Description

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For fans of Ashley Weaver and Rhys Bowen, when Viviana Valentine and Tommy Fortuna head to Times Square for New Year’s Eve, they didn’t expect their resolution to involve catching a killer.

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 workload, Viviana knows something strange is happening at her boarding house. Will all of this—plus planning for a wedding—be too much for one Girl Friday?

About the Author

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Emily 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 podcaster. She currently resides in Connecticut with her husband and several quadrupeds.

Praise For…

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Praise for Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock:
“Sparkling . . . Cracking dialogue, well-drawn characters, and vivid evocations of mid-century Manhattan. Fans of Ashley Weaver and Mariah Fredericks should check this series out.”
—Publishers Weekly

“The sharpness and warmth of Viv’s lively patter and the evocation of postwar New York will stick with you.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“With characters as diverse as the New York City setting . . . Readers will have no problem jumping right in.”
—Library Journal

“Period-perfect dialogue and snappy humor.”
—Bookpage

“Deftly scripted and highly recommended.”
—Midwest Book Review

“A fun read with a narrative driven, plot twisting, and inherently fascinating mystery that plays fair with the reader.”
—Midwest Book Review, audiobook review

“A series I want to continue for a long time to come.”
—Kings River Life

“This is the third book in the series, and it keeps getting better.”
—Red Carpet Crash

“Edwards knows how to whisk readers away to New York City in the 1950's with ease.”
—Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

“Delicious details abound.”
—Historical Novels Review

Praise for The Girl Friday Mysteries:
“[A] sprightly debut . . . Edwards writes with flair.”
—The New York Times

“Viviana Valentine is a keeper.”
—Iona Whishaw, award-winning and bestselling author of the Lane Winslow series

“Emily Edwards stuns with Vivana Valentine Goes Up The River . . . Edwards once again flaunts her expert research skills, making the '50's vibrant and alive. On the whole, Up The River is a gorgeous mystery that will leave readers wanting more.”
—Nekesa Afia, author of Dead Dead Girls

“Edwards' clever, highly enjoyable debut is a love letter to the old-school private eye, starring a street-smart secretary who finds herself suddenly tasked with solving the cases of New York's rich and famous. With a stellar cast of supporting characters and a 1950s setting that drips with life, Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man unfolds a fun, twisty mystery before sticking the landing for a satisfying final reveal. This firecracker of a series opener will leave readers ready for more Viv!”
—Allison Epstein, author of A Tip for the Hangman

“A snappy valentine to a bygone era . . . [with] a raft of twists and complications.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A solid debut . . . For fans of hardboiled PIs with hearts of gold.”
—Library Journal

“Edwards nails the tone, with dialogue and milieu evocative of classic noir.”
—Bookpage

“[An] old-fashioned New York gumshoe detective novel, but brought up to date and given a very feminine spin.”
—Historical Novel Society