The Viaduct

Rating:
Summary: Not With My Daughter
Review: As a Viet Nam vet, Marin Taylor has seen the horrors of war; mothers and babies who died at the hands of U.S. soldiers, the dog-eat-dog life of the jungle and witnessing his comrades' death at the hand of the Viet Kong. Grace Edwards, in The Viaduct, continues with yet another suspenseful tale set in her native Harlem. Marin still has flashbacks and nightmares from the past. But nothing prepares him for the unbelievable horror of his newborn daughter's kidnapping from the hospital less than twenty-four hours after her birth. With his wife, Margaret, now in a catatonic state because of the abduction, he feels like he is facing the war all over again.

In just a few days Marin's life has changed. One minute he had a job and a future with the woman he loves. Told that he is laid off, he stops at his favorite watering hole to contemplate how he is going to tell his eight month pregnant wife that he is now unemployed. On his way home with his severance pay in his pocket, his mind preoccupied, he is accosted by two street thugs, who rob him. But not before there is a struggle and Marin, in an attempt to save himself, throws one of them over the viaduct. But this is Harlem, 1970s and the police believe because this incident involves black men, it must be a drug deal gone bad.

When Margaret goes to the hospital to give birth a few days later, the last thing the couple expects is that they will go home without a baby. But that harsh fact becomes a reality when Conroy, a street thug, carries out the kidnapping as payback for his brother's death. Removed from reality, Conroy lives in a fantasy world where he imagines himself a big time hustler. In reality, his dead brother, Tito, was the mastermind of their crime sprees; now he owes the local loan shark for the funeral and he has a strong contempt for nine-to five employment.

The viaduct where the robbery occurred becomes a symbol for crime, tragedy and eventually triumph as Marin attempts to unravel the misfortune that has claimed his life. This was no big time mystery nor was there a great deal of suspense. Additionally, Conroy was so dimwitted at times he came across as a caricature and some of the characters, though colorful were somewhat one-dimensional. However, Edwards's strength is her great writing skills and the ability to give the reader a sense of place and time. Her portrayal of underground Harlem as an entity to itself, set apart from the rest of New York, was nicely done. As a first time reader of this author, this reviewer is impressed enough to seek out the rest of her titles which are also set in Harlem.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

Rating:
Summary: The Viaduct
Review: Everything started and ended on the Viaduct. Violence and death. Ms. Edwards takes us on a journey in the streets of Harlem , with Marin Taylor searching for his infant daughter kidnapped from the hospital.
A long the way there are a few twists that keep you turning pages.

Rating:
Summary: The Viaduct
Review: Everything started and ended on the Viaduct. Violence and death. Ms. Edwards takes us on a journey in the streets of Harlem , with Marin Taylor searching for his infant daughter kidnapped from the hospital.
A long the way there are a few twists that keep you turning pages.

Rating:
Summary: A Mystery In Harlem
Review: For Marin Taylor, surviving the Vietnam War was the worst nightmare that he had ever encountered, or so he thought. Returning home from a hard day's work, Marin is accosted by two thugs with malevolent intentions near a viaduct. The confrontation escalates and Marin is soon fighting for his life. He thinks of his wife and their unborn child and is determined to survive for their sake. In the ensuing struggle,one of the muggers falls to his death in the viaduct and Marin is left in the street bleeding profusely and praying that someone will come along and save him. Narrowly surviving the mugging, he hopes the worst is over. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Marin's newborn child is kidnapped from the hospital one day after birth and again he is faced with a nightmare. He is angry and determined to find his child; but hampering his efforts is his concern for his wife, who is pushed to her breaking point.

Conroy is the surviving half of the duo that attacked Marin. This hustler and common street thief, with his twisted logic, blames Marin for the death of his brother and hero. Determined to make Marin pay, Conroy concocts a scheme to make some money and get revenge for his brother's death.

In her latest novel, THE VIADUCT, Grace Edwards weaves a suspenseful tale of heartache using Harlem as the backdrop. Two completly different men, both with holes in their hearts, are brought together in a most unique way, which kept me turning the pages. For fans of mystery, this is a must read.

Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers