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Fast Track
Orphaned as an infant, sexually assaulted as a naïve college student, strong-willed, impulsive Lark Chadwick is vexed and trying to figure out what to do with her mixed-up life. When she discovers the body of the aunt who raised her, Lark goes on a search for answers. She is stunned to learn from a 25-year-old newspaper clipping that she’s the “miracle baby” who survived a suspicious car accident that killed her parents at a rural railroad crossing in southern Wisconsin. Lark convinces Lionel Stone, the crusty Pulitzer-Prize winning editor, to let her do a follow-up investigation of the crash. Two of her sources are the sheriff and the town’s mayor, they’re running against each other for Congress, the election is a week away, and both men have a secret that will unravel the mystery. Fast Track is the first book in the award-winning Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series penned by former veteran CNN journalist John DeDakis. As Lark learns, in order to find purpose in life, you first have to unravel the mystery of the past.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2021
8 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
John DeDakis
15 books67 followersJournalist, novelist, and writing coach John DeDakis is a former Senior Copy Editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." DeDakis (pronounced deh-DAY-kiss) is the author of five novels in the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series.
His fourth novel, Bullet in the Chamber, is the winner of Reviewers Choice, Foreword INDIES, and Feathered Quill book awards.
His most recent novel, Fake, is a winner of the 2020 Reviewers Choice Award. In Fake, Lark is a White House correspondent dealing with “fake news” in the era of #MeToo.
During his award-winning 45-year career in journalism (25 years at CNN), DeDakis has been a White House Correspondent and interviewed such luminaries as Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan.
DeDakis has taught journalism at the University of Maryland–College Park, and American University in Washington, D.C. He now regularly teaches novel writing online, at literary centers, writers’ conferences, and bookstores around the country and abroad.
He is currently at work on a memoir, working title: Pivot Points: A Life of Plot Twists
In his spare time, DeDakis is also a jazz drummer.
Website: www.johndedakis.com
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 13, 2021
Lark Chadwick heads home after working her shift as a waitress to find a horrific scene. Her Aunt Annie has committed suicide and the odd thing is, things just don’t make sense. While waiting for the cops to arrive, Lark notices Annie’s room is ransacked. Obviously, someone was looking for something, but that didn’t add up to why Annie committed suicide. Lark is determined to find out answers, even if they aren’t ones she really wants to hear. In the process of doing some digging around for clues, Lark stumbles upon a newspaper article from 25 years ago speaking of the horrific car accident that killed both her parents when she was an infant. She realizes that the “miracle baby” mentioned in the article is her. To find some closure to her parents’ mysterious car accident, she decides to locate the editor of the original article written about her parents’ death. She meets Lionel Stone, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning editor in Pine Bluff, Wisconsin, and Lark knows she’ll stop at nothing until she discovers the truth about what really happened that fateful night.
I have to say I loved this first book in the Lark Chadwick Mysteries series. Lark was a character that I couldn’t help but fall in love with, even though she was hot-headed at times and even immature in her reactions to certain situations. I felt that sometimes she flew off the handle quicker than she should have because she didn’t stop to think of the possible consequences of her actions. When Lark met Lionel Stone and his wife, I embraced these two characters and loved the fact that they grew close to Lark while she was doing her investigation. I had hoped she remained close to them and learned a thing or two from Lionel, especially how being a journalist, you can’t jump to conclusions so quickly without knowing the facts and you can’t lose your temper because you’re too close to the story. As the mystery kept unfolding, I found myself wanting to read one more chapter, even though I had errands or chores to do. I couldn’t wait to return to the book because I was fully hooked into the storyline and characters.
Mr. DeDakis is a former veteran CNN journalist and you can see his talent unfold as you turn the pages and become more invested in his story. I would say the book would be great for adults or teen mystery readers because there are some graphic scenes which are too detailed for a younger mystery reader. I love that this is an ongoing series and I’m eager to read the next book in the Lark Chadwick Mysteries. I can’t wait to see what trouble Lark finds herself in next. Undoubtedly, “Fast Track” is one of the best books I’ve read so far in 2021. Well done, Mr. DeDakis!
I have to say I loved this first book in the Lark Chadwick Mysteries series. Lark was a character that I couldn’t help but fall in love with, even though she was hot-headed at times and even immature in her reactions to certain situations. I felt that sometimes she flew off the handle quicker than she should have because she didn’t stop to think of the possible consequences of her actions. When Lark met Lionel Stone and his wife, I embraced these two characters and loved the fact that they grew close to Lark while she was doing her investigation. I had hoped she remained close to them and learned a thing or two from Lionel, especially how being a journalist, you can’t jump to conclusions so quickly without knowing the facts and you can’t lose your temper because you’re too close to the story. As the mystery kept unfolding, I found myself wanting to read one more chapter, even though I had errands or chores to do. I couldn’t wait to return to the book because I was fully hooked into the storyline and characters.
Mr. DeDakis is a former veteran CNN journalist and you can see his talent unfold as you turn the pages and become more invested in his story. I would say the book would be great for adults or teen mystery readers because there are some graphic scenes which are too detailed for a younger mystery reader. I love that this is an ongoing series and I’m eager to read the next book in the Lark Chadwick Mysteries. I can’t wait to see what trouble Lark finds herself in next. Undoubtedly, “Fast Track” is one of the best books I’ve read so far in 2021. Well done, Mr. DeDakis!
September 23, 2022
Nice first book in the Lark Chadwick series by John DeDakis. I liked it and the characters he creates. I've downloaded the first three in the series but the sixth one is the one I REALLY want to get to because it's the one that beat the second in my Matthew Paine Mystery series for the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion award! So it MUST be totally awesome! I'm working my way to that one, but enjoying the previous books in the series on the way. Reading the second one now.
May 25, 2025
When Lark Chadwick discovers her beloved aunt dead, an apparent suicide, she embarks on a quest to discover what really happened. Soon Lark learns that she is a "miracle baby" who survived a suspicious car accident that killed her parents at a railroad crossing. As the revelations pile up. Lark finds herself entangled in a deadly game involving two local politicians running against each other for Congress, both of whom have secrets they don't want revealed.
In terms of the mystery, this is a fine novel, but it does feel a bit forced and artificial in places. I think this is mostly because it was DeDakis' debut novel and he was still learning how to handle his characters. (Been there, done that.) The writing is clean, though, if a bit plain, and it's a pretty fast read. If half stars were allowed, I'd probably give it 3.5 instead of 3. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's works.
In terms of the mystery, this is a fine novel, but it does feel a bit forced and artificial in places. I think this is mostly because it was DeDakis' debut novel and he was still learning how to handle his characters. (Been there, done that.) The writing is clean, though, if a bit plain, and it's a pretty fast read. If half stars were allowed, I'd probably give it 3.5 instead of 3. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's works.
June 11, 2023
I enjoyed this mystery in which a young woman seeks the truth about her parents’ death when she was an infant and in the process finds her calling as a journalist. Investigating her past, Lark Chadwick is taken under the wing of a curmudgeonly editor with a kind heart. He suspects Lark is onto an important, shocking story. The novel’s title not only applies to Lark’s trial-by-fire apprenticeship but also the deadly force of trains for anyone in their path.
January 12, 2025
Fabulous series start -- you'll love this author's sharp and fast-paced writing. Excellent mystery / suspense plotting!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews