Face Time

Face Time finds Charlie back to work after the excitement of Prime Time. Her relationship with Josh is progressing, though she does have to deal with his petulant eight year old daughter who isn't thrilled her dad has a new woman in his life. As for work, a new consultant (an evil that invades all newsrooms) has been brought in to increase the ratings. She's declared that July is the new November. The consultant is insane, but then again they usually are. So although Charlie planned to spend time with Josh and his daughter at his cabin, she instead must work on a sweeps piece branded "Charlie's Crusade" even though the story seemingly falls apart before it begins when the supposedly wrongly convicted woman it all hinges on refuses to be show more interviewed. Dorinda’s refusal raises some questions. If she killed her husband as she insists she did, why did someone produce a surveillance tape giving Dorinda an alibi? If the tape is legit, why doesn’t Dorinda leap at the chance to get out of prison? Pursuing this story leads Charlie down a dangerous road as people connected to the case start turning up dead.

While Face Time continues to illustrate that Charlie, like so many others, makes sacrifices for her career, it also expands upon the relationships first shown in Prime Time. This time Charlie’s mom is in town, which is good for some additional drama. It also gives the author the opportunity to let readers know that even those related to people working in TV news don’t really understand how it works. It’s exemplary characterization. In fact, even Charlie’s cat’s personality is nailed. I love the fact that Charlie has a pet. Far too many fictional characters don’t; real people have pets, so integrating one into the plot makes fictional characters more real, especially when the pet is fitting for the character’s personality which Botox definitely is for Charlie. show less

This is book 2 in the Charlotte McNally series and I am enjoyed this book as much as the first. Can't wait for books 3 and 4 later this year.

Charlie is a TV investigative reporter on the wrong side of 40 in an industry where looking youthful matters a lot. Even though she has won Emmy awards for her stories, she is always questioning herself and her abilities even while she is always searching for the next big story. In this story, she is contacted by a local group to help prove that Dorinda Keeler, who confessed to the murder of her husband four years earlier, is really innocent. Even though she finds some information to show that Dorinda may be innocent, Dorinda won't talk and claims to be guilty. Charlie and her producer, Franklin, show more continue to work on the story to try to prove her innocence. Along with a powerful story line about guilt or innocence, throw in Charlie's mother who has just had plastic surgery and Josh, her new love and his 8 year old daughter who isn't too excited to have Charlie in her dad's life.

This is a fun story and a great read. Book 3 can't get her soon enough!
(Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.) show less

In Face Time, Charlie and her producer Franklin have to deal with hot-shot new news director Susannah Smith-Bagley, who is pushing them to get a scoop for sweeps month. She's a little distracted because her mother is in hospital, her best friend just found out she's pregnant, and her boyfriend wants her to vacation with him and his 9-year-old daughter, but she's sure she can handle all that AND look into the story of a woman who may have been wrongly imprisoned for the murder of her husband 3 years earlier. The investigation is hampered by the fact that Dorinda Sweeney, the convicted woman, refuses to see or speak with Charlie. As a result, Charlie and Franklin are forced to conduct their research in a very roundabout way, which ends up show more putting both of them in jeopardy.

Both books are gripping reads and I stayed up reading until my eyes couldn't stay open a few nights in a row. I'm looking forward to the third book in the series, Air Time, which was released September 1st, and which I don't have yet. But that's okay, because I really need to catch up on my sleep. show less