This book had its moments, but overall, it was a chore to read. The end (not the ending) was painful, but I had come that far, so there was no turning back. All I can say is, "I DID IT!" Yes, my reading quest is complete. (Hopefully, I'm not scarred for life.) If you read this far, you more or less have to read this book. The Monte Pennwell crap at the end is a must read to say you read the series, but it doesn't add much.
Looking back at the entire series, I enjoyed Babe Corleone and her mafia gang. Although she often spoke and did not listen like Lombar Hisst, she has an excuse - she saw Jettero Heller as an adopted son. So I can excuse her behavior. Hisst on the other hand, is simply insane.
Heller is a complicated subject. In the beginning, I hated his smug, holier-than-thou arrogance. There were times I found myself rooting for him, but his "my farts don't stink" attitude kept reminding me why I didn't like him from the start. It's a shame, because he's supposed to be the hero of the story. In my opinion, Mister Calico (the cat) would've made a better hero for the story. (Heck fire, Mister Calico even fights a lepertige in this book).
The worst characters in the series (out of so many) were Teeny Whopper (the lying, nymphomaniac pothead), Miss Pinch (the sadistic lesbian), and Torpedo Fiaccola (the necrophiliac hit-man). They can not only turn your stomach, they can inspire you to quit reading. I now know why I stopped reading at book 5 so many years ago.
Overall, I would say this series is a pass. There are too many other great works to read. Your time would be better spent finding an unknown Indie (Independent) Author and reading that. My average rating for the 10 books is a 2.2 - just slightly better than it was okay, but I was often generous and there were times I should have given a book or two a big fat zero. Therefore, I rate the series below a 2 (less than okay). Don't waste your time.