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Samantha Church Mystery #1
The Friday Edition
Snow isn’t all that’s falling in Denver, Colorado on Christmas Eve. A beautiful, young district attorney tumbles to her death on Christmas Eve. Police suspect suicide, but the DA’s sister, newspaper reporter Samantha Church, isn’t buying it. Samantha discovers evidence linking her sister to a drug smuggling case and quickly learns she has stumbled onto a major news story. She must summon the courage to not only face a cartel of criminals, but her own fears and shortcomings when she is confronted by the inescapable specter of a far greater enemy—her addiction to alcohol. Samantha’s dependency has not only cost her job at a major metropolitan daily, but, worse, custody of her daughter, April. Samantha pursues her sister’s killers, maneuvering through a minefield of intrigue deliberately set out to divert her from the truth. Despite being betrayed, physically beaten and facing the possibility of sharing her sister’s fate, Samantha refuses to stop her investigation. However, when the killers threaten to harm April, Samantha realizes that, for her daughter’s sake, she can no longer continue the investigation on her own. She knows she must swallow her pride and turn to her ex-husband and police detective, Jonathan Church, for help. Can Samantha ultimately prevail—find her sister’s killer, write the story of her career, confront her drinking problem, and finally begin to change her life, or will she and April become the killer’s next victims?
312 pages, Paperback
First published July 6, 2012
1015 people are currently reading
3620 people want to read
About the author
Betta Ferrendelli
12 books123 followersI have been an award-winning journalist since 1989, having worked at newspapers and magazines in Denver, Seattle and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
I am the author of the award-winning and Amazon best-selling Samantha Church Mystery Series, featuring The Friday Edition (named one of the best books of 2013 by Kirkus and a Readers' Favorite gold medal winner), Revenge is Sweet, Dead Wrong, Cold Case No. 99-5219 (a Readers' Favorite gold medal winner), On the Border, The Long Way Home and Point of Origin. Dusk, the eighth book in the mystery series, will publish in late 2026.
I have also written two award-winning books in contemporary women's fiction: Last Things and An Invincible Summer.
Be sure to follow me on BookBub for the latest on all my books and to download a free copy of The Friday Edition: https://bit.ly/3JztNtx
I am the author of the award-winning and Amazon best-selling Samantha Church Mystery Series, featuring The Friday Edition (named one of the best books of 2013 by Kirkus and a Readers' Favorite gold medal winner), Revenge is Sweet, Dead Wrong, Cold Case No. 99-5219 (a Readers' Favorite gold medal winner), On the Border, The Long Way Home and Point of Origin. Dusk, the eighth book in the mystery series, will publish in late 2026.
I have also written two award-winning books in contemporary women's fiction: Last Things and An Invincible Summer.
Be sure to follow me on BookBub for the latest on all my books and to download a free copy of The Friday Edition: https://bit.ly/3JztNtx
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
September 16, 2013
I received a copy of "The Friday Edition" by Betta Ferrendelli in exchange for an honest review. This is a classic whodunit mystery murder with rich characters that keep the reader engaged in the story right to the end. I especially like even though we are given short glimpses of the killer activity, we are kept in the dark right until the end, so that the reader can try to piece together this mystery, and determine the identity of the killer.
A young woman, Robin Marino, a Truman County Assistant DA, falls from the balcony of her eleventh floor apartment to her death. A half bottle of Jack Daniel's remains on the kitchen table and a note was left at the scene. The death is ruled a suicide but her sister, Sam Church, a newspaper reporter for the Grandview Perspective, a community newspaper, doesn't buy it. Robin, an alcoholic had stopped drinking and was regularly attending AA meetings.
Sam vows to find out what really happened to her sister. Was she pushed, murdered...but why? The reader follows Sam as she investigates and gathers facts to determine who the killer is. Her journey is not an easy one, as she herself is a functional alcoholic, and has many setbacks along the way, but she is strong and has the courage to press on. As she gets too close...she is watched...followed and targeted, with death threats. She had to find out the truth...that her sister didn't die in vain.
This is a fast-paced novel, with many subplots with short chapters that makes you keep on reading. It is well written and definitely a whodunit type of novel. I will definitely check out her new novel "Revenge is Sweet", as I was very impressed with this novel. Thank you Betta for allowing me to read your novel.
A young woman, Robin Marino, a Truman County Assistant DA, falls from the balcony of her eleventh floor apartment to her death. A half bottle of Jack Daniel's remains on the kitchen table and a note was left at the scene. The death is ruled a suicide but her sister, Sam Church, a newspaper reporter for the Grandview Perspective, a community newspaper, doesn't buy it. Robin, an alcoholic had stopped drinking and was regularly attending AA meetings.
Sam vows to find out what really happened to her sister. Was she pushed, murdered...but why? The reader follows Sam as she investigates and gathers facts to determine who the killer is. Her journey is not an easy one, as she herself is a functional alcoholic, and has many setbacks along the way, but she is strong and has the courage to press on. As she gets too close...she is watched...followed and targeted, with death threats. She had to find out the truth...that her sister didn't die in vain.
This is a fast-paced novel, with many subplots with short chapters that makes you keep on reading. It is well written and definitely a whodunit type of novel. I will definitely check out her new novel "Revenge is Sweet", as I was very impressed with this novel. Thank you Betta for allowing me to read your novel.
February 2, 2020
I’m a fan of this genre. I grew up reading this genre. I think I couldn’t help it because the first ever book, full novel, I’ve ever read is written by John Grisham but then in the past few years, my love for mysteries, crime and suspense wane. Why am I telling you this? Well, because I want you to know that this year, I’m trying to fall in love with this genre again and that I AM SO GLAD, I am part of this blog tour.
The Friday Edition is one of those classic whodunnit mysteries that makes you helpless. Helpless because once you start it, you have no choice but to keep going, because you want to know everything. You want to dig all the secrets of the plot, you want to unmask every character introduced — one reason is because you know one of them is a killer. When you accomplish all of these, only then will you have closure.
In this book, however, I was more inclined into the second reason — the characters. I usually guess who the killer is, or at least who are responsible for the crime, in mysteries and it’s what happened in The Friday Edition. All the reveals and twists weren’t surprising to me. What made me invested in the story is the main character.
Samantha Church is an alcoholic reporter. Right from the very beginning, I didn’t like her and for that reason, I kept reading until the end. That doesn’t make sense, I know but obviously, Samantha has a past and I wanted to know that. She’s so not in her mind, she’s not a good mother, and I don’t trust her at all. Even when she takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of her sister’s death which was ruled as suicide, I couldn’t trust her action. I feel like, she’ll ruin everything rather than help or solve anything, but she proved me wrong. And despite my dislike of her, I do understand where she’s coming from. Her past is twisted, so twisted, that you can understand why she became the person she is now. And I do want to to know what she will be by the end of the story and YES, second book must be better.
That said, it’s a bit shame that I was more curious about the main character’s personal life rather than the crime and mystery themselves. In some way, that’s great but let’s not forget the main genre of the book. This is before anything else about a crime, a mystery, suspense, the personal life of the main character should just be secondary. It doesn’t help that there few inconsistencies in the plot too.
Still, I’m glad I got invested in the persona of Samantha and for me, that’s enough to pick up this book. I’m contented on how the author handled the depth of being an alcoholic person, how can alcohol really ruin your life, and the psychology behind it. I must say a good job for the author on handling this subject.
Finally, even though I gave this book a lower rating than I expected, I still think it’s amazing that I got invested in reading it by disliking a character. That’s something, isn’t it? But yeah, Sam somehow grow on me.
The Friday Edition is one of those classic whodunnit mysteries that makes you helpless. Helpless because once you start it, you have no choice but to keep going, because you want to know everything. You want to dig all the secrets of the plot, you want to unmask every character introduced — one reason is because you know one of them is a killer. When you accomplish all of these, only then will you have closure.
In this book, however, I was more inclined into the second reason — the characters. I usually guess who the killer is, or at least who are responsible for the crime, in mysteries and it’s what happened in The Friday Edition. All the reveals and twists weren’t surprising to me. What made me invested in the story is the main character.
Samantha Church is an alcoholic reporter. Right from the very beginning, I didn’t like her and for that reason, I kept reading until the end. That doesn’t make sense, I know but obviously, Samantha has a past and I wanted to know that. She’s so not in her mind, she’s not a good mother, and I don’t trust her at all. Even when she takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of her sister’s death which was ruled as suicide, I couldn’t trust her action. I feel like, she’ll ruin everything rather than help or solve anything, but she proved me wrong. And despite my dislike of her, I do understand where she’s coming from. Her past is twisted, so twisted, that you can understand why she became the person she is now. And I do want to to know what she will be by the end of the story and YES, second book must be better.
