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Amanda Pepper #12
Till the End of Tom
Traditionally, Old Philadelphians keep a low profile. They associate with one another and leave life as discreetly as they have lived it. So Philly Prep English teacher Amanda Pepper, who thinks her only current problems are keeping her well-meaning family from hijacking her wedding, is understandably stunned to discover a perfect specimen of the species dying at the foot of the school’s marble staircase.
It is anybody’s guess what led to Tomas Severin’s apparent fall and, indeed, why he was in the building in the first place. More questions arise when Amanda enters her otherwise empty classroom and finds a take-out cup of herbal tea laced with the party drug her students call roofies. Why would a middle-aged Philadelphian have a date-rape drug in his tea? Why does he have Amanda’s name scribbled in his pocket notebook?
Hired by a member of the Severin family household, Amanda and her fiancé, C. K. Mackenzie, realize that many people felt their lives would improve if Tom’s life ended–making it seemingly impossible to determine who’d been harassing Severin with threatening phone calls. Tom Severin leaves behind angry ex-wives, one recently dropped fiancée, and the current (about to be exed) Mrs. Tomas Severin. As secrets are unearthed, and cruelties old and new revealed, it’s apparent that The End of Tom is just the beginning of the grief he caused.
To thousands of adoring Amanda Pepper fans, Gillian Roberts’s new mystery offers unmitigated delight. A note to the uninitiated: There could be no better time for you to meet “the Dorothy Parker of mystery writers . . . giving more wit per page than most writers give per book” (Nancy Pickard).
It is anybody’s guess what led to Tomas Severin’s apparent fall and, indeed, why he was in the building in the first place. More questions arise when Amanda enters her otherwise empty classroom and finds a take-out cup of herbal tea laced with the party drug her students call roofies. Why would a middle-aged Philadelphian have a date-rape drug in his tea? Why does he have Amanda’s name scribbled in his pocket notebook?
Hired by a member of the Severin family household, Amanda and her fiancé, C. K. Mackenzie, realize that many people felt their lives would improve if Tom’s life ended–making it seemingly impossible to determine who’d been harassing Severin with threatening phone calls. Tom Severin leaves behind angry ex-wives, one recently dropped fiancée, and the current (about to be exed) Mrs. Tomas Severin. As secrets are unearthed, and cruelties old and new revealed, it’s apparent that The End of Tom is just the beginning of the grief he caused.
To thousands of adoring Amanda Pepper fans, Gillian Roberts’s new mystery offers unmitigated delight. A note to the uninitiated: There could be no better time for you to meet “the Dorothy Parker of mystery writers . . . giving more wit per page than most writers give per book” (Nancy Pickard).
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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July 5, 2017I had to stop for two reasons.
One, Amanda Pepper is a decisive, quick on the draw character, and the narrator's voice was far too melodic and slow. It did not match the personality of the heroine and drove me crazy. She. Dropped. Every. Word. Like. A. S-t-o-n-e. A perfectly pronounced s-t-o-n-e.
Two, the blurb identifies that the styrofoam cup found in her classroom is a huge clue, and that's just it. So much was made about the styrofoam cup, how did it get there, who put it there, why would someone leave a styrofoam cup in a classroom, why did it hold aromatic tea and not coffee? Oh good Godfrey! If leaving a styrofoam cup of tea in a classroom of high schoolers is a red flag something is wrong with the mystery. If you've ever taught, you're lucky if a styrofoam cup is the only thing left behind.
I might give it another try, but the real thing and not the audio.
One, Amanda Pepper is a decisive, quick on the draw character, and the narrator's voice was far too melodic and slow. It did not match the personality of the heroine and drove me crazy. She. Dropped. Every. Word. Like. A. S-t-o-n-e. A perfectly pronounced s-t-o-n-e.
Two, the blurb identifies that the styrofoam cup found in her classroom is a huge clue, and that's just it. So much was made about the styrofoam cup, how did it get there, who put it there, why would someone leave a styrofoam cup in a classroom, why did it hold aromatic tea and not coffee? Oh good Godfrey! If leaving a styrofoam cup of tea in a classroom of high schoolers is a red flag something is wrong with the mystery. If you've ever taught, you're lucky if a styrofoam cup is the only thing left behind.
I might give it another try, but the real thing and not the audio.
May 21, 2020
Everyone in this book except the cat is terrible, stupid and annoying. The book is short but the plot still manages to drag. It wasn't even much of a mystery. I won't be looking for any more in this series.
November 4, 2018
Till the End of Tom by Gillian Roberts is the 12th book of the Amanda Pepper series set in contemporary Philadelphia. Amanda Pepper is a schoolteacher at Philly Prep. Her fiance Mackenzie is a former Philadelphia PD homicide detective, now in business as a private investigator. Amanda helps out at the detective agency as a bookkeeper and occasional sidekick sleuthing.
