Valerie Vane was an up-and-coming lifestyle reporter at a prominent New York City daily. Then she stumbled, rather publicly, and lost it all—her column, her fiancé, her access behind the city's velvet ropes. Now she's on the obituary desk writing death notices, and it feels like a dead end.
However, when she writes about a recently deceased once-famous graffiti artist, the phone calls start. A mysterious voice on the other end of the line tells her the artist's death was a murder—and if she were a real reporter, she'd investigate.
A hybrid of a vintage detective novel and breezy chick-lit, this production is a pleasant diversion. Allyson Ryan is a confident narrator whose voice easily handles the shifts in the novel's tone, which varies widely from mysterious to humorous. Protagonist Valerie Vane plays the roles of both a spoiled gossip columnist and an old-school detective. When she's demoted to obituary writing, she never expects that it will lead to a future as an actual journalist--who investigates a murder. The novel features thoughtful insights and snappy repartee but also has slow moments and some one-dimensional characters. Overall, however, Ryan's skill makes this blend of genres a worthwhile listen. L.B.F. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
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