Barbara Seranella was the only author I had not yet read from the list of favorite authors submitted by members of a mystery reading group.  The list is cumulative over the last several years and it’s #12. Other than there, I’d never heard of Seranella before, so I picked this particular book because it’s the first in a series and it sounded good.  

No Human Involved
Barbara Seranella – 1997
Read by Paul Boehmer 7h 43m
Rating: B+ / crime 

Yes!  It is very good!  Also I read up a bit on Seranella’s biography so the books ix that much more impressive. https://web.archive.org/web/20070928111000/http://www.yourfleshmag.com/artman/publish/article_635.shtml

Miranda “Munch” Mancini has been crazy too long and decides to get her life together (again).  She leaves the scene of a murder, drives down the freeway in LA, gets into a small wreck with a wall, sleeps a bit then wakes to find a job as an auto mechanic because that’s what she does aside from stealing and turning tricks.  Then she gets baptized by a priest goes for a new identity and tries to start living a new life.  But heroin doesn’t let go that easily.  

I was impressed by the story-line and the character development but there were places it kind of bogged down. Those parts were also quite good as they developed Munch’s character but they slowed the main action. I was riveted to the AA/NA parts. I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this series though as it seems dated to me – There were places it felt like it must have been set in 1980s but then a cell phone would appear.