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Girl Friday #3
Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock
New York City, 1950. Viviana Valentine and Tommy Fortuna have a lot of resolutions for the new year—whether it’s continuing to build up their detective agency or planning their wedding, the two are looking forward to the future. On their way to Times Square to celebrate, the two witness a brutal stabbing. When Tommy tries to chase down the culprit, Viviana tries her best to save the man. She’s unsuccessful, but Viviana hears his final words: a whispered apology to an unknown friend.
Clues are hard to come by, with the only leads being the fraught last words and a few nondescript matchbooks in the victim’s overcoat. Their investigation is halted when Detective Jack Lawson of the New York Police Department arrives, immediately ruffling Viviana’s feathers and bumping chests with Tommy, who he nearly arrested for murder just months earlier. The two know there’s more to the story, but there are other pressing matters at hand.
Clients are clamoring to get the detectives to work on their cases: a man is being blackmailed by a criminal who only writes in code, Tommy’s old friend needs his fiancée tailed, and an investment banker has mysteriously vanished. To add to their work load, Viviana knows something strange is happening at her boarding house. Will of all this—plus planning for a wedding—be too much for one Girl Friday?
Clues are hard to come by, with the only leads being the fraught last words and a few nondescript matchbooks in the victim’s overcoat. Their investigation is halted when Detective Jack Lawson of the New York Police Department arrives, immediately ruffling Viviana’s feathers and bumping chests with Tommy, who he nearly arrested for murder just months earlier. The two know there’s more to the story, but there are other pressing matters at hand.
Clients are clamoring to get the detectives to work on their cases: a man is being blackmailed by a criminal who only writes in code, Tommy’s old friend needs his fiancée tailed, and an investment banker has mysteriously vanished. To add to their work load, Viviana knows something strange is happening at her boarding house. Will of all this—plus planning for a wedding—be too much for one Girl Friday?
272 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2023
13 people are currently reading
2631 people want to read
About the author
Emily J. Edwards
3 books93 followersEmily J. Edwards earned her degree in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College and took the long road to becoming an author, working for over a decade as a wine and spirits journalist, radio producer, and creator of the podcast, F*ckbois of Literature. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, and several quadrupeds. Pronouns: she/her/hers
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
August 16, 2023
I absolutely love mysteries, but this one took real willpower to get through.
Viviana and Tommy are not my favorite characters. Their "Tommy boy" and "Dollface" exchanges felt forced and ridiculous. Viviana's heavy feminism seemed to really only come in to play when she wanted it to (fine for Tommy to pay for her lunch, dinner, taxi, but do NOT treat her as physically weaker than a man). It struck me as more teenager starving for attention that strong, independent woman.
The supporting cast of characters were far more interesting--both in their demeanors and their backgrounds. They were what kept me going.
The murder aspect itself was a fine story on its own. It was nice to see so many elements (puzzles, people in hiding, etc) worked in to the overall plot.
Overall: 3 stars
I'll tell my students about: alcohol, language, sex, trauma, violence/death/gore, drugs, LGBTQIA+
**Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**
Viviana and Tommy are not my favorite characters. Their "Tommy boy" and "Dollface" exchanges felt forced and ridiculous. Viviana's heavy feminism seemed to really only come in to play when she wanted it to (fine for Tommy to pay for her lunch, dinner, taxi, but do NOT treat her as physically weaker than a man). It struck me as more teenager starving for attention that strong, independent woman.
The supporting cast of characters were far more interesting--both in their demeanors and their backgrounds. They were what kept me going.
The murder aspect itself was a fine story on its own. It was nice to see so many elements (puzzles, people in hiding, etc) worked in to the overall plot.
Overall: 3 stars
I'll tell my students about: alcohol, language, sex, trauma, violence/death/gore, drugs, LGBTQIA+
**Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**
March 28, 2024
A travel to the 1950s in New York with a very mysteryous atmosphere and characters very well written.
This is the third book of the series, and its engaging features were the best part, as was the dynamy between Viv and Tommy.
Suspense, mystery, and some funny bits that could be longer.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the arc copy!
This is the third book of the series, and its engaging features were the best part, as was the dynamy between Viv and Tommy.