Wealthy and powerful Tomas Severin falls downstairs to his death at Philly Prep. His unexpected presence at the school is partially explained by a note with Amanda's name in his pocket. But she's never met him. Tom's mother Ingrid has a young suitor Cornelius. Ingrid's secretary/companion Penelope hires Mackenzie and Amanda to prove Cornelius is responsible for Tom's death. It's clear Penelope's real concern is that Ingrid will change her will and leave all her assets to Cornelius, cutting out the generous inheritance Penelope has been counting on for years. Mackenzie and Amanda discover Tom had many wives, many girlfriends, never faithful to anyone. At the time of his death, Tom was in the process of divorcing Nina, so she seems the most likely to gain financially from his death.
As Mackenzie and Amanda interview those who knew Tom, they are sickened by the phoniness and greed of all around him. They plan to write up a quick report and ditch the case. Then Zachary, Amanda's prize pupil, becomes the prime suspect. Amanda vows to solve the case to clear Zachary.
Meanwhile, Amanda's mother and sister constantly pester Amanda with trivial details to plan the wedding. They repeatedly tell her how important this one day is to her life. Amanda disagrees completely. She feels that marriage, the life they will lead together, is far more important than a single day they dress up for a party with guests. She shuns their phone calls, or half-listens.
The mystery plot drags on and on, with Mackenzie and Amanda questioning and re-questioning those in Tom's life, spreading their inquiries far and wide. A twist comes when Zachary confesses, but of course that's to protect someone else. Gossip only partially repeated to them provides a new lead to investigate; the plot drags on.
Eventually, with a leap of intuition that comes out of the blue, Amanda solves the case. Many people took part in the last day of Tom's life; impossible to find one culprit for all events leading to his death.
On a roll after closing the case, Mackenzie and Amanda, brainstorm a clever way to defeat "the wedding mafiosas", as Mackenzie terms the trio of Amanda's mother, sister, and Mackenzie's mother.
Wealthy and powerful Tomas Severin falls downstairs to his death at Philly Prep. His unexpected presence at the school is partially explained by a note with Amanda's name in his pocket. But she's never met him. Tom's mother Ingrid has a young suitor Cornelius. Ingrid's secretary/companion Penelope hires Mackenzie and Amanda to prove Cornelius is responsible for Tom's death. It's clear Penelope's real concern is that Ingrid will change her will and leave all her assets to Cornelius, cutting out the generous inheritance Penelope has been counting on for years. Mackenzie and Amanda discover Tom had many wives, many girlfriends, never faithful to anyone. At the time of his death, Tom was in the process of divorcing Nina, so she seems the most likely to gain financially from his death.
As Mackenzie and Amanda interview those who knew Tom, they are sickened by the phoniness and greed of all around him. They plan to write up a quick report and ditch the case. Then Zachary, Amanda's prize pupil, becomes the prime suspect. Amanda vows to solve the case to clear Zachary.
Meanwhile, Amanda's mother and sister constantly pester Amanda with trivial details to plan the wedding. They repeatedly tell her how important this one day is to her life. Amanda disagrees completely. She feels that marriage, the life they will lead together, is far more important than a single day they dress up for a party with guests. She shuns their phone calls, or half-listens.
The mystery plot drags on and on, with Mackenzie and Amanda questioning and re-questioning those in Tom's life, spreading their inquiries far and wide. A twist comes when Zachary confesses, but of course that's to protect someone else. Gossip only partially repeated to them provides a new lead to investigate; the plot drags on.
Eventually, with a leap of intuition that comes out of the blue, Amanda solves the case. Many people took part in the last day of Tom's life; impossible to find one culprit for all events leading to his death.
On a roll after closing the case, Mackenzie and Amanda, brainstorm a clever way to defeat "the wedding mafiosas", as Mackenzie terms the trio of Amanda's mother, sister, and Mackenzie's mother.
January 11, 2019
Amanda Pepper is a teacher at Philly Prep. While skipping out on a school assembly she finds a man at the bottom of the schools marble staircase. The man turns out to be the wealthy Tomas Severin. Tomas left behind a tea cup laced with roofies in Amanda's classroom though she has never met the man before. Amanda and her former cop, now PI, fiancee are hired by Tomas mothers secretary to prove that his mothers much younger fiance is the killer. Meanwhile Amanda is fending off attempts from her family to totally take over planning her wedding.
This is the twelfth book in the series. I've read most of the series and found it enjoyable. I liked most of the characters this time though the new school secretary was annoying. The ending was rather funny. I just wish Amanda had grown a backbone about her wedding plans a bit earlier in the book.
This is the twelfth book in the series. I've read most of the series and found it enjoyable. I liked most of the characters this time though the new school secretary was annoying. The ending was rather funny. I just wish Amanda had grown a backbone about her wedding plans a bit earlier in the book.
