Cheryl Honigford introduces a spunky, engaging amateur detective in her debut novel, The Darkness Knows. Vivian Witchell is a radio actress on the rise in 1930s Chicago. She's just landed a plum role, and she might finally be catching the attention of her handsome-and-he-knows-it co-star Graham Yarborough. But when Vivian stumbles across Marjorie Fox's body in the station's lounge one night, all signs point to murder--and to Vivian as the next victim.
Marjorie was perhaps Vivian's least popular co-star at the radio station. Unfortunately, that means everyone's a suspect. With the help of attractive but taciturn private eye Charlie Haverman, Vivian starts digging into the dead woman's personal life and discreetly questioning her colleagues. Meanwhile, she struggles to keep her job in the face of constantly shifting politics (and an increasing number of reporters) around the station.
Honigford has done her research on the particulars of radio production in the 1930s; the scenes at the station shine, mixing dramatic tension (on and off the air) and perfect period detail. Some supporting characters, like Charlie, are interesting; others, such as Vivian's best friend Imogene, don't quite get their due. Vivian's contentious relationship with her socialite mother is a distraction rather than an extra plot layer, and Viv's tenacity sometimes tips over into bullheadedness. But for mystery lovers who like a go-getter heroine and a bit of history with their murder, The Darkness Knows is a promising start to a new series. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams