The Newsmakers

Success came too easily for Erica Sparks, though her ego prevented her from seeing that. With the voice of a newscaster, narrator Devon O'Day tells the story of an ambitious journalist who ends up taking on the very people who employ her as she digs deep into monumental news stories that always seem to happen in her presence. The audiobook presents a slightly warped view of the television news business but makes for interesting listening as Sparks digs harder than Woodward and Bernstein to get to the truth. Her boss is deliciously evil--can he be the mastermind responsible for everything both good and bad in Erica's life? O'Day's presentation will keep listeners on the edge of their seats with this thriller. M.S. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

February 22, 2016
Wiehl and co-author Sebastian Stuart have coiled a tight spring of broadcast news intrigue that puts Erica Sparks, a too-good-to-be-true TV journalist, in mortal danger. Handpicked from her job at a New Hampshire affiliate to become the darling of the recently launched Global News Network (GNN), Erica is determined to impress her new boss with her investigative reporting skills. She isn't aware that megalomaniacal station owner Nylan Hastings has hired her for entirely different reasons. The job change also introduces her to handsome Greg Underwood, her sketchily drawn executive producer. When a catastrophic accident conveniently occurs while she is covering another story, Erica and GNN's ratings go skyrocketing. Then, when another terrible accident happens while she's reporting, her bad news hackles are raised and Erica begins a dogged pursuit for the truth. Whom can she trust in the competitive, powerful, high-stakes world of the newsroom? A fantastic premise and good pacing are hampered by subpar character development. Agent: Todd Shuster, Zachary Shuster Harmsworth