That said, it’s a bit shame that I was more curious about the main character’s personal life rather than the crime and mystery themselves. In some way, that’s great but let’s not forget the main genre of the book. This is before anything else about a crime, a mystery, suspense, the personal life of the main character should just be secondary. It doesn’t help that there few inconsistencies in the plot too.
Still, I’m glad I got invested in the persona of Samantha and for me, that’s enough to pick up this book. I’m contented on how the author handled the depth of being an alcoholic person, how can alcohol really ruin your life, and the psychology behind it. I must say a good job for the author on handling this subject.
Finally, even though I gave this book a lower rating than I expected, I still think it’s amazing that I got invested in reading it by disliking a character. That’s something, isn’t it? But yeah, Sam somehow grow on me.
February 5, 2020
Marines are Marines. They are NOT soldiers. Soldiers are Army. For the love of Chesty Puller, this is the hill I will die on. For fuck's sake!
DNF @56%
Book source ~ Tour
Assistant DA Robin Church commits suicide according to police. Her sister, Samantha Church, isn’t buying it. Since Sam works for a newspaper she decides to investigate on her own since the police aren’t doing dick about it.
I tried with this one. I really did. I kept reading long past the time I should have tossed in the towel. The writing is extremely sloppy. POVs change in the middle of pages and back again making it super confusing. The timeline is all jacked up. But most of all, Sam is the most unlikeable main character I’ve read in a long time. I get it. She’s an alcoholic. But in the 56% I read I saw zero progress on her kicking the problem. She keeps talking about it, but nope. Her sister is murdered and she can’t even keep it together long enough to figure out by who and why. You’d think that would be a priority. I mean, apparently having a relationship with her own daughter isn’t enough to kick the bottle to the curb, so why would solving her sister’s case be any more special? Yeah. I know I sound cruel and harsh, but I don’t give a fuck. When I read about a character as fucked up as Sam, I want to see some progress and growth over the course of the book. Otherwise why am I bothering? But whatever. Crap characters, sketchy cliché plot, and sloppy writing. On top of all this how many days go by before Sam remembers that her sister had a cat?! Omfg! I can’t recommend.
DNF @56%
Book source ~ Tour
Assistant DA Robin Church commits suicide according to police. Her sister, Samantha Church, isn’t buying it. Since Sam works for a newspaper she decides to investigate on her own since the police aren’t doing dick about it.
I tried with this one. I really did. I kept reading long past the time I should have tossed in the towel. The writing is extremely sloppy. POVs change in the middle of pages and back again making it super confusing. The timeline is all jacked up. But most of all, Sam is the most unlikeable main character I’ve read in a long time. I get it. She’s an alcoholic. But in the 56% I read I saw zero progress on her kicking the problem. She keeps talking about it, but nope. Her sister is murdered and she can’t even keep it together long enough to figure out by who and why. You’d think that would be a priority. I mean, apparently having a relationship with her own daughter isn’t enough to kick the bottle to the curb, so why would solving her sister’s case be any more special? Yeah. I know I sound cruel and harsh, but I don’t give a fuck. When I read about a character as fucked up as Sam, I want to see some progress and growth over the course of the book. Otherwise why am I bothering? But whatever. Crap characters, sketchy cliché plot, and sloppy writing. On top of all this how many days go by before Sam remembers that her sister had a cat?! Omfg! I can’t recommend.
February 13, 2020
This book considers many themes, most incredibly hardhitting. Alcoholism is a significant aspect of this book as Samantha is at a real low point. Her daughter has been taken away from her, she feels like she’s drowning and her ex-husband is being his typical self – that is, kind of an asshole. It is at this point in which she’s told that her sister committed suicide, but Sam is completely against that conviction. She knew that her sister would never do that; not to herself but also, not to Sam. What follows is Sam’s determined journey to figure out what really happened to her sister that night she fell off her apartment balcony.
Although I found the overall storyline to be an interesting one, especially the elements that explored the themes of alcoholism with Sam and within her family. I also enjoyed the murder mystery aspect, however, I did not quite connect nor enjoy the character of Sam very much. I initially found her character to be quite frustrating at times and I could not quite connect with her dialogue. I found Sam’s dialogue, in some instances, to feel quite forced and not authentic. For instance,
"We have a painful memory of Christmas morning that you know nothing about, Jonathan".
Such dialogue kind of made me cringe because I felt as though it was not a realistic portrayal of how someone would speak in this intsance. I’m most likely incredibly picky, but that’s just me. I just couldn’t connect with her and at times, did not really like her very much but I could respect her journey and her motivations.
I also found, especially in the beginning, that there were slight inconsistences with details. For instance, when Sam gets told about the death of her sister, Jonathan (who is Sam’s ex-husband and also a detective) and he says that: “…she went on the balcony and probably lost her footing by the sliding glass door”. Then within the next sentence, it is claimed that Robin (Sam’s sister) left a note addressed specifically to Sam. The fact that she ‘probably lost her footing’ is kind of forgotton and then the narrative turns to Robin jumping. How could she lose her footing on the balcony because she was drinking but also leave a note and intend to commit suicide? Didn’t make sense. I most likley missed the reiteration of this aspect of the story, the ‘loosing her footing’ later on in the book but was too tired or disengaged to realise, and that is my fault.
I do, however, enjoyed reading how Sam grew into herself along the journey she embarks to find the truth of her sister’s death. She begins quite selfish, and I think she ends also still somewhat selfish, but has different priorities and is deliberately trying to work on herself. It is an interesting and unique premise, which I would recommend people reading. I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars and although I wasn’t able to fully be invested in the story, I really do believe thats fans of murder mystery would absolutely love Samantha Church and this series.
Although I found the overall storyline to be an interesting one, especially the elements that explored the themes of alcoholism with Sam and within her family. I also enjoyed the murder mystery aspect, however, I did not quite connect nor enjoy the character of Sam very much. I initially found her character to be quite frustrating at times and I could not quite connect with her dialogue. I found Sam’s dialogue, in some instances, to feel quite forced and not authentic. For instance,
"We have a painful memory of Christmas morning that you know nothing about, Jonathan".
Such dialogue kind of made me cringe because I felt as though it was not a realistic portrayal of how someone would speak in this intsance. I’m most likely incredibly picky, but that’s just me. I just couldn’t connect with her and at times, did not really like her very much but I could respect her journey and her motivations.
I also found, especially in the beginning, that there were slight inconsistences with details. For instance, when Sam gets told about the death of her sister, Jonathan (who is Sam’s ex-husband and also a detective) and he says that: “…she went on the balcony and probably lost her footing by the sliding glass door”. Then within the next sentence, it is claimed that Robin (Sam’s sister) left a note addressed specifically to Sam. The fact that she ‘probably lost her footing’ is kind of forgotton and then the narrative turns to Robin jumping. How could she lose her footing on the balcony because she was drinking but also leave a note and intend to commit suicide? Didn’t make sense. I most likley missed the reiteration of this aspect of the story, the ‘loosing her footing’ later on in the book but was too tired or disengaged to realise, and that is my fault.
I do, however, enjoyed reading how Sam grew into herself along the journey she embarks to find the truth of her sister’s death. She begins quite selfish, and I think she ends also still somewhat selfish, but has different priorities and is deliberately trying to work on herself. It is an interesting and unique premise, which I would recommend people reading. I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars and although I wasn’t able to fully be invested in the story, I really do believe thats fans of murder mystery would absolutely love Samantha Church and this series.
January 28, 2020
Alcoholism is a specter that wraps itself around you like a scarf. You can't see it, your neighbor, nor family can't see it, but it is there. It affects everything you do, the actions you have with your families, and who you are at your core. Samantha Church knows this. The specter of alcoholism has been a big part of her family's life. But now she needs to face this specter and her inner demons if she is going to solve this case and, in the end, save herself.
On Christmas Eve in Denver, Colorado, a young woman falls to her death. In her apartment is a large bottle of whiskey, the young woman has a history of drinking, and there is a note; all who know about the case think that the woman just succumbed to her inner demons. But Samantha Church, the women's sister, knows better. Her sister's suicide would not and could not happen on Christmas Eve.
The girls have a pact about that.
No one believes Samantha, I mean, why would she. She has a besmirched reputation; she has lost her daughter in a custody battle with her ex-husband due to her alcohol abuse, and she is a barely functional drunk most of the time. But she is also something else beyond all of it, the alcohol and family drama; she is an investigative journalist. And, she wants to get to the bottom of this question. Who killed her sister?
I can't tell you much beyond that as it would ruin the fun of the mystery, and everyone loves a good mystery.
Samantha is not a nice character, especially at the beginning of the story. But, who can be nice when they have destroyed their entire lives and are under the yoke of alcoholism. Plus, Sam is grieving. Grief permeates much of what she does and her reactions. As the story moves around, Sam seems to get more comfortable doing what she does best, figuring things out.
