Southampton - "Hotel No Tell" (Bantam Books, Random House Publishing Group, paperback) by author Daphne Uviller is a hip, fun and suspenseful read for the beach, porch, bed or outdoor cafe in New York City where the book is set.

Her main character, Zephyr Zuckerman, is a sassy sleuth who works for New York City's Special Investigations Commission. She goes undercover as a concierge at the Greenwich Village Hotel, trying to track down missing money.

Uviller follows the first rule of writing - write what you know - and she knows NYC. As a former book and poetry editor of Time Out New York she is a third generation Greenwich Villager and ex-super of her family's building, and brings it all to her Zephyr character in this sequel to "Super in the City."

Now living in the Hudson Valley with her husband and two children, Uviller explores that sometimes difficult transistion from City life to suburbia with one of the many 'gal pal' characters of Zephyr's in the book. A co-editor of "Only Child: Writers on the Singular Joys and Solitary Sorrows of Growing Up Solo" (Harmony Books 2007), Uviller has brought refreshing honesty regarding children, ex-husbands and boyfriends, looks, dating, parents, aging, friendship, and most importantly candor and humor to all of her characters in "Hotel No Tell" - we all know someone like the characters she describes.

Our 30 something Zephyr's detective boyfriend has moved out over their disagreement about children (he wants them - she doesn't), she feels pressure to visit a close friend who has opted for motherhood and suburbia, she questions her decision to not pursue law and/or medical school, her relationship with a sometimes overbearing family, and the first and unforgettable stirrings of a new romance - all befall her while testing her investigation skills to solve a multi-million-dollar scandal to the satisfaction of her female 'has it all' boss.

Zephyr encounters a cast of characters (guests) at the hotel that represent the melting pot of New York City and beyond, and each has a story to tell, which Uviller brings to the page with wry wit, pathos, and kindness, while providing consistently insightful takes on the human endeavor.

Kudos to Uviller as this is a terrific read, and let's hope there are many more stories to come with Zephyr as the character many will love and empathize with.