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The Crime Beat #1
New York
A brilliant reporter, haunted by her husband's death...
A disgraced cop, tangled in a web of lies...
Two unlikely heroes. One unthinkable crime.
The Crime Beat, Episode 1: New York
Perched on the soft tar of a New York City rooftop, a mysterious sniper fires a single round from a fifty caliber rifle. Five stories below, his target collapses on the marble steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, dead.
Crime reporter Jane Cole needs this story badly. Suspended NYPD cop Robert Warren is desperate to clear his name. They don't trust each other, but they make the perfect team. And as Cole and Warren track the killer, they uncover a plot so ruthless it shocks the conscience, a crime so expansive it will rock the world.
Perfect for readers of Michael Connelly and fans of True Detective or Jack Ryan, The Crime Beat is your next bingeable series from bestselling author A.C. Fuller.
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The Crime Beat is a nine-episode novella series, designed to be read in order and in its entirety. Although each episode tells a complete portion of the story, the nine novellas--read together--weave one unforgettable tale.
A disgraced cop, tangled in a web of lies...
Two unlikely heroes. One unthinkable crime.
The Crime Beat, Episode 1: New York
Perched on the soft tar of a New York City rooftop, a mysterious sniper fires a single round from a fifty caliber rifle. Five stories below, his target collapses on the marble steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, dead.
Crime reporter Jane Cole needs this story badly. Suspended NYPD cop Robert Warren is desperate to clear his name. They don't trust each other, but they make the perfect team. And as Cole and Warren track the killer, they uncover a plot so ruthless it shocks the conscience, a crime so expansive it will rock the world.
Perfect for readers of Michael Connelly and fans of True Detective or Jack Ryan, The Crime Beat is your next bingeable series from bestselling author A.C. Fuller.
-----
The Crime Beat is a nine-episode novella series, designed to be read in order and in its entirety. Although each episode tells a complete portion of the story, the nine novellas--read together--weave one unforgettable tale.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2019
2365 people are currently reading
1064 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Fuller
29 books140 followersOnce a journalist in New York, A.C. Fuller now writes stories at the intersection of media, politics, and technology. Before he began writing full time, he was an adjunct professor of journalism at NYU and an English teacher at Northwest Indian College.
He lives with his wife, two children, and two dogs near Seattle. For a free copy of one of A.C.'s books, check out: http://www.acfuller.com/readerclub/
He lives with his wife, two children, and two dogs near Seattle. For a free copy of one of A.C.'s books, check out: http://www.acfuller.com/readerclub/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
May 20, 2020
It was a good story , I like this story and really enjoyed the other series with Alex in it. This story had a good flow and pace it, it never really bogged down and the dialogue was good. I liked the main character but the problem for me and it was a major one was that I did not like the cop character and thought he was a little unrealistic with his replacement leg. I could see where this series was going to turn into with these two characters and I really did not want to go down that road. I am going to stop with this series but will read the next one he starts. I give a mild thumbs up for giving this book a spin.
January 2, 2024
This was a wholly enjoyable read. Our characters were interesting and felt real (probably helped that the author used to be a NY Journalist). I’m tempted to carry on with this series the next time I get a Kindle Unlimited Subscription, we’ve only just scratched the surface.
Want to read
June 12, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/12/2020)! 🎁
June 29, 2020
The book starts out with a sniper kill of a very influential and rich person in a public place. The story centers around a reporter and a cop trying to figure it out. It was interesting, I liked it, it read smoothly, BUT I did not like the ending. It was a short book and is the first in a series of 9 books I think. No twists, no turns, a tease by telling you who pulled the trigger, but not who really did it. I was disappointed. But up to there, I liked it and the authors writing style.
Review by Mike Slavin author of award-winning Kill Crime (action-packed thriller on Amazon to buy or KU. As of this writing 95% 5 and 4-star reviews on Amazon with 241 reviews)
Review by Mike Slavin author of award-winning Kill Crime (action-packed thriller on Amazon to buy or KU. As of this writing 95% 5 and 4-star reviews on Amazon with 241 reviews)
January 26, 2023
DNF @ 37%
The plot was intriguing. The writing drew me in. I loved the NYC setting. The characters were so-so (Cole wasn't all that likable but she was realistic) What made me call it quits was all the language. As annoying and as frequent as it was, I tried to ignore it but when the F-bomb showed up, I'd had enough.
The 2 stars are for the cool cover and interesting storyline. If not for all the coarse language, I'd kept reading.
