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The Accident Report: A Ronald Truluck Novel
“Ralph Ellis delights the reader with engaging characters, a suspenseful plot, and laugh-out-loud humor.” –Kim McCollum, author of What Happens in Montana
It’s the summer of 1974, and Woodward and Bernstein have vanquished Nixon from the White House. In a sleepy North Carolina textile town, rookie reporter Ronald Truluck is bored with writing about lawn mower thefts when he gets a tip - city councilman Lamont Moody got drunk, drove his Bonneville off the road, and ripped up somebody’s front yard. But the police let him walk away.
Recognizing a cover-up when he sees it, Ronald vows to break Lamontgate and make his bones as a serious journalist. It won’t be easy. Ronald is a long-haired pothead who’s loosey-goosey with the facts. His paper, The Eagle, runs pet-of-the-week photos on the front page, not corruption stories. And the linchpin source only wants to talk about his book of poetry, not the accident. With a little help from his brainy girlfriend and the flower-child city hall reporter, Ronald lands the story - with results nobody expected.
It’s the summer of 1974, and Woodward and Bernstein have vanquished Nixon from the White House. In a sleepy North Carolina textile town, rookie reporter Ronald Truluck is bored with writing about lawn mower thefts when he gets a tip - city councilman Lamont Moody got drunk, drove his Bonneville off the road, and ripped up somebody’s front yard. But the police let him walk away.
Recognizing a cover-up when he sees it, Ronald vows to break Lamontgate and make his bones as a serious journalist. It won’t be easy. Ronald is a long-haired pothead who’s loosey-goosey with the facts. His paper, The Eagle, runs pet-of-the-week photos on the front page, not corruption stories. And the linchpin source only wants to talk about his book of poetry, not the accident. With a little help from his brainy girlfriend and the flower-child city hall reporter, Ronald lands the story - with results nobody expected.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 19, 2025
About the author
Ralph Ellis
1 book4 followersRalph Ellis is a veteran journalist who has written his first novel, "The Accident Report," and plans to publish sequels. He was born in Waynesville, NC, and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. He has worked for newspapers across the Southeast as well as for CNN and WebMD. He now lives in Decatur, GA, with his wife, Susan Puckett, and their greyhound, Zena.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 21, 2025
I loved experiencing Millerton through Ronald Truluck’s idealistic eyes. His inner monologue frequently had me laughing out loud. Though this quest to expose small-town corruption follows several humorous twists, it reveals a serious, universal truth: never trust the police.
March 17, 2025
The quirky, old-school vibe of small town journalism is at play in this tale about Ronald Truluck, a bushy-tailed and naive young police beat reporter with shoulder-length hair who fancies himself as the next Carl Bernstein. He also likes to operate a motor vehicle while buzzed on Columbian weed while listening to the Allman Brothers. There’s an old George McGovern campaign sticker on the bumper of his Chevy Corvair and his predecessor at the Millerton Eagle quit his job so he could make more money driving a bread delivery truck.
It’s 1974 — no computers, probably a Lynotype machine spitting hot lead in the newsroom, where everyone pounds out their stories on a clunky Underwood.
By his own admission, Ronald the crusading cub reporter is totally on board the Watergate train as he tries to bust open his own scoop about a town council member who gets favorable treatment from the cops after he drives drunk into a backyard bird bath. The suspicious police accident report hints of a cover-up and a potential local government scandal. It’s a newbie journalist’s dream and a career ticket to possible fame and fortune. Or so he thinks.
Things get complicated and begin to unravel as Ronald gets involved with a girl and then becomes entangled in another overlapping story about a town employee who might be shirking his official duties so he can write bad poetry while on the Millerton town payroll.
Or is he? Things are not what they seem to be.
The befuddled hero of The Accident Report soon finds himself frustrated as he senses that “unseen forces” are beginning to steer his life and career. Something strange is going on and he doesn’t know what it is.
Solid and fully-formed characters, off-beat humorous dialogue and a twisty plot carries the story along very nicely. The fondly detailed nostalgia about a world that no longer exists only adds to this satisfying and entertaining novel.
Five stars all the way.
It’s 1974 — no computers, probably a Lynotype machine spitting hot lead in the newsroom, where everyone pounds out their stories on a clunky Underwood.