Suspense, mystery, and some funny bits that could be longer.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the arc copy!
August 25, 2023
4.5- needed more squishy moments from Tommy and Viv since there was some real tension but the characters are growing and the mysteries were real interesting
full review on spinebreaker!
The TL;DR: One of those mysteries could have been edited out because I personally feel like we needed more Tommy and Viv moments, but this is a fun, fast, light-hearted read (despite the murder!) and Edwards is an auto-read author for me!
full review on spinebreaker!
The TL;DR: One of those mysteries could have been edited out because I personally feel like we needed more Tommy and Viv moments, but this is a fun, fast, light-hearted read (despite the murder!) and Edwards is an auto-read author for me!
February 23, 2024
This book may have been my favorite of the Viviana Valentine series!! I thought it had such playful capers in this one, which is strange since this one starts with a murder. Viviana hits her stride as a PI. We get multiple cases, some of them sillier than others, and a lot of gumshoeing. I really thought Edwards layers the fun on in this, and the his girl Friday was so strong! The writing was witty and fun, and the pace was perfect! Add to all of that a sprinkle of realistic engagement plans and discussions of marriage and money, and it was a perfect book for me!
December 22, 2023
It's New Year's Eve 1950, and Viv and her fiance and partner Tommy Fortuna stumble across a dying man, it moves them both deeply. The cops seem willing to write it off as a mugging, but the two detectives vow to find the culprit, even though they are hired to solve three seemingly smaller crimes. While they're busy with the three, they also keep after the murderer. Viv must also deal with the news that the Fortuma family is more prosperous than she had assumed.
November 11, 2023
Unlike most series in this subgenre, these just keep getting better and better from book to book.
This was so much fun, a combination love letter to New York and a fun and clever mystery.
Viviana is a terrific heroine, and she shines especially bright in this book. The supporting characters are also excellent, and I love the found family aspect of Viv and her crew.
There are several smaller mysteries built into the larger narrative here, and it keeps the story moving without ever getting convoluted. The scavenger hunt piece of this was especially good, and it’s a fun tour of some of the city’s statuary and other important locales.
Can’t wait for the next one!
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This was so much fun, a combination love letter to New York and a fun and clever mystery.
Viviana is a terrific heroine, and she shines especially bright in this book. The supporting characters are also excellent, and I love the found family aspect of Viv and her crew.
There are several smaller mysteries built into the larger narrative here, and it keeps the story moving without ever getting convoluted. The scavenger hunt piece of this was especially good, and it’s a fun tour of some of the city’s statuary and other important locales.
Can’t wait for the next one!
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
September 10, 2024
New York City, 1950, New Year's Eve.
Recently engaged, Viviana and Tommy make their way to Times Square to celebrate 1951's arrival when the sleuthing duo witness a brutal stabbing. As Viv attempts to save the dying man, she hears his final words: a whispered apology to an unknown friend.
This is admittedly my lowest rated book in the series, and I have some theories about why. But first, would I continue this series? 100% yes, no question about it! My theories as to why this book was as spectacular as books 1 and 2 include that fact that it was long before picking this up that I gave book 2 five stars. It can be dangerous reading through a series so quickly. This book also shows the signs for middle-series syndrome, that dreaded disease that many series suffer from. Either the author is shifting characters into position in preparation for the plotting of future books, or they are trying to figure out where to take these characters next so some experimentation take places. I'm not fully sure if any or all of these reasons fully explain my 3.25-star rating, but I'll acknowledge they are possibility!
I loved the opening scene with New Year's Eve, I still love Viviana Valentine as our eyes and ears, and the audiobooks remain high quality. My issues with the book were that there may have been too many mysteries be juggled at once in this narrative, and I disliked the turbulence within Viv and Tommy's relationship. I'd prefer them to be stable, working through conflicts openly and support each other. It's too common that we see a coupling take place and then it's disrupted immediately after to cause drama. I like Viv and Tommy's dynamic too much to accept that they would lose faith in their relationship so quickly.
Actual Rating: 3.25 stars
Original Pub Date: 7 November 2023
Reading Format: audio
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man—4 stars
Viviana Valentine Goes Up River—5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review!
