Deadlines

by Chris Westphal

Pale and bloated, a dead body, churns in the filthy currents of the Empire City harbor. Jack Teller, editor of the city's bi-weekly newspaper, thinks he's doing a favor for his sole reporter, Steve Tobin, when he assigns the story to him. But Tobin digs too deep, and ends up with a bullet to the head. It turns out the body in the harbor was an heir to the founding McLennon family, which still runs everything in town: the police, the coroner, and even Jack's publisher. The only person who gives Jack a straight answer is Alyssa Antonovich, the reporter for the competition. But they may both be dead before Jack gets to the bottom of the mystery.

193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2011

Reviews

[Jill Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Chris Westphal writes from his own background as a journalist, and screenwriter. With a deep resume, writing for various magazines, newspapers, and television shows, his work translates well to the page as readers are instantly captivated by the seemingly nefarious turn of events playing out. Crafting a main character with attributes stereotypical of reporters, we are transported to coastal Oregon where we become ensconced in the world of investigative journalism.

As the era of physical newspapers slowly fades away, “Deadlines” brings readers Jack Teller. Jack is the editor of Empire City’s biweekly newspaper, just hanging on thanks to its small-town subscribers and publisher, Jason Penrose. So, when Jack stumbles upon a dead body floating near the dock, he’s able to get a few short lines into Tuesday’s paper before the printing deadline. With competition from the area’s daily papers, Jack jumps on the breaking news assigning a fresh out of college, four-month veteran, Steve, to follow up on obtaining more details about the death. But he never expects his reporter to turn up as the next murder victim. Refusing to let Steve’s death go, Jack is determined to find the link between the death of his reporter and the washed-up drowning of the black sheep member of the town’s richest family, Jesse McLennon.

As more characters are introduced, and favors are traded back and forth, Jack finds himself further embedded in the death of his young reporter. “Deadlines” houses a plethora of intriguing characters, with hints of romance, family drama, and Jack at the forefront, motivated to scrape his way to the bottom of it all. Westphal delivers a newsworthy thriller. Creating a main character full of investigative vigor, late nights, and alcohol induced escapes. Jack Teller seems out of place in this small town as readers become ever more curious about his own background and superior skills.

“Deadlines” offers a glimpse into the world of journalism, fraught relationships, and deception as readers seek to uncover the truth behind Jesse and Steve’s death. Immerse yourself in the world of wealth disparity, power, death, and media as you glimpse the talented mind of Chris Westphal.

[Elaine]

Pale and bloated, a dead body, churns in the filthy currents of the Empire City harbor. Jack Teller, editor of the city's bi-weekly newspaper, thinks he's doing a favor for his sole reporter, Steve Tobin, when he assigns the story to him. But Tobin digs too deep, and ends up with a bullet to the head. It turns out the body in the harbor was an heir to the founding McLennon family, which still runs everything in town: the police, the coroner, and even Jack's publisher. The only person who gives Jack a straight answer is Alyssa Antonovich, the reporter for the competition. But they may both be dead before Jack gets to the bottom of the mystery.