Sunday Macaroni Club [Paperback]

Steve Lopez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1999

A hilarious tale of Philadelphia politics at the gritty street level

Newly repackaged and available for the first time in trade paperback, The Sunday Macaroni Club is a magnificently told story by a powerful author. Steve Lopez gives readers a vivid and rich portrait of local politics gone amok, and one woman's quest for happiness and fulfillment. Fleeing a disastrous love affair in Boston, Assistant District Attorney Lisa Savitch--beautiful, brilliant, brave--relocates to Philadelphia, where she is partnered with ex-FBI agent Mike Muldoon. Lisa is assigned to get the goods on the Sunday Macaroni Club--an old-time, South Philly political machine led by Augie Sangiamino, a former United States Senator, and his two cronies, state representative "Ham" Flaherty, who's running for Congress, and Judge "Izzy" Weiner. In the style of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, Lopez tells a story that is as funny as it is true to life.

"Richly knowing, very funny."--The Washington Post

"Lopez entertains with a style that's crisp and colorful."--San Diego Union-Tribune

"Steve Lopez's message has never been more human, or more entertaining."--Philadelphia Inquirer

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Lopez, a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and author of Third and Indiana (Viking, 1994), brings good-ol'-boy, big-city politics to life in his second novel. Sharp young prosecutor Lisa Savitch escapes from Boston after a scandalous affair and joins the district attorney's office in Philly. She and retired FBI agent Mike Muldoon attempt to expose the shady deals of a colorful gang of characters who call themselves the Sunday Macaroni Club and are led by ex-con, ex-senatorial boss Augie Sangiamino. Needing campaign financing for his two no-good candidates, Augie accepts surreptitious contributions from Liberty Oil, a polluter pummeled by the press for a recent spate of cancer deaths among neighborhood children. While depicting political loyalty and betrayal, Lopez also shines a saucy sidelight into Lisa's romantic life. Engaging and fun, this novel is recommended for all fiction collections.
-?Sheila Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In this humorous portrayal of political corruption and corporate greed, Lopez, columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, provides a story filled with convincing characterizations and memorable events. Philadelphia assistant district attorney Lisa Savitch, a beautiful, intensely bitter, chain-smoking marathon runner with a tough demeanor, has been assigned to collar the "Sunday Macaroni Club," five members of a down-and-out South Philadelphia political machine. Augie Sangiamano, ex-con and former U.S. Senator, is the longtime leader of the club, trying desperately to grab some vestige of his former power. While Savitch is looking into the case (and bewitching the FBI agent assigned to work with her), she discovers a link between the club and a local oil company that is releasing toxic fumes into neighborhoods where suspicious numbers of children are dying of leukemia. Before this investigation is through, there will be two murders, surprising twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion to this imaginative, entertaining work. Kathleen Hughes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Plume (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452281385
• ISBN-13: 978-0452281387
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,376,328 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steve Lopez is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of The Sunday Macaroni Club and Third and Indiana. He has been an editor-at-large for Time magazine and has also written for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He lives in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare, Great Book, October 2, 2001

By 

Chandler Phillips "Swing Doctor" (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sunday Macaroni Club: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is one of those books that actually makes you feel for the characters. It revolves around a small-time politician and his devoted assistant/henchman. The tone it's written in, and the blend of humor and pathos will make is a very special experience for anyone who reads it. I read it three years ago and still remember scenes and lines in it. I wish Steve Lopez would write more books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars yo.....you gotta read dis book!, January 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sunday Macaroni Club (Paperback)

As a displaced Philadelphian, The Sunday Macaroni Club was a trip through the old neighborhood. Lopez writes about Philadelphia, its people, and its politics, like a master. I wonder, though, if a non-Philadelphian might not be lost.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a well written book, April 7, 2000

By 

avdr (san diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sunday Macaroni Club (Paperback)

this book about an attorney living in philadelphia and working on a case about a an oil caompany thats been polluting the city.this book manages to keep you interested from page one and the story keeps you laughing as well.the ending will satisfy you as well.highly recommended.