The plot was intriguing. The writing drew me in. I loved the NYC setting. The characters were so-so (Cole wasn't all that likable but she was realistic) What made me call it quits was all the language. As annoying and as frequent as it was, I tried to ignore it but when the F-bomb showed up, I'd had enough.
The 2 stars are for the cool cover and interesting storyline. If not for all the coarse language, I'd kept reading.
April 26, 2020
3.5 hearts
Somehow, I thought with the title, The Crime Beat, I would be getting a true crime story. The genre is mystery / thriller and it is fiction. The main characters are an unlikely duo. Jane is a crime beat reporter who is a widow. Rob is a former marine, cop and now tracking a serial killer conspiracy.
Jane and Rob meet near the first crime in the series, set in New York. Jane had written a story about Rob using too much force and got him in trouble. But Rob ends up having some key information which puts them on the track of the killers. Between them, they utilize their specialized contacts to find the first killer. But this is not the only killer, based on Rob's information.
Narration:
I've enjoyed this narrator previously on a police procedural series and this is a similar genre. Her male and female voices were comfortably appropriate. I enjoyed listening at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to the clips: 1 NY 2 DC
Somehow, I thought with the title, The Crime Beat, I would be getting a true crime story. The genre is mystery / thriller and it is fiction. The main characters are an unlikely duo. Jane is a crime beat reporter who is a widow. Rob is a former marine, cop and now tracking a serial killer conspiracy.
Jane and Rob meet near the first crime in the series, set in New York. Jane had written a story about Rob using too much force and got him in trouble. But Rob ends up having some key information which puts them on the track of the killers. Between them, they utilize their specialized contacts to find the first killer. But this is not the only killer, based on Rob's information.
Narration:
I've enjoyed this narrator previously on a police procedural series and this is a similar genre. Her male and female voices were comfortably appropriate. I enjoyed listening at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to the clips: 1 NY 2 DC
July 5, 2020
Pedestrian story telling.
It felt like this was written at a workshop on how to write a book.
A New York City newspaper reporter teams up with a New York City detective down on his luck to solve the murder of a billionaire. What's not to like about this plot.
Weak dialogue, characters i didn't get to know, no side characters that were memorable, and just dull story telling. It started at three stars and went down from there. As i kept reading i just kept shaking my head at the simplicity of the story and was ready to throw the book across the room. No wait! It's a Kindle. Ended up a one star.
I was watching an episode of NYPD Blue, what made the show so good was not only the main cast who were interesting and flawed, some of them deeply flawed but the side characters who would show up for only one episode. They were unique, grimy, seedy, and had a soul, just deeply troubled. All these things are lacking from this book. Skip it.
It felt like this was written at a workshop on how to write a book.
A New York City newspaper reporter teams up with a New York City detective down on his luck to solve the murder of a billionaire. What's not to like about this plot.
Weak dialogue, characters i didn't get to know, no side characters that were memorable, and just dull story telling. It started at three stars and went down from there. As i kept reading i just kept shaking my head at the simplicity of the story and was ready to throw the book across the room. No wait! It's a Kindle. Ended up a one star.
I was watching an episode of NYPD Blue, what made the show so good was not only the main cast who were interesting and flawed, some of them deeply flawed but the side characters who would show up for only one episode. They were unique, grimy, seedy, and had a soul, just deeply troubled. All these things are lacking from this book. Skip it.
September 2, 2019
kindle unlimited
like his writing, or else would not read some of them, since not really one of my preferred genres, but reading him for ages, favorite being the ameritocracy series, crime beat is newest series out
like his writing, or else would not read some of them, since not really one of my preferred genres, but reading him for ages, favorite being the ameritocracy series, crime beat is newest series out
September 10, 2020
Another competent, workmanlike series of police procedurals. Regular characters and reasonable plot. Plot-like dialogue. Kind of predictable. Maybe episode two will be better.
July 2, 2020
"A promising start"
There are so many of these oddball pairings on the bookshelves these days that it's hard to stand out from the crowd. Cole and Warren could be like oil and water, but somehow they get along just fine. Their back stories don't overpower the main story line and the action comes in satisfying bursts. Of course, there's a cliffhanger. It's a series. A series where this pairing can continue to grow. If this didn't whet your appetite for the next book then I guess you'll miss out on their journey. I'll be checking to see if this promising start is maintained.
There are so many of these oddball pairings on the bookshelves these days that it's hard to stand out from the crowd. Cole and Warren could be like oil and water, but somehow they get along just fine. Their back stories don't overpower the main story line and the action comes in satisfying bursts. Of course, there's a cliffhanger. It's a series. A series where this pairing can continue to grow. If this didn't whet your appetite for the next book then I guess you'll miss out on their journey. I'll be checking to see if this promising start is maintained.
