Lilly Hawkins is a shooter for TV station KJAY in
Bakersfield, California. After filming video at a murder
scene, she's sure she got a great scoop, but when she gets
back to the station, the tape is blank. However, the two
thugs who come to her home seem convinced she does have
something on film and is trying to profit from it. They
demand she turn over the "real" tape in 36 hours...or else.
Lilly's first inclination is to go to the police, but then
she realizes the two men who threatened her are cops. When
a local detective, who seemed to like her, also starts
treating her like a suspect, Lilly doesn't know who to
trust, so she turns to family. Her Uncle Bud has a
mysterious (and most likely illegal) past, but he's always
been there for her, and if anyone knows the way to avoid
the watchful eye of the police, it's him. The two set about
clearing Lilly's name while trying to figure out the good
guys from the bad guys.
The action never stops in this first installment of a new
mystery series. Lilly is surrounded by a colorful cast of
characters, especially Uncle Bud, a scruffy homespun
charmer. Although at times I found Lilly a bit too prone to
act without thinking, that same quality is also kind of
endearing. The narrative keeps readers guessing as people
and situations are not always who or what they appear to
be, but a few twists are somewhat predictable and some of
the characters a bit stock. Nevertheless, the book is a
promising beginning and a solid entry in the crowded
amateur detective genre. Readers who like their mysteries
with a healthy dose of humor (and a bit of romance) will
particularly enjoy A BAD DAY'S WORK.
The last thing she needs is a murder to solve.
Nothing seems to be going Lilly's way. A TV news
photographer at her hometown television station, she's one
of the hardest working "shooters" there, but her pit-bull
personality and a series of unlucky blunders have put her
job in jeopardy. So when an urgent story breaks in
the middle of the night, Lilly is determined to turn her bad
luck around and get the respect she deserves. But the
pressure is on; either she delivers amazing video or she's
fired. After busting her butt and dodging the cops, Lilly
has what could be the biggest scoop of her career—exclusive
video of a murder scene. Or does she have it? Lilly is
stunned when the tape played in front of the entire newsroom
is nothing but dead air. Soon she's on the run from
criminals and police, both of whom claim Lilly's video is
the key to solving the murder and think she pocketed the
real tape. Can she escape her pursuers long enough to catch
the killer, or will she end the day as the next victim?
Lilly's bad day just keeps getting worse, but
the one thing she knows for sure is that she'd like to live
to see more of them. . . .
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