Prime Time (Charlotte McNally Series #1)

Hilarious!

Author Hank Phillippi Ryan is an award-winning investigative reporter at Boston's NBC affiliate. She has twenty-six Emmy's and ten Edward R. Murrow Awards, along with dozens of other national and international journalism honors. Her work has resulted in new laws, homes removed from foreclosure, criminals sent to prison, and millions of dollars in restitution. Before her reporting career, she was a proofreader, a radio reporter, an Editorial Assistant at Rolling Stone, and a legislative aide in the US Senate. Other titles include: Face Time (coming August 2009) and Air Time (coming September 2009.) She resides just outside of Boston, MA, with her husband.
Charlotte McNally knows that in the ruthless world of television journalism, you're only as good as your last story, and her latest one very well may be. In her forties, she also knows it is all too easy to get scooped and replaced. With the November sweeps coming quick, she needs to pull out all the stops or kiss her career goodbye. When an innocent-looking email offer turns into a multimillion-dollar fraud ring and murder, it's not just her job on the line, it's her life. Her investigation soon leads to Josh Gelston, a professor who is just a tad too helpful and way too handsome. The sparks between them fly, but can Charlotte trust him, or is he part of this diabolical plot? As tension mounts and more questions arise, she better figure this puzzle out, or she'll be the next headline.
Told in first-person point-of-view, this wasn't one of those dark, suspenseful reads, but rather more light-hearted and humorous, and I found it captivating. Between the emails, the secondary characters, the suspects, and the mystery to figure out- You'll keep reading until the end and wanting more. Charlie's producer, Franklin, was a phenomenal add to the story-line and I rather enjoyed him. The emails were neat to watch unfold, and quite immensely clever. This was a very well-paced book, too. The setting drew you in, and I liked learning more about Boston. The reader will learn a great deal about television journalism without realizing it, and be sure to keep your eye out for the What they don't teach you in J-school, entries.Hilarious! Typically, first-person isn't my favorite, but this goes to show what good writing and a great sense of humor can do for a book.
Prime Time, by Hank Phillippi Ryan is a fascinating glimpse into journalism, an intriguing mystery, and a sweet romance, with sassy, but loveable characters, amidst a laugh-out-loud dialog to liven any mood.

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Ultimate Page Turner for the Mystery/Suspense Fan

As an avid fan and reader of the suspense/mystery/who-dun-it/thriller type novel, I always pick up and read a new author and measure them against the high and mighty bar of my favorite novelists of this venue who I have followed for years. Few authors are even able to fall in the shadows of the works of such as Clancy, Baldacci, Ludlum, Fleming, and Hillerman. I had the opportunity to read Prime Time recently as a featured book for the General Fiction Board at B&N Book Club. Within a few pages of starting the book I knew I had found such an author and was in for an all-nighter. Hank Ryan set a stage for not just another read. The heroine was not just another young, athletic, fantastic looker that turned every head, but "really had a working brain" under that head of hair. No, this heroine I found believable. She was someone who was hitting that age that "hot jobs" tend to start retiring their stars from, and looking for young blood. But, Charlie, our investigative reporter/undercover sleuth was not ready to go down for the count. The storyline is fast paced and full of real-life humor that only someone who has been in "the business" could truly communicate convincingly. Charlie carries us along for the wild ride with her as she goes after a story that she is investigating. Throw in a little mid-life crisis, a "hunk" that has the ability to sweep her off her feet (and smart, too), and humor that is perfectly paced to and makes you take a deep breath, just when you need to,--- you find yourself a part of the story and not just an observer. Oh, did I say this book is a mystery, suspense, who-dun-it? Yes, it is of the first rate variety. Not even my above mentioned favorites can keep me guessing to the end as to who did it and why most of the time. Ryan kept Charlie (the heroine) and the rest of us jumping, turning, running, guessing, and pulling out paper and pencil to figure out clues down to the final chapters and pages. This was one book that I was grabbing the next page to be ready to turn as soon as I turned the last one. Once I finally figured out who/what/why, I couldn't believe it. Yes, the clues were there, but cleverly presented like a magician with a slight of hand. Now that I have read through this book like a flashdance, I am going to have to go back and read it slowly like a slow waltz so I can weigh and assess the clues and see what and how I missed it the first time around. This book has definitely made the re-read shelf and Hank Ryan has definitely acquired a hardcore fan. I look forward to acquiring and reading the remainder of her current books and can hardly wait for her upcoming novel.

