Genre: Murder
Mystery/Police Procedural
Description:
“Sometimes, the most dangerous thing . . . is the truth.
For disgraced cable news producer Hannah Hawthorne, covering the
shooting of a pretty NYU sophomore is a chance for redemption. When the story
snowballs into a media circus, Hannah’s reporting fans the sensationalistic
flames and earns her acclaim. The tragic murder, seemingly the result of random
urban gun violence, prompts protests and vigils that further magnify the story.
Meanwhile, Paulo, a reporter for a small online neighborhood
newspaper, is following the other murder in Washington Square Park that same
night – a Hispanic teen. He discovers an unexpected connection that is
political dynamite. When Hannah and Paulo team up, they uncover disturbing
facts, leading them to question everything they thought they knew. Their
reporting also leads them to the man who might be the killer.
When the story is ready to explode, the truth may be hotter than anyone
can handle. Breaking the next scoop could ruin Paulo’s paper and wreck Hannah’s
career – and it could get them both killed.
If you like David Baldacci's page-turners, Michael Connelly’s cops,
and Sara Paretsky’s quirky characters, you will love The Other Murder.”
Author:
A lawyer specializing in labor and
employment law by day, Kevin Chapman describes his real passions as playing
tournament poker, rooting for the New York Mets, and writing fiction. For more,
visit Mr Chapman’s website.
Appraisal:
For those who have read and liked Kevin G. Chapman’s Mike Stoneman
Thriller series, this book is different than those, but I think you’ll still
like it. Both take place in New York, and some characters you might recognize
from those books pop up or get mentioned in some way including Stoneman
himself, but the focus of the story is much different from what it would be in
those books. Just before the start of chapter one (I guess I could call it the
preface although it isn’t labeled that way) are two quotes.
“An error does not become truth by reason of
multiplied propaganda, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.” –
Mahatma Gandhi
“In seeking truth, you have to get both
sides of a story.” – Walter Cronkite
These two quotes set up the heart of this
story. There are two murders that happen in New York’s Washington Square Park
the same day. The two main characters in this tale, Hannah, the producer for a cable TV news program, and Paulo, a reporter who writes for a small
neighborhood newspaper, get involved, both reporting what is known, but doing
what they can to dig out more details about both murders, determine if they
have any relationship to each other, and then struggle with how and what to
report about their findings and how to find out more.
The resulting story is one with a mystery,
that as a reader kept me involved as the different pieces of the whole story
came to light. But there is also a side story that sent my thoughts off on
tangents, pondering the press, what we can and should expect from them, and
wondering if there is a way to help better align their priorities to what would
bring about the best result for everyone. I think both Gandhi and Cronkite were
onto something and Chapman’s story ought to get us all thinking.
Buy now
from: Amazon US Amazon UK
FYI:
Some adult language.
Format/Typo
Issues:
Review is based on an advance reviewer copy, so I can’t gauge the
final product in this area.
Rating: *****
Five Stars
Reviewed
by: BigAl
Approximate word count: 95-90,000 words