Sam also has to face her inner demons if she is going to survive.
The Friday Edition is a good story that keeps you guessing, and Sam is written well. It is worth the read.
On Christmas Eve in Denver, Colorado, a young woman falls to her death. In her apartment is a large bottle of whiskey, the young woman has a history of drinking, and there is a note; all who know about the case think that the woman just succumbed to her inner demons. But Samantha Church, the women's sister, knows better. Her sister's suicide would not and could not happen on Christmas Eve.
The girls have a pact about that.
No one believes Samantha, I mean, why would she. She has a besmirched reputation; she has lost her daughter in a custody battle with her ex-husband due to her alcohol abuse, and she is a barely functional drunk most of the time. But she is also something else beyond all of it, the alcohol and family drama; she is an investigative journalist. And, she wants to get to the bottom of this question. Who killed her sister?
I can't tell you much beyond that as it would ruin the fun of the mystery, and everyone loves a good mystery.
Samantha is not a nice character, especially at the beginning of the story. But, who can be nice when they have destroyed their entire lives and are under the yoke of alcoholism. Plus, Sam is grieving. Grief permeates much of what she does and her reactions. As the story moves around, Sam seems to get more comfortable doing what she does best, figuring things out.
Sam also has to face her inner demons if she is going to survive.
The Friday Edition is a good story that keeps you guessing, and Sam is written well. It is worth the read.
February 2, 2020
After some heavy thrillers I was pleased for a lighter mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.
As a first of several books in a series, The Friday Edition spends a lot of time developing the main protagonist - Samantha Church and delving into her past and current state of affairs. Readers get an insightful look into her family history and why she has the issues she does. For me this is great way to being a new series as to become invested in a series, a reader needs to know and have feelings for the main character. Samantha is a complicated character to read about and not always likable, she is human, she is honest and she is vulnerable and that's what makes her an intriguing and addictive character to follow. She is that friend who frustrates you but you see so much potential in and will always love and support regardless. Alcoholism features heavily in Samantha's life in many ways and Betta Ferrendelli writes about this with sensitivity but openly brutal, making it easier to empathise with Samantha despite never having her experiences.
I found the plot intriguing and read through this novel quickly as I was desperate to know who the killer was and why. A brilliant introduction to a new character and series.
Not cosy enough for a cosy mystery but not dark and disturbing, this is a great start to a new series, one that I shall be continuing with in the near future.
As a first of several books in a series, The Friday Edition spends a lot of time developing the main protagonist - Samantha Church and delving into her past and current state of affairs. Readers get an insightful look into her family history and why she has the issues she does. For me this is great way to being a new series as to become invested in a series, a reader needs to know and have feelings for the main character. Samantha is a complicated character to read about and not always likable, she is human, she is honest and she is vulnerable and that's what makes her an intriguing and addictive character to follow. She is that friend who frustrates you but you see so much potential in and will always love and support regardless. Alcoholism features heavily in Samantha's life in many ways and Betta Ferrendelli writes about this with sensitivity but openly brutal, making it easier to empathise with Samantha despite never having her experiences.
I found the plot intriguing and read through this novel quickly as I was desperate to know who the killer was and why. A brilliant introduction to a new character and series.
Not cosy enough for a cosy mystery but not dark and disturbing, this is a great start to a new series, one that I shall be continuing with in the near future.
January 29, 2020
The Friday Edition was a really interesting read. At first, you are going to hate the main character, as there is nothing redeeming about her. She is an alcoholic, divorced, forgetting about her child at times, and completely wallowing in self-pity. When her sister is murdered, her perfect sister, she is not sure what to think. Many seem to think it was suicide, but Samantha knows better. Her sister might have been down at times, but this was not the time of year that she would consider killing herself, let alone in the way that it was done.
I think the book was very well written, and it made you want to turn the pages faster to see what was going to happen next, getting more information, and yet, not wanting the book to end. Grab it now!
I think the book was very well written, and it made you want to turn the pages faster to see what was going to happen next, getting more information, and yet, not wanting the book to end. Grab it now!
December 31, 2019
3.5 stars
I received a review copy as part of a blog tour. It has not affected my opinions.
A solid mystery, centred around a topical issue that also has time for an in-depth character study, full of warm-hearted characters
CW: alcoholism, suicide, sexual abuse of a minor
I received a review copy as part of a blog tour. It has not affected my opinions.
A solid mystery, centred around a topical issue that also has time for an in-depth character study, full of warm-hearted characters
CW: alcoholism, suicide, sexual abuse of a minor
December 28, 2015
Samantha Chruch is a woman who led a wretched life for years. She is a woman whose true position in her own family was just a lust-satisfying machine for over-sexed father resulting into the losing of her own self-worth. While the death of her father was one of the happiest moments of her life, the deep marks left on her mind by her father are still fresh in her mind. This has not only affected her life but also her psychology. It is her mind and soul which have really suffered far greater damage. Compelled to clean those unpleasant memories from her mind, she turned towards the alcohol as drinking gave her protection from all those acrid recollections. However, she did not realise that she was getting caught in a vicious circle from which there is no escape. This drinking habit resulted into losing her a decent journalistic career at a daily newspaper. Her relationship with her husband (Jonathan Chruch) and daughter (April) has gone astray. All of this has caused Samantha to accept the fact that people surrounding her may treat her like a subhuman creature, to be ignored or bullied as the occasion demands.
However, this was not the end of Samantha’s wretched life. One day, she found out that her sister (Robin) has fallen from the balcony of her eleventh floor apartment to death. While this death is ruled as a suicide, Samantha felt that something is not right. She took a vow to find out the reality of her sister’s death and threw herself into finding out what really happened to her sister. The readers follow Samantha (in ‘The Friday Edition’ by Betta Ferrendelli) as she digs deep into a mystery and struggles with a greater enemy – her dependency on alcohol, which has already cost her the respect of her peers, and, most importantly, the custody of her own daughter. Will she be able to not only find out the truth but also cope with her drinking problems? Well! You have to read the book for that. While I will not give away any of the story line, I must tell you that there is an airtight plot with a surprising end that you won’t see coming.
The author understands the psychology of an alcoholic person very well. However, her picture of an alcoholic person is both objective and balanced. The obvious temptation for any author handling a problem like this is to speak to a brief, to overstate the case and to divide his/her characters neatly into sheep and goats. The author withstands this temptation ably in this novel. There is an unmistakable freshness of approach and insight in the presentation of the character of Samantha. One can praise the author for her ability to present the physical fact cleanly in its identity as physical fact unburdened by emotional or idealistic suggestion. It is precisely because there is no straining to load it with such implication that the object calls attention to itself. The author’s art is a rare feeling for the importance and density of things. The author can tell both a racy tale and probe into human psychology. This story of Samantha is imbued with depth and complexity, and also with sincerity and conviction. Here, is an art, if you please, that works not by compressed wealth but by excision of the accustomed –and hence effete- brilliance.
In the end, I sincerely thank the author for sending me an autographed copy of this beautifully woven tale of Samantha.
Read more on
http://pgalmora.wordpress.com/2014/04...
However, this was not the end of Samantha’s wretched life. One day, she found out that her sister (Robin) has fallen from the balcony of her eleventh floor apartment to death. While this death is ruled as a suicide, Samantha felt that something is not right. She took a vow to find out the reality of her sister’s death and threw herself into finding out what really happened to her sister. The readers follow Samantha (in ‘The Friday Edition’ by Betta Ferrendelli) as she digs deep into a mystery and struggles with a greater enemy – her dependency on alcohol, which has already cost her the respect of her peers, and, most importantly, the custody of her own daughter. Will she be able to not only find out the truth but also cope with her drinking problems? Well! You have to read the book for that. While I will not give away any of the story line, I must tell you that there is an airtight plot with a surprising end that you won’t see coming.
The author understands the psychology of an alcoholic person very well. However, her picture of an alcoholic person is both objective and balanced. The obvious temptation for any author handling a problem like this is to speak to a brief, to overstate the case and to divide his/her characters neatly into sheep and goats. The author withstands this temptation ably in this novel. There is an unmistakable freshness of approach and insight in the presentation of the character of Samantha. One can praise the author for her ability to present the physical fact cleanly in its identity as physical fact unburdened by emotional or idealistic suggestion. It is precisely because there is no straining to load it with such implication that the object calls attention to itself. The author’s art is a rare feeling for the importance and density of things. The author can tell both a racy tale and probe into human psychology. This story of Samantha is imbued with depth and complexity, and also with sincerity and conviction. Here, is an art, if you please, that works not by compressed wealth but by excision of the accustomed –and hence effete- brilliance.
In the end, I sincerely thank the author for sending me an autographed copy of this beautifully woven tale of Samantha.
