Prime Time

by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Book Overview

Seasoned investigative reporter Charlotte McNally knows that in the cutthroat world of television journalism, every story could be your last. There's always someone younger and prettier to take your place, always a story more sensational to drive ratings through the roof.

When Brad Foreman's widow demands to know why Charlie never answered his email, Charlie is confused. She never received his message. What did Brad, an accountant at a pharmaceutical...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765384752
• ISBN13: 9780765384751
• Release Date: February 2016
• Publisher: Forge
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Prime Time

An intriguing idea about insider trading that could have been better executed. Plot points were somewhat predictable yet still exciting. Unfortunately Charlotte’s single life and loneliness was really played up, which was a bit disappointing. Overall a fairly average read; not something I would seek out.

Extremely Entertaining!

Charlie McNally, an aging investigative reporter, is always either looking for her next big story (that will keep her on top and in the industry) or wondering should she have neglected her love life for her career. Insecure about aging and her roll at the station (her manager is constantly threatening her with being replaced by someone younger and prettier), the now 46-year old reporter worries that "Botox" (her sick kitty) will be all that she has. Beating the pavement and finding a story may be her only hope in keeping her head above water. And wouldn't you know it, Charlie soon she finds herself in the middle of a mystery, involving possible murders and insider trading. Shortly before his death, Brad Foreman, sent her and two others, a mysterious email that mentions refinancing. Determined to discover the truth, Charlie hopes that there is a BIG story behind Brad's death and the emails after all it is sweep time! With her trusted partner, Franklin, Charlie is determined to find the story that will lead to her latest Emmy win, even if it kills her. And if she stumbles across not only the story of the century but a little romance, so be it. Once she determines that Josh (another of Brad's friends who received the email) is friend or foe, she may just find the love that she is searching for. I enjoyed this easy to read mystery. The characters were interesting and I definitely see future and potential storylines. Reading about the world of investigative reporting was entertaining, and there were some laugh out loud funny moments. I enjoyed this story a great deal and would highly recommend it!

Exciting New Murder Mystery Series

PRIME TIME by Hank Phillipi Ryan 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.

Terrific story. Shows how horrid an investigative reporter's job can be!

Meet Charlotte "Charlie" McNally; but do it fast, she will only give you ten seconds unless you have some ground-shaking news to give her exclusive rights to. Charlie is Channel 3's golden girl, their best investigative reporter. Yet now that she has hit forty-six years of age, Charlie is worried that her TV reporting days may be ending. Charlie has only a few weeks to locate a huge story to report for the November ratings. Unless Charlie finds something really spectacular, this year could very well be Charlie's last year in the journalism career. (Something Angela Nevins, her manager, keeps hinting at.) When Charlie learns that the recently deceased Brad Foreman had been trying to reach her via email, she hunts it up in curiosity and finds what just may be the scoop of the century. Everyone with an email address gets the spam emailings about refinancing; but what if, instead of junk, the refinance spams were coded messages for a multimillion-dollar [...] ring? Charlie and Franklin Parrish, her partner-in-crime-solving, are determined to find out if that little piece of paranoia could possibly be verified. Seems anyone else who had looked into what Brad found out had ended up in an "accidental car wreck". Charlie's investigation leads her Joshua "Josh" Gelston, head of the English Department at the exclusive Bexter Academy. Josh is not only very helpful, but very interested in dating Charlie. Having recently wondered if she should actually begin seriously dating again, Charlie open to Josh's advances. But could Charlie trust anything Josh does or says? What if he is somehow involved in the whole dirty racket? ***** Looks like mystery fans have a new series to test their wits against. The author, Hank Phillippi Ryan, is writing about what she knows best, investigative reporting. Since Hank Ryan has been a television reporter in Boston for quite some time now, she is able to bring realism to her writing. The main trio, Charlie, Franklin, and Josh, are well developed and vividly believable. As for the story, it flows so smoothly that the next spam refinance email I received, I actually opened to see if there was any code apparent. Author Hank Phillippi Ryan just may be to mystery books what John Grisham is to legal thrillers. ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Really fun read!

This book is a delightful, fun, quick read. There were times when I laughed out loud, and many times when I found I couldn't turn the pages quick enough to find out what happened next. Hank Phillippi Ryan is an award winning reporter, and the character she paints has a reporter's detailed mind that is fun to be a part of. It's a delicious summer read, with a lot of fun details... Just pop it in your beach bag, and you will quickly become engrossed in this story. I understand that there is at least one more book in this series, coming out later this year. I'm looking forward to the next adventure..

A truly original mystery and a unique main character

It's been a long time since I read a mystery with a plot I'd never heard of before. This one is so original! I think in real life it might actually work as the perfect crime. I'll certainly never look at computer spam the same way again. As for the main character 40 something TV reporter Charlie McNally, it's just like making a new friend. She's so funny, so determined and so devoted to her job. This takes all the mystique away from television and shows us what really goes on behind the scenes in a truly funny way. It's also incredibly romantic. I loved how she could not decide whether the hunky professor was a good guy or not. Isn't that what all single women go through when they first get to know a man? I'm so tired of sappy chick-lit stories. This is about a real woman who's successful but still vunerable. It's a must read ! I could not put it down and stayed up half the night reading it.