Customer Reviews

Twenty-Five Years Ago Today

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kris Langley has a journalist's instinct and that instinct senses a story. A novice editorial assistant on a small town Massachusetts daily Kris's duties are the boring ones. She writes the obituaries and comes up with items for the "Twenty-Five Years Ago Today" column. That's when her instinct comes into play. When she reads about the long ago murder of a young woman and learns from her editor-in-chief that the mystery was never solved, she can't leave it alone. She launches her own investigation without telling the overbearing and critical managing editor, Jacqueline McCormack (Kris thinks of her as "corporate Barbie") who surely would tell her to back off.

As Kris gets more involved in her investigation, she begins to relive her own personal tragedy--the murder of her cousin and dear friend years before. Kris has always felt, but never spoken of her feelings of guilt because the two had quarreled and parted on that sad afternoon. The memories come alive as she investigates and becomes involved with the family of the girl in the story.

Things get complicated fast. Kris's own conflicted family doesn't think much of her journalistic endeavors, and her doctor mother and sister let her know. She finds a new romantic interest and won't let her story alone no matter the cost.

Stacy Juba has drawn a believable character and settings. The newspaper scenes are so real I could almost smell the ink--and feel the animosity between Kris and Bruce, the pushy crime reporter who'd like to see Kris on a date but not nosing into his territory.

Kris manages to get herself fired, but after she figures things out, she gets back her job, and we can assume (and maybe hope?) she's ready for another crime-laden reporting adventure.

by Patricia Nordyke Pando
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Some secrets are best left covered. "Twenty Five Years Ago Today" follows Kris Langley as she tries to advance her career by looking deeper into a long forgotten case. But she soon finds that maybe it was unsolved for a reason, as beneath the surface the case is not what it seems. Even submerged for decades, those behind the case show why it has remained unsolved. "Twenty Five Years Ago Today" is an intriguing mystery that should not be overlooked.

This book has it all - mystery, suspense, drama, deceit, and a sprinkle of romance. The characters sparkle with life. For me, this was one of those books where the characters became like friends I was rooting for. Right from the start, I was pulled into the story and taken for a wonderful ride.

Stacy Juba is a terrific new voice in fiction. She's at work on her next novel and I can't wait to read it!

This is a book of 25 chapters (!) you'll find hard to put down. Stacy Juba pulls you into the story immediately and doesn't let you go until the surprise ending and emotional wrap up. Well-written with believable characters and dialogue. Scenic descriptions put you right in the newsroom, the bar and each home with Kris as she investigates a cold case and battles her own ghosts. Do read this one--you won't regret the purchase!

Author: Stacy Juba
ISBN: 978-0-615-29011-9

Having worked as a typesetter in the news room of a small town weekly in my
younger days, I felt right at home in the first few pages of this book. We
had an Editor-in-Chief who didn't show up for work; a managing editor who
thought he knew everything; reporters who were very self-absorbed and the
lowly typesetters who did all the work. This book took me back and I really
enjoyed reading it so much that I didn't put it down until I had read the
entire book.

Kris Langley is an assistant editor at her home town newspaper located in
Fremont, MA. Her job is much like the typesetter, who types obits, marriage
announcements and a feature called Twenty-Five Years Ago Today. She comes
upon a story about the murder of Diana Ferguson, a barmaid, which happened
25-years ago. She was found beaten to death in the woods close to a college
campus. Most everyone had forgotten about her by now and there had never
been an arrest in the case. This case reminds Kris of her own guilt about
the death of her cousin, Nicole, when they were young girls. Nicole had
gone off by herself to meet Holly, Kris's sister, and Kris decided not to
accompany her as she was jealous of Nicoles' friendship with Holly. As a
result Nicole had started walking home alone and was picked up by a new
neighbor who turned out to be a pedophile, and she was killed. Kris has
been carrying the guilt of this act all her life. Even though her managing
editor wants Kris not to get involved with the story of Diana's murder, Kris
does it anyway. She becomes acquainted with the dead girl's family,
including Diana's mother, sister, brother-in-law and nephew.

Kris interviews friends of Diana's, including two boyfriends, her closest
girlfriend and an art teacher that Diana was involved with during her time
in school. The dead girl's nephew Eric, wants to be involved because he
thinks that Kris will bring a lot of hurt to his grandmother and mother.
Kris continues with her story plans and finally has to turn over the story
to the paper's lead reporter who is not an ethical person. Unfortunately,
Kris is fired from the paper and goes off on her own to finally find the
culprit and try to assuage her guilt about her own cousin. She alienates
her own family along with Diana's family but finally comes up with the
solution. I can say no more because I don't want to give away the end.
This will surprise and amaze you.