Read more on
http://pgalmora.wordpress.com/2014/04...
September 27, 2014
I won this book as part of the Goodreads First-Read program.
Samantha Church is a functioning alcoholic, but just barely. She has lost her husband and custody of her daughter April and her job at the Denver Post. She is now a struggling reporter at a local community newspaper the "Grandview Gazette". The editor, Nick Weeks, doesn't like her, but publisher Wilson Coles is a supporter.
On Christmas Eve Samantha's sister Robin, a local District Attorney, commits suicide by jumping from the balcony of the building she lives in. However the evidence doesn't add up and Samantha suspects it was not a suicide but a homicide.
While fight her alcoholism, Samantha works to find out he truth about who may have murdered Robin. She is given one last chance to show she can still be a good reporter,against the wishes of Nick Weeks. She struggles with the bottle as she work with a local police detective to find out what Robin was working on. Robin's investigation may be what lead to her death: the discovery of a major drug importing ring.
This is a very well written "who-done-it" that also gives a very good insight into Samantha's past life. The story allows the reader to see the experiences in Samantha's life that lead her down the road to her drinking problem. It shows the reader just how so many people struggle with alcohol each and every day.
The story is well paced and we are lead step by step towards the answer as Samantha also starts to see how the bottle is negatively effecting her personal life. A relationship with her daughter April that is in a shambles.
This is the first book in Betta Ferrendelli's Samantha Church series and it is a very good start.
It was very entertaining and even though Samantha has her issues, she is a very likable character and the reader will cheer her on as she tries to cope with all the pain she has endured in her life. I definitely recommend this as a Goodread.
Samantha Church is a functioning alcoholic, but just barely. She has lost her husband and custody of her daughter April and her job at the Denver Post. She is now a struggling reporter at a local community newspaper the "Grandview Gazette". The editor, Nick Weeks, doesn't like her, but publisher Wilson Coles is a supporter.
On Christmas Eve Samantha's sister Robin, a local District Attorney, commits suicide by jumping from the balcony of the building she lives in. However the evidence doesn't add up and Samantha suspects it was not a suicide but a homicide.
While fight her alcoholism, Samantha works to find out he truth about who may have murdered Robin. She is given one last chance to show she can still be a good reporter,against the wishes of Nick Weeks. She struggles with the bottle as she work with a local police detective to find out what Robin was working on. Robin's investigation may be what lead to her death: the discovery of a major drug importing ring.
This is a very well written "who-done-it" that also gives a very good insight into Samantha's past life. The story allows the reader to see the experiences in Samantha's life that lead her down the road to her drinking problem. It shows the reader just how so many people struggle with alcohol each and every day.
The story is well paced and we are lead step by step towards the answer as Samantha also starts to see how the bottle is negatively effecting her personal life. A relationship with her daughter April that is in a shambles.
This is the first book in Betta Ferrendelli's Samantha Church series and it is a very good start.
It was very entertaining and even though Samantha has her issues, she is a very likable character and the reader will cheer her on as she tries to cope with all the pain she has endured in her life. I definitely recommend this as a Goodread.
October 2, 2013
Samantha ('Sam') Church, a reporter with the Grandview Perspective, lost her only daughter, April, to her ex-husband Jonathan, a detective with the Grandview Police Department, in a custody battle due to Sam's alcoholism. One morning after another night of heavy drinking, Sam's ex came banging on her apartment door to tell her of her sister Robin's death by apparent suicide from a fall off her balcony while intoxicated. Sam's sister had not had a drink in over a year since joining AA. Even though it was Christmas morning, Jonathan advised her that she must go to the morgue to ID the body. He also told her Robin had left a note addressed to Sam on her laptop. Once she read the note she was now even more convinced that Robin did not take her own life. She decided to look into this herself and when more and more evidence began to come to light, she knew for her sister's sake that she would avenge her death by learning everything she could about this 'so-called' suicide and find out who and what is behind this. Also with the help of her very supportive publisher, Wilson Cole Jr. she also set out to put Robin's story in print. At the same time she must live up to the fact of her alcoholism in order to stay on the straight and narrow not only for the sake of the story but for her and her only child's safety as well.
October 16, 2019
An honest read about an alcoholic reporter. At first, that reporter, Sam, was not endearing. She was annoyingly helpless. But, like all good stories, as it unfolded, Sam grew on me. She was vulnerable and in denial. I liked that many of the supporting characters were also real and honest. Brady, with brain damage, was sweet and gentle and Wilson, her boss. intelligent and compassionate. One finds themselves rooting for them as they expose the criminals. Recommended reading for people who enjoy books with strong character development.
September 20, 2014
This was a free read I got on my kindle. Unfortunately, I've had time to kill in waiting rooms and hospitals recently for other people so I picked this to read as a good mystery. It was an easy read and engaging. Not overly deep so it was a perfect fit to my time.
Want to read
August 7, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/7/2020)! 🎁
January 18, 2023
Who killed Robin Marino and why and then Rey??? Smuggling dope??? AA??? Howevver. Samantha will figure things out, won't she??? This was a rather long story - 266 pages!!! But. I enjoyed this story and recommend the book.
September 12, 2022
A change from my usual crime novels but enjoyed it covers alcholism well you feel for Sam but she annoys you too a good read
October 9, 2013
This is a 320 page book that could have been better told in 220 pages. Much of the dialog was repetitive, so much so that I found myself skimming it. There were a number of jarring changes in point of view. Sometimes I was confused as to whose viewpoint we were in. There are many, many typos and missing words. The author often uses words incorrectly, such as "eminent" when she should have used "imminent". The book was filled with oddly phrased sentences such as: " ... it's important you say nothing to your father that you know anything at all." "Her bylines glared and snickered at him." and, "Happiness became her as she entered ..." At one point Samantha, the protagonist reporter, writes, "... has been charged with the alleged death of ..." How can someone be charged with an alleged death? How can death be alleged? In spite of all this, the plot was complex and the mystery compelling enough that I decided to plow forward. While the author did an impressive job of describing the characters' emotions and angst, the excessive stage direction slowed the dialog.
(Spoiler alert here.) I was disappointed that the author didn't do more with the story when Samantha's car blew up. Even though there had been several related suspicious deaths and murders, the car explosion did not immediately make the news or prompt a police inquiry. Samantha disappeared when her car blew up. Her boss, a newspaper editor, searched desperately for her, not because he suspected she'd been in her car when it exploded, but because her big story was due. Not one person speculated that the body in her car could have been her. No one wondered why her ex-husband police detective disappeared at the same time she did. Sam knew someone was trying to murder her. I was disappointed she did not use the exploding car as a diversion, so the bad guys would think they'd succeeded in getting rid of her. She could've told her boss to run the story that she had died in the explosion, so she could continue her investigation into her sister's murder and write her career-making story and blow the lid off of a huge drug smuggling operation. Yes, I get that she was a drunk and not very functional. But at the very least, the thought might have occurred to her. There were a number of other inconsistencies, too many to list here. When the identity of Captain and Roy Rogers was revealed, it came as no surprise. In spite of the excessive number of pages, the ending seems rushed. Some loose ends were not tied up, things not explained. A mediocre book that could have been immensely better with some serious editing.
(Spoiler alert here.) I was disappointed that the author didn't do more with the story when Samantha's car blew up. Even though there had been several related suspicious deaths and murders, the car explosion did not immediately make the news or prompt a police inquiry. Samantha disappeared when her car blew up. Her boss, a newspaper editor, searched desperately for her, not because he suspected she'd been in her car when it exploded, but because her big story was due. Not one person speculated that the body in her car could have been her. No one wondered why her ex-husband police detective disappeared at the same time she did. Sam knew someone was trying to murder her. I was disappointed she did not use the exploding car as a diversion, so the bad guys would think they'd succeeded in getting rid of her. She could've told her boss to run the story that she had died in the explosion, so she could continue her investigation into her sister's murder and write her career-making story and blow the lid off of a huge drug smuggling operation. Yes, I get that she was a drunk and not very functional. But at the very least, the thought might have occurred to her. There were a number of other inconsistencies, too many to list here. When the identity of Captain and Roy Rogers was revealed, it came as no surprise. In spite of the excessive number of pages, the ending seems rushed. Some loose ends were not tied up, things not explained. A mediocre book that could have been immensely better with some serious editing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2019
12/25, Roger (retired military) dropped the Christmas packages & was attending to a woman lying in the snow by Marj.
She had jumped or been pushed from a high room in the building.
The plummeting body had almost hit Marj.
911 had been called/dispatched.
Samantha “Sam” Church (32, wife/mother, Grandview Perspective, former Denver Post newspaper reporter) called Commander Jonathan Church (husband/father, Grandview PD) to let him know the horrible news.
Robin Marino (Sam’s sister, Truman Co. asst. DA) was dead.
