This was fun and once I got past the first quarter of the book, it was fast-paced. I enjoyed Viv's personality and I can't wait to read more in this series.

Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man is a fast-paced PI mystery where a plucky secretary contends with an investigation on her own. Viviana discovers a man injured and unresponsive in their office after her boss disappears on a job. At first, she sticks to her normal duties, preparing things for Tommy's return. But when the cops suspect him of committing the crime and a wealthy client summons Viviana for an update on their latest case, she can't help but step in and use all the skills she's picked up to investigate on her own.

I appreciated the way the book brings 1950 New York City to life, a time period I don't read enough about. From the lingo to the details of setting the scene, the author helps you picture our characters' realities. There are also nods to historical events that are current to our characters, though I felt these references lacked nuance or critical thought at times. For example, Viviana's client made his money in diamonds after inheriting money from cotton. And while she's critical of the wealth gap he exacerbates, we're not going to talk about race? Especially with those particular industries? Ok. Discussions about conflict in SE Asia say nothing about colonialism, instead keeping things vague about what a "mess" everything is. And who's fault is that exactly? There's also a touch of conversation about gay experiences at the time with reference to the lavender scare, but it feels a bit stilted like checking a box. One area that felt more natural was the author's embedded emphasis on New York's cultural and ethnic diversity as Viviana meets all kinds of people on her adventures.

I appreciate the book's lack of infodump, but sometimes a plot point or character lacked depth in important moments, presumably to keep things fast-paced. The plus side of the speed is that it keeps you from dwelling too much on any particular clue that could spoil the mystery. The lack of character depth was a particular disappointment for me as it concerns Viviana and the other girls in the boarding house where she resides. Their bonds are a bright spot in the book, and I would have liked to feel like I know them all a bit better and got to see more of their dimensions. The hinted future romance between Viviana and Tommy was less impressive, but at least it's not a major factor, what with Tommy galavanting off-page for most of the book.

This book is a fun period mystery with a vivacious setting and a fun heroine. What it lacks in depth it makes up for in fast pacing and a satisfying conclusion. I would continue the series just to see how things develop between Viviana and her fellow boarders/impromptu investigators. Thanks to Crooked Lane for my copy to read and review!

"Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man" is a delightful and charming romantic comedy that will leave you with a smile on your face. The story follows Viviana Valentine, a witty and determined protagonist, on her misadventures in the world of matchmaking. With its clever humor, endearing characters, and unexpected twists, this novel is a lighthearted and feel-good read that will warm your heart and keep you entertained from start to finish. Perfect for fans of romantic comedies, this book is a delightful escape into the world of love, laughter, and happy endings.

What a great start to a new fun series. I loved the era and the setting. Looking forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man, A Girl Friday Mystery, is a fun novel set in 1950s New York City. Viviana, at age 16, arrived in New York from Pennsylvania and found a job as an assistant to Tommy Fortuna, a private investigator. When Viviana finds a body in Tommy's office, but cannot find Tommy anywhere, she is given the opportunity to hone her private investigation skills within New York's wealthiest debutantes and their families. Viviana is a likeable character who offers many great comments about men, love, and careers. Author, Emily J. Edwards, also provides great descriptive passages of life in summer in the city.

Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read and review this debut mystery. The opinions expressed are my own.
I really liked this feisty mystery. Viviana Valentine is a secretary at a detective agency. When her boss disappears, she takes over and starts working on solving the mysteries the agency is working on. Lots of action with a likable character. I hope to see more in this series.

Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man is a fun, fast-paced mystery set in 1950s New York. We follow Viviana, who works for Tommy Fortuna, one of the best private investigators in the city. Tommy received a new job from an extremely wealthy man, Tallmadge Blackstone, who wants to discover why his daughter, Tallulah, won't marry his business partner, 40 years her senior. But the next day, Viviana walks into the office to find Tommy missing, and a lifeless body on the floor. So now Viviana has to take on the case herself, and as she spends time with Tallulah, she starts realizing that nothing is as it seems.

The strength of this book is in its atmosphere and in the characters, for sure. I really enjoyed the setting and I liked seeing the characters navigate the situations they were in. Viviana is a determined and strong character and she was really fun to follow solving this mystery. I really enjoyed the side character as well, most of them were interesting and developed well, especially considering this wasn't too long of a novel. I did really like that the book also focused on friendship, and I enjoyed seeing Viviana and Tallulah become friends and also Viviana's friendships with other girls at the boarding house she lives in.

