This is my first Bubbles Yablonsky book but it certainly won't be my last.  This book was a lot of fun to read and I was quite surprised at the ending.  I thought I had the culprit all figured out but I was wrong.

Bubbles is a reporter on the News-Times, the daily paper in Lehigh, Pennsylvania.  Since she is new at this reporting game she is sent on various assignments that no one else wants and has to work long weekends attending various dull functions.  Nevertheless Bubbles is able to come up with some good newsworthy stories.

Bubbles was assigned to cover the arraignment of Julia Simon a/k/a Crazy Popeye.  Crazy Popeye is being held for the murder of the high school principal Rudolph Schmidt.  Lorena Ludwig is the photographer that accompanied Bubbles to the arraignment and in attempting to defend Lorena when she lost her temper with a policeman over being searched Bubbles winds up in a holding room with Crazy Popeye who immediately starts spilling her side of the story that none of the authorities would listen to.  The notebook Bubbles used becomes a document that everyone is after and Bubbles won't turn over.

Her former employer the owner of The House of Beauty hides the notebook for her.  The story gets quite complicated when Dan, Bubbles ex-husband confides to her he is being blackmailed.  Then Steve Stiletto her boyfriend asks her to pose as his fiancée in order to stave off an overseas transfer.

With the police, the Polish Mafioso, plus many others two numerous to mention after Bubbles notebook things get a little hairy.  Add to the mix Jane, Bubbles brilliant but non-conformist daughter who is attempting to get into college and Bubbles mother who is a real character and a disastrous Thanksgiving dinner you have a very entertaining book as well as a very good mystery.

I can't wait to read the previous Bubbles books.

REVIEWED BY PATRICIA E. REID

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REVIEWER, PATRICIA E. REID