This is a book about a PI’s secretary who has to step in and solve the mystery when her boss goes missing. Viviana and her friends work together to figure out what I thought was a very confusing mystery!

Set in 1950s New York, we meet Viviana Valentine, who works for a sometimes dodgy private investigator, Tommy Fortuna. When Viviana finds a dead body in Tommy’s office, with Tommy nowhere to be found, she ends up turning into a detective herself. When it ties into a car Tommy was working on, you see there’s much more to their client’s life than they let on.

I didn’t like this one as much as I thought I would. Viviana was a fun heroine with quirks, smarts, and wit. But I thought the overall pacing of the book was off and it took a really long time for me to really get into the story, so that affected my overall enjoyment of this book. Although once we really do get into the story, we do find everything gets tied together nicely. There’s some good historical details that make it clear this is set in New York in the 50s. 3 stars, because it did turn into a good story once we got to the second half of the book.

I loved this mystery set in the 1950s New York. I loved the twist on the whole hardboiled detective being female instead of the typical males that we find in these type of mysteries. It was a refreshing change.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book, there were many things I enjoyed, however I felt like the book did fall flat in other parts.

What I liked: Viviana’s personality and the supporting characters really made the book! I loved her as the protagonist and her relationship with a wide range of people throughout the book. The reveal at the end was also surprising and an interesting way to end the mystery.

What I didn’t like: The pacing of the book in the beginning was slow in my opinion and there were many parts that were dragged on that I didn’t care for. This made the first 50% of the book extremely slow and it was as if the focus of the story just shifted. There were times where I also felt the book went off track and although I do understand that it was needed at the end, getting through those parts required putting down the book and coming back a bit later because I was uninterested in the way it was portrayed.

Does anyone else enjoy discovering a new series? I came across Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man on NetGalley and loved the cover. I will admit I definitely judge a book by the cover! Upon exploring further I found its set in 1950s New York City and features a smart independent woman working for a PI. I was a curious and appreciate Crooked Lane Books approving me for an E galley.

What I enjoyed:

Viviana. She is a pragmatic woman who can read the room and handle tricky situation with humor and wit. She can also hold her own and solve the mystery without the interference of a man.

Viviana’s housemates and landlady. Well they are secondary characters their back stories were interesting I also appreciated that while they could drive each other a little nuts they would always help each other out.

What wasn’t my favorite:

This may be a bit nit-picky but I found the sentences at the beginning of the book to be long. Like paragraph long sentences. It was initially distracting for me but seemed to fade as the story progresses.

The sexism of the men - to be fair this is an accurate depiction of the time. It just drove me nuts - although I really appreciated how Viviana handled it

Overall I liked getting to know Viviana and seeing her sleuthing skills put into action. I will definitely be picking up her next adventure.

This is a fun and fast enjoyable book. Great characters with an interesting but enthralling storyline. Good writing with some twists and turns thrown in makes it a book perfect for summer. Highly recommend!

An interesting and fun whodunit! While books written in first person are not my usual reading fare, there are some that grab my attention and keep it glued throughout. 'Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man' is one that grabbed me. The story is set in June 1950 in Manhattan. Viviana works for private eye Tommy Fortuna. While working a case, Tommy disappears and a badly beaten man is found in his office. Viviana must use her sleuthing skills to find out who the man is, why he was in Tommy's office close to death, and where Tommy has vanished to. It's quite an enjoyable read. I didn't pull everything together until the end, and even then I was surprised at who the culprits were. Only one thing bothered me...all the use of 1950s slang. At times the characters sound like they stepped out of an Old Hollywood gangster movie. Aside from that, it is an enjoyable debut novel. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves historical mysteries.

This is a quick fun read with a quirky protagonist. She works for a man that is of dubious character...she takes off and runs with whatever is put before her. Fiction...light reading...great for an afternoon of entertainment...this book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. The book does move slowly at times...however, it is worth the time...enjoy.