Book Review: Graveyard Shift

Reviewed By: Gina Metz - RAM

Graveyard Shift     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Kelly Lange
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character
Series: Maxi Poole # 3
Mysterious Press, 2005, 362 pps.

The Graveyard Shift is the third in the Maxi Poole, reporter series. Maxi is the 6:00 anchor person and very good at her job so she cannot understand what she has done to irritate her boss enough be assigned to the graveyard shift. The graveyard shift is normally reserved for the most junior reporter on staff, so Maxi can only assume her boss is punishing her or trying to push her out the door by assigning her to this shift.

But Maxi’s boss, Pete Capra has other reasons he is keeping secret for giving Maxi this assignment. He also hooks her up with Tom McCartney, king of the graveyard shift stringers, to show her the ropes and watch her back. Tom was once a very respected reporter with CNN but after an accident while on a scene, he becomes addicted to Vicoden during his hospitalization and recovery from the accident. He struggles with his Vicoden addiction that he tends to combine with Vodka. When his addiction begins affecting his work, CNN lets him go and he becomes a stringer.

Stringers are creatures of the night, who prowl the night looking for stories to tape what other reporters miss. Then they hit the news stations early in the morning and try to sell their tapes to them.

Right as Maxi is assigned to this new shift, she becomes embroilded in a kidnap and murder that occur in a home down the street from her. Councilman Conrad Lightner and his wife who is notoriously mean to everyone live a houses down from Maxi. First their maid, Mrs. Ochoa’s two year old son is kidnapped and then when Maxi goes to pick up Mrs. Ochoa and bring her to live with her until her son is found, Mrs. Lightner is found murdered with her husband standing over her covered in blood.

Graveyard Shift is the best in the Maxi Poole series to date. It was a really good, fast paced read with a hugely surprising ending. I look forward to more in the Maxi Poole series.

Gina Metz - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Gina Metz - RAM