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Black & White and Dead All Over

A former New York Times reporter sets a murder mystery in the backdrop of a New York city newsroom in "Black & White and Dead All Over."

It's a usual day at the New York Globe, as assistants and editors make their way to the office to start gathering the news of the day. Little do they know that they're going to be the biggest story as a disliked editor is found dead in front of the conference room with a spike in his chest and a note from the killer. The evidence leads the police to believe that the killer is a member of the newsroom - and everyone is a suspect.

Jude Hurley is also conducting an investigation of his own. Assigned by his editors to cover the story for the newspaper, he begins investigating co-workers, publishers, former editors and the like, all on the quest for the truth. His investigation runs parallel to the one the police is doing and keeps leading him into the path of police detective Priscilla Bollingsworth.

Then the gossip columnist is found murdered and turned into a metal statue by the bundler. Next the food critic is found poisoned and dead in her own dessert. Jude finds leads everywhere for reasoning behind their deaths, from career jealousy, affairs, to being a possible witness. And what does any of this have to do with the possible heir to the newspaper empire? Jude and Priscilla must solve the case before the body count jumps higher - to Jude's death.

A smart mystery with a gritty and realisitic newspaper feel, this is a book for the mystery lover and anyone interested in the newspaper business.

"Black & White and Dead All Over" is published by Alfred A. Knopf. It is $24.95 and 351 pages long.