A Front Page Affair

I received an ARC of this from BookCon last year. I normally don't reach for mystery books, but my love for historical fiction pushed me to actually read it.

Kitty as a main character was okay. Nothing really pulled me towards her. She did stick up for herself a little bit, but she allowed herself to be told what to do without ever really speaking up, which is probably just a side effect of being a woman in 1915.

Of the side characters, I do have some that I liked more than others, mainly because of they interacted with Kitty, but some of them seemed to be stronger people than her.

The story itself that we follow was a little interesting, mainly for its ties to World War One. That being said, the last few chapters were the best ones of the show more whole book because they contained the most action and Kitty showed a ton of initiative.

While I did enjoy this book for what it was, I will probably not be reaching for the next one. show less

A Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal is a clever historical mystery starring an intrepid young reporter turned amateur sleuth. Set in 1915, this first installment in the Kitty Weeks Mystery series is an entertaining and educational debut that is quite riveting.

On her first independent assignment for the Ladies Page, Capability "Kitty" Weeks is sent to cover an Independence Day celebration hosted by Bessie Basshor. Excited to venture into the "real" world of reporting, Kitty is busy observing the partygoers and conducting informal interviews when news spreads that Hunter Cole, a fellow guest, has been murdered in the stables. Excited when she is asked to help cover the story for the newspaper, Kitty is soon embroiled in her own show more investigation into Hunter's death after the police quickly make an arrest in the case.

The daughter of a wealthy businessman, Kitty is an intelligent nineteen year old who wants a little more from life than managing her father's household. Her position at the newspaper allows her to balance her need for a career with her family obligations and although she only works part time, she takes her job seriously. She is a little immature and somewhat naive, but her natural curiosity leads her to continue digging into the circumstances surrounding Hunter's murder. Headstrong and independent, Kitty jeopardizes her position at the newspaper when she ignores her Ladies' Page assignments in order to pursue her investigation.

In addition to the mystery surrounding Hunter's death, Kitty finds herself looking into her father's business ventures after an unsettling visit from the Secret Service. Shaken by their accusations, she realizes she does not know him quite as well as she thought and after he refuses to answer her questions, she begins secretly digging into his recent activities. Although troubled by some of the information she uncovers, Kitty is determined to prove her father is innocent of any wrongdoing.

A Front Page Affair is an intriguing mystery with a cast of well-developed characters and a unique storyline. Radha Vatsal's meticulous research brings both the time period and the setting vividly to life and these historic details add depth and authenticity to the overall story. The mystery aspect of the storyline is well written and it is nearly impossible to guess the killer's identity or motive for the murder until the novel's somewhat dramatic conclusion. An excellent first installment in the Kitty Weeks Mystery series that will leave readers impatiently awaiting Kitty's next adventure. show less

Radha Vatsal’s debut novel, A Front Page Affair, takes us to 1915 New York City, as Capability (what a great name!) “Kitty” Weeks is working as a reporter on the fashion and society pages for the New York Sentinel newspaper.

Kitty really wants to cover the hard news stories, something that women just weren’t allowed to do. While covering a society party on Long Island, a man is murdered and Kitty is the only reporter on the scene.

She takes advantage of her position and works to discover why Mr. Cole was murdered. Was he having an affair with a married woman? Did he owe money to someone shady?

As Kitty delves deeper into the murder mystery, she discovers that her father has something he is hiding. The murder mystery may also have show more something to do with a wartime conspiracy, and Kitty uses her wits and education to unravel the truth.

Kitty Weeks is an intriguing protagonist, and the jailhouse scene is tense and well done. Vatsal’s second book in the series, Murder Between the Lines publishes in May, and her interest in female silent film directors is supposed to be a running theme in her books, which is unique and interesting. show less

Kitty Weeks, 19, has returned to NYC following a European tour after finishing at her boarding school in Switzerland. She has started a part time job as apprentice reporter for the Ladies Page although she doesn't need to work. Her first solo outing is a 4th of July gala. During the fireworks display a guest is murdered. Being near the scene Kitty is peripherally drawn in. She is asked to provide background for the city reporter covering the crime. As Kitty asks questions she comes to the attention of Federal authorities and her father's secrets and business becomes an issue. Well set up look at pre-U.S. World War I involvement. Kitty also gets a hard look at who she is and the wider world outside of her former insulated life. Looking show more forward to more in this series. show less

A Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal is a solid start to a new historical mystery series. The main character Kitty Weeks is a up and coming newspaper reporter in a time where women were not accepted as such. Her reporting leads her into investigating a couple of connected murders and is told to the reader in what I liken to a Nancy Drew style. Although A Front Page Affair is for an adult audience, it has that genteel and sophisticated air, which I adore.

