I really d Emily. She's a rookie reporter on the crime beat for a Boston paper. She has great instincts (though blinded by a handsome boy) and sees a connection to several shootings that no one thought had to do with one another. She is tough and there's not much that will scare her off.

I have to admit that while it might seem a bit slow to others, I felt this was a page turner! I just had to see how this all came together and admit that I was blown away by a part of the ending...I just didn't expect a certain plot point at all.

I would definitely read another book by this author!3 s Susan OleksiwAuthor 35 books55

Review: Bad Boy Beat by Clea Simon

I have long loved Clea Simon's cat mysteries, for the way she creates believable furry creatures able to materialize through walls, read humans' minds, and more, all in aid of helping out their person. But rookie reporter Emily Kelton doesn't need anyone's help in Simon's new noir mystery, Bad Boy Beat.

Assigned to the police beat while on probation at the Boston Standard, Em Kelton dutifully does her best with late night fires and low-level street crime. But she wants a big story. The murder of a small-time dealer barely merits a notice in the paper, but something about this death after a similar one nags at the rookie. She knows some of these guys, dealers and low-lifes, and they hardly seem dangerous enough to anyone to warrant murder. Em shares her doubts with her friend, Roz, who works the City Hall bureau, and is investigating rumors of high-level corruption.

Simon fleshes out the office, with Saul, city editor and her boss; the old-timers who resent her; Ruggle, City Hall bureau chief who may have a crush on her and who is her friend Roz's boss; and Noah Borelli, another City Hall reporter. Not waiting politely in the wings are the co-op students, there to help out with the scut work. The bright light in all this jockeying for position and bare-knuckled ambition is handsome Inspector Jack Harcourt, who jokes and flirts and occasionally gives Em something extra for her stories.

The story takes off on page one, and the action never lets up. Em probes her contacts, a low-life dealer, stays on the heels of the police, and trades tips and story ideas with Roz while Inspector Harcourt stonewalls her. To make matters worse, as Em's own story heats up, the other newspaper in town steps up too, with a new hire who seems to know more than Em.

Keeping up with this rookie is a challenge as she careens around Boston on the T, in her car, on foot. Simon knows the city well and makes good use of her experience here. Bad Boy Beat is a non-stop dive into the unadorned world of crime, the unglamorous world of turning out a newspaper day after day, and the life of one indefatigable, intrepid reporter with a sharp tongue and shrewd eye.

This is one of Simon's best.3 s Louise317

Emily Kelton is a new reporter for the Boston Standard. Em is smart, fun, and adventurous. She covers the police beat in Boston's underground. This keeps her jumping up for stories during the night every time one comes into the news room. Em is from the old school of journalism, that being getting the story first and searching for the truth. Em wants to make a name for herself. She is independent and fierce, with a chip on her shoulder which pushes her toward getting it right and getting it out. Un modern journalism she is not out to get clicks first. She wants the story first.

So far she has been filing news briefs and she's tired of these. She's on probation until she proves herself. She gets called in on the murder of a low-level drug dealer. She has connections with people of this ilk through her ex-boyfriend. She also knows some of the beat cops on the job. She has also developed a relationship with a tall, handsome detective, Jack Harcourt. Information she gets from him often comes at a price. They develop a certain rapport and she is all in on her association with him.

More murders occur. Em begins to make connections which convinces her that they are related. She does not get much support on her theory from the newsroom or from the police. She strikes out on her own. Her best friend in the newsroom is busy on a bigger story. Roz has already earned her place as the City Hall reporter. Em thinks there may be a connection there but does not want to alienate her friend so she picks other sources.

The gritty underbelly of Boston is a true character with its distinct culture and great history of crime. Em gets deeply involved in it when she recognizes some of the murder victims. Digging deeper could be dangerous for her. How entangled is she willing to get? Will she have to give up something important?

I have read many of Clea Simon's novels. This one leans toward the noir instead of the cozy cat tales that she has become know for. This is not her only stand alone novel. Her picante and sharp rhythm gives the story a dark flavor that emphasizes its gritty nature. The characters are fleshed out nicely. Each one lends to the atmosphere of danger that Em finds herself in.

There are lots of things left unexplored at the end of the book. I can only hope that there will be a sequel to Bad Boy Beat. 2 s Sarah W589 24

I enjoyed how this investigation was out of the perspective of a journalist and not a detective on the case. Em was not afraid to “annoy” people and ask the hard questions and learn some lessons along the way. I loved that she was constantly on the go. Being a journalist seem it’s a stressful job always looking for something to report and finding people willing to talk, I would not be cut out for it. The investigation went in all sorts of different directions and my “suspect” changed constantly. It was well written and kept my attention the entire time.

Thank you @cleasimon_author and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.2 s David Morgan853 19

I love a strong female protagonist and Emily Kelton fits the bill perfectly. She's a no nonsense beat journalist with lots of questions to ask to get to the bottom of this mystery. Not one to 'let it be', Em's dogged determination takes her straight into danger. A danger she doesn't even know is there.
I found this one to be an easy, fast paced read that kept me on my toes trying to figure out the mystery. It's always fun to revisit locations in books you're familiar with and I was taken back to Boston with this story. The writing is solid and the reveal and conclusion are surprising but make perfect sense.

Thank you to the author, Severn House Publishing and Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted copy and including me on this tour.1 Booksandcoffeemx1,951 86

Fast-paced, intriguing and suspenseful.
I love strong female characters and Em was a fesity and complex heroine, I just loved her character. A great mystery that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.


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