She had been assigned the Miller murder case/trial.
The funeral service was held & the burial was at the Golden Cemetery.
What were Captain Church, Juan Garcia (aka Alajandro Luis Barraza) & Roy Rogers discussing?
What is/was the Operation Iceberg all about?
What happened to ADA Robin Marino (28, Truman County)?
What happened to Chief Wyatt Gilmore (58, Grandview PD)?
Warning: This book contains adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written cop thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great Mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; DailyFreeBooks; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
She had jumped or been pushed from a high room in the building.
The plummeting body had almost hit Marj.
911 had been called/dispatched.
Samantha “Sam” Church (32, wife/mother, Grandview Perspective, former Denver Post newspaper reporter) called Commander Jonathan Church (husband/father, Grandview PD) to let him know the horrible news.
Robin Marino (Sam’s sister, Truman Co. asst. DA) was dead.
She had been assigned the Miller murder case/trial.
The funeral service was held & the burial was at the Golden Cemetery.
What were Captain Church, Juan Garcia (aka Alajandro Luis Barraza) & Roy Rogers discussing?
What is/was the Operation Iceberg all about?
What happened to ADA Robin Marino (28, Truman County)?
What happened to Chief Wyatt Gilmore (58, Grandview PD)?
Warning: This book contains adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written cop thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great Mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; DailyFreeBooks; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
January 22, 2014
I only made it 11% into this and I'd already happened across too many mistakes so I packed it in. I'm not sticking with anymore e-books put out in this fashion, however good the story may or may not be. Life's too short.
At the beginning Sam is talking to her ex and he tells he she'd never mentioned hating Christmas before BUT she hadn't till then, either. And I'd also find it hard to believe her ex-husband wouldn't know her family history anyway.
Carat was misspelled as karet twice, then a whole paragraph was suddenly reprinted. I packed it up when burly was spelt as burley. I'd seen enough by then.
I also found it very hard to like Sam in the least or have any sympathy for her. I suppose if you don't like the lead in a book it makes it quite tricky to be bothered too. I'd downloaded another in the series but I've deleted that as well. Not for me.
At the beginning Sam is talking to her ex and he tells he she'd never mentioned hating Christmas before BUT she hadn't till then, either. And I'd also find it hard to believe her ex-husband wouldn't know her family history anyway.
Carat was misspelled as karet twice, then a whole paragraph was suddenly reprinted. I packed it up when burly was spelt as burley. I'd seen enough by then.
I also found it very hard to like Sam in the least or have any sympathy for her. I suppose if you don't like the lead in a book it makes it quite tricky to be bothered too. I'd downloaded another in the series but I've deleted that as well. Not for me.
January 16, 2024
Christmas is coming to Denver, Colorado, but it isn’t only snow that’s falling. A beautiful young woman, who also happens to be a Truman County Assistant DA, tumbles from her apartment balcony to her death on Christmas Eve. The incident is ruled a suicide, but the DA’s sister, newspaper reporter Samantha Church, isn’t buying it. Feverishly Samantha throws herself into finding out what really happened to her sister. She pursues her sister’s killers, maneuvering through a minefield of intrigue deliberately set out to divert her from the truth.
A good basic 'who done it/"
A good basic 'who done it/"
January 4, 2015
Wasn't sure what to expect as this was the first time reading a novel by Betta Ferrendelli, but she is an amazing writer. I enjoyed book one of this series and cannot wait to start number two.
July 26, 2015
I have to start this review (which will be a REALLY long one) by saying that I won this book through the GoodReads giveaway. Now, onto more important things: regarding the editing time it took for this book. '1998-2000', now I don't know what all entails when it comes to having a book edited but 2 years? Funny, since there were LOTS errors throughout this book.
My thoughts on the main character Sam: well I couldn't stand her. She was a bad mother, very stupid/clueless and not the greatest sounding person either.
The story itself was eh!, and kinda boring too. I'm a huge fan of Law and Order type shows but I felt like this dragged too much. I was sitting there reading, skimming, waiting for something to happen besides Sam thinking about getting her next drink, or something stupid like that. There were a lot of scenarios in the story that didn't make sense to me either. Those are listed below. Oh and the fact that I figured who the 'bad guys' were so early on, didn't help.
Comments/Questions:
Marg, at the beginning was carrying x-mas gifts. Robin 'falls' from the building, knocks the gifts out of Marg's hands but nothing more. How did that work exactly? I mean the gifts fall but Marg isn't push over, doesn't fall down or anything? Seemed strange.
If Sam doesn't like Christmas then why did she get a tree?
On page 16, I'm not sure if this was a mistake or what? " If my sister had gotten into a bathtub and slit her wrists, I might believe suicide," she said." THEN (next line): "If my sister had gotten into a bathtub and slit her wrists, I might believe suicide," Sam said." ??
Sam ends up leaving at 7 am, with Jonathan, for the morgue. When she got back she comments on the "mackerel-colored clouds". What time was it? I would think evening but considering all she did was go to the morgue...was she there all day? Again strange.
The killer ends up sending 'text' messages to Sam via her cell phone. I'm pretty sure that wasn't really happening in 2000. Even now I can't imagine all that many people do that. My husband is a major nerd and into electronics, computers and whatnot especially. He's always wanting to get the next updated version of whatever. We just started the texting using the pc-sending messages to the cell phone thing...a few months ago. So IDK.
When Sam is reading the articles she finds in her sisters office: "drug cartel accounts were traced to banks in 22 states...some banks in American were being investigated." No shit!
On page 47, a Trigger and Dale Evans were mentioned. Who the hell were they? There was no other mention of either of them.
After Robin's death it seemed like the cops took the easy way out. It's suicide, no investigation or anything. I mean no one had even been to Robin's apt afterwards, or her office at all!
Considering Sam, Robin's sister, doesn't believe her sister would have killed herself, why didn't the police think of it? I mean, yeah, there was a suicide note but come on! It was typed on the computer. Anyone could have done that. Either way, drinking a whole bottle of Jack Daniels then flinging yourself, from your way up high apt, to your death....that definitely sounds better/easy/less scary then just popping some pills and drinking the alcohol. Just based off how she supposedly killed herself and then her note...just didn't vibe for me.
When Sam went into her bathroom as a child, looking for her mother, how did she not realize almost right away that her mother was dead. I mean she sees the tub filled with blood, her mother's eyes are basically glazed over and it doesn't seem like a short time before she realizes her mother's dead. I didn't get that, what was she like 12 or something...the author made her seem like she was a smart kid.
When she talks to Rey, why does he spell his first name, making sure she gets it right, but then forgoes his last name? I mean why bother spelling it? No sense there.
When Rey takes Sam to where the 'bad drug guys' are, in the warehouse area, why had Rey never done anything prior? I mean he's a freaking cop! He and Robin had just been hanging around just watching? They never mention a camera or taking pictures until he's with Sam. Why not start an actual investigation or something? Again, no sense there.
Sam ends up promising Wilson that she won't tell anyone about the story she's planning on writing, trying to uncover. So why does she end up telling Jonathan and the police chief? I mean you'd think they'd go and take it out of her hands than.
Sam tells Rey about her and Robin's childhood. She mentions how their father use to sexually abuse her. She goes on to say how she didn't want him doing anything to Robin, so she ended up buying sexy clothes to keep his attention. Um...what's wrong with that picture there? I mean if she has the money to buy sexy clothes, then buy some locks or weapons or something to use against their father. Why not tell someone? I mean he's a drunk, I'm sure his work buddies and whoever else would say he was an alcoholic. I just didn't get that. In the end, she'd rather have sex with her father (puke) then get help? Why did the grandmother never help?
How did Sam never think that maybe Jonathan could have been in the drug business? I mean he suddenly comes home with all this money and all and she doesn't really question it? Then there's the drugs they found in the car he was driving. I don't get it.
Why when Sam shows up at the Police Garage, are the cops so forthcoming? I've never heard of something like that before. I mean there are drugs in the Police Chiefs vehicle and they have no problems telling a reporter about it. I would never want to live in an area where the cops were so obviously retarded.
On page 207/8: When Judie is telling Sam about the bruise she found on Robin's head, like from a gun, Sam's response is very strange. I mean Judie tells her and Sam's upset or whatever...then they talk more about how the death should have been ruled a homicide...THEN Sam's like "A gun? No one told me that." Huh? Wasn't that what Judie was just telling her?
Why is it when it came to Robin's fall, the only thing they make mention off is the fact that the fall wasn't consistent with suicide? That didn't make sense to me.
The judge ruled that Sam had to go to AA and all if she wanted to see her daughter more often or whatever. So why doesn't she? I mean even if she doesn't think she has any drinking problem, if you want to see your daughter then just go! Common sense there, right?
