A review by flyinglark
Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock by Emily J. Edwards

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

New year, new clients who need the expertise of Viviana Valentine and Tommy Fortuna, private investigators. They find themselves entrusted with four tasks:

1. Find out who stabbed the stranger near Times Square
2. Decode blackmail on behalf of a man
3. Tailing an old friend's fiancée
4. Locate a missing investment banker who vanished

The mysteries were okay and their conclusions were wrapped up nicely in the last 10% of the book. The part of the book I enjoyed the most was the characters themselves.

The supporting cast also blazed with their assistance to the cases, from the secretary to the landlady and her son to the rest of the girls at the boarding house and those encountered during the cases. They reflect the diverse population in NYC in 1951. You can see how historical events near the time affect the characters' choices and personalities. I kind of want to research more into 1950s NYC.

There is also a focus on the relationship between Viviana and Tommy. As the honeymoon period of a newly engaged couple starts to fade, Viviana needs to grapple with the fact she may not know Tommy as much as she thought she did in the ten years of working together. After all, they skipped dating completely. There were assumptions made between the two, but they do begin to communicate in the second half of the book.

I'm not sure if there are any more books in A Girl Friday Mystery series as of this review, but if there are any, I will pick up the next one, especially with the amazing narration from Stephanie Willing.