I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia [Paperback]

Gillian Roberts (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (1992)
• ISBN-10: 0345377826
• ISBN-13: 978-0345377821
• ASIN: B000OW7BGU
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I'm a big Amanda Pepper fan but this is probably my least, January 16, 2005

By 

M. C. Crammer (Decatur, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia (An Amanda Pepper mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

favorite book that I've read so far in the series (and I've read most of them). Roberts typically uses as a theme (like a muscial theme) a piece of classic literature that schoolteacher/detective Amanda Pepper is teaching to her students. In this book, the literary work is "The Taming of the Shrew" and the theme is spousal abuse. I realize how important the issue is, but she was preaching to the choir.

And the book does get preachy, although in a literary novel dialogue way. Amanda is sorting books for a used book sale at her school, Philly Prep, when she comes across a book on spousal abuse. Since the subject has come up with a student in a discussion of the Shrew, she thinks she'll set it aside for the student -- but then notices someone has written notes in it and that whoever wrote the notes believes her husband will kill her. Amanda sets out to try to find the woman to see if she can help. In the meantime, she's trying to get a job moonlighting as a tutor with an organization kind of like Sylvan -- but a fellow teacher is having trouble in his relationship with the franchisers, and he warns her against it. Needless to say, these seemingly separate plot lines come together in the book.

This is well written, but more serious than many of the books in the series, and a bit too earnest for the kind of mystery I expect from Ms. Roberts. I might also add that like most of the series, I was way ahead of Mandy Pepper in the detecting of the spousal abuse victim and of the killer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Philly mystery, November 10, 2006

By 

Barbara M. Kelly "Barb" (western NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia (An Amanda Pepper mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Amanda Pepper is an appealing heroine I can relate to. She is literate,
concerned about her relationship with her police detective boyfriend and inquisitive enough to get herself deep into mystery solving.

I definitely want to read the other titles in the series.Lots of local color, historical and literary asides.Good character development and intriguing mystery.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book!!, March 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia (An Amanda Pepper mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a really good book and one of the best in the series. Amanda Pepper is a well developed, funny character. She gets a little help from her policeman boyfriend and family. I recommend the entire Pepper series.