Graveyard Shift (Maxi Poole Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Kelly Lange (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 2005 | Series: Maxi Poole Mysteries

Feisty news reporter Maxi Poole is back, and this time she's working the graveyard shift-where danger lurks in every dark shadow. The graveyard shift-9 p.m. to 6 a.m.-is populated by a myriad of characters roaming the seamy underbelly of L.A. nightlife: pimps and hookers, bartenders and drug pushers, flashers, slashers, and all manner of assorted bad guys. Thrown into that mix is one bright-eyed, blond, California-sunny news reporter, Maxi Poole. The graveyard shift is typically handed off to the most junior reporter on staff-or as a signal that a pink slip is coming. But why Maxi? And at this point in her career? Vowing to find the answers, Maxi finds herself on the trail of a missing boy and in the midst of a city-wide murder spree. It seems the graveyard shift has brought Maxi the most terrifying challenge of her career...and maybe of her life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lange's third mystery to feature gutsy anchor-reporter Maxi Poole (after 2004's Dead File) smartly mixes crime and romantic suspense while the fast-moving plot sizzles with insider TV info. Maxi groans when her managing editor, Pete Capra, moves her to the graveyard shift, but she won't refuse an assignment because that would be "eating the death cookie," which could mean losing her job to rival reporter Christine Williams. Capra hires Tom McCartney, a news stringer, to watch over Maxi and take footage of MacArthur Park derelicts because he suspects one of them may be a serial murderer. Meanwhile, Maxi discovers breaking news in her own neighborhood—a kidnapping and murder at the home of L.A. city councilman Conrad Lightner. Armed with a Glock 19, kickboxing skills and the seductive Tom, Maxi is determined to find the child of Lightner's Hispanic housekeeper, discover who killed Lightner's wife and maybe even solve the serial killer case. Dizzy yet? Never missing a beat, Lange provides the reader with an action-packed resolution that will leave some shaking their heads and others grinning. Does Maxi always get her man? Not necessarily, but she always gets her story. Agent, Robin Rue. (May 17)

From Booklist

In her latest Maxi Poole adventure, Lange takes readers back to glitzy, shallow, fabulous La-La Land--with glamorous TV news reporter Maxi as our guide. When Maxi's boss, Pete Capra, assigns the popular blonde anchorwoman to the dreaded graveyard shift, she's unhappy--and nervous. Usually that shift signals the end of a news anchor's career. Capra enlists a veteran stringer, Tom McCartney, to keep an eye on Maxi during the wee hours of the night, and the two strike up a very close friendship. As Maxi fights feelings for Tom, she also tries to help her neighbor's housekeeper find her kidnapped boy. When the neighbor is murdered, the investigation takes on a more sinister tone. A former news anchor and reporter in L.A., Lange knows her stuff--and her insights into the politics and procedures of a TV newsroom are fascinating. A suspenseful plot, an insider's knowledge of TV news, and an utterly compelling heroine make Graveyard Shift worth staying up for. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (May 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892967579
• ISBN-13: 978-0892967575
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,031,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maxi Poole, Fabulousness Incarnate, July 6, 2008

By 

Hippolytos (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Graveyard Shift (Maxi Poole Mysteries) (Hardcover)

SUMMARY: The third outing of Lange's intrepid and winning reporter sleuth finds anchorwoman Maxi Poole being inexplicably reassigned to the graveyard shift of news, the death knell of a television journalist. Her boss's reasons for doing so are mysterious and aggravating and Maxi finds herself wondering if her career in Los Angeles is essentially over. Before lapsing into a pit of despair, she's distracted by the kidnapping of the son of a neighbor's housekeeper, the murder of a local politician's obnoxious wife, and the sexy new cameraman to whom she's been assigned.

WHAT YOU'LL LIKE: Lange's talent for fiction never has been exhibited so well than in this third installment of the series. Maxi continues to be an absolutely charming and charismatic heroine with extreme rooting value: smart, capable, cunning and courageous, yet still vulnerable and emotionally accessible. The behind-the-scenes looks at television reporting are interesting without being intrusive. Myriad tendrils of plot weave together in a seamless fashion; witty dialogue, intelligent development and characterization, and a genuinely surprising resolution combine to produce a thoroughly engrossing and admirable addition to one's library.

WHAT YOU WON'T: Minor instances of groaning at the actions of certain characters and the frustration of trying to figure out the end before reaching it, but nothing which would impede recommending this to any fan of the genre.

BOTTOM LINE: Reestablishes Lange as an author to watch (and compulsively read) and Maxi Poole as one of the best sleuths in a genre bogged down with lesser counterparts. Anxiously awaiting the next installment!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep Maxi Coming!, June 20, 2005

By 

Jamie Floer "DOOL fan" (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Graveyard Shift (Maxi Poole Mysteries) (Hardcover)

This book is Maxi Poole at her best. There are light moments (especially for us pet lovers), but there are also the well devised mystery twists that are signature to these books. Guaranteed you'll never see the final one(s) coming, so don't even try to figure it out. If you want a great adventure, just let Maxi lead the way!