January 5, 2020
Excellent! Thanks to A.C. Fuller for the no cost purchase from Amazon! This is a great series and can’t wait to read the remaining episodes!!
December 27, 2021
NO NO WAY OUT!
An unlikely duo are thrown together in conflict and animosity. But a sudden assassination changes everything. Just when they think it's all figured out, the bottom falls out.
Now there's no way out!
Happy Reading!
Adam James
An unlikely duo are thrown together in conflict and animosity. But a sudden assassination changes everything. Just when they think it's all figured out, the bottom falls out.
Now there's no way out!
Happy Reading!
Adam James
Read
June 6, 2020FREE today (May 22, 2020) on Amazon
June 15, 2020
DNF
Didn't like any of the characters enough to care what happened to them.
Didn't like any of the characters enough to care what happened to them.
June 13, 2020
Short, choppy and no depth at all. How can you have a story about a journalist and a cop, and not have one other cop or writer character in the whole book? This series will be great for those with no attention span, or those who want a quick easy read.
July 27, 2020
A quick read, used to break up some of the longer reads I’m working on atm. However, that’s all it was to me, a quick read. I didn’t feel totally connected to either of the main characters, despite their histories. Things just seemed to happen /too/ easily. All of this information they gathered came about too quickly and without much hassle. If it was actually ever that easy, we’d be solving all of the worlds crimes in the matter of a week. Everything was just too convenient.
Jane - the protagonist, is 2 dimensional in the worst way possible. On one side she’s a “hard hitting” journalist, with spunk, and drive, and the other, a woman tortured by her past. However, neither of these fully connect. She’s also sort of a stereotypical character in that her looks are focused on, black hair and blue eyes (a startlingly rare combination), as apposed to her journalism, despite her apparently being “the best” reporter at her paper?
Rob - the 2nd protagonist, was highly one dimensional. You saw glimpses into his past, however, it wasn’t enough to feel a connection whatsoever. He just seemed like an information pit and not a real human being.
Overall, it was fast paced, as a 9(?) part series of novellas would be, but after reading 196 pages of writing, and not finding myself identifying with ANY characters...it’s just not enough for me to continue.
It was just FINE. And it passed the time.
Jane - the protagonist, is 2 dimensional in the worst way possible. On one side she’s a “hard hitting” journalist, with spunk, and drive, and the other, a woman tortured by her past. However, neither of these fully connect. She’s also sort of a stereotypical character in that her looks are focused on, black hair and blue eyes (a startlingly rare combination), as apposed to her journalism, despite her apparently being “the best” reporter at her paper?
Rob - the 2nd protagonist, was highly one dimensional. You saw glimpses into his past, however, it wasn’t enough to feel a connection whatsoever. He just seemed like an information pit and not a real human being.
Overall, it was fast paced, as a 9(?) part series of novellas would be, but after reading 196 pages of writing, and not finding myself identifying with ANY characters...it’s just not enough for me to continue.
It was just FINE. And it passed the time.
June 21, 2020
Review of Crime Beat, Episode One, by AC Fuller
This story opens with the intriguing description of an old man climbing to the roof of a building with a weapon and the intention to use it.
What could possibly motivate such an elderly man to aim from a building's rooftop into a crowd? Therein lies the central mystery of this book, but there is much more to this story than that central mystery.
There is also a widowed journalist who needs a good story in order to continue her career, a one-legged policeman whose career was ended by her reporting and how their unlikely alliance proves fruitful in solving at least some of the aformentioned central mystery.
Fuller is a real genius at putting readers in the shoes of his characters. When the journalist is terrified, my shoulders stiffen, when the policeman limps, my hip can feel the discomfort.
I love a story that I live with, and within, the characters. If you do as well, read this book. You will not be disappointed and will be as anxious as I to read Crime Beat, Episode Two.
This story opens with the intriguing description of an old man climbing to the roof of a building with a weapon and the intention to use it.
What could possibly motivate such an elderly man to aim from a building's rooftop into a crowd? Therein lies the central mystery of this book, but there is much more to this story than that central mystery.
There is also a widowed journalist who needs a good story in order to continue her career, a one-legged policeman whose career was ended by her reporting and how their unlikely alliance proves fruitful in solving at least some of the aformentioned central mystery.
Fuller is a real genius at putting readers in the shoes of his characters. When the journalist is terrified, my shoulders stiffen, when the policeman limps, my hip can feel the discomfort.
