marcus' first meeting and how Aaron grant came to be living in the apartment upstairs during an undercover assignment.  What ever you decide you can be sure you will enjoy this series.