Graveyard Shift (Maxi Poole Mysteries) - Hardcover

Lange's third mystery to feature gutsy anchor-reporter Maxi Poole (after 2004's Dead File) smartly mixes crime and romantic suspense while the fast-moving plot sizzles with insider TV info. Maxi groans when her managing editor, Pete Capra, moves her to the graveyard shift, but she won't refuse an assignment because that would be "eating the death cookie," which could mean losing her job to rival reporter Christine Williams. Capra hires Tom McCartney, a news stringer, to watch over Maxi and take footage of MacArthur Park derelicts because he suspects one of them may be a serial murderer. Meanwhile, Maxi discovers breaking news in her own neighborhood—a kidnapping and murder at the home of L.A. city councilman Conrad Lightner. Armed with a Glock 19, kickboxing skills and the seductive Tom, Maxi is determined to find the child of Lightner's Hispanic housekeeper, discover who killed Lightner's wife and maybe even solve the serial killer case. Dizzy yet? Never missing a beat, Lange provides the reader with an action-packed resolution that will leave some shaking their heads and others grinning. Does Maxi always get her man? Not necessarily, but she always gets her story. Agent, Robin Rue. (May 17)

In her latest Maxi Poole adventure, Lange takes readers back to glitzy, shallow, fabulous La-La Land--with glamorous TV news reporter Maxi as our guide. When Maxi's boss, Pete Capra, assigns the popular blonde anchorwoman to the dreaded graveyard shift, she's unhappy--and nervous. Usually that shift signals the end of a news anchor's career. Capra enlists a veteran stringer, Tom McCartney, to keep an eye on Maxi during the wee hours of the night, and the two strike up a very close friendship. As Maxi fights feelings for Tom, she also tries to help her neighbor's housekeeper find her kidnapped boy. When the neighbor is murdered, the investigation takes on a more sinister tone. A former news anchor and reporter in L.A., Lange knows her stuff--and her insights into the politics and procedures of a TV newsroom are fascinating. A suspenseful plot, an insider's knowledge of TV news, and an utterly compelling heroine make Graveyard Shift worth staying up for. Jenny McLarin
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