When asked to read one of Orca Book Publishers’ works for a journal, I wasn’t excited. Orca specializes in hi-lo reading level books for adults. Melodie Campbell’s The B-Team: The Case of the Angry First Wife has a reading level of third grade. However, in just a short book, Campbell succeeds with a fast-paced caper with quirky characters. It’s actually a fun book for those of us who enjoy con men with a heart of gold.
Del’s Great-aunt Kitty was a cat burglar until she had a nasty fall. That doesn’t mean Kitty will give up a lucrative life of crime. Instead, she informs Del that she’s forming a new vigilante group, based on the A-Team. The B-Team will avenge those people, often seniors, who have been victims of a scam. And, Del is to lead the team. Even though she has a day job as a fundraiser for an animal shelter, Del finds herself heading up an unlikely group that includes her brother, Dino, who is never available because of his modeling career. The other member is called Ritz, after the crackers, because she is crackers.
Five months after the formation of the B-Team, Del isn’t comfortable with Kitty’s latest assignment. A wronged first wife wants her diamond necklace back from wife number two. Nothing goes according to plan. Dino can’t work that night, and Del is caught by the head of a security company, a classmate from high school. After making a deal to help his business, and a few other hiccups along the way, Del and Ritz recover the necklace. Then, they learn their first wife is an imposter.
Despite my initial reservations, I decided to review The B-Team here as well. Many adults and teens need reading material at a lower reading level. Campbell’s book, with it’s humor and fast-paced adventure, may be just what they’re looking for. Fans of television’s lovable con men, such as those portrayed in “The A-Team” or “Leverage”, may appreciate The B-Team.
Melodie Campbell’s website is http://funnygirlmelodie.blogspot.com
The B-Team: The Case of the Angry First Wife by Melodie Campbell. Orca Book Publishers. 2018. ISBN 9781459818071 (paperback), 144p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure – I received the book to review for a journal.
Sounds like a fun read to get someone reading. I notice she has written a few others for Orca.
It is, Gram. And, Vickie Delany is another one who writes for Orca.