By his own admission, Ronald the crusading cub reporter is totally on board the Watergate train as he tries to bust open his own scoop about a town council member who gets favorable treatment from the cops after he drives drunk into a backyard bird bath. The suspicious police accident report hints of a cover-up and a potential local government scandal. It’s a newbie journalist’s dream and a career ticket to possible fame and fortune. Or so he thinks.
Things get complicated and begin to unravel as Ronald gets involved with a girl and then becomes entangled in another overlapping story about a town employee who might be shirking his official duties so he can write bad poetry while on the Millerton town payroll.
Or is he? Things are not what they seem to be.
The befuddled hero of The Accident Report soon finds himself frustrated as he senses that “unseen forces” are beginning to steer his life and career. Something strange is going on and he doesn’t know what it is.
Solid and fully-formed characters, off-beat humorous dialogue and a twisty plot carries the story along very nicely. The fondly detailed nostalgia about a world that no longer exists only adds to this satisfying and entertaining novel.
Five stars all the way.
April 29, 2025
Small town mischief after dark? Check.
A roving reporter just out of college with the highest journalistic ideals? Check.
Political shenanigans exposed and favors bestowed? Check.
The set-up begins, and author Ralph Ellis establishes the bona fides of his earnest and naive young Bob Woodward-wannabe on the case in The Accident Report.
Desperate to uncover his very own Watergate (or Lamontgate, as he calls it) for a newspaper accustomed to printing news releases, you’d expect an inexperienced but enterprising reporter like Ronald Truluck to bungle the evidence. Living up to his surname and cracking the case — to be published and achieve his dreamed-of Pulitzer Prize acclaim — that looks unlikely. But maybe Ronald will find his own Deep Throat source?
Ellis’s descriptions of 1970s-era scenarios and capers, and his droll commentary on Truluck’s haphazard investigations, were so laugh-inducing I stopped reading periodically—to quote entire sections to my husband. The supporting newsroom and police cast of wacky characters were so well-crafted, I pictured each of them. I hope Ronald Truluck has a long (if hapless), but similarly eventful, career in journalism, as I look forward to many witty sequels.
A roving reporter just out of college with the highest journalistic ideals? Check.
Political shenanigans exposed and favors bestowed? Check.
The set-up begins, and author Ralph Ellis establishes the bona fides of his earnest and naive young Bob Woodward-wannabe on the case in The Accident Report.
Desperate to uncover his very own Watergate (or Lamontgate, as he calls it) for a newspaper accustomed to printing news releases, you’d expect an inexperienced but enterprising reporter like Ronald Truluck to bungle the evidence. Living up to his surname and cracking the case — to be published and achieve his dreamed-of Pulitzer Prize acclaim — that looks unlikely. But maybe Ronald will find his own Deep Throat source?
Ellis’s descriptions of 1970s-era scenarios and capers, and his droll commentary on Truluck’s haphazard investigations, were so laugh-inducing I stopped reading periodically—to quote entire sections to my husband. The supporting newsroom and police cast of wacky characters were so well-crafted, I pictured each of them. I hope Ronald Truluck has a long (if hapless), but similarly eventful, career in journalism, as I look forward to many witty sequels.
February 11, 2026
The Accident Report is a largely realistic -- and hilarious at times -- account about an ambitious cub reporter who begins his career in 1974 at a small daily in North Carolina named The Eagle. Like me, Ralph Ellis' character, Ronald Truluck, was inspired by the exposes of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The novel starts on the day President Richard Nixon resigned and Ronald is determined to uncover wrongdoing. And like some young reporters then and now, he lets his ambitions get the better of him. He harasses a pathetic man who took a job with the city government of Millerton after a drunken city councilman crashes his car into the man's front yard, damaging the birdbath. He doggedly pursues the story, dealing with a police chief who stonewalls him. He makes mistakes along the way, and his editor puts the story on hold. Undeterred, Ronald pursues the story after temporarily quitting, and pulls an unethical stunt to force the hand of his editor to go with the story. I entered the business four years after the novel is set, and the industry has changed. Investigative reporting in the spirit of Ronald is one of the casualties today with newsroom layoffs and closings. The Accident Report is a must read for journalism students.
