Viviana Valentine Goes Up the River

by Emily J. Edwards Narrated by Stephanie Willing

Overview

1950, New York. Viviana Valentine-Girl Friday turned partner to New York's top investigator, Tommy Fortuna-is drawn into a sordid new case when Buster Beacon, a wealthy man of science, beckons them to a party at his mansion north of the city. There, Buster entertains blue-blooded friends as well as investors keen to make a dollar on the many advancements made in his home laboratory, but he's been hearing strange noises in the night coming from his expansive estate, and he doesn't know who to trust. Once Viviana and Tommy arrive, the party is snowed in. And suddenly, there is a dead body and nowhere to hide. Who killed the disguised federal agent in their midst? And how have details from the top-secret lab become public? Once chomping at the bit to be brought into this mysterious life, Viviana wonders if she's ready for the risks that come with the territory-risks that rise treacherously high as the killer targets the next victim. Set in the gritty noir world of 1950s New York City, Emily J. Edwards's Viviana Valentine Goes Up the River packs all the elements mystery fans love: an irresistibly clever protagonist, a posh cast of heroes and villains, and a murder case that could defy even the most seasoned investigator.

Editorial Reviews

AUGUST 2023 - AudioFile

Stephanie Willing ably performs this locked-room mystery set on a Hudson River estate in 1950s New York. Private investigator Viviana Valentine and her boss/partner Tommy Fortuna investigate strange nocturnal noises in the mansion of blue-blood scientist Buster Beacon. Willing imbues Viviana with a stereotypical working-class New York accent and puts bravado in Italian-American Tommy's voice while using suitably posh tones for the snooty nouveau-riche houseguests. Viviana's investigation of nocturnal noises expands with the poisoning death of a guest who's a government agent. Willing delivers multiple secrets and hidden motives as Viviana uncovers a murderer or two. While Willing's pronunciation is occasionally off the mark, she makes up for it by nailing the characters' accents. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

03/06/2023

In Edwards’s second outing for Viviana Valentine (after 2022’s Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man), the spunky former watch thief has become a partner at Tommy Fortuna’s PI firm in 1950 Hell’s Kitchen. Things kick off when Valentine and Fortuna are invited to a house party at the Tarrytown, N.Y., mansion of scientist Buster Beacon, who complains of spooky noises on the premises. It’s a thin pretense for dragging the two private eyes out of the city, but soon one of the house guests is poisoned, and a blizzard leaves everyone snowed in, with nearly every guest harboring a potential murder motive or illicit secret. Throughout, Valentine’s voice shifts puzzlingly from polished and proper to slangy, but much of the dialogue is quick and witty, and the mansion is a delightfully rendered setting, full of hidden passages and strange scientific devices. Fans of Susan Elia MacNeal’s Maggie Hope or Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs will want to give this a try. Agent: Anne Tibbets, Donald Maass Literary. (May)

From the Publisher

Praise for Viviana Valentine Goes Up the River:
“Clever and witty . . . [With] some of the snappiest narration and dialogue in modern whodunits.”
—Bookpage

“An outstanding example of an intricate simmering plot that turns into a full rolling boil—and readers won’t be disappointed.”
—Wonder Women Sixty

“Emily Edwards stuns with Vivana Valentine Goes Up The River. Viv continues to be marvellously charming, and the second installment in the Girl Friday mysteries brings intrigue and new interesting characters. 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 and Harlem Sunset

“[A] captivating historical mystery series.”
—Gumshoe Reviews

“A solid, fun follow-up to the first novel.”
—Red Carpet Crash

“Readers cannot help but love this series.”
—Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

Praise for Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man:
“[A] sprightly debut . . . Edwards writes with flair.”
—The New York Times

“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 . . . A pleasure to read.”
—Historical Novel Society

“It’s the steamy NYC summer of 1950, and Viviana’s boss is awol, there are unpaid bills, a tricky case, and an unconscious galoot on the office floor. She steps over the broken glass, touches up her lipstick and gets to work. A delightful PI romp that takes you back to when men were men, and girls wore strappy espadrilles and the perfect sundress and didn’t take crap from anyone. Viviana Valentine is a keeper. Can’t wait to read the next one in the series!”
—Iona Whishaw, award-winning and bestselling author of the Lane Winslow series

“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

Library Journal

03/01/2023

After Viviana Valentine became a PI and partnered with Tommy Fortuna in their Manhattan business, wealthy debutante Tally Blackstone moved into Viviana's position as secretary. The firm's newest client, Buster Beacon, is one of Tally's acquaintances. A scientist with a sprawling estate in Tarrytown, Buster has been hearing creaks and ghastly sounds in the house and asks the PIs to uncover the cause. When Tommy and Viviana arrive, they find a house full of scientists and wealthy investors, but Buster doesn't know whom to trust. Within a day, an undercover FBI agent is dead, and the estate is snowed in with a bridge out. Although the investigators try to keep their identities secret, it isn't long before they have to dig into top-secret Cold War scientific experiments in hopes of uncovering a spy as well as a killer. VERDICT Some questions are never fully answered in Edwards's sequel to Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man. Sexist male attitudes toward working women are on full display in this 1950s period piece, which might only appeal to fans of the earlier book.—Lesa Holstine

AUGUST 2023 - AudioFile

Stephanie Willing ably performs this locked-room mystery set on a Hudson River estate in 1950s New York. Private investigator Viviana Valentine and her boss/partner Tommy Fortuna investigate strange nocturnal noises in the mansion of blue-blood scientist Buster Beacon. Willing imbues Viviana with a stereotypical working-class New York accent and puts bravado in Italian-American Tommy's voice while using suitably posh tones for the snooty nouveau-riche houseguests. Viviana's investigation of nocturnal noises expands with the poisoning death of a guest who's a government agent. Willing delivers multiple secrets and hidden motives as Viviana uncovers a murderer or two. While Willing's pronunciation is occasionally off the mark, she makes up for it by nailing the characters' accents. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178389201
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Series:	A Girl Friday Mystery , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged

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