A Bad Day's Work: A Novel

By Nora McFarland
Touchstone, $14.99, 288 pages

Lilly Hawkins is having the worst day ever.  After a string of bad luck, this TV news “shooter” finally has the scoop she needs to get her career back on track: exclusive footage of a murder crime scene.  But when she brings the tape back to the studio, it’s completely blank.  Now her boss is threatening to fire her, while crooked cops and a street gang are threatening her with bodily harm if she doesn’t turn the tape over to them.  Her job and her very life depend on her finding the real tape and solving the murder.

The first in a new series, A Bad Day’s Work introduces us to Lilly Hawkins, a tough shooter lacking in people skills. Lilly is smart and funny, and the cast of characters that surrounds her is well-developed, if a little clichéd at times.  The story will keep readers guessing, and the ultimate culprit will come as a surprise to most.  This is a fun one; Lilly’s future escapades will be eagerly anticipated.

Reviewed by Holly Scudero