Son of the Mob 2

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

In this sequel to Son of the Mob (2002), Korman successfully recycles
all of the elements that made the original title such an amusing read.

Vince Luca, having now graduated from high school, is still trying to
distance himself from the way his New York mob boss father makes his
money. Vince decides to create a physical separation by enrolling in the
University of Santa Monica’s film school in California. His
girlfriend, Kendra Bightly, the daughter of the FBI agent charged with
bringing down the Luca crime family, is attending a music academy in
nearby Pacific Palisades. As occurred in the first book, Vince again
becomes unwittingly involved in mob activity, this time by being
unknowingly used as the courier of several million dollars of
“family” money. Vince’s older brother, Tommy, also appears in
California, saying that he is considering getting out of “the life.”
Initially pleased that Tommy’s assisting foreign students in seeking
grants, Vince ultimately discovers that Tommy’s apparent altruism is
just another scam.

The main plot line revolves around the rocky relationship Vince’s
roommate, Trey Sutter, has with his father, Congressman William Sutter,
a potential candidate for the U.S. presidency. Sutter senior is involved
in mediating a California union election in which the current union
president and his driver have disappeared. Union happenings suggesting
an organized crime connection cause Vince to suspect his father’s
involvement. However, Vince, like the book’s readers, comes to learn
that appearances can be deceiving. Highly recommended.