Lilly Hawkins has been having her problems lately, gaining a reputation for screwing up [or, as she prefers to call it, having a run of bad luck]. But of course, perception is everything, as she knows. Lilly is a news photographer at KJAY covering the Bakersfield, CA area, “the only woman in town who did this for a living,” and when she gets called out in the middle of the night to get photos at the scene of a murder, she jumps at the chance to get back in the good graces of the powers that be at the station.
Lilly manages to get some exclusive video at the scene of what was apparently a hijacking gone wrong, the video constituting both a huge scoop for Lilly and the station, as well an ever bigger danger to her and those around her.
The author, a former CNN staffer, certainly knows whereof she speaks, but I found it surprising that a “shooter” takes on tasks I normally associate with reporters, if not investigative reporters, e.g., pushing and prodding her way onto crime scenes and interviewing family members of the deceased, among others [including suspects]. Lilly manages to put herself in jeopardy with some degree of regularity. The author creates what to me were some completely improbable scenarios wherein, e.g., details of crimes committed by the bad guys are spelled out by the latter in public for all to hear, near where Lilly is hiding and able to hear every word; a healthy suspension of disbelief was required.
That said, the novel is a lively look at a world known to few outsiders, and A Bad Day’s Work was a fun and fast read.
