Nell Matthews, the crafty red-haired reporter from The Violence Beat, is back on the case with help from her boyfriend, cop Mike Svenson. When Nell's copy editor is found dying after being pushed down a flight of stairs, the victim's last word is a name which points to a mysterious figure. But it also stirs memories of Nell's absentee father, who, as she finds out, is alive and living under an assumed name. Now she must prove her father innocent of the crime, even as the real killer stalks his next target...Nell Matthews!
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Sandstrom's (The Violence Beat) second Nell Matthews mystery starts in the basement of the Grantham Gazette and never really picks up steam. This time reporter Nell and her cop-boyfriend-sidekick Mike Svenson investigate when nosy copy editor Martina Gilroy is found near death in the pressroom and muttering frantically about Nell's mysterious, long absent father, Alan. Too many minor characters, awkward writing ("Call me immediately! And I mean right this minute! Pronto! Quick as a bunny!") and pacing problems (too much time spent over missing rags, which emitted the fumes that clobbered Martina) clot the mystery. But, in fact, it often seems that Sandstrom has another purpose: newspaper making. Sandstrom takes every opportunity to describe, in detail, the functions of the editors, reporters, pressroom operators, and machines that make up the Gazette, bothering little with momentum or character development. Ultimately, the novel succeeds better as a primer on journalism than as a murder mystery.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome back Nell Matthews, ace reporter,
By SnideSide "SnideSide" (Full time RV'er, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Homicide Report (Paperback)
Universally disliked (at least at the Grantham Gazette), obnoxious gossip Martina Gilroy is found dead by reporter Nell Matthews, shortly after hinting she has news about Nells father, missing these past 20 years for reasons unkown to Nell. Nell finds out her father is alive and working incognito at the Gazette, and after her initial rage, she see this as a chance to get to know her father and to dump all the emotional baggage she has been carrying for years and that affects her ability to handle close relationships-especially important now that she has Mike Svenson, Grantham PD's hostage negotiator, in her life. In another shocking revelation, Nell learns that her mother was murdered and that her father, as chief suspect, has been on the run for all this time.. Now they are together trying to find out who really killed their wife/mother. Someone feels threatened by their delving into the old murder--especially by Nell., who has more than one narrow escape. But what could she know? She was only 8 when her mother died. This is a very suspenseful read, It also developes the characters of Nell Matthews and Mike Svenson., opening the way for future growth in their relationship. And hopefully many more stories about them. Linda Snide
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a good one!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Homicide Report (Paperback)
Grantham Gazette Chief Copy Editor Martina Gilroy asks Nell Matthews, who just transferred from the crime beat to editing to meet her in the newspaper basement, affectionately known as the hellhole. Since her boyfriend, police detective Mike Svenson happens to be at the paper visiting Nell, he accompanies her to the basement. There they see Martina lying unconscious. As Martina regains her senses, she mumbles something about Nell's family and someone named Alan. Martina refuses to provide any other information.Martina soon dies from a suspicious fall. This motivates Nell into investigating what the woman had previously mumbled. Nell soon learns that her father, Alan, was accused of murdering her mother, a fact that her grandparents hid from her. Rather than face a certain conviction, Alan vanished into the night. Nell wonders if her father really killed her mother, and she plans to find out the truth, using all the means at her disposal. Though r! eaders will need a leap of fate that the murder mystery of her parents could be hidden from an ace crime reporter like Nell, the second novel in the Matthews mysteries is a marvelous story that demonstrates why Eve K. Sandstrom has received many award nominations. The suspense-laden story line moves swiftly forward even as the sub-plot of the relationship between Nell and Mike adds a nice bit of romantic distraction that humanizes the protagonists. THE HOMICIDE REPORT, like its predecessor, THE VIOLENCE BEAT, is a fascinating novel that will leave readers clamoring for more regional tales starring this dynamic duo. Harriet Klausner
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