Recently engaged, Viviana and Tommy make their way to Times Square to celebrate 1951's arrival when the sleuthing duo witness a brutal stabbing. As Viv attempts to save the dying man, she hears his final words: a whispered apology to an unknown friend.
This is admittedly my lowest rated book in the series, and I have some theories about why. But first, would I continue this series? 100% yes, no question about it! My theories as to why this book was as spectacular as books 1 and 2 include that fact that it was long before picking this up that I gave book 2 five stars. It can be dangerous reading through a series so quickly. This book also shows the signs for middle-series syndrome, that dreaded disease that many series suffer from. Either the author is shifting characters into position in preparation for the plotting of future books, or they are trying to figure out where to take these characters next so some experimentation take places. I'm not fully sure if any or all of these reasons fully explain my 3.25-star rating, but I'll acknowledge they are possibility!
I loved the opening scene with New Year's Eve, I still love Viviana Valentine as our eyes and ears, and the audiobooks remain high quality. My issues with the book were that there may have been too many mysteries be juggled at once in this narrative, and I disliked the turbulence within Viv and Tommy's relationship. I'd prefer them to be stable, working through conflicts openly and support each other. It's too common that we see a coupling take place and then it's disrupted immediately after to cause drama. I like Viv and Tommy's dynamic too much to accept that they would lose faith in their relationship so quickly.
Actual Rating: 3.25 stars
Original Pub Date: 7 November 2023
Reading Format: audio
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man—4 stars
Viviana Valentine Goes Up River—5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review!
October 27, 2023
Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock by Emily J. Edwards is the third in The Girl Friday series, noir-ish with hard-boiled undertones, down to the vocabulary and oodles of historical detail. It is New Year's Eve in New York City with revelers celebrating in Time's Square. Amongst the attendees are Viviana Valentina and Tommy Fortuna, both private investigators and engaged to be married. They witness a stabbing and while Tommy chases the perpetrator, Viviana valiantly does what she can to save the life of the victim.
The story is chock full of criminal cases, blackmailing, deceptions and a disappearance. But my favourite story is that of the goings-on at the boarding house. Viviana and Tommy are both bright, respect each other and share witty banter as they inveigle and investigate.
If you like almost-cozy mysteries with touches of gritty gangster vibe, this series may be for you. This installment is not as strong as the other two in my view but I remain keen to explore the rest of the series once the books become available.
My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this delightful novel.
The story is chock full of criminal cases, blackmailing, deceptions and a disappearance. But my favourite story is that of the goings-on at the boarding house. Viviana and Tommy are both bright, respect each other and share witty banter as they inveigle and investigate.
If you like almost-cozy mysteries with touches of gritty gangster vibe, this series may be for you. This installment is not as strong as the other two in my view but I remain keen to explore the rest of the series once the books become available.
My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this delightful novel.
December 26, 2023
The 3rd entry in the entertaining P. I. Series. Viv and Tommy are engaged. They deal with several cases starting on New Year’s Eve in early 1950s New York. Theres a stabbing murder, baffling puzzles, a missing banker and a friend’s fiancee meeting with a man. With housemate Betty as their secretary and more involvement of their housemates it moves quickly without losing any of its charm
December 23, 2023
A fun story set in the early 50"s with a charming heroine Viviana Valentine who is a private eye
November 17, 2023
Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock is the third book in the Girl Friday Mystery series by Emily J. Edwards and Edwards knows how to whisk readers away to New York City in the 1950's with ease...
Viviana Valentine works with her fiance, Tommy, in his private investigation office. She started off as his secretary and worked her way up to private investigator then fiance. Betty, Viviana's one roommate at the woman's boarding house where they live is currently taking time off from being a nurse and is working for
Tommy and Viviana as their secretary.
In Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock Viviana and Tommy are on their way to Time's Square on New's Year Eve to partake in the festivities but do not make it there when they witness a stabbing in an alley. Viviana stays to try to save the stabbed victim and Tommy takes off after the man who did the stabbing. Unfortunately Tommy loses the guy in the crowds and Viviana cannot save the victim. The victim has no identification and mumbles an apology to Frankie.
