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Popular Culture Review
while on a mission for the National Security Agency (NSA) and left her with
another fortune. Her second husband, the Italian Baron from whom she gained
her title, died while auto racing in Monte Carlo leaving her with a third fortune
and several villas in Italy. While even the wealthy Emir of Sonic Slave exclaims,
‘“You’re one of the world’s wealthiest women!”’ (67), Penny, as she is
sometimes called, “never thought about money if she could help it. It was there,
that was all” {Flicker 43). Some readers may wonder about the gender
implications behind a series in which the female millionaire lead character has
earned none of her money. Although this is important to note, the focus should
remain on what the money allows her to do. Her fortune-gaining back story is
only to give a reason for the enormous wealth that allows her to party as hard
and spy as effectively as she does. Similarly, International Models, Inc. serves as
her corporate cover and manages to profit well. As owners, she and her NSA
boss, John Farnsworth, act as Coin and Key respectively. He gets the calls from
the higher ups, and she gets the missions. After the death of her second husband,
she used the contacts of her first husband to set up the Key/Coin operation. She
was given special training in the deadly arts and a small operating budget.
Readers see that she is a classic excitement junkie v