Easy read

Very interesting easy to read keeps your attention. Read the book all in one day....

Fun mystery!

This is an absorbing mystery full of humor and romance and plenty of zany characters! It was lots of fun to read and I intend to read Ryan's other books now too!

Wonderful new character!!!!

Charlie McNally is a unique and welcome addition to the characters in series books -- a smart, savvy, accomplished, 40 something woman, with a few self doubts -- just like a real person! She is funny and heart-warming, almost making the story seem secondary. But this is also a very good mystery. The story stems from Charlie's life as an investigative reporter in Boston and has a bit of romance added in also. This is an all around fun read and I look forward to the upcoming books in the series!

Reporters too, can help make the world a safer place....

Hank Phillipi Ryan's PRIME TIME is a definite must-read for the mystery/thriller lover. It is well written, the characters are likeable, and the plot is filled with so many twists and turns that the reader is left guessing until the very last paragraph.

Although the story involves a conspiracy which involves insider-trading, the story is easy for one unfamiliar with the subject to read.

For me, one of the most enjoyable aspects in reading this story was getting to know the main character, Boston's Channel 3 Investigative Reporter Charlie McNally, and the pressures that go along with her job which reach far beyond asking questions. Like attorneys, reporters search for the truth and if they do their jobs ethically and well, they too can help to make our world a safer place.

Well done, Ms. Ryan - I look forward to reading more of your work.

J.R. Reardon
Author, CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS

An Ageless Lead Story

Charlie McNally is 46 years old, the winner of several Emmys for her investigative reporting and beginning to severely doubt if she has what it takes to stay in television's demanding game! For intelligence and a knack for sleuthing the hottest story of the day isn't enough these days; instead one must have the looks and sexy appeal to draw viewers back to the fantasy that beauty, charm and brains are all one and the same. Age and weight repel the TV camera. Add to those lurking worries that her high-powered boss, snooty Angela, is just aching to send Charlotte or Charlie packing. And Charlie's beginning to realize that maybe all of her sacrifices that placed her career over a marriage and family weren't all they were cracked up to be!

Now comes a new problem that adds to her diminishing confidence as an aging reporter. It turns out that a series of e-mails have been sent to a select few, messages that look like spam but are actually a code for something far more serious than the usual nonsense promising millions of dollars in five minutes or someone insisting their heartbreaking need can only be solved by a donation of the same amount.

Unfortunately, things start ratcheting up quite a few scales in Charlie's radar screen when she learns of a man's supposed suicide and starts investigating the e-mail messages after his wife requests Charlie's help. With her colleague, Franklin's very smart assistance, Charlie seems to be getting closer to the reason behind Bradley Foreman's death, with some results that seem to be very frightening to his wife, Melanie Foreman. In the process of examining boxes of records that seem to hold the clue to the mystery, Charlie meets Professor Josh Gelston, a sexy looking guy quite impressed by Charlie's Shakespearean knowledge and maybe even more. But Charlie doesn't know if Josh is the friend or enemy in her quest to unravel the refinance messages that she now realizes are linked to some very high profile businessmen and women.

Hank Ryan knows how to plot a thriller for sure. The reader was captivated by the twists and turns that seem to come close to the final solution but more often than not weave their way into something even more sinister. Add together two murders, some very serious threats at an almost gothic-style funeral, an attempted effort at killing the heroine and her partner, and some other just as suspense-driven moments and you have the makings of a best seller crime drama! Prime Time will make you want to read more from this very savvy, smart, funny and intriguing character, Charlotte McNally! This reviewer is very much looking forward to reading the next story in this series, Face Time!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on September 6, 2009

Prime Time is better than the November Sweeps

For all you gals, and guys that are tired of the teeny-bopper, or the 20's or even the 30's heroine get ready for sexy, funny and wonderful Charlie - 40 something- McNally TV reporter extraordinaire.
In Hank's first of her Charlotte McNally series we find Charlie hunting for a news story worthy of the November sweeps and she finds a lot more than she bargained for.