Rey is killed because a guy supposedly had a seizure and ran him over. Um...it is possible to tell if someone has had a recent seizure or not. Wasn't the guy taken to the hospital? Did he have a history of seizures or anything?
When Rey and Sam first meet, she asks him how long he'd been a police officer? His response was "going on 3 years." Then after he dies and she's writing the article about him she ends up saying that he'd been a "5 year veteran"...um? How do manage to mess this up? As soon as I saw the '5', I was like "huh?" and had to go back and check.
Why does Sam start drinking again after Jonathan kills himself? I didn't get that. I mean she didn't really seem on the best of terms with him, he wanted to be friends after the divorce, she was like 'no way'. And why did she go for Jack Daniels? Did she want to be closer in some weird way to her sister? Um, sorry sweetie but your sister hadn't started drinking again, we found that out when Jonathan was trying to get her drunk to kill her.
Who had Robin been meeting at Tim's bar? That was never clear. I don't think it was Rey but who? And why did she stop going to the AA meetings?
Sam says she "can be without anyone else for the rest of her life, but not April." Sorry but I don't believe that consider the drinking and not even trying to get help. The fact that she still doesn't think she's an alcoholic is just WOW! The fact that she didn't consider herself an alcoholic after drinking 4 bottles of wine, waking up and not knowing where she was, missing important events like seeing her daughter on x-mas eve, or the daughters x-mas play, waking up early and drinking right away or the shaking...just wow! I don't know any alcoholics but still, are they that stupid?
So apparently Sam had lost her other reporter job because of spelling mistakes? Um...isn't that what the editor is for? I mean on her last day, the one lady is telling her that she had misspelled words and if she didn't get substance abuse treatment she would be fired. I don't know about that. And even with that, she still doesn't think she's an alcoholic? She's fired from one job, her parents and sister are alcoholics, her husband divorces her because she drinks too much and she loses her daughter too. Um hello! It wasn't until she read the AA book-Are you an alcoholic? did she finally have her light bulb come on? Um....Oh and the best line she gives the old job lady was "I'm not an alcoholic because I've never wreaked a car." Priceless!
My thoughts on the main character Sam: well I couldn't stand her. She was a bad mother, very stupid/clueless and not the greatest sounding person either.
The story itself was eh!, and kinda boring too. I'm a huge fan of Law and Order type shows but I felt like this dragged too much. I was sitting there reading, skimming, waiting for something to happen besides Sam thinking about getting her next drink, or something stupid like that. There were a lot of scenarios in the story that didn't make sense to me either. Those are listed below. Oh and the fact that I figured who the 'bad guys' were so early on, didn't help.
Comments/Questions:
Marg, at the beginning was carrying x-mas gifts. Robin 'falls' from the building, knocks the gifts out of Marg's hands but nothing more. How did that work exactly? I mean the gifts fall but Marg isn't push over, doesn't fall down or anything? Seemed strange.
If Sam doesn't like Christmas then why did she get a tree?
On page 16, I'm not sure if this was a mistake or what? " If my sister had gotten into a bathtub and slit her wrists, I might believe suicide," she said." THEN (next line): "If my sister had gotten into a bathtub and slit her wrists, I might believe suicide," Sam said." ??
Sam ends up leaving at 7 am, with Jonathan, for the morgue. When she got back she comments on the "mackerel-colored clouds". What time was it? I would think evening but considering all she did was go to the morgue...was she there all day? Again strange.
The killer ends up sending 'text' messages to Sam via her cell phone. I'm pretty sure that wasn't really happening in 2000. Even now I can't imagine all that many people do that. My husband is a major nerd and into electronics, computers and whatnot especially. He's always wanting to get the next updated version of whatever. We just started the texting using the pc-sending messages to the cell phone thing...a few months ago. So IDK.
When Sam is reading the articles she finds in her sisters office: "drug cartel accounts were traced to banks in 22 states...some banks in American were being investigated." No shit!
On page 47, a Trigger and Dale Evans were mentioned. Who the hell were they? There was no other mention of either of them.
After Robin's death it seemed like the cops took the easy way out. It's suicide, no investigation or anything. I mean no one had even been to Robin's apt afterwards, or her office at all!
Considering Sam, Robin's sister, doesn't believe her sister would have killed herself, why didn't the police think of it? I mean, yeah, there was a suicide note but come on! It was typed on the computer. Anyone could have done that. Either way, drinking a whole bottle of Jack Daniels then flinging yourself, from your way up high apt, to your death....that definitely sounds better/easy/less scary then just popping some pills and drinking the alcohol. Just based off how she supposedly killed herself and then her note...just didn't vibe for me.
When Sam went into her bathroom as a child, looking for her mother, how did she not realize almost right away that her mother was dead. I mean she sees the tub filled with blood, her mother's eyes are basically glazed over and it doesn't seem like a short time before she realizes her mother's dead. I didn't get that, what was she like 12 or something...the author made her seem like she was a smart kid.
When she talks to Rey, why does he spell his first name, making sure she gets it right, but then forgoes his last name? I mean why bother spelling it? No sense there.
When Rey takes Sam to where the 'bad drug guys' are, in the warehouse area, why had Rey never done anything prior? I mean he's a freaking cop! He and Robin had just been hanging around just watching? They never mention a camera or taking pictures until he's with Sam. Why not start an actual investigation or something? Again, no sense there.
Sam ends up promising Wilson that she won't tell anyone about the story she's planning on writing, trying to uncover. So why does she end up telling Jonathan and the police chief? I mean you'd think they'd go and take it out of her hands than.
Sam tells Rey about her and Robin's childhood. She mentions how their father use to sexually abuse her. She goes on to say how she didn't want him doing anything to Robin, so she ended up buying sexy clothes to keep his attention. Um...what's wrong with that picture there? I mean if she has the money to buy sexy clothes, then buy some locks or weapons or something to use against their father. Why not tell someone? I mean he's a drunk, I'm sure his work buddies and whoever else would say he was an alcoholic. I just didn't get that. In the end, she'd rather have sex with her father (puke) then get help? Why did the grandmother never help?
How did Sam never think that maybe Jonathan could have been in the drug business? I mean he suddenly comes home with all this money and all and she doesn't really question it? Then there's the drugs they found in the car he was driving. I don't get it.
Why when Sam shows up at the Police Garage, are the cops so forthcoming? I've never heard of something like that before. I mean there are drugs in the Police Chiefs vehicle and they have no problems telling a reporter about it. I would never want to live in an area where the cops were so obviously retarded.
On page 207/8: When Judie is telling Sam about the bruise she found on Robin's head, like from a gun, Sam's response is very strange. I mean Judie tells her and Sam's upset or whatever...then they talk more about how the death should have been ruled a homicide...THEN Sam's like "A gun? No one told me that." Huh? Wasn't that what Judie was just telling her?
Why is it when it came to Robin's fall, the only thing they make mention off is the fact that the fall wasn't consistent with suicide? That didn't make sense to me.
The judge ruled that Sam had to go to AA and all if she wanted to see her daughter more often or whatever. So why doesn't she? I mean even if she doesn't think she has any drinking problem, if you want to see your daughter then just go! Common sense there, right?
Rey is killed because a guy supposedly had a seizure and ran him over. Um...it is possible to tell if someone has had a recent seizure or not. Wasn't the guy taken to the hospital? Did he have a history of seizures or anything?
When Rey and Sam first meet, she asks him how long he'd been a police officer? His response was "going on 3 years." Then after he dies and she's writing the article about him she ends up saying that he'd been a "5 year veteran"...um? How do manage to mess this up? As soon as I saw the '5', I was like "huh?" and had to go back and check.
Why does Sam start drinking again after Jonathan kills himself? I didn't get that. I mean she didn't really seem on the best of terms with him, he wanted to be friends after the divorce, she was like 'no way'. And why did she go for Jack Daniels? Did she want to be closer in some weird way to her sister? Um, sorry sweetie but your sister hadn't started drinking again, we found that out when Jonathan was trying to get her drunk to kill her.
Who had Robin been meeting at Tim's bar? That was never clear. I don't think it was Rey but who? And why did she stop going to the AA meetings?
Sam says she "can be without anyone else for the rest of her life, but not April." Sorry but I don't believe that consider the drinking and not even trying to get help. The fact that she still doesn't think she's an alcoholic is just WOW! The fact that she didn't consider herself an alcoholic after drinking 4 bottles of wine, waking up and not knowing where she was, missing important events like seeing her daughter on x-mas eve, or the daughters x-mas play, waking up early and drinking right away or the shaking...just wow! I don't know any alcoholics but still, are they that stupid?
