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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun, suspenseful escape, July 20, 2010
This review is from: Prime Time (Charlotte Mcnally) (Mass Market Paperback)
If you jump for joy every time a white-collar crook like Bernie Madoff lands in the slammer, you'll cheer for Ms. Ryan's fictional TV journalist, Charlie McNally, who's assigned to cover the "accidental" death of a middle manager from Big Pharma but finds herself in the thick of murder, fraud, and greedy CEOs. I've always had trouble sticking with stories written in the present tense, but in Ms. Ryan's hands, present tense conveys the "I want it now!" environment of a journalist's double-espresso-zero-sleep world. Charlie has a buoyant sense of humor, just the right amount of snark and sophistication to make you laugh aloud. In her mid-40s and perimenopausal, she's a refreshing break from the ovulating hotties who populate so many (too many) novels. Her equally three-dimensional sidekick, Franklin, is her producer, ally, and dose of common sense. They make an invincible team for a pageturner. And don't believe the "romance" label attached to this mystery. Sure, there's the start of a romance in it -- no, not between Charlie and Franklin -- but sexual tension doesn't power the plot in this book. It's whodunit and suspense and wonderful escape.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really fun read!, June 19, 2007
This book is a delightful, fun, quick read. There were times when I laughed out loud, and many times when I found I couldn't turn the pages quick enough to find out what happened next. Hank Phillippi Ryan is an award winning reporter, and the character she paints has a reporter's detailed mind that is fun to be a part of. It's a delicious summer read, with a lot of fun details... Just pop it in your beach bag, and you will quickly become engrossed in this story. I understand that there is at least one more book in this series, coming out later this year. I'm looking forward to the next adventure..
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting New Murder Mystery Series, June 30, 2007
PRIME TIME by Hank Phillipi Ryan
An exciting new mystery series debuted recently, with Hank Phillippi Ryan's first novel PRIME TIME. The writing is compelling, as the reader is instantly drawn into the world of TV investigative reporter Charlotte "Charlie" McNally. Charlie is a stylish, divorced, forty-ish, Emmy-winning reporter with a wry sense of humor and an overwhelming dedication to getting the story. When the widow of a man killed in a car accident contacts Charlie and asks why she never returned her now-deceased husband's email, Charlie's antennae stand right up. After just a few inquiries, she and her loyal producer Franklin become convinced that they have not only uncovered a suspicious series of email messages, but that they may also have tripped over a murder. The book is full of twists and turns, as one moment the case looks clear-cut and the identity of the killer appears obvious, and the next the reader is wondering exactly who Charlie can trust (as does Charlie herself). Author Hank Phillippi Ryan is a much-admired investigative reporter in the Boston area, and her expertise shows in every line of the book. From scooping rivals to dealing with the police, Charlie is a believable and magnetic figure. Her frequent observations about her profession ("Courses they don't teach in Journalism School: Future Shock: The Choice of Fame or Family") mesh well with her concerns over the precarious nature of her job. But Charlie's no whiner - when it comes to getting the facts, she's willing to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty. Unfortunately, the other side is just as willing to dirty its own hands - to keep the story from reaching PRIME TIME.
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