The only real trouble that I had was all of the history that was interjected that had very little to nothing to do with the story. It was as though the author got overzealous with her research and wanted to share all that she learned. Unfortunately, it did slow things down every now and show more again, and it took away from the overall experience.

That being said, there was so much more to like than not. The early 1900’s NYC setting, the writing style, the varied cast of characters, and the mystery were all wonderful and the lovely introduction into The Kitty Weeks Mysteries is more than enough to bring me back for more. show less

A Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal is a wonderful historical mystery novel, our introduction to Capability "Kitty" Weeks. It is also the debut novel from Vatsal and I will be eager to read her next book.

A historical novel which is also a mystery often leans very far in one direction or the other yet A Front Page Affair manages to be both a very good historical novel as well as a good mystery. I would likely say that it leans ever so slightly on the historical side but I think that is to be expected if one wants to be taken back to that time.

While I like historical novels I admit that I usually do not feel quite the same sense of investment in the characters because of the difference in eras. I tend toward pulling for a character, even show more liking her, but often become an observer of both the story and the historical period. Vatsal created a protagonist in Kitty who I was able to like as much as I am usually able which gave me a stronger interest in the outcome of the story.

I would recommend this to readers of historical fiction and of mysteries. It certainly speaks to the obstacles women encountered during this time in journalism, as well as most other professions.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less

Capability “Kitty” Weeks was aptly named by her parents after Capability Brown.

"Lancelot Brown, more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as ‘the last of the great English 18th-century artists to be accorded his due’ and ‘England's greatest gardener.’ He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure."

Kitty is 19 years old in 1915, and without any work experience was able to secure a highly sought-after apprentice fashion position on New York’s "Sentinel." Kitty has been an apprentice on the newspaper for 6 months and has received her first solo assignment to attend an Independence Day gala at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club on Monday, July 5th. Kitty is excited and show more nervous and wants to show supervisor and mentor Miss Helena Busby that she can do far more than opening mail, judging cooking contests, and the like. Due to recent current events abroad (e.g. sinking of the ocean liner Lusitania) and domestically of the shooting of Mr. J. P. Morgan by an intruder into the Morgan mansion, Kitty has aspirations of writing news reports of the day. The secretary to the gala hostess was delighted to explain this year’s crowning celebration of the gala would be an afternoon of Japanese daylight fireworks. Little did Kitty realize as one of the gala guests she would become witness at a murder scene.

Kitty has had many experiences not common to many young women of the day having been born abroad and attended a boarding school in Switzerland for 10 years prior to being sent for by her widowed father as business has him now settling in New York. Kitty is intelligent, adapts easily to new situations, and proves herself creative to accomplish the investigative needs of the news editor that seeks to use Kitty’s new connections made during her attendance at the gala.

Kitty reminded me of Mary Handley in the earlier time period of 1876, with Mary proving her resilience as the first woman detective in the Brooklyn Police Department as created by author Lawrence H. Levy. Mary is actually based on the true story of the first woman hired by the Brooklyn Police Department to investigate a crime. Both characters are unforgettable with acumen and personalities perfect for each of their chosen professions. As a reader I have found historical fiction to be a unique gift as beyond a readable and enjoyable reading experience it widens understanding of cultural norms of the day, and personalizes historical events beyond the dry facts of event names, dates, and related statistics. Historical fiction humanizes historical events with character experiences and reactions to those experiences. It becomes a barometer of the past and a beacon to the future of what might still be possible to achieve. Awareness of the past may seem to be illuminating pain but in understanding through the eyes of others our perspective is broadened and becomes more inclusive and begins to negate judgmental reactions.

I look forward to reading how Kitty Weeks proceeds on her life journey. Her attendance at an event seems guaranteed to attract attention and synthesize the event into a news report that will fascinate readers.

Many historical fiction novels have special features of interest following the end of the story but Radha Vatsal’s provisions are most comprehensive. I delighted in the offerings shared by Radha Vatsal beginning with her advisement in the “Author’s Note” that "much of what seems most unlikely in this novel actually happened." Additional features include: Further Reading, Reading Group Guide: Questions for Discussion, A Conversation with the Author, Selected References and Resources, Acknowledgements, and About the Author. show less