So apparently Sam had lost her other reporter job because of spelling mistakes? Um...isn't that what the editor is for? I mean on her last day, the one lady is telling her that she had misspelled words and if she didn't get substance abuse treatment she would be fired. I don't know about that. And even with that, she still doesn't think she's an alcoholic? She's fired from one job, her parents and sister are alcoholics, her husband divorces her because she drinks too much and she loses her daughter too. Um hello! It wasn't until she read the AA book-Are you an alcoholic? did she finally have her light bulb come on? Um....Oh and the best line she gives the old job lady was "I'm not an alcoholic because I've never wreaked a car." Priceless!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2020
The opening of this book plays out like the beginning of an episode of Law & Order, where two unsuspecting members of the public stumble across a crime or deadly incident which has just taken place. As this gives way for the central plot, it sets up what looked to be an interesting premise. From there, a lot of themes are explored and a feeling of urgency is always close at hand, but ultimately there were multiple aspects of the story that failed to captivate me.
There were some aspects that had the potential to be very good, but I never truly connected with the story or its characters, even though the protagonist Sam is given a reasonable amount of development. The mystery element contained ideas that were complex and well thought out, only to be undermined by being way too predictable.
When her sister Robin falls from a balcony, Sam immediately suspects that she was murdered, and soon finds out that she was getting close to unmasking a prolific drug-smuggling network. In her role as a journalist for a local weekly newspaper, Sam takes it upon herself to continue Robin's investigation at great personal risk as she is pursued by those involved.
As such, my main issue with the book is that it lacks a clear focus. I could not work out if the primary objective of the plot was to unravel the mystery of who was responsible for Robin's death, or to illustrate Sam's attempts to uncover and write a newspaper article ahead of the competition. For me, these two strands got in the way of each other, and it was weirdly difficult to know which of these mattered more to Sam.
The story plays out against a recurring backdrop of Sam's ongoing battle with alcohol. This storyline actually comes across very powerfully. The message is presented in a forceful way, and Sam's inability to recognise her problem felt realistic. Although perhaps a little repetitive, this was an area that was given a lot of depth and context, which I really appreciated. Indeed, it was the overarching theme of the book.
The whole thing is written entirely in third person, and although Sam is the main protagonist, it does switch from time to time between several other characters, including the perpetrators. I struggled to fully connect with Sam; some of her actions were questionable and her supposed concern for her daughter's welfare did not translate into decisive actions. That is not to say that I did not like her. I just lacked that emotional investment in a character which I so treasure.
Of the other characters, most of them are given a lot of backstory, maybe not all relevant to the plot but as this is a series I shall give the benefit of the doubt. It would have been good for the likes of Todd, Jonathan, and perhaps even Brady to have a bit more personality. My favourite supporting character was Wilson, who was caring and had some extra depth.
The writing style was adequate in the main, however for me the dialogue left a lot to be desired. There was also a lot of info-dumping, both within the dialogue (such as a long lecture about drug smuggling in Denver) and the general prose. I would have preferred for things to have been a bit more concise in that respect. It may be the first in a series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone.
As mentioned before, the mystery was much too simple to work out. The answers are clear to see, so that gave the ending less of an impact for me. It actually concentrates more on Sam and how she has moved forward as a character throughout the book, which left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. I wanted more of a compelling mystery.
Overall, there were definitely some things that I admired about this book. The themes explored were impactful and the path that Sam takes during the story is very pronounced. On the other hand, the mystery fell flat and the plot just did not grip me the way I hoped it would.
There were some aspects that had the potential to be very good, but I never truly connected with the story or its characters, even though the protagonist Sam is given a reasonable amount of development. The mystery element contained ideas that were complex and well thought out, only to be undermined by being way too predictable.
When her sister Robin falls from a balcony, Sam immediately suspects that she was murdered, and soon finds out that she was getting close to unmasking a prolific drug-smuggling network. In her role as a journalist for a local weekly newspaper, Sam takes it upon herself to continue Robin's investigation at great personal risk as she is pursued by those involved.
As such, my main issue with the book is that it lacks a clear focus. I could not work out if the primary objective of the plot was to unravel the mystery of who was responsible for Robin's death, or to illustrate Sam's attempts to uncover and write a newspaper article ahead of the competition. For me, these two strands got in the way of each other, and it was weirdly difficult to know which of these mattered more to Sam.
The story plays out against a recurring backdrop of Sam's ongoing battle with alcohol. This storyline actually comes across very powerfully. The message is presented in a forceful way, and Sam's inability to recognise her problem felt realistic. Although perhaps a little repetitive, this was an area that was given a lot of depth and context, which I really appreciated. Indeed, it was the overarching theme of the book.
The whole thing is written entirely in third person, and although Sam is the main protagonist, it does switch from time to time between several other characters, including the perpetrators. I struggled to fully connect with Sam; some of her actions were questionable and her supposed concern for her daughter's welfare did not translate into decisive actions. That is not to say that I did not like her. I just lacked that emotional investment in a character which I so treasure.
Of the other characters, most of them are given a lot of backstory, maybe not all relevant to the plot but as this is a series I shall give the benefit of the doubt. It would have been good for the likes of Todd, Jonathan, and perhaps even Brady to have a bit more personality. My favourite supporting character was Wilson, who was caring and had some extra depth.
The writing style was adequate in the main, however for me the dialogue left a lot to be desired. There was also a lot of info-dumping, both within the dialogue (such as a long lecture about drug smuggling in Denver) and the general prose. I would have preferred for things to have been a bit more concise in that respect. It may be the first in a series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone.
As mentioned before, the mystery was much too simple to work out. The answers are clear to see, so that gave the ending less of an impact for me. It actually concentrates more on Sam and how she has moved forward as a character throughout the book, which left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. I wanted more of a compelling mystery.
Overall, there were definitely some things that I admired about this book. The themes explored were impactful and the path that Sam takes during the story is very pronounced. On the other hand, the mystery fell flat and the plot just did not grip me the way I hoped it would.
February 11, 2020
My full review available on Facing the Story
The Friday Edition starts daringly as we discover that a woman has died after falling from her apartment's balcony. The authorities are quick to label the incident as a suicide however Samantha Church, who we later discover is the woman's sister, is not convinced. This strong beginning had me immediately hooked and I was eager to learn more.
The author successfully manages to develop Samantha as a protagonist, ambitious and hungry for the truth while fighting her own battles. Although I didn't like her character and found her frustrating at times, it is clear as the story line develops that her close bond with her sister is the main reason behind her drive and is a character trait that I found admirable. My aversion to her personality largely stems from her lack of initiative to reconcile her family life and focus on her health. Throughout the book her relationship with her husband and daughter deteriorated and her alcoholism worsened and at no point did she decide to take action to improve these aspects of her life which I found irritating. The remaining minor characters were not unlikable however did not manage to impress as they often felt insignificant to the plot.
In terms of the story line, the author had some solid ideas and the pace at which these were developed felt right however there were times where the main mystery seemed to go off track. I was keen to follow Samantha to try and expose the murderer however a lot of the story line focused on Samantha's history which, although makes sense considering this is the first book in the series, I was ultimately not interested in. Some parts felt moving, such as learning about Samantha's childhood and how it shaped her life, however others I found unnecessary.
I was left with mixed feelings after finishing The Friday Edition. Although the beginning felt engaging the story line wavered and sometimes felt detached. A lack of interest in the characters also didn't help but I also understand that the author was building the groundwork for this series. The Friday Edition would be a good read for fans of the genre who are hoping to read an uncomplicated murder mystery.
Many thanks to Dave at TheWriteReads for providing an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Friday Edition is out to buy now!
The Friday Edition starts daringly as we discover that a woman has died after falling from her apartment's balcony. The authorities are quick to label the incident as a suicide however Samantha Church, who we later discover is the woman's sister, is not convinced. This strong beginning had me immediately hooked and I was eager to learn more.
The author successfully manages to develop Samantha as a protagonist, ambitious and hungry for the truth while fighting her own battles. Although I didn't like her character and found her frustrating at times, it is clear as the story line develops that her close bond with her sister is the main reason behind her drive and is a character trait that I found admirable. My aversion to her personality largely stems from her lack of initiative to reconcile her family life and focus on her health. Throughout the book her relationship with her husband and daughter deteriorated and her alcoholism worsened and at no point did she decide to take action to improve these aspects of her life which I found irritating. The remaining minor characters were not unlikable however did not manage to impress as they often felt insignificant to the plot.
In terms of the story line, the author had some solid ideas and the pace at which these were developed felt right however there were times where the main mystery seemed to go off track. I was keen to follow Samantha to try and expose the murderer however a lot of the story line focused on Samantha's history which, although makes sense considering this is the first book in the series, I was ultimately not interested in. Some parts felt moving, such as learning about Samantha's childhood and how it shaped her life, however others I found unnecessary.