Even though this isn't their case, they know that they are going to look into the murder as it is a bit personal to them as they witnessed it. But they do have bills to pay so they take on other cases. Mr. Floristan has hired them because he received a message in code and he cannot figure it out....this will lead them down a crazy path that will require assistance from Dottie, another roommate at the boarding house. Then Mr. Bowen who works at a bank hires them to find an employee who hasn't shown up for work for a while and the outcome of that will be nothing that they could have imagined. And then the last case is a friend of Tommy's, Mort, who wants them to trail his fiance when she goes out to see who she is meeting as he thinks she is cheating on him ... this one will make readers laugh.
Viviana and Tommy have their hands full trampsing around New York City in the cold winter weather trying to solve the cases they are hired for as well as the stabbed victim they witnessed. And things at Mrs. K's boarding house are unsettling as well as they are working on the third floor apartment to turn it into something that Viviana and Tommy can live in once they are married and Mrs. K's brother is trying to get her and her son Olek to move somewhere safer. And Viviana is trying to figure out the wedding and meeting Tommy's family......
Readers will love this latest book in this series as well as the previous two books. Readers will totally want Viviana's energy and spunk !! And you cannot help but LOVE all of the relationships and even the cases are entertaining in their own way.
December 2, 2023
A fun old time private investigator tale. The third in the series and it gives us the humor and settings of the first. A fun read
November 22, 2023
My magnificent friend Emily has done it again. Boy did I need Viv to get me out of a slump. The characters in these books feel like old friends immediately and I’m so invested in their story. If you like a fast read detective novel, this series is for you!
September 17, 2023
The New Year gets off to an awful start for Viviana Valentine and her fiancé/partner Tommy Fortuna when they witness a murder while on their way to Times Square for the New Year’s Eve celebration. Despite not having a paying client, the two private detectives decide it is up to them to solve the man’s murder. Meanwhile, they have three other cases that they are working on—a missing banker, a duplicitous fiancée, and a man whose blackmailer is sending them on a scavenger hunt throughout the city for the next clue.
There is a lot going on in VIVIANA VALENTINE AND THE TICKING CLOCK with Viviana and Tommy working on four cases at the same time. Because of the four different cases—plus the storylines concerning Viviana’s relationship with Tommy and everything going on at her boarding house—the story was a bit chaotic and hard to follow. There was a lot of jumping around between the different plots and subplots. I was waiting for at least two of their cases to tie in together, but that didn’t happen. While still an interesting story, I didn’t think it worked as well as the first two novels in the Girl Friday series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
There is a lot going on in VIVIANA VALENTINE AND THE TICKING CLOCK with Viviana and Tommy working on four cases at the same time. Because of the four different cases—plus the storylines concerning Viviana’s relationship with Tommy and everything going on at her boarding house—the story was a bit chaotic and hard to follow. There was a lot of jumping around between the different plots and subplots. I was waiting for at least two of their cases to tie in together, but that didn’t happen. While still an interesting story, I didn’t think it worked as well as the first two novels in the Girl Friday series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
September 29, 2023
Emily J. Edwards has another hit with her latest Girl Friday mystery. This time, Viviana & Tommy have 4 cases to work, starting with murder on New Year's Eve. It was enjoyable following along the simultaneous investigations, as always. Also, it was cool to have the boarding house residents fleshed out a bit more, to have more of their personalities shine through. Yet, even with all that, the book just didn't have the same zing as the previous ones. When all four cases were resolved, each conclusion seemed a little anticlimactic; one in particular made me so mad I actually cursed out the character. Then I had to laugh at myself for getting so upset. Ultimately I enjoyed the book, but not as much as the first two.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this free copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this free copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.
November 28, 2023
3 stars. This seemed... rushed. I'm not clear which ticking clock the title refers to. While Viv and Tommy were clearly trying to wrap up their cases quickly, there was no actual deadline. And they didn't find a clue in a ticking clock. And neither Viv nor Tommy are in a rush to get married... so the title is strange.
Speaking of cases, there were four. I kept waiting for one of them to connect... but nope, they were four separate cases: a dead guy on NYE; a secretive fiancee (sort of??); a case of blackmail; and a missing banker. I wish the author had just focused on two and delved into them more deeply.
Overall, I enjoy my time spent with Viv and Tommy, but this lacks the charm of the first book and the plot and pacing of the second.