The mystery itself was interesting, and it kept me wanting to know more for most of the book. I enjoyed how it gradually unfolded, but I have to say I didn't really like how convenient everything ended up being in the end. My biggest complaint here is that for most of the book, some things were intentionally ignored, even though they should've been clues and maybe pointers for where to look. But instead of Viviana or the police looking that way, they all just chose to look away. Fx Vivana's ex-boyfriend was literally threatening her in front of people, and when she was attacked in the dark, no one suspected him? Wouldn't that be your first suspect? And then, in the end, everything magically worked out even though they ignored all their leads. (view spoiler)

Overall, this was a fun mystery and I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for something fast and entertaining (and if you can look over potential loopholes a bit). I will definitely be picking up the second book in the series, I'm excited to see where Viviana will go from here!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Viviana Valentine is the Secretary to a private investigator named Tommy Fortuna. One of his wealthy clients hires him to find out why his daughter will not marry her fiancé. During his investigation, Viviana finds a body in Tommy’s office. When Tommy goes missing, it is assumed that he is the murderer. Viviana sets out to clear her boss’s name. Along the way, she finds that both cases may be connected.

I found Viviana to be a very frustrating protagonist. Mrs. Edwards tries to depict her as a sassy heroine who tries to solve crimes. However, Viviana comes off as crude and crass. She is very judgmental to everyone around her and believes that she is better than everyone around her. Because of her selfishness, I found her very off-putting. I hoped that throughout the novel, she would undergo massive character development. However, she stayed the same throughout the novel. Thus, Viviana was not a very endearing character.

Overall, this novel is about friendship, feminism, and high society. The supporting characters were bland and forgettable. The story was slow and predictable. It was filled with all the typical cliches of a mystery novel. Therefore, there were really no twists and turns in this story and the case can be solved pretty easily. Mrs. Edwards’s writing style did not appeal to me and was very off-putting. I did not find her novel to be very funny at all. Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man is a cozy historical novel that will appeal to fans of light mysteries. However, this novel simply did not work for me. I hope that in the next book in the series, Viviana will be more developed and will have stronger writing. I recommend this novel for fans of The Secret Life of Anna Blanc, The Darkness Knows, and Death on a Deadline!

Viviana Valentine might only be seen as a secretary to the people coming to her detective boss Tommy Fortuna for help and the various harassing cops who hope to collar Tommy for the body found in his office.

Despite the odds against her and the tight timeline, Viviana discovers who and what is really behind Tommy’s latest case (snooping on a local, wealthy industrialist’s daughter who refuses to marry a wealthy old man). Viviana crisscrosses the city, talking herself into and out of situations, getting attacked and persevering, and roping her friends in the women’s’ boarding house she lives in for insight, and a little breaking and entering when necessary.

I loved Viviana’ energy, smarts, moxie, fast-talking and good sense. She was a blast to spend time with, and I cannot wait to read about her next case.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The jargon is fine, but it can be a bit too much at times. Also, Viviana isn’t as gung-ho and independent as I’d like. It won’t be a new favorite, so I’m going to give it a pass.

DNF at 18%

I love this mystery, a mix of humorous and hard boiled detective story. it kept me turning pages and had fun till the end.
I love Vivian, a clever and well rounded character, ahd plot is fast paced and gripping.
The historical background is vivid, the characters fleshed out, and it made me visualize the scenes like a 40s detective movie.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This book was not what I expected, but still an enjoyable read. Told from the viewpoint of Miss Valentine, a secretary for a private investigator, this fits the "noir/hardboiled" label. Set in 1950's New York, readers will follow Viv as she navigates high society to help her boss (also her secret crush) when he turns up missing in action.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

A fun new historical mystery series centered around the adventures of one Viviana Valentine, a plucky gal who acts a a secretary to a private detective but winds up doing most of the detecting herself.

This is a solidly constructed mystery and I liked that it was set slightly later than most historical mysteries of this style, just for something different. While the mystery itself in this story is mostly fine, the best part of the book is it’s sense of time and place and the activity centered around Viviana’s boarding house and her housemates.

Viviana is easy to root for (as are her pals), and the setup is a good one to continue the series.

Book 1 of “A Girl Friday Mystery Series” set in the 50s with all the trappings of the decade set in NYC will bring one back to the black and white tv screen and detective stories. Viviana’s boss is missing on the day a body is found in his office and he had just taken a new case from a wealthy businessman regarding his young daughter. Nothing to do but try to find her boss and avoid him being a prime suspect in the murder. Lots of action with Viviana’s fellow boarders and the homeowner and son. This is one gal that is quick on her toes and not afraid to stand up to anyone. This series shows great promise from a surprise ending to a slew of characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book; this is my honest review.

