Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock by Emily J. Edwards
The third Viviana Valentine story (earlier stories here and here) begins on New Years Eve, when Viviana doesn't make it to Times Square—she happens upon a murder in an alley. Not a great start to the year 1951!
The Fortuna and Valentine detectives are going great guns. They have three cases, not counting the murder they witnessed. A missing banker. A sneaky fiancé. And a missing object to recover--probably blackmail but the client isn't forthcoming.
VV is kept busy running around New York City.
Viv and Tommy are still solid, aiming to get married. No date is settled, and Viv is having some normal second thoughts. She hasn't met the in-laws yet. Heck, she didn't even know Tommy had three sisters. And she keeps meeting people from Tommy's past. Colorful people, who make her wonder.
But Viv's got a past of her own, and friends of her own, so not to worry. Probably.
The period setting gives Edwards license to obsess over clothes, architecture, food, and pop culture circa 1951, which is a big part of the point. (Younger readers may be baffled by a lifestyle centered on land lines! : - ) )
The mysteries themselves are hard to follow. Too many overlapping investigations, I couldn't keep things straight, and I think I missed important clues.
The relationships among Viv's circle of friends is also hard to follow (and, frankly, not all that interesting).
In short, this is pretty much what we were expecting from Viviana. Banter? Check. Period details? Check. Historically accurate lifestyles? Maybe.
Romance plus Noir? Yes, but it's not deep or serious.
So, yeah. As the cover says, "A Girl Friday Mystery".
- Emily J. Edwards, Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock, New York, Crooked Lane, 2023.
Sunday Book Reviews
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