9 Dogged Reads About Reporters and Journalists

9 Dogged Reads About Reporters and Journalists

The Future of News Media

In Depth

From a fantasy adventure about deciphering magical symbols to a thriller about a woman protecting her family from environmental terrorists, the books on this list depict the exciting and often dangerous lives of reporters. Many of them involve journalists using their ingenuity and tenacity to find their next scoop. In no particular order, here are nine dogged reads about people in the media industry.

At #1 is James Howell's "A Disturbed Girl's Guide to Curing Boredom." Hannah Harker is weary with her life as a journalist for a local paper. Desperate to break free from the monotony, she goes on a crime spree while reporting the events she causes. The popularity of her stories lands her a job at a London publication. This leads her on a trip across Asia where she makes enemies, has perverse sexual encounters, and commits brutal violence. Throughout all of this, she prepares for a final act that will shock the world.

For #2 we have "Dead of the Day" by Karen E. Olson. Reporter Annie Seymour is working hard on her next piece, an article about New Haven's new police chief, when an unidentified dead body covered in bee stings floats onto the marina. Just as she starts investigating the corpse, the law enforcement officer she was profiling gets gunned down. Annie becomes caught up in a mystery involving the body, the police, and a shady group of criminals exploiting a ring of illegal immigrants, in what could be her biggest scoop yet.

Reporter Annie Seymour is working hard on her next piece, an article about New Haven's new police chief, when an unidentified dead body covered in bee stings floats onto the marina.

At #3 is "Tree Huggers" by Judy Nichols. Right after Kate Dennison lands a job at a newspaper, she's assigned to cover a major scandal that erupts in her small town of Wilmington, North Carolina. A young man is charged with murder after his militant advocacy group, The Forces of Nature, is accused of starting a forest fire that killed two people. As Kate digs into the case, it becomes clear that there's more to the story than it seems. But the criminals behind the atrocities want to shut down her investigation, putting her and her family in danger.

Up next at #4 is G.M. Barlean's "Thorns of Rosewood." Gloria Larson heads to Rosewood, Nebraska after she's offered a position as editor of a local publication. However, she's actually there to find out the identity of the woman who gave her up for adoption. While digging through newspaper clippings, she finds out that her biological mother is likely one of four women accused of murdering a judge's wife in 1974. When she finds out that they're all still alive, she realizes that this is her chance to finally come face-to-face with her birth mom.

At #5 is "The Jasmine Trade" by Denise Hamilton. Months before her wedding, seventeen-year-old Marina Lu is found dead in her car. Eve Diamond, a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, investigates the death. During her research, she discovers a massive community of "parachute kids," young Asian students living alone in the United States while their parents are working overseas. Many of these children are trapped in a circle of crime and sexual solicitation.

Eve Diamond, a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, investigates the death.

For #6, we have "Be My Enemy" by Christopher Brookmyre. Jack Parlabane, a thrill-seeking Scottish journalist, is sent by his publication to a classy mansion in the highlands to join a motivational weekend with some important people. After years of breaking the news, he's gotten used to being in the midst of danger. But even he is shocked when the manor turns into a war zone. The violence escalates at a deadly pace as Jack tries to survive while figuring out who the actual bad guys are.

At #7 is the fantasy thriller "Voice of the Runes" by Manjiri Prabhu. The night before he comes to Lund University to join their 350th-year celebration, investigative journalist Re Parkar has a psychic vision and senses that evil is lurking on campus. In the middle of the ceremony, the school's leading Runology researcher suddenly dies. Re knows that an even bigger disaster is about to befall Lund. He has thirty-six hours to uncover the secrets hidden behind the runes and save the lives of everyone at the school.

For #8 we have "Cuba Undercover" by Linda Bond. Cuban-American Rebecca Menendez is a successful TV reporter with a reputation as a champion for women who are victims of abuse. This catches the eye of Antonio Vega, a man who wants to free his sister from an abusive relationship and get her asylum in the United States. When Rebecca fails to respond to his e-mails, he kidnaps her out of desperation and brings her to Cuba. Eventually, she realizes that she and Antonio share a goal and they work together to turn the world's eyes towards crime in their native land.

Eventually, she realizes that she and Antonio share a goal and they work together to turn the world's eyes towards crime in their native land.

Finally, at #9 is "The Broken" by Shelley Coriell. After reporter Kate Johnson nearly dies from a murder attempt by a serial killer called the Broadcast Butcher, she's left permanently scarred. Three years later, she lives a quiet life by the countryside working as a caretaker for an old, disabled man. FBI agent Hayden is looking for Kate, hoping she can help him solve the case and catch the killer. Once he finds her, Hayden will have to earn her trust so he can convince her to help him bring the Butcher to justice.