Payne County Weekly

by Joe Harwell

Doing the right thing was always a clear, easy decision for LaShelle Roland, editor of Payne County Weekly in Stillwater, Oklahoma until she discovers the District Attorney’s Drug Task Force is actually shielding major drug dealers from prosecution. The Sun, Stillwater’s powerful daily newspaper is part of the corruption cover up and is pressuring LaShelle to sell her struggling paper to keep a lid on the story. LaShelle shares details of the corruption with Bo Stark, a financially successful classmate from their days at Perkins High School in the 1970’s who visits Stillwater with his family during spring break in 1994. Bo wants to help and offers an investment so she can withstand the financial backlash of publishing the story. What’s the right thing to do? Sell Payne County Weekly and take a marketing job that’s made for her in Oklahoma City, or accept the investment and break the story, placing herself, the informant, Bo and others in mortal danger by going up against the local power brokers.

152 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2012

Reviews

[Mary Kincaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Payne County Weekly by Joe Harwell is the story of a newspaper in a small Oklahoma community trying to uncover the drug activity in their town. Debbie and Bo Stark are the daughter and father team who return to Perkins, OK where they buried their wife and mother. Bo Stark is drawn to the Payne County Weekly when he finds a high school friend, LaShell Martine, trying to make it prosper. Debbie is drawn to Oklahoma State University for her college. Her dad, Bo, invests in the Stillwater paper that is trying to give the Payne county citizens an alternative to the big paper that is controlling the opinions of everyone. There is a drug investigation and it involves the police, officials, and many citizens considered successful in this society.

I enjoyed this historical Oklahoma mystery. It is well told. The characters are well developed, and the dialogue is realistic. It was an enjoyable read for me. I enjoy mysteries. I enjoyed this one. I give it a four out of a possible five stars.

[Clara Whitman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Payne County Weekly delivers a grounded, slow burn mystery as LaShelle Roland uncovers a Drug Task Force that’s protecting dealers instead of prosecuting them. The pressure quickly closes in, especially when the town’s big newspaper pushes her to sell and stay quiet.
The story shines in how personal everything feels. LaShelle isn’t a superhero; she’s an editor fighting to keep her paper alive while deciding whether exposing the truth is worth risking her career and her safety. Bo Stark’s return adds a believable moral dilemma, giving her both an ally and a tough choice about what “doing the right thing” actually means.
It’s a tense, character-driven read that captures the danger, politics, and sacrifices behind local journalism and the courage it takes to stand up when powerful people want you silent.

[Erik Dewey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great summer read. It goes by quickly and while the start is a bit slow, it grabs you as you want to know what is going to happen to these folks. The climax comes fast and furious as the story picks up speed. I enjoyed it.