October 1, 2025
The Accident Report is Ralph Ellis's debut novel, and he's done a fine job, with crisp writing and tongue-in-cheek humor. The protagonist, Ronald Truluck, is a long-haired pothead fresh out of journalism school, starting his first job at the local newspaper in a small North Carolina town. It's 1974, Nixon has just resigned, and Ronald aspires to be another Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein.
But so far, the job is pretty boring. The Millerton Eagle covers stories about lost pets, fender benders, and stolen lawn mowers. Then Ronald gets a tip that Lamont Moody, one of the city council members, was driving drunk one night, crashed his car into a neighborhood yard, destroying a family's birdbath, and the police buried the accident report. Idealistic Ronald vows to get to the bottom of "Lamontgate" and expose the corruption.
Although he makes a few bungles and learns some lessons along the way, Ronald does some solid journalism work and eventually gets his story. However, after all his efforts, the response isn't quite what he'd expected.
Far from heroic, Ronald is an endearing character, and the author has succeeded in capturing the nostalgia of the seventies.
But so far, the job is pretty boring. The Millerton Eagle covers stories about lost pets, fender benders, and stolen lawn mowers. Then Ronald gets a tip that Lamont Moody, one of the city council members, was driving drunk one night, crashed his car into a neighborhood yard, destroying a family's birdbath, and the police buried the accident report. Idealistic Ronald vows to get to the bottom of "Lamontgate" and expose the corruption.
Although he makes a few bungles and learns some lessons along the way, Ronald does some solid journalism work and eventually gets his story. However, after all his efforts, the response isn't quite what he'd expected.
Far from heroic, Ronald is an endearing character, and the author has succeeded in capturing the nostalgia of the seventies.
June 23, 2025
In “The Accident Report,” Author Ellis gives us a slice of early 1970s Americana when music was louder, hair was longer, and we all thought we could make a difference. Ellis introduces us to reporter Ronald Truluck, an aspiring journalist who dreams of covering the “big stories” –stories that shape the world. Unfortunately, Ronald is stuck in a small town and relegated to covering missing pets and car wrecks.
No spoilers, but just when you think his dream of journalistic greatness has been squashed, Ronald learns that small towns are full of small minds that wield big power. Who knew a broken bird bath could be so dangerous? This book had me laughing out loud, sitting on the edge of my seat, as well as raising a fist at injustice.
I highly recommend riding shotgun in Truluck’s car, but you might need some earplugs, unless you love the Allman Brothers. And you might let the window down unless you don’t mind a little “wacky tobaccy” (as we use to say back the day). -Gin Coleman, Author of the Desert Born series
No spoilers, but just when you think his dream of journalistic greatness has been squashed, Ronald learns that small towns are full of small minds that wield big power. Who knew a broken bird bath could be so dangerous? This book had me laughing out loud, sitting on the edge of my seat, as well as raising a fist at injustice.
I highly recommend riding shotgun in Truluck’s car, but you might need some earplugs, unless you love the Allman Brothers. And you might let the window down unless you don’t mind a little “wacky tobaccy” (as we use to say back the day). -Gin Coleman, Author of the Desert Born series
July 28, 2025
The Accident Report is a knee-slap look at the world of reporting as the reader follows, Ronald Trulluck, a pot smoking slacker with dreams of cracking that big lead. This town just didn't have the news to deliver, so car accidents, dog bites and stolen lawn mowers would have to suffice. Until…
When a journalist attempts to make the transition from their day job to their dream job as an author they tend to use too many commas and will deliver a jerky just the facts kind of pace. Not here though, Ralph Ellis delivers this solid narrative with tongue in cheek. A refreshing approach and one that is entertaining and works. He makes light of everything and that's why this novel is so entertaining. Well done.
When a journalist attempts to make the transition from their day job to their dream job as an author they tend to use too many commas and will deliver a jerky just the facts kind of pace. Not here though, Ralph Ellis delivers this solid narrative with tongue in cheek. A refreshing approach and one that is entertaining and works. He makes light of everything and that's why this novel is so entertaining. Well done.
