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.
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.