I love a story that I live with, and within, the characters. If you do as well, read this book. You will not be disappointed and will be as anxious as I to read Crime Beat, Episode Two.
April 1, 2020
Attention grabber
Great start to a new series about a female journalist and a male disgraced cop. Despite the fact that the cop was put on leave due to the journalist exposing brutality of a prisoner, they end up working together to find an assassin. Good to see the character development and find that not everything about a person is as appears on the surface. Recommended for those who like stories including conspiracies and the dark web.
Great start to a new series about a female journalist and a male disgraced cop. Despite the fact that the cop was put on leave due to the journalist exposing brutality of a prisoner, they end up working together to find an assassin. Good to see the character development and find that not everything about a person is as appears on the surface. Recommended for those who like stories including conspiracies and the dark web.
July 7, 2021
The start to a new series
Jane Cole is a crime reporter. Rob Warren is a NYPD Officer who is on suspension for smashing a prisoners face into a squad car grill. Jane broke the story. This, the first of nine novellas about murders, is the story of an assassin who shoots a prominent New Yorker and their search for him. It is well done and will make the reader want to know what happens next. Thanks to the author and publisher for an e-galley for an honest review.
Jane Cole is a crime reporter. Rob Warren is a NYPD Officer who is on suspension for smashing a prisoners face into a squad car grill. Jane broke the story. This, the first of nine novellas about murders, is the story of an assassin who shoots a prominent New Yorker and their search for him. It is well done and will make the reader want to know what happens next. Thanks to the author and publisher for an e-galley for an honest review.
February 5, 2021
A truly exciting thriller. The story shows how many people have misread a situation. Granted there are some bad people and cops,but I personally feel that there hands are tired. We need to remember that the police try their best to protect us, but there is a limit even for them. Overall a good story that makes you rethink what would you do in a situation like that one.
May 3, 2020
Excellent story
Well written storyline that makes you want to keep reading well into the night! Excellent characters to root for, a good ending that has me going to purchase the rest of the series!
Well written storyline that makes you want to keep reading well into the night! Excellent characters to root for, a good ending that has me going to purchase the rest of the series!
Read
September 22, 2021Not my cup of tea
December 28, 2020
I really liked this, though it's all over and done with in a flash as it's pretty short. Then it ended at 91%, just to add insult to injury !! I'm a bit disappointed to see the next books in the series are even briefer !! I rarely bother with books below 200 pages and gave this one a go as it wasn't too far short at 192 pages, but I am a little bothered by the brevity of the ensuing tales. Book 2 is a meagre 126 and book 3 166.....though I'll probably stick with them. Not at full price though, when I can get a 500+ pages for 99p by other authors. That's daylight robbery charging £2.49 apiece with such little content, I think.
And if you don't want an Eastenders-style dum, dum, dum moment at the end you'll do well to avoid this as it's a decidedly "to be continued" ending. They finish up things in New York but clearly need to head off here, there and everywhere to pursue the killers in the next books to come.
I really had an issue reading about Jefferson the dog as well. I didn't like the way he was treated and it was this alone that kept me up till the early hours reading to finish this, to ensure he was alright, as I was so bothered about him.
I hope Jane looks after her Monkey Puzzle tree....I've always wanted one of those, too, so this made me smile, so she'd better not let it perish.
There were hardly any mistakes at all which greatly pleased this reader. I noticed a missed question mark and a couple of dropped apostrophes and Botox should be capitalised. He did write one line that sailed over my head, "Once the information is stolen, I can legally publish it." I just don't understand what was meant by this at all in the context it was written.
Love the covers on this set of books so I hope he retains them, too.
And if you don't want an Eastenders-style dum, dum, dum moment at the end you'll do well to avoid this as it's a decidedly "to be continued" ending. They finish up things in New York but clearly need to head off here, there and everywhere to pursue the killers in the next books to come.
I really had an issue reading about Jefferson the dog as well. I didn't like the way he was treated and it was this alone that kept me up till the early hours reading to finish this, to ensure he was alright, as I was so bothered about him.
I hope Jane looks after her Monkey Puzzle tree....I've always wanted one of those, too, so this made me smile, so she'd better not let it perish.
There were hardly any mistakes at all which greatly pleased this reader. I noticed a missed question mark and a couple of dropped apostrophes and Botox should be capitalised. He did write one line that sailed over my head, "Once the information is stolen, I can legally publish it." I just don't understand what was meant by this at all in the context it was written.
Love the covers on this set of books so I hope he retains them, too.
