When Day Breaks

The cutthroat world of network television is fodder for a mystery. When Constance Young, the bitchy anchor of the morning news, is electrocuted in her pool, it's hard to tell who did it because ALL the anchors hate each other. A trio of women decides to investigate. Isabel Keating provides the most distinctive voice for Eliza Blake, the evening news anchor and the one likable character. She also provides an amusing voice for cameraman B.J., as well as a voice that captures the killer's determination. Keating keeps the pace going as quickly as possible. But even the prologue---the brutal murder of a Great Dane in Young's pool--is grisly without being gripping, and the story's climax drags. M.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

April 30, 2007
Bestseller Clark, a CBS News writer and producer for many years, does only a superficial job of portraying the behind-the-scenes backstabbing and intrigue at a major network in this first of a new series, a sequel of sorts to her KEY News thrillers (Lights Out Tonight, etc.). When Constance Young, a Katie Couric–like mega–news star, is found dead in her pool, New York evening news anchor Eliza Blake, producer Annabelle Murphy and cameraman B.J. D’Elia join forces with psychiatrist Margo Gonzalez to investigate. Young died on the eve of her debut as morning host on a rival network, and her selfish, abrasive personality made her many enemies, ranging from her former boss to a nerdy millionaire who stole a rare Arthurian ivory figurine in an effort to win her heart. Others have evoked this world more convincingly, notably the late Bill DeAndrea in his Matt Cobb series, and the sleuths miss an obvious clue that “any six-year-old” could have figured out, as one character concedes at the end.