journalism

Christina Estes: Off the Air

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Debut

Reporters: Some love them, some hate them, but most understand they are a necessary part of society if we want to stay aware of current events. Off the Air is Christina Estes’ first mystery novel and follows reporter Jolene Garcia, a TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona. Jolene covers everything from puff pieces to in depth breaking news. She tries to hold onto her integrity to not reveal her sources, and to not publish information that isn’t verified and confirmed, despite the fact that other reporters around her have no qualms of just running with any crumb they’re given. read more

Carol J. Perry: Now You See It

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Witch City #13

Carol J. Perry’s thirteenth book in her Witch City Mystery series is the delightful addition Now You See it. In it, Salem’s local reporter and scryer, Lee Mondello, once more finds herself drawn into solving not just a murder, but a possible heist as well. As a scryer, Lee is both blessed and cursed with the gifts of sight. Mirrors, pools of water, and even the metallic surface of an elevator door can sometimes trigger images to appear before her. The images don’t always tell a comprehensive story, and sometimes they are just a still frame like a picture, but they all inevitably help Lee to unravel any mysteries surrounding her life. Her husband, Pete, is a local Salem police detective, and while he believes in his wife and her gifts, he prefers to deal in the real and provable. It makes sense – a police detective can’t very well arrest someone based on his wife claiming to have seen something in the nearby fishbowl. Lee isn’t offended, as she knows physical evidence is crucial to getting criminals to stay behind bars. But turning visions into evidence can be a little tricky. read more

Hank Phillippi Ryan: Her Perfect Life

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This book will be published on September 14.

Hank Phillippi Ryan’s story telling style is so smooth, her books fly through your reading fingers faster than you can think, almost.  This novel may be the most emotional, heart felt story in all of Ryan’s books.  It’s the alternating story of big sister, Cassie, and little sister, Lily.  While the book opens with Lily telling the reader how perfect her sister is, it fast forwards in time to Lily’s life, which does seem actually perfect. read more

Carol Goodman: The Stranger Behind You

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I loved Goodman’s novel last year, The Sea of Lost Girls, and I love this one even more.  It’s very of the moment, as it involves a powerful newspaper magnate who has been sexually harassing his female employees.  Like last year’s novel, Goodman’s concern is the shame the women feel for something that is not their fault.  She expands these horizons, making the book specific (an element in every successful novel, to my mind, is specificity) by tying the shame element to her two main characters as well. read more