Extracurricular activities

Format:

Book

Title:

Extracurricular activities

Author:

Barbieri, Maggie.

ISBN:

9780312355388

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

New York : St. Martin's Minotaur, 2007.

Physical Description:

viii, 294 pages ; 22 cm

Series title(s):

Murder 101 mystery.

Number in series:

BK. 2

Summary:

When her ex-husband turns up dead, Alison Bergeron, a professor at an upstate New York college, teams up with her on-again, off-again lover, married NYPD Homicide Detective Bobby Crawford, to prove that the killing is linked to a local mob boss.

Personal Subject:

Bergeron, Alison (Fictitious character)-Fiction.

Bergeron, Alison (Fictitious character)

Subject(s):

English teachers -- Fiction.

Women college teachers -- Fiction.

Divorced women -- Fiction.

Crawford, Bobby (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.

Police -- New York (State) -- New York -- Fiction.

Gangsters -- Fiction.

Detective and mystery stories.

Bronx (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Bronx (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction.

New York (State) -- New York

New York (State) -- New York -- Bronx

Genre:

Detective and mystery stories.

Detective and mystery fiction

Fiction

Mystery fiction.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Dallas Public Library	MYSTERY - BARBIERI	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

You'd think, now that she's off the hook for murder, Alison Bergeron, an English professor at a private college a stone's throw up the Hudson from Manhattan, would be able to relax---but how can she with a wedding in the works?

Alison is happy for her best friend, Max. Really, she is. She loves Max, and the guy Max is marrying completely adores her. Even being in the wedding wouldn't be so bad, if it'd keep her from thinking about her off-again relationship with the married NYPD homicide detective Bobby Crawford. (Actually, if you want to be technical about it, he's separated, has been for years, but Alison is still getting over her own divorce and she's trying to make good decisions.) However, Bobby's the best man, and that forces them into all kinds of awkward situations, like dancing cheek to cheek and sharing a bottle of champagne.

Then, when Alison's ex turns up dead, she's dragged into another murder investigation. Convinced it's the handiwork of one of her former student's parents, a local Mob boss, and afraid for her life, she turns to Bobby for help, but threatening a Mob boss while he's fulfilling a vendetta may not be the best idea.

Romance, humor, and murder are sure to mix and mingle whenever Alison and Bobby link up""in "Extracurricular Activities, " Maggie Barbieri's second charming mystery.

Author Notes

Maggie Barbieri, author of Murder 101, is a freelance editor as well as a mystery novelist. Her father was a member of the NYPD, and his stories provide much of the background for her mysteries. This is her second novel. She lives in Westchester County, New York.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Barbieri's in top form as she delivers a smooth sequel to her witty debut (Murder 101). English professor Alison Bergeron wishes she'd stop getting uninvited visits from her ex-husband, Raymond Stark, "fornicator extraordinaire" and fellow professor at St. Thomas, a small Catholic university north of New York City. Ray's past conquests include Alison's slutty neighbor, Terri, and St. Thomas student Kathy Miceli, whose recent murder shocked the campus. Then Alison comes home one night to find Ray's body in her kitchen, hands and feet chopped off: the slaying signature of "chubby mobster" Peter Miceli, Kathy's father. Peter begins stalking Alison, showing up uninvited in her house to proclaim his innocence. Alison reluctantly turns to her soon-to-be-divorced former boyfriend, Bobby Crawford, an NYPD homicide detective, for help and comfort. The plot thickens when Terri disappears, leaving Alison in charge of Trixie, a scene-stealing golden retriever who makes a gruesome discovery. Barbieri juggles romance, murder and mayhem with stark realism and disarming charm. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Kirkus Review

An English professor waits for her married boyfriend's freedom, dates a New York Ranger and finds dead bodies. What's a girl to do? Although Alison Bergeron's main man, NYPD Detective Bobby Crawford, has been separated for years from his wife Christine, separated isn't divorced. So until he's legally free, Alison (Murder 101, 2006) is left with only her teaching duties and committee work. The former don't merit description, and the latter has her raging at Sister Calista, who won't surrender her American lit syllabus for perusal by the diversity committee. It's almost a relief when Alison finds ex-husband Ray Stark's dismembered body in her kitchen. For one thing, it gives her an excuse to call Crawford. For another, it provokes a series of bizarre but amusing encounters with her next-door neighbors, Terri and Jackson, ultimately leading her to possession of their dog Trixie. It also leads to the unwanted attention of mobster Peter Miceli, whose wife Gianna was Alison's college classmate. Between dodging kisses from Peter and her deli man Tony, Alison finds time for more welcome smooches with Jack McManus, brother of her colleague Kevin, who's handsome, erudite and employed by her favorite hockey team. Still, Crawford's always in the background, as unresolved as he is undivorced. Alison's still a charmer, but Barbieri's second is long on romance and short on mystery. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

English professor Alison Bergeron (Murder 101, 2006) is still recovering from her divorce and lamenting the fact that NYPD homicide detective Bobby Crawford, her would-be boyfriend, is still married. Meanwhile, she's also annoyed by unwelcome news from her ex-husband. When she returns one night to find him dead in her kitchen, she becomes the prime suspect and must call on Crawford for assistance. Juxtaposing life-threatening crime against ordinary domestic life, Barbieri jumps between Bergeron's amateur sleuthing and her difficulties in finding a suitable dress for an upcoming wedding. This genre-bending combination of chick lit and mystery will please readers who like action and romance in the same package.--Bibel, Barbara Copyright 2007 Booklist