KateTPZ's Full Review: Jeffery Wilds Deaver - Hard News
Sometimes a book wins me over with a plot that is compelling, full of surprises, or written around a topic that I find fascinating. Other times I'm won over by the language, the way the author tells the story, unfolding just the right details at the right time, paced just so. Sometimes it's one character, richly drawn, complex or quirky, that reels me in. Jeffery Deaver is an outstanding author who frequently delivers on all counts. Hard News is one such book.
Hard News is the story of Rune. I met Rune in Deaver's Manhattan Is My Beat, the first Deaver book I ever read that wasn't about his famous criminologist Lincoln Rhyme. I don't know if there are other books featuring Rune, but she's matured some since Manhattan, settled down a bit. She's no longer living in an abandoned building where she simply took up residence - now she's living on a houseboat.
Rune. What kind of name is that?! It's a made-up name, a stage name if you like, belonging to a very young, retro-hip would-be filmmaker. She's a strange girl, favoring spiked hair and gaudy, retro-punk clothes. Rune is currently working for the New York owned and operated Network affiliate as a camera person, but she dreams of being a producer.
Overview of the Story
A letter crosses Rune's desk from Randy Boggs, a man convicted of murdering the former head of the Network, pleading his innocence and asking for help from anyone who will. Rune believes him, although she can't say why, and decides this would be a real coup for Current Events, the Network's flagship news magazine. Rune approaches the unfriendly, impatient Piper Sutton, anchor of Current Events, asking that she be given a chance to investigate and produce the story. Piper is doubtful, but arranges to have Rune temporarily assigned to her and gives her the go-ahead, assigning her to work for a senior producer. Rune knows that Piper is not excited about the story and she vows to do a job that will justify Piper's faith in her.
Meanwhile, Randy Boggs is in prison trying to stay alive. Someone inside wants him dead. Someone at the Network doesn't want the story to go forward. Rune, naive and excited, trusts too easily and talks too much. That trusting and talking combine to set off a string of events that propel the plot and create suspense that'll make you want to give up eating, sleeping or working until you finish the book.
Rune's adventures, and her life, become more complicated as Deaver builds seemingly extraneous details to create a touching sub-plot, revealing Rune's tender side. A master of character development, Deaver's Rune is funny, smart, naive, driven, and plausible. My sense is that, were Rune a real person rather than a character of fiction, I'd like her. She wouldn't fit in, exactly, with the people in my life, but I would definitely like her.
Final Thoughts
I won't say any more about the plot - Deaver's writing is so rich that you're far better off reading this for yourself than having me tell you the story. Be assured that there are no dull moments, no passages or chapters that could be considered fluff. This book is fast paced and intense, from beginning to end.
As is typical for a novel by Jeffery Deaver, there are sub-plots and surprises, boat loads of suspense, and attention to detail, historical, geographic and character development that will leave you wanting more.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.