I am always on the lookout for a new historical mystery series so this one was a must read for me. I wasn't disappointed. Set in 1950 New York City in Hell's Kitchen, we meet Viviana Valentine. She is the Girl Friday for a PI named Tommy Fortuna. Her job takes a sudden detour when she arrives at the office to find a body on the office floor and her boss missing. When the police want to track down Tommy and arrest him, Viv decides to turn gumshoe and not only take over the case he was working on but find him in the process. The case he was working on was for a wealthy man who wanted Tommy to follow his very young daughter and figure out why she refuses to marry his 57 year old business partner. Do the math, Dad.
Viv gets involved in more ways than she anticipated and it gets her assaulted and in the hospital. In true mystery/detective fashion there is more to this case than meets the eye. With Viv on the case the answers will be found.....but will Tommy, as well?
After enjoying this debut mystery I'm ready to read the next in the series, Viviana Valentine Goes Up the River (5/2/2023). My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much! Edwards is amazing at making a fun mystery, weaving in so many characters and so many storylines to make a fun novel. I loved that there were layers of guessing, that I could guess some of the mystery, but never all of it. The plotting was perfection, and had enough red herrings to make everything feel new and fresh. I honestly can't wait to read the next ones.

That leads to the characters. Viviana is such a treat! She is so fun to learn about and I loved the way she could take everything in stride in such a realistic way. I loved the characters Edwards built and how each person felt fleshed out and interesting. I also very much enjoyed all the historical context in this novel. We learn so much about the food and fashion of the 1950s. It's a great time and a perfect novel for a fun mystery.

Viviana Valentine is the Girl Friday for one of New York's greatest private investigators, Tommy Fortuna. When Tommy takes on a wealthy client who wants Tommy to find out why his daughter refuses to marry his business partner. Seems like a straightforward case, but when Tommy goes missing and a body is found in his office, Viviana has to step in to clear Tommy's name and solve the case, too.

I really enjoyed this book! Viviana is such a fun character and I appreciated how smart, funny, and capable she was throughout the story. I also loved that Viviana had such a strong support system and was considered a qualified investigator by her peers despite being a woman. The 1950s slang/references, funny quips from the characters, and twists throughout helped to make this a really strong start to the Girl Friday series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me an advanced readers copy of this book!

full teaser review published 28 October 2022 at https://wellreadpiratequeen.blogspot.com/2022/10/viviana-valentine-gets-her-man.html

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I love the old hard-boiled classic detective stories. Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler take up a good deal of "actual shelf" at my house and Erle Stanley Gardner has a large chunk of real estate on my cloud. I'm already planning on a big lovefest for December in lieu of anything from NetGalley for at least one of the three. "Dashiell December?" "Merry Marlowe?" It'll probably come down to a coin toss.

That being said, I was not expecting much out of this.

Well, I was, but it wasn't really anything good.

I was expecting fluff. I thought I would get maybe a third of the way through before giving up and hitting the sad little "I will not be giving feedback" link on NetGalley.

By the time I was a third of the way through I was hooked and had already requested the second Viviana Valentine book on NetGalley. The second -- Viviana Valentine Goes Up The River -- is set for a May 2023 release and there is a very slim chance that I will be able to wait that long. I may not even wait until 2023. Luckily, I just sent it to my Kindle from my beloved (and overflowing) NetGalley shelf so I don't even really have to wait at all .... though I'm trying to tell myself that I at least have to finish the last two books needed for my Alphabet Soup Challenges before I can revisit Viv and Tommy and the rest.

Being a Girl Friday to the city’s top private investigator can be frustrating, but Viviana Valentine takes it all in stride and handles everything in the office. But when Viviana opens the office to find her boss missing and a lifeless body on the floor, she must take on the case herself. Will she learn the truth or is the danger going to be too much for her to handle?

Although this one took me a little while to really get into, it was a lot of fun to read! Viviana is an interesting character: spunky and independent but willing to get help from her friends. Although thrust into the role of investigator, she quickly finds her feet and starts sifting through the clues.

The mystery itself is also interesting, although at the end there seemed to be a few leaps of logic that took me by surprise. I also couldn’t tell if I liked how the dialogue sounded like a stereotypical fifties New York movie or if it was annoying.

Readers who enjoy fifties mysteries, or noir books, may really enjoy this one.

When Girl Friday Viviana Valentine's boss Tommy Fortuna goes missing, it is up to Viv to keep his private investigator business going and deal with a troublesome client. Millionaire Tallmadge Blackstone has hired Tommy to follow his eighteen-year-old daughter Tallulah and figure out why she doesn't want to marry his 57-year-old partner Webber Harrington-Whitley. Doesn't seem like a tough case to solve!

But as Viv follows and hangs out with Tallulah, she learns a lot about her and her family. Viv is also dodging an ex named Sandy who got a little too handsy and doesn't seem to have gotten the message that Viv was finished with him. After finding a gravely injured man in Tommy's office and being attacked a couple of times herself, Viv has a lot of incentive to solve the crime especially as Detective Jake Lawson seems to want to pin it all on her boss Tommy.

The story was filled with 1950s slang, fashion, and mores. It was an engaging and entertaining mystery with a great setting and wonderful characters. Viviana Valentine is one smart cookie, and I look forward to reading more of her adventures.