Speaking of cases, there were four. I kept waiting for one of them to connect... but nope, they were four separate cases: a dead guy on NYE; a secretive fiancee (sort of??); a case of blackmail; and a missing banker. I wish the author had just focused on two and delved into them more deeply.
Overall, I enjoy my time spent with Viv and Tommy, but this lacks the charm of the first book and the plot and pacing of the second.
April 24, 2024
Viviana Valentine is a pip! She solves the puzzles with plenty of witty quips. The reader is fabulous, perfectly capturing Viviana's voice while doing a great job with the others. I've enjoyed every Viviana Valentine book and looking forward to more! (I listened to the Audible version)
November 13, 2023
Dollycas's Thoughts
New Year's Eve doesn't go as planned for Viviana Valentine and Tommy Fortuna. Instead of celebrating the event with the masses, they are on the scene for a beastly stabbing. Viviana tries to save the man but fails. Tommy tries to catch the killer but he fails as well. When Detective Jack Lawson arrives he believes he has a mugging on his hands but after hearing the victim's final words Viviana and Tommy think it was murder. They don't have a lot of evidence to work with but they vow to get to the truth.
In addition to the murder, the private detectives have several other cases on the plates. An investment banker has gone missing and his boss wants him found. An old friend of Tommy's thinks his fiancee' is cheating on him and wants her followed. And another man is being blackmailed and all the demands are written in codes that need to be ciphered. The couple is also trying to plan their wedding while a place for them to live at the boardinghouse after the nuptials is being renovated.
Can "Dollface" and "Tommy-boy" juggle their personal life with all their cases? Or will their clocks run out?
______
We continue to get to know all the characters better in this book. Tommy's background was not only a surprise to me but to Viviana as well. How she reacts reveals more of her backstory too. The people at the boardinghouse are more involved in this story. Betty who lost her job as a nurse is Tommy and Vivana's new secretary. School teacher Dottie along with another teacher strive to solve the codes in one of the 4 cases Tommy and Viviana are working on. Mrs. K runs the boardinghouse with the help of her son Oleks. Both seem to have a heavy weight on their shoulders. I really appreciated the time the author took to give these characters more depth. I was engaged before but even more so now.
I was surprised by all the cases Tommy and Viviana were working and to be truthful at times it did get a little confusing, especially with all that was going on in the character's personal lives. At first, I thought there would be a string that would tie the cases together in some way but that wasn't the case. The murder mystery was my main focus and that was very well done. Two of the others were very interesting and I enjoyed seeing them come to their conclusion. The fourth case had me really intrigued but when it came to its end I was a little upset. I was looking for something really complex and it wasn't although the payment received was nice.
Ms. Edwards does a fantastic job of pulling her readers to 1950s New York. Her words set each scene vividly with descriptions of the place, the weather, and the fashions. The character's dialogues ring true. It is easy to imagine all three books in the series as old-time movies.
Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock was a fun and entertaining read but I did enjoy the previous two books in the series more. That being said I am excited to see what happens next for Viviana, Tommy, their friends, and their new secretary.
New Year's Eve doesn't go as planned for Viviana Valentine and Tommy Fortuna. Instead of celebrating the event with the masses, they are on the scene for a beastly stabbing. Viviana tries to save the man but fails. Tommy tries to catch the killer but he fails as well. When Detective Jack Lawson arrives he believes he has a mugging on his hands but after hearing the victim's final words Viviana and Tommy think it was murder. They don't have a lot of evidence to work with but they vow to get to the truth.
In addition to the murder, the private detectives have several other cases on the plates. An investment banker has gone missing and his boss wants him found. An old friend of Tommy's thinks his fiancee' is cheating on him and wants her followed. And another man is being blackmailed and all the demands are written in codes that need to be ciphered. The couple is also trying to plan their wedding while a place for them to live at the boardinghouse after the nuptials is being renovated.
Can "Dollface" and "Tommy-boy" juggle their personal life with all their cases? Or will their clocks run out?