August 5, 2025
Welcome to the 1970s when everybody had long hair, smoked pot, and read newspapers. Rookie reporter Ronald Truluck wants to expose political corruption like his heroes Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, but he works for a small paper in a small North Carolina town. When he finds out about a missing accident report that involves a local councilman getting special treatment from the law, he makes it his personal mission to bring the councilman down. The plot has plenty of twists and turns as likeable pothead Ronald relentlessly pursues the truth. The Accident Report is an entertaining mystery with plenty of laughs.
April 28, 2026
Having worked in a newsroom for 13 years, I enjoyed this book. It captures the reality of writing cop briefs and routine newspaper reporting and shows how important this day-to-day journalism is. Ronald Truluck wants to be a great reporter, but he feels limited by the small-town paper where he works. He throws himself into tracking down a missing accident report and finds all manner of drama and corruption. We need this type of real reporting in our communities. We need reporters running down accident reports, asking questions, and holding elected officials accountable. The book is also very funny!
March 18, 2025
In The Accident Report, Ralph Ellis delights the reader with engaging characters, a suspenseful plot, and laugh out loud humor. In Ronald, a fledgling reporter hoping to climb his way up the ranks, Ellis has a relatable and loveable character who the reader roots for from page one. His rookie mistakes and youthful blunders provide entertainment and suspense as the reader at once cringes and can't wait to see what will happen next. This small town tale of corruption and camaraderie is truly a delightful read. Five stars!
April 9, 2025
Ralph Ellis’s The Accident Report is a refreshing small-town mystery that follows a young reporter named Ronald as he pursues his first big story. Up against the city’s entitled bigwigs, Ronald envisions himself the heir of Bernstein and Woodward, who recently broke the Watergate story that took Nixon down in 1974. The Accident Report is a reminder of the importance of local journalism and a throwback to the days when the field was thriving. It’s an enjoyable read that had me nodding along in delight with each new twist or character introduction.
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June 3, 2025Corruption in town government? Unthinkable! But not in Ralph Ellis’s The Accident Report. Neophyte journalist Ronald Truluck begins uncovering cracks in the system when the police hold back an accident report, and then falsify another. It’s just the beginning of small town power, and small town characters, going awry. Just when problems seem headed for a solution, more corkscrew turns than a sommelier with a bottle of wine appear, before finally leading the reader to a resolution.
--Mary Ann Noe, Author of A Handful of Pearls, Deserving of Murder and others
--Mary Ann Noe, Author of A Handful of Pearls, Deserving of Murder and others
June 4, 2025
If you ever lived in a small town and read the local newspaper regularly, or even if you just love a good story told with humor and authenticity, I highly recommend The Accident Report. The parade of characters Ronald Truluck encounters as he works to uncover local corruption will be familiar to anyone who has spent time in an off-the-beaten-track community, but equally entertaining to anyone who hasn't. And the spot-on newspaper details of a by-gone era -- copy spikes, police radios, bad coffee -- are priceless.
December 13, 2025
Former newsman-turned-author Ralph Ellis nails small-town politics and policing in his deliciously satirical debut novel, The Accident Report. Anyone who has lived in a small southern town, and paid the slightest attention to local political shenanigans, will recognize and roar at the characters, the dialogue, and the antics that take place in fictional Millerton, North Carolina. The Accident Report is fast, funny, highly enjoyable read told by an author with first-hand experience and a wicked sense of humor.
February 3, 2026
A sharp debut with plenty of period schtick. Who remembers Galaxies and Bonnevilles anymore? Or Underwood typewriters? As one who is still grieving the loss of the printed Journal-Constitution, I felt nostalgia in reading the banter of the newsroom and seeing fact-gathering as it used to be. Ralph Ellis leads us through the tale of small-town scandal with just the right shades of romance and intrigue. I'm looking forward to the next phase of this reporter's career at a tabloid with a larger circulation.
February 26, 2026
This was an enjoyable book. Having worked as a young 20-something in a North Carolina newsroom, albeit a few decades later than Mr. Truluck, I remember being the idealistic kid making clumsy mistakes in the pursuit of a good story. There is a quaintness of 1970s rural North Carolina that I miss and it comes through in this book. I'm hoping that Mr. Ellis has a few more of these in the publishing portal so I can follow the future journalistic exploits of Mr. Truluck.
