The Full Scoop: A Riley Ellison Mystery

by Jill Orr

Overview

Reeling after tragedy hits close to home, young journalist Riley Ellison becomes obsessed with uncovering the secret that led to her grandfather’s murder years before and that just took another life in Tuttle Corner. Her desperate search for answers leads her down a dark path, both personally and professionally, as she struggles with how far she's willing to go to get answers. Just as she finally discovers the truth, she’s forced to choose between exacting justice and protecting the people she loves most. With pressure coming in from all sides, Riley has to look deep within to decide if she can let go of the past in order to hold on to the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945551819
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	06/09/2020
Series:	Riley Ellison Mysteries , #4
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Jill Orr is the author of the Riley Ellison mystery series, which has been called “delightfully comic” and “highly amusing” by Publishers Weekly. Books in the series have garnered praise from industry professionals and readers alike and have earned a Silver Falchion nomination, a starred review and "Best Book of the Week" from Library Journal, and a Midwest Connections pick.

Originally from Chicago, Jill moved to Columbia, Missouri, to attend the Universityof Missouri, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and her master’s degree in Social Work. However, these days the only social work she does is at cocktail parties, and she sometimes wishes her degrees were in What’s for Dinner and Decoding the Teenage Eye Roll.

Jill lives in Missouri with her husband and two (usually delightful) teenage children. Jill's new illustrated nonfiction humor book, How Not to Be Old (Even if You Are), arrives in November. Learn more at www.jillorrauthor.com.

Editorial Reviews

04/27/2020

In Orr’s amiable fourth mystery featuring Tuttle Corner, Va., investigative reporter Riley Ellison (after 2019’s The Ugly Truth), Riley is convinced that colleague Hal Flick’s recent vehicular death was no accident and that it’s somehow connected to the suspicious death of her grandfather, Albert Ellison, seven years earlier. Riley examines Hal’s research into five members of the Miller family who died in a plane crash in 1959. Disgraced former sheriff Joe Tackett, recently imprisoned after pleading guilty to corruption charges, then claims to have evidence that Albert was, indeed, murdered. He’s willing to trade the information for a transfer or reduced sentence, but Riley’s ex-boyfriend, federal agent Jay Burman, seeks to block the county prosecutor from cutting a deal with Tackett. Defying Burman, Riley seeks to bring Tackett’s evidence to light as she pursues the startling truth about the Miller family. A subplot involving an online astrology service doesn’t mar the pace or weaken the suspense. Readers will hope to see a lot more of the intrepid Riley. Agents: Emma Sweeney and Margaret Sutherland Brown, Emma Sweeney Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

2020-03-02
Getting to the roots of her grandfather’s death completes a multivolume arc for a small-town news reporter.

In the month following Hal Flick’s death during his investigation of her grandfather’s apparent suicide long ago, Riley Ellison has made no progress in pinning down the person or persons unknown responsible for either of the deaths. So when disgraced and incarcerated former Tuttle Corner Sheriff Joe Tackett claims to have some info on the case, Riley’s desperate to get him some sort of deal in exchange for what he knows. After all, Flick is the only one who believed that Albert Ellison’s death was murder, and Riley’s pretty sure that someone offed Flick because he was too close to the truth. What if the information Tackett has explains both Flick's and Albert’s deaths? Even Will Holman, Riley’s cerebral partner in investigations and thus the more cautious of the pair, is in favor of striking a bargain with the ex-lawman. But things fall through when Riley’s ex, federal agent Jay Burman, quashes the deal. Instead of believing that Jay has at least the interests of justice at heart, maybe even her own interests, Riley resolves to work around his objections. After all, if Jay wanted to be involved with the investigation, he never should have left town (and her) for job opportunities in D.C. And Riley’s new quasi-boyfriend Ash Campbell is far more accommodating, though it’s not clear whether it’s because he cares or because he just isn’t paying attention. Perhaps the horoscope service Riley’s overly involved mother has subscribed her in will have the insight Riley doesn’t, though like the unveiling of the whodunit and whydunit of Flick’s and Albert’s deaths, it may just provide more fanfare without any underpinning.

A shift in tone produces something a little more murderous but a little less fun.

Kirkus Reviews

[An] amiable fourth mystery featuring Tuttle Corner, Va., investigative reporter Riley Ellison… Readers will hope to see a lot more of the intrepid Riley.”
—Publisher's Weekly

"Fans expect humor in Orr’s work, and they’ll find it here, but they may also enjoy a more pensive version of their heroine.”
—Booklist

Praise for the Riley Ellison Mysteries:
"Millennials will love following Riley Ellison, junior reporter, on her laugh-out-loud adventures in the quaint town of Tuttle Corner, Virginia…. Orr’s series is perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum and Kyra Davis’ Sophie Katz, witty protagonists who always mix fun with murder.”
— Booklist (starred review!)

"Page-turning suspense, laugh-out-loud humor, and a delightfully complex mystery you just can’t put down. If you like smart criminals, smarter women sleuths, and endearing side characters you care about, Orr delivers.”
— Libby Kirsch, Emmy Award winning journalist and author of the Stella Reynolds Mystery Series and the Janet Black Mystery Series

“By actually capturing the unique voice of a generation, Orr brings something out of the ordinary and elusive to so many.”
— BookTrib

“The laughs keep coming.”
— Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

05/01/2020

Journalist Riley Ellison never believed her grandfather committed suicide. Now, the only person who ever believed her, another journalist, is dead following a car accident. Despite her grief, Riley is determined to find answers. Then, a former sheriff offers a bargain. He'll reveal what really happened to Riley's grandfather, along with proof, if the prosecutor will move him from the prison where he feels endangered. Riley is eager, but the feds won't deal. They want the man's testimony against a drug cartel. Riley only has a couple clues left behind by the dead men, but they lead her on a dangerous search. Another violent death and threats against the people Riley loves may trap her. She knows who the killer is, but if she comes forward she might jeopardize the lives of others. VERDICT While the first Riley Ellison mystery, The Good Byline, earned a comparison to Janet Evanovich, by this book, the tone has turned dark. The author completes the four-book arc about the quest for truth about the death of Riley's grandfather, but only dedicated readers of the series will care.—Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Library Journal