Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man

September 1, 2022
As the title suggests, Edwards' debut is a snappy valentine to a bygone era when people actually talked, or at least wrote, like that. Viviana Valentine, whose name everyone she meets duly comments on, is girl Friday to Tommy Fortuna, a private eye working out of Hell's Kitchen in the summer of 1950. Tommy's latest client is Tallmadge Blackstone, diamond merchant and railroad owner. Blackstone, a formidable figure who's obviously used to controlling every variable in his world, has run into one he can't control: his daughter, Tallulah, a debutante barely 18 who shows distinct signs of rejecting her designated fiance, Blackstone's partner Webber Harrington-Whitley, for no better reason than that he's three times her age and famously reclusive ever since an accident disfigured him years ago. Asked to keep tabs on Tallulah by accepting a dinner invitation to the Blackstones' posh digs, Viviana quickly bonds with her quarry, who lends her clothing and confides in her about some of the downsides of being her father's daughter. Next morning, Viviana reports to Tommy's office brimful of information to share only to find a stiff on the floor. Closer examination reveals that the unknown man isn't quite dead, but he clearly won't be in a position to identify his assailant anytime soon. All this would doubtless be of great interest to Tommy if he hadn't taken a powder, leaving his girl Friday to the tender mercies of smirking Det. Jake Lawson and 22-year-old Officer Alan Leary. Though the mystery doesn't seem to be up to much, Edwards sneaks in a raft of twists and complications under your guard, and the big reveal is surprisingly big and revealing. Just what 1950s men's magazine fiction would be like if it were written by and about women.

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October 1, 2022

DEBUT The first "Girl Friday" mystery is a solid debut with a scrappy protagonist. In New York City in 1950, PI Tommy Fortuna is hired by wealthy businessman Tallmadge Blackstone to follow his daughter, Tallulah, who is engaged to Blackstone's much older business partner. Viviana Valentine, Tommy's secretary, arrives at the office the day after a party to find a body on the floor and her boss gone. When she calls the police, their first assumption is that Tommy killed the guy and disappeared. Viviana knows Tommy handles tough cases, but she doesn't believe he's a killer. She's roped into the investigation when Blackstone demands answers, and she steps in for her missing boss. Viviana is harassed, followed by a brute she once dated, accused of covering for her boss, and even thrown down stairs, but she won't let Tommy be railroaded. A couple clues, including one from Tallulah, sets Viviana on the right path so she can confront everyone at a reveal meeting with the cops. VERDICT Edwards's strength is in the creation of the setting and atmosphere of New York in 1950. For fans of hardboiled PIs with hearts of gold.--Lesa Holstine

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