February 4, 2018
It's been years since I've read an Amanda Pepper mystery...it was nice to get reacquainted with C.K, Sasha and the denizens of Philly Prep. The story is formulaic but the writing is so good that I was sucked right into the very complicated plot.
March 21, 2020
Maybe more like a 2.5-3, it was cheesy but really entertaining and I grew quite fond of Amanda pepper as a character! The crime was not overly dramatic and the conclusion wasn’t either but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick us an Amanda pepper mystery again if I were looking for a quick fun read!
September 30, 2020
Very well written though a bit wordy at times. Light hearted and pleasant read.
March 31, 2022
Cute story
September 20, 2022
Slow moving, but entertaining. Witty but the prose is a bit overwrought.
August 11, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can already tell I'm going to be sorry to reach the end of the series next week.
July 19, 2025
Good story. Interesting family dynamics in the story. Interesting mystery. Fun details on Amanda's wedding planning - love the Mafiosa! Another good book in the series
October 8, 2007
08/16/05 #141
TITLE/AUTHOR: Til The End of Tom (Audio) by Gillian Roberts
Rating: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF CD's: Mystery, 2004, 8 CD's
TIME/PLACE: Present, Philadelphia
CHARACTERS: Amanda Pepper/English Teacher
COMMENTS: 12th in series. Amanda & CK are in the midst
of wedding plans but are more focused on their new case.
Thomas Severin, dies from a fall down the stairs at the
private school where Amanada works. Thomas Severin, was from a from wealthy family in Phllly and was on his way to see Amanda. The reading was a tad slow but there were enough possibilites as to who would want to kill Thomas to hold your interest.
TITLE/AUTHOR: Til The End of Tom (Audio) by Gillian Roberts
Rating: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF CD's: Mystery, 2004, 8 CD's
TIME/PLACE: Present, Philadelphia
CHARACTERS: Amanda Pepper/English Teacher
COMMENTS: 12th in series. Amanda & CK are in the midst
of wedding plans but are more focused on their new case.
Thomas Severin, dies from a fall down the stairs at the
private school where Amanada works. Thomas Severin, was from a from wealthy family in Phllly and was on his way to see Amanda. The reading was a tad slow but there were enough possibilites as to who would want to kill Thomas to hold your interest.
December 1, 2016
I like this series. I enjoy spending time with Amanda, her fiance CK and her best friend Sasha. I appreciate the genuine affection Roberts holds for an area I know pretty well (Philly). I like that these stories are more than mysteries, that there's something a little more serious mixed in each one -- and in this one, eating disorders and how a young girl's self image can be shaped (or warped) is touched upon.
But the mystery itself was kind of a nothingburger. I didn't care whodunnit, and there was a rather annoying hole in the plot. For a family as established as the Severins to have such a big skeleton in the closet strains credibility. (There! Told without a spoiler!)
But the mystery itself was kind of a nothingburger. I didn't care whodunnit, and there was a rather annoying hole in the plot. For a family as established as the Severins to have such a big skeleton in the closet strains credibility. (There! Told without a spoiler!)
November 30, 2012
This is part of a series of mysteries solved by Amanda Pepper, an English teacher at a private Philadelphia high school for kids who have not done well at other institutions. I hadn’t read one in several years and I’m glad I noticed this one: acceptable mystery and an appropriate modicum of humour (high school kids, after all).
April 25, 2014
Amanda Pepper and CK MacKenzie are in the throes of getting married. While working at Philly Prep and school as well as doing PI work. An assembly at Philly prep resulted in a murder that left people confounded. Why there, why Amanda.. questions and suspects galore to determine the death of a rich many married man. It was a good story with good ending to all issues involved.
June 6, 2010
I really enjoy the Amanda Pepper series, of which this is the latest one, but they are just basic mysteries. The fun comes from the independent school setting and Amanda’s sense of humor. Very straightforward writing, however. Just fun.
October 19, 2010
I love the Amanda Pepper series! I picked this one up by accident which made it even better. I like that she doesn't take herself too seriously. This was fun because it has a twisty ending. And no language or yucky violence either!!!!
June 7, 2016
I enjoyed this story, but something about it made it less gripping than some of the others. Sortof back to her old self by mid-book however, so I was happy. In this one, the death is right at the beginning, but is it murder?
November 30, 2015
These books are just such easy, friendly reads for me. I love Amanda with her self-awareness and sense of irony. The mystery is a bit loosey-goosey, but twisty enough.
August 27, 2009
Amanda Pepper #12
July 16, 2013
Probably not the best one of the series. It is barely worth a 3. Not enough of C.K. Mackenzie. Amanda is all over the place with the wedding preparations and not too focused on solving the murder.
October 17, 2019
Although this novel as all of the Amanda Pepper mysteries can be read as a stand-alone, for those that are reading the series, this will be an especially delightful read.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews