This beautifully crafted mystery takes reporter Kathryn Quinn home again to northern California where she spends a six-month "stress" leave from her post at the Boston News-Record. Still reeling from the repercussions of a mistakenly revealed source, Kathryn has sworn off journalism of any kind, but the disappearance of a local college student, and the intimate involvement of a childhood friend, pull Kathryn back into reporting. The myriad characters and lush California setting are palpable, and snippets of other journalists' filed stories on the case make a profound comment on the nature of truth in reporting. The author's explorations into journalistic ethics and procedure are as riveting as the murder case itself. This unique look at murder, friendship, journalism and responsibility through a reporter's eyes is an absorbing read. -- manuscript review by Publishers Weekly, an independent organization

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Tags: Alix Christie, Hard News, ABNA Top 100 Semifinalist 2008