Val Cardinale, who wrote his first novel in 2005 after a long, successful career as a journalist, has published his second novel. Called The West Side Kid, it tells the story of movie star Lorne Bennett who's known as "The West Side Kid" to his fans. When Lorne's wife is found murdered in their elegant Manhattan apartment, he comes under growing suspicion and flees, leaving his four-month-old daughter behind. Twenty-two years later, Lorne is still on the run, while his daughter, Laura, has become so determined to learn as much as she can about her parents she launches her own investigation into the murder and her fugitive father's role in it.

Sacramento Book Review calls The West Side Kid "a well-written novel with plenty to recommend." ForeWord Clarion Review says "Cardinale's fast-paced and imaginative twists and turns should keep his fans asking for more." Midwest Book Review concludes that The West Side Kid is "an entertaining thriller, and highly recommended reading."

Val's first novel, The Terranovas: A War Family, follows an immigrant family as it struggles with war and terrorism over the course of four generations. It won first prize in the Arizona Authors Association's 2005 Literary Contest and received both Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice designations from iUniverse, the publisher.

In its review of the book, Kirkus traces the "strength of the narrative" to the "well-drawn characters and their personal struggles with the sweeping cultural and historical changes surrounding them." Kirkus sums it up this way: "The wholesomeness of The Waltons meets the ethnic ethos of The Godfather and the cultural expansiveness of Forrest Gump." In the 15th annual Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards, The Terranovas was described as "exceptionally well-written" and "a model for telling a family historical (saga) story in different viewpoints."

After graduating from Iona College and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Val worked with several consumer, trade, and professional publications. Most recently, he was the editor in chief of Drug Topics, a newsmagazine that became the best-read pharmacy publication under his watch. Before that, he served as the editor of Adweek, New York edition, and Advertising News of New York (ANNY), during critical stages in their growth and development.

Val is a native New Yorker with roots in Manhattan's West Side. He was born and grew up in a neighborhood known as Hell's Kitchen, which is the backdrop for both novels. He lives in northern New Jersey now and is working on his third novel. For more information, visit Val's website, vcardinale.com.