DETAILS AT 10 by Ardella Garland
A GEORGIA BARNETT MYSTERY
Simon & Schuster, 2000
Television reporter Georgia Barnett sees the signs--a gang war has broken out. The African-American Chigago neighborhood where Georgia was raised is now torn between two gangs. When Georgia reports on a drive-by shooting, she is pushed (against her better judgement) to interview one of the local children, a child who may be able to identify the shooter. Both the child and Georgia are now in danger.
Georgia is caught up in the politics and competitiveness of American TV. Her story of a poor black child missing cannot compete with a lost white kid. Still, Georgia fights back using all of her skills and her raport with the people she interviews. At the same time, Georgia is caught in a growing raport with an attractive, single, and employed police detective. Loyalties to the victims and to the police get in the way of news, and Georgia finds herself in trouble with her TV station.
Author Ardella Garland (click here for BooksForABuck reviews of other novels by this author)does an excellent job describing the world of big-city news. Georgia's profession, ambitions, and family life are convincing and sympathetic. Watching Georgia's reaction increases reader sympathy for the kidnapped child and the physical danger Georgia finds herself in. Garland uses the romantic tension between Georgia and Detective Doug Eckart to increase rather than diminish the problems Georgia faces.
Garland has written a convincing and enjoyable mystery.
Three Stars
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