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Review: News photographer Lilly Hawkins, "shooter" for WJAY television in her hometown of Bakersfield, California, is called on assignment to a crime scene — in her own home — in Going to the Bad, the third mystery in this series by Nora McFarland.

It started out to be a quiet news day, this Christmas Eve morning. An accident involving a tanker truck carrying sludge and an automobile with a python somehow involved is about as exciting as it was going to get. Or so thought Lilly. But then she arrives at her home to discover her favorite Uncle Bud near death, brutally attacked and shot twice in the abdomen. Her fiancé, Ron, was in the room with Bud, his own clothes covered in blood. Earlier that morning Lilly had received a voice mail from her Uncle telling her that he was going to use her home in Oildale for a private meeting. He had a situation where he needed to be discreet … and as he knew the law would not look kindly upon his circumstances, he wanted to keep her and Rob out of it. Now he was dying and she had no idea why. Lilly began using all the tools at her disposal from the TV station, and her own intuitiveness, to go plunge headfirst into the investigation of this crime. She begins to unscramble a history of her Uncle’s unethical dealings and offenses, but while doing so, she unknowingly is placing her life in danger.

Going to the Bad is a fast-reading mystery, with a good mix of characters: good guys, bad guys, and the ones that could be either — or both. There's a fair amount of humor here as well, which is used to balance the sometimes dark narrative. From a reader's perspective, it is interesting to follow Lilly along on her risky investigation, which has plenty of twists and turns to keep it all interesting.

Going to the Bad by Nora McFarland — A Lilly Hawkins Mystery

Publisher: Touchstone
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1-4391-5557-8
Publication Date: August 2012
List Price: $15.00