By:  Christina Kovac

ISBN: 9781501141690

Publisher: Atria / 37 INK

Publication Date: 3/21/2017

Format:  Hardcover

My Rating:  4 Stars 

Christina Kovac delivers an intriguing suspense; highly-entertaining action debut, THE CUTAWAY —a brilliant and tenacious TV news and producer uncovers a video and sets out to discover the whereabouts of a missing female attorney while discovering something even more sinister.

From power, greed, dirty politics and corruption in Washington, this heroine will not stop until she has uncovered this dangerous web of deceit.

The author brings a wealth of her own experience managing Washington, DC newsrooms and producing crime and political stories as well as a TV journalist from the top networks to the pages as her story comes alive.

A beautiful woman, Evelyn Marie Carney an attorney; has gone missing in Georgetown. The Metropolitan Police Department is looking for this woman, last seen on Sunday.

TV news producer Virginia Knightly thinks she may have seen this young attorney somewhere. Most likely not in person; perhaps a cutaway shot, one of those quick flashes of video used to show a reaction. She was uncertain.

Evelyn was a recent law school graduated and worked at a prestigious firm. On the night she disappeared, she had dinner at a restaurant in Georgetown. She left alone. Police recovered her car abandoned not fifty yards from the restaurant.

Knightly has a memory, which is not exactly photographic; however, things, places, details, and events burn a permanent place in her memory, which is a gift at deadline. She can recall the angle of every frame, where it was shot, and what time of year, and the specifics. Armed with this kind of information can also be dangerous.

She loves telling stories, on or off camera. However, she may get more than she bargained for. Dark money.

Soon Knightly suspects foul play and begins her own investigation. Investigators seemed more interested in Evelyn’s martial problems. A martial separation was requested by Evelyn the night of the disappearance. What about her war-hero husband, Peter? Who was romantically involved with Evelyn?

What did Ian Chase’s official portrait from the Department of Justice have to do with the missing woman? Who was Evelyn looking at in the video? Was someone expected to turn a blind eye to illegal activities?

Virginia becomes enthralled and caught up in a high-stakes case, murder, greed deceit, dark money, power, and corruption. Hot on the trail, she soon realizes for every great story, there is a risk. Some far greater than others.

She discovers road blocks every way she turns, even in her own backyard, plus Michael Ledger, the detective which she had a relationship. Also PACs, political fundraising with anonymous donors (so-called dark money) to nonprofit groups, made in secret.

Money missing from the fund. Was Evelyn being set up? By whom?

Compelling! An edgy mystery with "behind the scenes" intensity in a contemporary suspenseful cutthroat news business. An intense tightly wound debut suspense. Looking forward to more from this author, who definitely knows her way around a story.

For fans of authors, Neely Tucker, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Lis Wiehl, and Jennifer Vaughn (some of my top favorites).

A special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

About the Author

Photograph by Tina Krohn 

Christina Kovac worked for seventeen years managing Washington, DC newsrooms and producing crime and political stories in the District. Her career as television journalist began with Fox Five’s Ten O’Clock News, and after that, the ABC affiliate in Washington. For the last nine years, she worked at NBC News, where she worked for Tim Russert and provided news coverage for Meet the Press, the Today show, Nightly News, and others. 

Christina Kovac lives with her family outside of Washington, DC. The Cutaway is her first novel. Read More

By: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Narrator:  Lyana Kadushin

Series:   (Jane Ryland & Jake Brogan #1)

ASIN:  B0085UD054

Publisher:  Macmillan Audio

Publication Date: 09-04-12

Format:  Audio

My Rating:  4 Stars

Hank Phillippi Ryan’s THE OTHER WOMAN, is another winner with a mix of mystery, and a scandalous crime political thriller.

The story begins with Channel 11, News television star, Jane Elizabeth Ryland having lost her job after reporting Grocery Store Magnate Arthur Vick's affair with a high priced hooker. Determined to honor her decision and promise to not divulge her source; the source disappeared and Vick was successful in his million dollar slander judgment that led to her termination.

She currently is starting over, working as a lowly reporter for the Boston Register, a local newspaper, (thanks to connections of friend, Jake) which is not all that exciting, until she gets assigned to the investigation of a candidate in the Senate race - The former Massachusetts governor, Owen Lassiter.

It appears his wife, Moira, is convinced that he is having an affair with a campaign volunteer. Of course the big question is “the other woman" a scandal which could prove devastating to the campaign. He is also running against wealthy Eleanor "Ellie" Mead Gable.

On a six month trial basis, Jane is assigned to the Senate campaign coverage while her desk mate, Tucker "Tuck" Cameron is assigned to cover the murders. The paper is following a story of the "Bridge Killer", after bodies of women are found by various bridges and seem to involve foul play in which Jake is the lead detective. Is there a link between the cases?

Two bodies of unidentified women have been found by bridges and when the body count rises, the third victim turns out to be someone connected to the case involving Jane’s dismissal from T.V. Jane and Jake begin to realize their cases may be related. As the story develops a total of four young dead women are pulled from the river. Much to the public's dismay, the Boston Police Department is yet to be convinced it is the work of one murderer.

Jane and Jake have an obvious attraction to one another, but know that a potential relationship would be sabotaged by their professional need to keep work related information secret from one another. In addition, there is Hot Alex, her boss. 

From their sizzling attraction, Jake and Jane work together to find a ruthless killer for fast- paced action with twists and turns, keeping your guessing, as the candidates' skeletons surface, as the election approaches; with a juicy and scandalous novel of dirty politics, intrigue, infidelity, secrets, revenge, betrayal, and murder.

My first book by Ryan was her latest, TRUTH BE TOLD (Jane Ryland & Jake Brogan #3), highly recommend; I enjoy her storytelling, as compelling and hooks you from beginning to end. I am currently making my way backward to her previous books. The author’s background is definitely reflective throughout the book which makes for a suspenseful and adrenaline high captivating novel.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Ilyana Kadushin delivered a pleasing performance. Look forward to reading more from this Jane/Jake duo-- Ryan has made it to my favorite author list!

This book is both funny and depressing.  It’s funny because of the comments and stories, and depressing because damn the media hasn’t changed in the seven years since the book came out.

                It might have gotten worse.

                Fark details and presents examples about how the media doesn’t really report news when it is reporting -  at least in most cases unless something major happens.  So CNN’s the plane is still missing thing.  Or NBC’s Real Poverty : Man lives on $5,000 a day.  OR Rain, see that drop!

                There’s a snowflake!  Blizzard!

                Yeah, you get the idea.

                And it isn’t just American news networks.

                The book details the different ways the media does this, and points out that in some cases, we enable the media.  It will make you laugh, cry, and want to hunt down any cable news network besides Al Jazeeza.