​Private Investigator, 8 Ballo has been hired to find his client's daughter, Velma.  However, Velma Hartmann is a grown woman and 8's client, Fritz Hartmann isn't exactly the most upstanding businessman.  Nevertheless, 8 begins his search with Velma's esteemed crowd, joining Dorothy Parker at the Algonquin, Zelda Fitzgerald at her home, Coleman Hawkins at the Jazz clubs, and even Babe Ruth. While 8 finds leads, he becomes enamored with the idea of Velma, but finds more dirt on her father than anyone else.  As 8 gets closer to Velma, he discovers another missing girl, shady deals and gets involved with Bugsy Seigel. 


Velma gone awry is a fast-paced historical mystery in the roaring twenties.  The writing is very atmospheric, delving into the lavish 20's lifestyle with many noted historic characters, speakeasies, jazz clubs, mobsters and the beginning of the baseball leagues.  The mystery of Velma's disappearance was intriguing and layered.  The mystery deepened as we learned about her father's nefarious dealings, a missing friend of Velma's, Colleen and multiple inroads with the mob.  8 Ballo's character was an enigma himself, well developed and with many facets, a veteran with an interesting upbringing that gives him a unique perspective on the world around him.  An explosive ending created excitement and possibly more cases for 8 to follow. 

In 1947, Jeanne is one of the high school journalists chosen to witness the UN vote to create the state of Israel. Also heading to the UN is local journalist, John.  John is not only writing stories about the student's UN trip, but he is following a lead on a source that might have information on a group trying to undermine the vote.  Jeanne and John meet on the train from Chicago to New York and immediately feel a strong connection.  John asks Jeanne to help him write stories and she readily accepts, meanwhile, John is uncovering an assassination plot to dismantle the vote and Jeanne knows something is up.  Fifty years Jeanne and John have gone their separate ways until Jeanne receives an email from John asking her to help him write a book about the incident at the UN.  Jeanne must try to come to terms with that time in her life and see if she can forgive John for what happened all those years ago.  

Come November is a story of hope, redemption and second chances.  Told from alternating time periods of 1947 and 2003, suspense is built as Jeanne and John's past collides with their present.   It was fun to read about Jeanne's UN trip as a high school student, which was apparently based on a real trip that the author's mother was a part of.  For Jeanne's character, this trip was life changing and began a lifelong interest in world affairs as well as bringing to light a significant event in world history that is often forgotten. John's character is tenacious and goes after what he wants without a lot of thought for consequences.  The tension in the story rises as John attempts to stop the assassination plot as well as when John and Jeanne finally meet in Italy.  In 2003, John and Jeanne are older, but with the same feelings they shared in 1947.  However, personal problems and experience tells them to be more careful with their hearts this time around.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.