I was left with mixed feelings after finishing The Friday Edition. Although the beginning felt engaging the story line wavered and sometimes felt detached. A lack of interest in the characters also didn't help but I also understand that the author was building the groundwork for this series. The Friday Edition would be a good read for fans of the genre who are hoping to read an uncomplicated murder mystery.
Many thanks to Dave at TheWriteReads for providing an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Friday Edition is out to buy now!
May 30, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. Sam Church is a functioning alcoholic who lost custody of her daugher to her ex husband a detective with the local police department. She lost her job as a reporter at the local daily paper due to her denial of her alcoholism. She is now a reporter with the local weekly paper, employed by the owner - himself a recovering alcoholic, who has faith in her abilities. Her childhood was spent with alcoholic parents, her mother committing suicide on Christmas morning with her and her younger sister Robin finding the body. Her father than sexually abused her and despite vowing never to drink, started drinking at 14 to cope with the abuse. The two sisters made a promise that they would never do what their mother did, to each other and especially not at Christmas. So when Sam was woken up from a drunken sleep on Christmas morning by her ex husband hammering on the door to inform her that her sister, a recovering alcoholic who attended weekly AA meetings and had not drunk for 4 years, had apparently committed suicide after downing a bottle of JD and jumping from her balcony, Sam refused to believe it.
Yes there are a few errors and inconsistencies in the writing but on the whole the storyline is great and centred around a flawed character, unlike the usual heroes in stories. It is a complex plot and although I worked out who Captain and Roy Rogers were before it was revealed I would recommend this book.
Yes there are a few errors and inconsistencies in the writing but on the whole the storyline is great and centred around a flawed character, unlike the usual heroes in stories. It is a complex plot and although I worked out who Captain and Roy Rogers were before it was revealed I would recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2024
I received a digital copy of The Friday Edition, A Samantha Church Mystery, Book 1, by Betta Ferrendelli through Freebooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.
This tale has all the elements of a well-written mystery and crime thriller: a determined reporter plays detective, and she's a wonderfully flawed character with plenty of room to grow, a suspicious death, and a lot going on behind closed doors to keep you guessing. Ferrendelli takes us to the depths of the main character and protagonist, Samantha Church, where we learn about the the demons which she battles, and expose her all her weaknesses, and come out likeing her all the more for them. She makes us root for Samantha to solve the case and break the story. When it seems she's sliding backwards down a dark hole, we hold out breath and we cheer the loudest when she manages to pull through.
Samantha is a mess and she knows it, but her heart is always in the right place, even when her mind takes her down a dark path. Her alcoholism has cost her plenty, including the one thing that matters most to her in the world, her daughter April. Now, fueled by suspicions that her sister's death was not a suicide, as police say, she sets out to learn the truth, but her failed attempts at earning back April's trust threaten to plummet her into darkness and prevent her from uncovering a conspiracy the will rock the city of Denver. She is a strong, but flawed female protagonist and we want to see her win.
This tale has all the elements of a well-written mystery and crime thriller: a determined reporter plays detective, and she's a wonderfully flawed character with plenty of room to grow, a suspicious death, and a lot going on behind closed doors to keep you guessing. Ferrendelli takes us to the depths of the main character and protagonist, Samantha Church, where we learn about the the demons which she battles, and expose her all her weaknesses, and come out likeing her all the more for them. She makes us root for Samantha to solve the case and break the story. When it seems she's sliding backwards down a dark hole, we hold out breath and we cheer the loudest when she manages to pull through.
Samantha is a mess and she knows it, but her heart is always in the right place, even when her mind takes her down a dark path. Her alcoholism has cost her plenty, including the one thing that matters most to her in the world, her daughter April. Now, fueled by suspicions that her sister's death was not a suicide, as police say, she sets out to learn the truth, but her failed attempts at earning back April's trust threaten to plummet her into darkness and prevent her from uncovering a conspiracy the will rock the city of Denver. She is a strong, but flawed female protagonist and we want to see her win.
May 15, 2017
When reporter Samantha Church’s sister Robin plunges to her death the police rule it suicide, but Samantha is not convinced. She’s certain her sister was murdered. When she begins receiving strange text messages to that effect, she’s determined to find out who did it. Her sister, an assistant DA, was working on a big drug smuggling case, and Samantha’s convinced that’s why she was killed. But, in order to find the killer, she has to face a vicious drug cartel as well as her own addiction to alcohol, an addiction that has already cost her a job, her marriage, and loss of custody of her daughter. Determined to avenge her sister and rebuild her life, she sets out to conquer every demon in her path—but, the demons are close to home; hiding in plain sight.
The Friday Edition by Betta Ferrendelli is the first book in the Samantha Church mystery series. Featuring a heroine who is decidedly unheroic and almost fatally flawed, it moves along with the speed of an Indy racer and the force of an 18-wheeler to a stunning climax that you won’t have anticipated. While some of the police procedures seem a bit off, even for a small town, you’ll be so engrossed with Samantha and her challenges, you might not even notice.
A satisfying read.
The Friday Edition by Betta Ferrendelli is the first book in the Samantha Church mystery series. Featuring a heroine who is decidedly unheroic and almost fatally flawed, it moves along with the speed of an Indy racer and the force of an 18-wheeler to a stunning climax that you won’t have anticipated. While some of the police procedures seem a bit off, even for a small town, you’ll be so engrossed with Samantha and her challenges, you might not even notice.
A satisfying read.
October 16, 2021
The Friday Edition is unlike most crime solving novels you will read. It is written from the standpoint of journalist Sam Church and although there are detectives involved most of them are not the main characters trying to solve a crime, they are more antagonists rather than protagonists except for one exception.
Samantha Church is a character you want to root for and give a kick in the butt all at the same time. Her sister has had a deadly fall on Christmas Eve but was it suïcide or murder?
Samantha has lost custody of her daughter because of her drinking problem but every time she puts one step forward she walks two steps backwards. Her character is so believable and frustrating. She battles and struggles mainly with herself and yet you want her to conquer her demons and come out victorious.
She’s made a start, she’s exposed the bad guys but will she remain strong and regain her dignity and custody of her daughter, only future novels will tell and I for one am looking forward to reading more about Sam Church.
Samantha Church is a character you want to root for and give a kick in the butt all at the same time. Her sister has had a deadly fall on Christmas Eve but was it suïcide or murder?
Samantha has lost custody of her daughter because of her drinking problem but every time she puts one step forward she walks two steps backwards. Her character is so believable and frustrating. She battles and struggles mainly with herself and yet you want her to conquer her demons and come out victorious.
She’s made a start, she’s exposed the bad guys but will she remain strong and regain her dignity and custody of her daughter, only future novels will tell and I for one am looking forward to reading more about Sam Church.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2020
I was part of a blog tour with the write reads for this book, my review has been delayed for personal reasons.
A solid mystery about an alcoholic reporter who's sister has just committed suicide (or has she??). I thought this book was pretty good. For an indie-published book the writing is solid, it's well-edited and the story is pretty engaging. Certainly engaging enough for me to maintain my interest throughout.
Sam Church is basically a bit of a f**K up. Through her own issues and perhaps selfishness she has messed up her relationship with her daughter and her career is on the rocks. She wants to turn her life around but the alcohol keeps pulling her back. Some people may find her dislikable or frustrating as a character, but I find her real.
The book as a whole is a solid read, perhaps a little predictable and if i was to critique one thing it would be that the dialogue is a little dull, but overall it kept my interest throughout
A solid mystery about an alcoholic reporter who's sister has just committed suicide (or has she??). I thought this book was pretty good. For an indie-published book the writing is solid, it's well-edited and the story is pretty engaging. Certainly engaging enough for me to maintain my interest throughout.
Sam Church is basically a bit of a f**K up. Through her own issues and perhaps selfishness she has messed up her relationship with her daughter and her career is on the rocks. She wants to turn her life around but the alcohol keeps pulling her back. Some people may find her dislikable or frustrating as a character, but I find her real.
The book as a whole is a solid read, perhaps a little predictable and if i was to critique one thing it would be that the dialogue is a little dull, but overall it kept my interest throughout
October 28, 2022
This is the first book in a six book series about Samantha Church, reporter, mother, ex-wife, survivor of abuse by her father, and a functional alcoholic in denial. It is a strong story with lots of twists. Her sister, an assistant district attorney, commits suicide on Christmas Eve but Sam doesn’t believe it. She thinks she was murdered. Turns out she is correct. By whom? And why? These are the issues that Sam takes on to get to the bottom of her sister’s death. Just who are the Captain and Roy Rogers? The life of a newspaper reporter is difficult but especially when you are now working for a weekly instead of the primary daily. Sam was fired from the daily but hired by a recovering alcoholic who sees her potential and wants to help her. There is quite a conspiracy going on. This is a good story. I already have Book 2. So if you want a new lead character who is different than the male leads in most mysteries, give this series a try. You can’t go wrong.
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