Book Review: Face Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Charlie McNally #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Interesting characters in a mostly interesting story

Cons: Pacing a little uneven

The Bottom Line:

Your face will enjoy

Time spent reading mystery

That is this novel

Charlie Takes on "The Great and Powerful Oz"

If I relied strictly on marketing labels, I would have missed this book. Face Time, the second Charlie McNally mystery by Hank Phillippi Ryan, is marketed as a romantic suspense book. Yes, there is a romantic sub-plot to the story, but it is just that. The main focus is the mystery.

Charlotte "Charlie" McNally is an investigative reporter working for a TV station in Boston. And she's just gotten the scoop any reporter would kill to get. Four years ago, Dorinda Sweeney confessed to killing her husband. But Charlie has just been given a tape that proves "Deadly Dorie" was no where near her home at the time of the murder. With a Nielsen rating victory in sight, Charlie and her producer Franklin set out to prove Dorie's innocence.

Unfortunately, it isn't that easy. Dorie refuses to talk to anyone and still maintains her guilt. Furthermore, the scoop comes the same day that Attorney General Oscar "Oz" Ortega announces his bid for Massachusetts governor. The man is extremely popular, having built his career on his harsh treatment of criminals. Dorie's case was one of his first, and he still uses it to support his law and order platform. Nicknamed "The Great and Powerful Oz," he's turned his attention on Charlie's station, trying to get them to drop the story.

Of course, Charlie's personal life has issues, too. Her mother, who is infuriatingly always right, is in the area to recover from a little cosmetic work. And Charlie's relationship with boyfriend Josh has hit a snag, his eight-year-old daughter who refuses to warm up to Charlie.

Charlie is making little headway in any of these problems. But what really worries her is that people associated with the Dorie case keep dying. It makes sense that if Dorie is innocent, the killer would still be out there. But will he or she come after Charlie next?

The joy of this book is watching the characters in action. Charlie is a strong, confident career woman who is rarely comfortable letting others see her softer side. Yet her relationship with Josh is changing that. Frankly, I love his character and wish he had played a bigger part in the story. Fortunately, I love Franklin, her producer, just as much. He gets plenty of page time, and the two of them make a great team. The book is littered with suspects, and they are all believable as well. My heart broke on more then one occasion for Dorie and other people involved in her tragic story.

I did feel the plot was a little weak at times. Don't get me wrong, there were some great twists. They were just sprinkled a little too far apart at times. It wasn't because the sub-plots took over, either. They kept the appropriate place in the story and supported the mystery. Still, everything is resolved with a surprising, logical, and suspenseful climax.

The writing uses all five senses to bring Boston in the summer to life. The first person narration and present tense help get the reader caught up in the story.

Forget the "romantic suspense" label. Face Time is a good mystery, period. I enjoyed by time with Charlie and look forward to reading more about her in the future.