February 7, 2022
Questions But Answers Are Scarce
What do a soon to be out of work police officer and a star reporter who just quit her job have in common? They know a rotten deal is coming down the pike and its a rotten deal that will ruin life not for a few but for the general populace. The scheming that is going to be required is on such a level beyond anything that politics has seen thus far in American life. How far does the conspiracy extend into the public forum. What can Jane Cole and Andrew Warren get done since they are becoming persona non gratis in their chosen fields. Crime procedures tend to drag out but this, so far, is moving well with a crisp story that features lead characters that are sharp, intelligent and fully nuanced.
What do a soon to be out of work police officer and a star reporter who just quit her job have in common? They know a rotten deal is coming down the pike and its a rotten deal that will ruin life not for a few but for the general populace. The scheming that is going to be required is on such a level beyond anything that politics has seen thus far in American life. How far does the conspiracy extend into the public forum. What can Jane Cole and Andrew Warren get done since they are becoming persona non gratis in their chosen fields. Crime procedures tend to drag out but this, so far, is moving well with a crisp story that features lead characters that are sharp, intelligent and fully nuanced.
June 16, 2020
This isn't a bad book. A reporter teams up with a cop, she said was a bad cop and should be fired. Since she found out the true reasons behind his actions, she changed her mind and is now working with him to try and solve a murder of a prominent businessman. They run into situations along the way in their attempt to solve the mystery. The book moves quickly and keeps the reader wanting more. My problem is, it is a serial. There are 9 different books in this series and after you finish 1q city, you need to read a new book about another city and the killings that are related. The book doesn't end.
September 3, 2023
Cole and Warren have become my favorite new characters. Enough so I probably will read the whole series of The Crime Beat now. Jane Cole is a journalist who has recently written a piece on police brutality against New York Police Department Police Officer Robert Warren. Warren has been put on administrative leave and will most likely be fired so he understandable does not like Jane Cole. Jane Cole feels justified in what she has written, until she is not. The two unlikely partners work together to solve a recent murder, and now have opened a dangerous can of worms which appears likely to take them all around the nation and perhaps the world.
July 3, 2020
A crime reporter teams up with a suspended cop to solve an assassination in New York. The author has provided us with two interesting, flawed main characters who work well together, but still have room to grow in subsequent books. You can tell where this is going pretty early on in the read, but the story is tight enough to allow you to enjoy the journey anyway. I listened to the audiobook in four hours, so if you're heading out for a shorter road trip you can finish it by the time you arrive at your destination.
May 2, 2023
I liked this book. The reporter was trying to do a good job, being honest and looking for a good story.
I was surprised that she ended up working with the cop she outed as being vicious, but that is exactly what happened. She changed her mind about him when she got to know him and they worked together to find out the truth about a murder.
I was disappointed that more wasn't revealed about her husband's death in Afghanistan. I half expected her husband to surface, but I guess he really was dead. Good story.
I was surprised that she ended up working with the cop she outed as being vicious, but that is exactly what happened. She changed her mind about him when she got to know him and they worked together to find out the truth about a murder.
I was disappointed that more wasn't revealed about her husband's death in Afghanistan. I half expected her husband to surface, but I guess he really was dead. Good story.
August 11, 2020
Hard Hitting and Relevant
Fast paced story of an assassination of a wealthy titan by a presumably alt right group. Two broken people, a widowed reporter and a disgraced cop, join forces and resources to try to find out who is behind this murder, knowing more will follow.
This book will definitely hold your attention. Part one of a series which the author recommends be read in sequence.
Fast paced story of an assassination of a wealthy titan by a presumably alt right group. Two broken people, a widowed reporter and a disgraced cop, join forces and resources to try to find out who is behind this murder, knowing more will follow.
This book will definitely hold your attention. Part one of a series which the author recommends be read in sequence.
April 27, 2022
An Intriguing Beginning To A Promising Series
From the outset, this looks to be a lengthy series with lots of twists and turns. In this first installment, I enjoyed the setup of the plot premise and the character traits of the main characters. Interesting viewpoints of both the media and law enforcement - flaws abound! Even though the setup is obviously a cliffhanger series, this episode had a satisfying conclusion. On to the next installment!
From the outset, this looks to be a lengthy series with lots of twists and turns. In this first installment, I enjoyed the setup of the plot premise and the character traits of the main characters. Interesting viewpoints of both the media and law enforcement - flaws abound! Even though the setup is obviously a cliffhanger series, this episode had a satisfying conclusion. On to the next installment!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews