Cheryl HonigfordBesprekingen

Viv takes Charlie to a garden party to meet her extended family. Unfortunately, they also run into an old flame of Viv’s. Charlie feels out of place there, among the wealthy social upper class, and Viv realizes inflicting her family on Charlie was a big mistake. That becomes even more evident when they stumble across a body. Author Cheryl Honigford has given her readers a delightful mystery with a touch of romance and some quite astonishing plot twists. So fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride - you’ll be glad you did.

Secrets and mysteries seen to follow Vivian and she just can’t let them go. When she accidentally finds a hidden key in her deceased father’s study, she sets in motion a chain of events that will affect her family forever. Vivian is torn is several directions as she deals with her budding career, a shame romance with her co-star, a desired relationship with her absent private detective friend, and her constant battle for independence from her mother. Her father was the bright star in her life, and now, it may be that that star has more than just a little tarnish on it. This second book in the series is even better than the first. Author Cheryl Honigford has written a mystery that is entertaining as well as intriguing with a complex plot and well-developed characters.

It’s 1938 in Chicago, and Vivian works at a radio station. After a couple of years as a secretary, she is finally cast as a radio actress in a drama. But all too soon, life mimics art, and Vivian finds herself enmeshed in a real murder mystery. The station’s boss hires a private detective to protect Vivian, but she wants to find the killer. Vivian works well with Charlie, the private eye, and the inevitable attraction develops. Well-developed characters in an equally intersting plot coupled with the setting makes for an enjoyable read. Great start to a new series.

Cheryl Honigford's first Viv and Charlie mystery brings to life the days of radio serials. As a child, my mother would sit with my grandmother in the dark listening to their favorite radio programs. My mother's was The Shadow Knows, which reminds me of the title of this book, so I was favorably inclined toward The Darkness Knows from the beginning. I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed.

As I've already said, Honigford added just the right amount of historical detail to put me right in the middle of the golden days of radio. Radio stars aren't any different from Hollywood stars. Those starting out in their careers are cutthroat when it comes to obtaining the right parts that will get them noticed and lead to fame and larger paychecks. Viv had to deal with this just as much as she had to deal with finding a killer.

This leads me to Viv's character. She's a likable enough person, but she's not the girl next door. She's ambitious. She's self-centered. A lot of the things she does in The Darkness Knows are publicity stunts aimed at furthering her career, and she does them cheerfully. Honigford does an excellent job walking a tightrope with Viv's characterization. Viv is nice... but not "too" nice. On the other hand, working class Charlie the private detective I thought was completely likable. If there was anything about these two characters that I really didn't care for, it was the amount of romance between them in the story. That's just not my thing, although I know I'm probably in the minority.

Even though I knew the bad guy from the start, I still enjoyed reading this first Viv and Charlie mystery. The period Chicago "radio days" detail drew me right in, and I enjoyed watching how long it took the others to figure out whodunit. Shame on me!½

I received this book as a gift and it looked like it would be right up my alley. A mystery set in 1930's Chicago in the height of the radio age. The lead character is a radio actress, so I thought, "Great, this will be enjoyable." I'm sorry to say that I didn't care for it much. The mystery isn't very difficult at all to figure out. The lead character, I thought, was totally unlikeable and very childish and the writing and plot are both weak. Not to mention that I don't like my mysteries mixed up with romance and all the "sweaty palms and bated breaths" that usually go hand in hand with the genre. I have given the book 2 stars instead of 1 because I did finish it, and I do enjoy that era.

It's 1938, and actress Vivian Witchell has just landed her first big role on a popular radio show called "The Darkness Knows." Although she has a privileged background and still lives with her mother, a leading light of Chicago society, Viv is determined to succeed in her chosen career. She knows showbiz can be cutthroat, and she doesn't shy away from competing with her fellow actresses, both for roles and for her handsome costar Graham Yarborough's attentions. But when a famous actress at the radio station is murdered, Viv learns that the business is even more dangerous than she knew -- especially when an anonymous letter hints that she might be the next victim. The police are immediately called to investigate the murder, but the station also calls private detective Charlie Haverman to protect Viv in case the murderer decides to strike again. Charlie wants Viv to stay away from the station and stay out of trouble, but of course Viv has other ideas. Can they unmask the murderer together before Viv or anyone else becomes the next victim?

I really enjoyed this book! The mystery, while not particularly innovative, was solid, and I loved the period setting. Viv is a clever, spunky heroine whose lively narrative voice is lots of fun to follow. I did find her somewhat annoying at times; like many amateur sleuths, she takes far too many risks and races into danger without thinking about the consequences. I also found her attitude toward wealth and privilege to be a bit confusing -- she insists she wants to make it on her own, but she doesn't mind enjoying the benefits that come from living with her rich mother. I hope the issue of social class will be explored a lot more in the sequel(s) that will hopefully follow this book. I also really liked Charlie, although his characterization as a tough, streetwise detective veers toward the stereotypical at times. The banter and chemistry between Viv and Charlie is a highlight of the novel, and I enjoyed their interactions more than the slow unraveling of the whodunit. Overall, if you like the premise of this novel, it's a very enjoyable debut, and I definitely look forward to continuing with the series.

I loved this quick and light historical mystery. I loved how it took place in a radio station. That was fun to learn more about some of the stars that began in radio. I look forward to learning more about Viv and Charlie in more stories. They were so good together. It was sad to see Viv falling for the slimy actor and she had to learn there is more than just acting. This has a great mystery and is fun and light hearted. I received this from Sourcebook for a fair and honest opinion.

An atmospheric novel set in 1930's Chicago.
A radio station broadcasts the serial "The Darkness Knows".
One of the stars, Viv, stumbles upon the body of a not very well liked colleague who has a note saying that Viv will be next clutched in her hand.
So begins a mystery that Viv and private detective Charlie Haverman must solve before the prediction comes true.
Great read!
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Sourcebooks / Landmark via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

The Darkness Knows by Cheryl Honigford is a Viv and Charlie mystery novel. Vivian Witchell is a radio actress in Chicago, Illinois in 1938. Vivian was a secretary at the station (for Mr. Hart) before she made the move into acting. Vivian is determined to be independent and a big star. One evening Vivian forgot her umbrella and had return to the lounge. She walks into the lounge and finds a body. Vivian screams which alerts the elevator operator and then faints dead away. She awakens in the office of Mr. Hart, the station owner. The body was that of radio star, Marjorie Fox. She was the main character in The Golden Years. After Vivian gets threatened, Mr. Hart hires Charlie Haverman, Jr., a private investigator, to keep her safe and look into the crime. Vivian wants to help Charlie with the investigation. She does not want to stay safe at home with her mother (Vivian comes from a well-to-do family). Can they find the killer before Vivian ends up the next victim?

The Darkness Knows was a good concept. I like the time period and the radio angle (different from other novels). However, I thought the mystery was simple and very easy to solve (one clue gives it away). Vivian is trying to be this independent woman but it does not come across. She is from a rich family who live in a big house, have a chauffeur, maid, etc. Her shows of independence are comical (like not using the chauffeur). There are phrases and words in the book that are not correct for the era. There is also some information repeated a few times. I give The Darkness Knows 3 out of 5 stars (it was okay). Vivian was not my favorite character in the book (I found Graham Yarborough entertaining). She is such a contradiction (independent, stubborn and then faints and cries). I thought Cheryl Honigford was a very verbose writer (a nice word for long winded and descriptive). The book seemed unfinished at the end. The crime was solved, but we are left with a couple of unanswered questions. I do not believe I will read the next book in the series (just not for me).

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my won.

Ms. Honigford does a great job taking readers back to an era when the world stood on the cusp of recovery, advancements, and tragedy. My grandparents told me stories of these days and, with my current nostalgia phase, THE DARKNESS KNOWS was a pleasant evocation of those memories. That feeling and her mastery in portraying the era make for a very entertaining cozy. The beginnings of the noir period I so enjoy in books and movies.
There were, however, a few things that were disappointing.
Viv’s desire and determination to be a modern woman with a career were betrayed, for me, by the way she went about it. There wasn’t as much grit when it came right down to it. It wasn’t necessary for her survival and there were times it came across, for me, that she was doing this in defiance rather than a real resolve to be independent. Her modernity didn’t extend far enough in some instances while going a tad too far in others. Her role in the mystery, while central, had very little to do with its resolution, and one of the most important facets never even occurred to her until much later than it should have.
THE DARKNESS KNOWS was a pleasant read, but I’m on the fence as to whether I’ll read the next one.
Reviewed for Novels Alive TV and Miss Ivy’s Book Nook Take II

The Darkness Knows by Cheryl Honigford is a gem of a book set in the Chicago in the 1930s.. The charm of the book stems from the action taking place at a radio station and giving readers a peek at how entertainment was made for the medium.. Vivian Witchell is an actress at the radio station when she stumbles onto drama not written in a script, a murdered and unpopular fellow actress.. Vivian and the private eye who helps her, Charlie Haverman, make for an entertaining team. Honigford fleshes out all the characters, so that they are easily imagined and putting you in the center of it all,. All in all, I hope to see more from Viv and Charlie. The questions you have at the end of the book, sound, at least in my head, like the melodramatic ones they would spin at the end of the radio shows. The ones that kept you coming back for more. This identical review is posted on www.netgalley.com