This mystery is a heartrending tale about families and their relationships.
Kris and Eric are searching for an end to all the heartbreak that their
families have suffered. The scenes in the news room are fabulous and so
true. The news room staff and their attitudes, trials, tribulations and
challenges are as true today as they were twenty-five years ago. The
machines are the only things that have changed. Each character has their
own story that meshes with all the other characters. I guarantee to all
mystery fans that once you pick this book up you will not put it down and
will praise the author, who tells me that this is her first mystery novel.
Keep up the good work Stacy. The reading public needs good mystery writers.

Mary Lignor
[...].

This is not just a murder mystery - it is also a poignant story about the
complexity of family relationships, the search for closure and the
importance of forgiveness. Each character, and in particular, the heroine
Kris, is truly three dimensional and believable, flaws and all. The
author also does a great job in capturing the essence of a newsroom, the
personalities of staff and the challenges of reporting news in today's
world. Once you start this book, it will be hard to put down. There are
no loose ends - each character and scenario flows seamlessly into the
overall story. Not only will you be surprised at the ending, you will be
filled with admiration at how every piece has fallen into its perfect
spot.

An entertaining murder mystery with a twist of romance. Twenty-something Kris Langley is an editorial assistant with the local newspaper, primarily writing obits and providing short snippets for the Twenty-Five Years Ago Today column. She wants to be more involved in writing stories for the paper, and resents her colleagues who have no scruples and yet are praised for their work at the newspaper. When Kris comes across a story about a local girl, Diana Ferguson, who was murdered 25 years ago, she feels a need to investigate. Kris's own cousin was murdered when they were just children and Kris has always blamed herself. If she solves Diana's case, bringing the killer to justice, would it help to ease her guilt over her cousin's murder? We follow Kris's investigation, as she finds the people who knew Diana, and interviews them. When she meets Eric Soares, Diana's nephew, a romance blossoms despite Kris's attempts to keep him at a distance.
I found Stacy Juba's writing style compulsive, and the action was fast-paced and realistic. The psychological aspects to the story were well thought out and true-to-life. I particularly liked the depiction of the competitive behaviour of the staff at the newsroom.
'Twenty-Five Years Ago Today' is so much more than just a murder mystery. It deals with many emotional subject areas which everyone will be able to relate to, including family relationships, guilt, forgiveness, secrets, bereavement, trust; all woven into this intriguing tale of a long-forgotten crime.
I loved the way all the action in the present day related in some way to the past, almost as if the characters had all been trapped back in time to some extent because of events that had changed their lives. In parts, this book reminded me of old detective serials, because of the slick way in the which the investigation was handled.
It's a perfect little book. I read it as an ebook download but now I have to buy the paperback because it's one of those books that you'll want to keep for ever. Highly recommended.

This book is full of intriguing characters and plot twists that keep the reader coming back.

Racked with grief and guilt over her cousin's tragic murder, Kris believes she can bring peace to the suffering family of a talented young artist murdered 25 years ago. Kris' own complicated family situation provides motivation for her to continue in the face of adversity, to prove she can forge her own path to success and happiness, and come clean about the secrets she's been keeping. The more Kris learns about the details of the case, and the more involved she becomes with the family, the less clear things seem. Once she discovers the secrets that have been hidden for 25 years, she must decide if destroying an entire family with the truth, and finding justice for the victim, will finally help her defeat her own demons.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the LibraryThing book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

From the first page of Twenty-five Years Ago Today, Stacy Yuba draws the reader into her gripping story of an unsolved murder and its effect on families in a small Rhode Island town. From the first page I was drawn into the private lives of the characters because they seem as real as people I know. Her skill in portraying the actions, conversations, and emotions of her characters gives a new depth to the mystery genre. The readerfollows Kris Langley's relations with her mother and sister and her budding romance as avidly as her search for clues to the murder of a young woman years twenty-five years earlier. Her family problems, her romance, and the identity of the murderer are woven together in a breathtaking ending. This is a fascinating book.

Twenty-Five Years Ago Today was beautifully written, and doesn't miss a beat.

As a retired newspaper reporter of 30 years and a former colleague of Stacy Juba, I, of course, loved the newspaper scenes, and her characterization of the reporters and editors. I know she composited different personalities for her news people, but she did it skillfully.

The story sings with her descriptive writing and puts the reader right there. I especially liked the brief scene recounting how the carriers and couriers waited outside the pressroom, in all kinds of weather, to pick up their newspaper bundles each day for delivery. I was there long before Stacy joined the staff, and it evoked pictures in my mind of all my old friends, colleagues and just the regular people all needed to put out a newspaper every day. I can still hear the press running....

I must admit, when I first started reading her book, I had to clear the cobwebs of knowing her personally and trying to figure out which character I might know. When I relaxed and decided the author and the people had to be unknowns, then I started to really enjoy the book as a mystery. A nicely woven one. The killer, who knew???

This is a fast-paced book, easy to read and digest. Even if you never were in the news biz, you'll enjoy this well-put-together story that fringes on the world of small-town newspapers. I hope Stacy writes many many more.

Eileen (Vigliante) Ubillos
Retired Reporter Milford (MA) Daily News