Murderous Musings

Lis Wiehl's THE NEWSMAKERS

by

Ben Small

Recovering alcoholic Erica Sparks is determined to return to journalism with a major media organization after having been fired in disgrace from WBZ in Boston. From out of the blue, she receives an offer from GNN, a fast-rising worldwide news network founded and owned by eccentric billionaire Nyland Hastings, who believes Erica Sparks has the makings of a news star.

Her first day at GNN. Erica is assigned a Kate Middleton interview at New York’s Battery Park, but as Eric sets for the shoot, a ferry loses control and rams the pier, killing and injuring scores. Erica’s on top of the story, and GNN puts her on the air immediately.

Erica’s second assignment, almost immediately thereafter, is to interview a female presidential candidate in California. As the interview begins,  the candidate collapses and dies in Erica’s arms, a victim of poison.

Almost overnight, Erica is a celebrity. People recognize her on the street and shower her with praise. But her sudden fame threatens her job aspirations, as her boss wants Erica to become the desk-bound face of the network, and Erica wants to continue investigative reporting. Erica believes the ferry collision may have been a result of  cyber-terrorism, and she’s enlisted Mark Benton, a GNN IT professional to hack into DOT computers. She’s also tracking the Mexican waiter who dosed the politician with cyanide, which takes her to Juarez, one of the most dangerous cities of the world. She learns that while Hispanic gangs arranged for the hit man, they were funded out of Russia.

Mark Benton calls Erica, tells her he’s found something too important for the phone. Mark and Erica agree to meet early the next morning, but Mark doesn’t show: he’s been beaten almost to death.

Meanwhile, GNN pressure mounts on Erica to give up her investigations. She finds a dying rat on her desk, an elevator sticks and may drop and a stage lamp falls, barely missing Erica during a rehearsal. She knows she’s being watch, and as each day passes, Erica trusts fewer and fewer GNN employees; indeed, her dealings with Hastings lead her to suspect that Hastings may be a psychopath and her job may cost her life.

This is fast-paced, crackling suspense as good as it comes. With her background as a regular on the Fox Business and Fox News, Lis Wiehl is uniquely qualified to write a book like THE NEWSMAKERS. After all, she is one.