______
We continue to get to know all the characters better in this book. Tommy's background was not only a surprise to me but to Viviana as well. How she reacts reveals more of her backstory too. The people at the boardinghouse are more involved in this story. Betty who lost her job as a nurse is Tommy and Vivana's new secretary. School teacher Dottie along with another teacher strive to solve the codes in one of the 4 cases Tommy and Viviana are working on. Mrs. K runs the boardinghouse with the help of her son Oleks. Both seem to have a heavy weight on their shoulders. I really appreciated the time the author took to give these characters more depth. I was engaged before but even more so now.
I was surprised by all the cases Tommy and Viviana were working and to be truthful at times it did get a little confusing, especially with all that was going on in the character's personal lives. At first, I thought there would be a string that would tie the cases together in some way but that wasn't the case. The murder mystery was my main focus and that was very well done. Two of the others were very interesting and I enjoyed seeing them come to their conclusion. The fourth case had me really intrigued but when it came to its end I was a little upset. I was looking for something really complex and it wasn't although the payment received was nice.
Ms. Edwards does a fantastic job of pulling her readers to 1950s New York. Her words set each scene vividly with descriptions of the place, the weather, and the fashions. The character's dialogues ring true. It is easy to imagine all three books in the series as old-time movies.
Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock was a fun and entertaining read but I did enjoy the previous two books in the series more. That being said I am excited to see what happens next for Viviana, Tommy, their friends, and their new secretary.
February 21, 2024
Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock is the third book in this Girl Friday series. Opening on NYE, Viv and her now-fiancé Tommy witness a murder in an alley but are unable to catch the murderer when he gives chase. They run a parallel investigation to the official police investigation, trying to suss out the murderer. Plus they have three other cases at the P.I. office - a potentially cheating wife who they need to tail, a man being extorted by a coding criminal, and a missing banker. Can they solve all of the mysteries and keep their relationship on track?
This is a quick lighthearted novel, satisfying as usual. I like the characters and the slang from the ‘50s cracks me up! I like that a more personal side of Viv is shown, as we are more deeply into her relationship with Tommy. The cases involved lots of fun witnesses and interviews, and of course there is always drama at the boarding house!
This is a quick lighthearted novel, satisfying as usual. I like the characters and the slang from the ‘50s cracks me up! I like that a more personal side of Viv is shown, as we are more deeply into her relationship with Tommy. The cases involved lots of fun witnesses and interviews, and of course there is always drama at the boarding house!
November 16, 2023
Viviana (and tommy) never disappoint! I desperately need more of her (3 books in one year has me spoiled)! Viv is certainly an autobuy for me, and I devoured this one in one afternoon.
--
1951 is off for a rough start for Viviana and ol' tommy boy when the stumble upon a man stabbed in an alley on New Years Eve. It gets both better and worse when a collection of ... interesting cases cross their desks in the days following. The story was a bit more convoluted than the previous two, but it still worked for me. I also love the way NYC is nearly a character in and of itself. The cherry on top is that Viv and Tommy's relationship - and the growing pains associated with the jump from friends to fiancés - felt real without adding extra will-they-won't-they drama. Crossing my fingers for more Viv, Tommy, and the gang!
--
1951 is off for a rough start for Viviana and ol' tommy boy when the stumble upon a man stabbed in an alley on New Years Eve. It gets both better and worse when a collection of ... interesting cases cross their desks in the days following. The story was a bit more convoluted than the previous two, but it still worked for me. I also love the way NYC is nearly a character in and of itself. The cherry on top is that Viv and Tommy's relationship - and the growing pains associated with the jump from friends to fiancés - felt real without adding extra will-they-won't-they drama. Crossing my fingers for more Viv, Tommy, and the gang!
June 26, 2025
Boy do I wish there were more of Viviana & Tommy's story - what an engaging little trilogy these stories were. The audio books were such an easy, quick listen. I miss these characters already. But perhaps Viv could find some good trouble in LA?? It's not too late for new additions to this series Emily!!!
We've moved from Thanksgiving to NYE in NYC. And what kind of book would it be if our characters didn't stumble into a case right from the jump. This time a man dies pretty much in Viv's lap and Viv and Tommy work the case - along with a few other lower stake cases. All while trying to figure out their wedding date, their living situation, and money.
I love these characters and am really going to miss them!
