Book Review: Graveyard Shift

Reviewed By: Pat Reid - 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.

News reporter Maxi Poole has looks, intelligence and compassion. Maxi also is anchor on the 6:00 news. So why would Pete Capra, Maxi’s boss, assign her to the graveyard shift a/k/a the nightside? The nightside is usually assigned to a junior journalist and Maxi begins to suspect that she might be about to lose her job.

To add to her suspicions she finds out that Tom McCartney, a well-known stringer, has been asked by Pete Capra to keep an eye on Maxi. A stringer is a newsie that works for no company and peddles whatever story he can get his hands on to the different news stations. Tom also has serious addictions involving both alcohol and drugs, which he is constantly fighting.

After Maxi’s upsetting meeting with Pete she arrives home and is met by Carla Ochoa. Carla is a maid for Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Lightner who live five doors down from Maxi. Carla is begging Maxi to help her find her son Robert who has been kidnapped from the Lightner residence. When Maxi starts to investigate the kidnapping Mrs. Lightner becomes enraged and orders her out of her home and fires Carla. Maxi offers to let Carla stay with her while they attempt to find Robert but before she can even get Carla moved into her apartment Mrs. Lightner’s body is discovered and her husband standing over the body.

Maxi begins her graveyard shift and starts hanging out with Tom McCartney. More and more clues pop up about Robert’s kidnapping and the murder. Maxi also learns there is more behind her transfer to the nightside than meets the eye.

I enjoyed this book very much. I was taken by surprise at the conclusion but it only made me want to read The Reporter and Dead File, the first two Maxi Poole mysteries.

Pat Reid - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Pat Reid - RAM