June 29, 2025
A rookie reporter at a small-town paper thinks he's onto the first real story of his career. Deadpan humor, sharp observations, and a well-spun, low-stakes mystery unfold. It's reminiscent of Carl Hiaasen, but in a small town and with less acid in the bite. "The Accident Report" is a pleasure and I'm ready for more adventures with Ralph Ellis' budding Bernstein, Ronald Truluck.
August 15, 2025
Really solid first entry! It takes some time to get going but once it does you don’t want to put it down. I found a lot of the conversations relatable between the characters and Ronald won me over with his both alarming level of self awareness and lack thereof. Excited to see what comes next in his saga!
September 22, 2025
The small-town south is its own thing, and Ellis captures it perfectly. Mountains out of molehills, molehills out of mountains, quirky characters, fabulous 70s atmosphere (you can smell the stink of cigarettes everywhere: everything is written with a goldenrod haze), Ellis is a talented writer with pitch-perfect dialogue and insight into what makes communities tick. Not bad for a Tarheel.
January 28, 2026
The sign of a great writer is to first make you feel like you are experiencing the story first hand. You can visualize the setting, and you feel like you know the characters. Next is to write a compelling story that draws you in, and entertains you with interesting plot twists.
This was a very good read!!!!
This was a very good read!!!!
October 29, 2025
watergate writ small
A charming look at the Walter Mitty aspirations of a fledgling journalist, with a redeeming shot of reality, including humanity and humility, thrown in. Thoroughly enjoyable and a great relief from the sanctimony we are normally inundated with.
A charming look at the Walter Mitty aspirations of a fledgling journalist, with a redeeming shot of reality, including humanity and humility, thrown in. Thoroughly enjoyable and a great relief from the sanctimony we are normally inundated with.
November 14, 2025
Beautifully written, enjoyable read
Stayed up until 3 a.m. with this delightful story. Ronald, age 22, lands a probationary job as reporter for a small North Carolina newspaper. He uncovers small town corruption, romance, friendship, and learns about himself along the way.
Stayed up until 3 a.m. with this delightful story. Ronald, age 22, lands a probationary job as reporter for a small North Carolina newspaper. He uncovers small town corruption, romance, friendship, and learns about himself along the way.
December 22, 2025
Unintended Consequences
Main character judgement is secondary to trying to become a hero.Meaningless driving infraction erupts into a full blown corruption of numerous community members’ lives. The touch of humor is an interesting accent to telling the tale.
Main character judgement is secondary to trying to become a hero.Meaningless driving infraction erupts into a full blown corruption of numerous community members’ lives. The touch of humor is an interesting accent to telling the tale.
January 26, 2026
pleasantly surprised
I found this an enjoyable read. It was like watching Ronald’s life through a window. The characters were believable and relatable. I will be looking for another book by Mr. Ellis.
I found this an enjoyable read. It was like watching Ronald’s life through a window. The characters were believable and relatable. I will be looking for another book by Mr. Ellis.
March 18, 2026
Ronald should have been a Mountie, we always get our man. His pursuit of the truth is commendable but his double standards do pull it down a bit. He does enjoy his spliff and a drink as much as the next man but then again he is not in public office abusing his position.
March 25, 2026
Great writing. Good humour
A trip bach to small town America in1974. A thoroughly enjoyable story of a young reporter surviving politics and corruption on a tiny scale. Highly recommended.
A trip bach to small town America in1974. A thoroughly enjoyable story of a young reporter surviving politics and corruption on a tiny scale. Highly recommended.
June 27, 2025
A fun romp of a novel! I enjoyed Ronald Truluck's misadventures at a small-town paper, where his dreams of a Watergate-like scoop are countered by the daily reality of local cop briefs.
August 24, 2025
Clever idea, but it's tough when the "hero" of the story is annoying.
January 27, 2026
Fun read!
January 27, 2026
It has comedy
I truly enjoyed the fast paced action. This book reads like the narrator on that old TV show “DRAGNET “ is writing it.
I truly enjoyed the fast paced action. This book reads like the narrator on that old TV show “DRAGNET “ is writing it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews