The Newsmakers
-
-
4.4 • 32 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
Lis Wiehl incorporates her own experience as a TV host and federal prosecutor in this riveting series. Erica Sparks has become a superstar overnight. Is it due to her hard work and talent, or is she at the center of a spiraling conspiracy?
Erica Sparks is a beautiful and ambitious reporter who has just landed her dream job at Global News Network in New York. And while it was hard to leave Jenny, her cherished eight-year-old daughter, in the custody of her ex-husband, Erica is determined to succeed in the cutthroat world of big-time broadcasting. She can only hope her troubled past won’t come back to sabotage her dreams.
Although the wounds from her divorce are still fresh, Erica can’t deny the chemistry between her and her new producer, the handsome and empathetic Greg Underwood. But a relationship is the last thing she wants right now.
On her very first assignment, Erica inadvertently witnesses—and films—a horrific tragedy, scooping all the other networks. Mere weeks later, another tragedy strikes—again, right in front of Erica and her cameras.
Her career skyrockets overnight, but Erica is troubled. Deeply. This can’t just be coincidence. But what is it?
Erica will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. But she has to make sure disaster—and her troubled past—don’t catch up with her first.
"A heart-pounding thrill-ride from someone who knows the news business inside and out. Not to be missed!" --Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author
"The Newsmakers is a stunning thriller in a new series by one of my favorite authors. Lis Wiehl casts her insider's eye on the intrigue and drama of high-stakes television journalism. Terrorist attack? Murder of a presidential candidate? A reporter whose own life is at risk? This thrill ride has them all." —Linda Fairstein, New York Times bestselling author
"A page-turner from the word go. Completely entertaining. Outrageoulsy readable. This quick-cut action-thriller spotlights television's cutthroat deal-making, unholy alliances, and lust for success. Gotta love Lis! As always, she nails it." —Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark Award willing author of What You See
"Lis Wiehl is a seasoned journalist who knows the news business. Here, she's fashioned a tantalizing story that takes full advantage of her insider status. It's a fascinating thriller, which poses a curious questions: what happens when reality is not quite good enough. The answer is going to shock you." —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author
"The Newsmakers is sensational—taut, troubling, and terrifying. With Erica Sparks, Lis Wiehl has created her most memorable character yet: a reporter who has smarts, drive, heart—and a dark past that threatens to pull her down. Waiting for Book 2 won't be easy." —Kate White, New York Times bestselling author
Full-length suspensePart of a series, but can be read as a standaloneAlso in The Newsmakers series:The NewsmakersThe CandidateThe Separatists
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
Customer Reviews
Somewhat Disappointed
Based on the author's appearances and demeanor on Fox News, I expected meticulous attention to detail. Imagine my surprise, when the end of this book makes a big deal about heroine's network being sold to Amazon and then the sequel, "The Candidate", which follows a few months later in fictional time, makes a big deal about the network being sold to Google a few months ago. (So it's not like the simple explanation is the network sold to Amazon and then sold to Google; this is just flat out a careless mistake.)
Then the description for nervousness of "a drop of sweat rolls down from left (or right) armpit" has been used several times in BOTH books and seems overused.
Also, frequently, when describing folks preparing and eating food, the descriptions says "she 'plated' " the food..." NOBODY I know says "plated the food" when discussing normal daily life. I've only ever heard it used by chefs/waiters at expensive restaurants. And though the heroine did work at Burger King as a teenager, the food at BK isn't "plated" since they don't have plates!
The lack of attention to detail is beginning to annoy me and I've not had this experience very often and I've read a LOT of books.
I thought this was an author I'd enjoy and planned to find and read all her books. I won't be doing that now. (I am going to finish "The Candidate"; the storyline is fascinating. Perhaps I'll change my opinion; if so, I'll try to remember and update my review.)