Ms Ryan gives the readers edge of your seat excitement, nail biting danger and brow sweating drama. Her characters are all wonderfully detailed and not only the main characters but her supporting cast could easily support there own story (hint hint). She gives us wonderful dialogue that is witty and funny and with a crash course on Journalism 101's no nos. Her story line is exceptional and even though the 10 oclock news in no big story she gives it just enough of a twist that will have her readers flipping pages non-stop. She creates an almost romance that makes her readers anxious to read the next chapter in Charlie's life.
So if you're ready for a non-stop, seat of you pants, roller coaster adventure into the daily life of a 40 something investigative reporter, who's also a great gal. Prime Time is your read.

A reviewer

An exciting new mystery series debuted recently, with Hank Phillippi Ryan¿s first novel PRIME TIME. The writing is compelling, as the reader is instantly drawn into the world of TV investigative reporter Charlotte ¿Charlie¿ McNally. Charlie is a stylish, divorced, forty-ish, Emmy-winning reporter with a wry sense of humor and an overwhelming dedication to getting the story. When the widow of a man killed in a car accident contacts Charlie and asks why she never returned her now-deceased husband¿s email, Charlie¿s antennae stand right up. After just a few inquiries, she and her loyal producer Franklin become convinced that they have not only uncovered a suspicious series of email messages, but that they may also have tripped over a murder. The book is full of twists and turns, as one moment the case looks clear-cut and the identity of the killer appears obvious, and the next the reader is wondering exactly who Charlie can trust, as does Charlie herself. Author Hank Phillippi Ryan is a much-admired investigative reporter in the Boston area, and her expertise shows in every line of the book. From scooping rivals to dealing with the police, Charlie is a believable and magnetic figure. Her frequent observations about her profession '¿Courses they don¿t teach in Journalism School: Future Shock: The Choice of Fame or Family¿' mesh well with her concerns over the precarious nature of her job. But Charlie¿s no whiner ¿ when it comes to getting the facts, she¿s willing to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty. Unfortunately, the other side is just as willing to dirty its own hands ¿ to keep the story from reaching PRIME TIME.

a reviewer

In most professions being forty-six years old means prime time, but as an on screen TV reporter Charlotte ¿Charlie¿ McNally is considered old. She as much as the brass compares herself unfavorably to the sleek new face of the young news anchorwoman, Ellen Cavanagh. Still Charlie hopes to put off father time a bit longer although she is insulted when news director Kevin O'Bannon assigns her to interview the widow of Aztratek Pharmaceuticals employee Bradley Foreman, who died in a recent car accident.---------------- However, Charlie soon learns that the deceased sent her whistle-blowing e-mails regarding some papers that expose his firm¿s dangerous dealings. Charlie investigates the allegations, which leads her to Professor Joshua Gelston. She is attracted to him, but fears he may prove to be an educated thug.-------------- Charlie makes PRIME TIME into an enjoyable romantic suspense thriller as she tells the tale with wit, humor, and fear for her heart if her potential knight in shining armor proves to be the enemy as she (and readers) suspects he is. Fans will appreciate her escapades as she wonders: to trust or not to trust (her heart) that is the question.------------- Harriet Klausner

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

Charlie (Charlotte) McNally is an investigative reporter. She has won many Emmy¿s, but now that she¿s in her forties, she¿s worried they will replace her with someone younger. While she and her producer Franklin are looking for a hit story for sweeps in November, they stumble upon a man killed in a car crash. In a routine interview with the wife, they begin uncovering information but they just aren¿t sure where it¿ll lead. Much of it is SPAM. Could this be anything more than just e-mail SPAM? If so, what does it mean? They keep following the leads. Soon there is another death, some thefts, and an attack. They know they must be on the right track, but they just can¿t put the pieces together. Plus Charlie finds romance. Can she trust him? Can they scoop the other news agencies before anyone else is injured? Can they do it for sweeps? I loved Charlie. She is such a fun character. Very down to earth and the story line was very believable. Using SPAM is such a timely issue. I could see someone doing this and getting away with it. It would be hard to catch. Franklin and Josh were great characters, too. Really added to the story. I can¿t wait to read the next! Please write faster! I highly recommend this book.

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