We've moved from Thanksgiving to NYE in NYC. And what kind of book would it be if our characters didn't stumble into a case right from the jump. This time a man dies pretty much in Viv's lap and Viv and Tommy work the case - along with a few other lower stake cases. All while trying to figure out their wedding date, their living situation, and money.
I love these characters and am really going to miss them!
September 18, 2023
Book #3 in this series was fun and entertaining. It's a light quick read but full of character growth and clues to be solved. If I need to offer some thoughts, I would say a bit of the conversation can be a bit claggy and doesn't feel like a natural flow. I do think we got a bit off point of the mysteries and murders a times but by the end, we pulled it back together to ensure there was closure. Nevertheless, I love picking up easy reads which suck me into the world and help me escape with the characters. If you are looking for a series which offers a bit of crime to solve and entertainment to be had, this may fill that need. I can't wait to see what else is in store for Viviana and Tommy.
February 6, 2024
I love the voice of Viviana, and the other characters are well-written and fun to spend time with as well. (One really nit picky thing, though, I don’t like it when Tommy “giggles”— that brings up creepy clown associations for me — maybe “chuckles” instead?) This book has several stories going on, rather than one central mystery, which was surprisingly not too complicated and a nice way to show how their business works. I was wondering if the plot lines were going to tie together in a way-too-coincidental manner, and I’m happy about how that turned out.
February 8, 2024
3.5 stars! This is the third book in a series set in New York City. I read the second book last year and enjoyed it. Book 1 is on my list now, because this is a well written look at 1950’s New York and a time when the electric shaver was new to the market and the Polaroid camera was just beginning to be recognized as a powerful tool for investigators. Tommy and Viviana’s business is going well and they are engaged to be married. There’s a lot of humor in these books and I can’t wait to find out how they met and started their private investigation firm.
Recommended!
Recommended!
July 17, 2024
I love hard boiled detective fiction in Old Time Radio. I don’t often pick up books of the same genre, but I was curious about Viviana. I am so glad that I picked this up. This has a very 1950s vibe with the language and the societal expectations. My favorite part might be the way Tommy trusts and supports Viviana. Women often do not come out looking good in this genre, but Tommy and Viviana are different. I was hoping for a delightful female had boiled detective and that is exactly what I got!
October 23, 2023
Fans of historical mysteries might enjoy this tale set in 1950 New York. Know that there's some "period" language and attitudes but that Viviana and her fiancé Tommy will work hard to solve four four four mysteries at once! I'd not read the earlier books and so felt a little less connected to the characters than I would have liked. That said, and despite the large number of things going on, this made for a light quick read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one.
January 21, 2024
This is book 3 in the Girl Friday series. I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous 2 books. Set in the 1950's in New York City, Viviana and Tommy are running their detective agency and planning their wedding. They have a lot of potential clients that want to hire them. As they are out on New Year's Eve they witness a man being stabbed. He dies in Viviana's arms. The police don't seem too interested in solving the murder so it's up to Tommy and Viviana.
March 18, 2024
The third in a series of three.
This is where I was very annoyed by Viviana. The book felt forced and she seemed to be losing her independence and charm for this book. It just felt like the author (and Viviana) took on too much for this book. I Was getting lost on both mysteries and Viviana's jealousy streak was surprising.
Acceptable read. Not life changing. If i didnt like the previous 2, I wouldnt have picked up this one.
This is where I was very annoyed by Viviana. The book felt forced and she seemed to be losing her independence and charm for this book. It just felt like the author (and Viviana) took on too much for this book. I Was getting lost on both mysteries and Viviana's jealousy streak was surprising.
Acceptable read. Not life changing. If i didnt like the previous 2, I wouldnt have picked up this one.
November 25, 2023
This is a fun series. I like that the main character narrates the story. Even though she’s a woman, her voice has a Sam Spade vibe to it. The characters are all unique with their own personalities. There were several mysteries in this book, and they were all challenging and interesting. I hope there is a fourth book in this series. It is very good.
February 8, 2024
Just kinda average. It was engaging enough for a quick read through. But with multiple mysteries there wasn't as much focus on character development. And for some reason Viv was uncharacteristically angry / nonplussed for most of this one - I missed her self-confidence. This installment was missing a lot of the fun of the previous two.
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