Bonnie Hearn Hill, If It Bleeds

If It Bleeds

Bonnie Hearn Hill

Mira, Sep 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 0778323390

The San Joaquin Valley, California Valley Voice business reporter Corina Vasquez is proud of her promotion to assistant to investigative reporter Matthew Henderson though he is demanding. With Matthew off, Metro Editor J.T. Malone sends Corina to cover the story of the alleged murder of Mayor Tina Kellogg, who has been missing for three months.

Corina knows this will be her break as the newspaper mantra "If it bleeds it leads" will put this story on the front page. A business source of hers Skin Burke leaves her a message that he knows more about Tina's death. When she goes to see Skin, who claimed Eugene Belmont killed the mayor, she finds him dead. Corina begins to dig into the connected homicides, which leads to her beginning to believe a dark conspiracy of power is behind the murders. Now a target to be silenced, only her former lover, who broke her heart, acting Mayor Wes Shaw, can help her while her boss Henderson wants her taken off the story for selfish reasons.

This is an action-packed suspense thriller that stars a likable twenty-eight years old reporter trying to do the right thing while navigating her way through a complex dangerous case in which her boss is a shark, who wants her off his team before she proves her worthiness. Corina is a fabulous protagonist as she has doubts that she can make it as an investigative journalist, but refuses to allow her odious boss or other cynics to stop her from trying. Readers will root for this delightful protagonist as her inquiry turns frighteningly dangerous, her boss tries to backstab her at every opportunity, and though she relies on Wes she ponders if he she can trust him as everything seems to lead to and from the mayor's office. This is a fine opening thriller that will have the audience anxious for the next cutting tale.

Harriet Klausner