Air Time
A
Charlotte McNally Mystery
Hank Phillippi Ryan
Mira Books (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7783-2719-1 (0778327191)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2719-6 (9780778327196)
Publication Date: September 2009
List Price: $7.99
Synopsis (from
the publisher): When savvy TV reporter Charlotte McNally enters the
glamorous world of high fashion, she soon discovers that when the
purses are fake—the danger is real. And no one can be trusted!
Now Charlotte can't tell the real from the fake as she goes undercover
to bring the couture counterfeiters to justice—and in her
struggle to answer an all-important, life-changing question from a
certain handsome professor …
The one thing Charlotte knows for sure is that the wrong choice could
be the last decision she ever makes!
Review: Boston
television investigative reporter Charlotte "Charlie" McNally takes on
the trade in designer fashions, bags, and accessories in Air Time, the third mystery in this
series by Hank Phillippi Ryan.
Faux fashion is big business in the US. There's nothing inherently
illegal about it unless the manufacturer is using a trademarked logo or
name of someone else on the finished product. That's illegal. Charlie
is doing a story on the industry, but misses her flight to Boston from
Baltimore, where she's been attending a national journalism convention.
While waiting for the next flight, she helps a young woman with her
luggage, noting its prominent designer label. Charlie also sees the
woman is carrying a designer purse. The woman sees Charlie admiring her
bag, and gives her a card, inviting her to a "purse party" where
"Designer Doubles" are featured. Charlie realizes that she has an
opportunity to get an inside scoop, going undercover at the party
pretending to be someone in need of the latest fashion but wants one at
a bargain price. Someone discovers who she really is, however, and she
begins to receive threats by phone and e-mail. Then the apartment
adjacent to the "Designer Doubles" location is set on fire, and the
host disappears. Charlie's simple piece on designer fraud has now
expanded to conspiracy, kidnapping, arson, extortion, grand larceny, as
well as counterfeiting. How did she find herself in such a complicated
journalistic situation?
In addition to the entertaining and well developed primary storyline, Air Time continues to explore
Charlie's personal relationship with Josh and his young daughter.
Though she's a career woman through and through, Josh wants a
commitment, and she'd like to come up with a solution that will allow
her to balance both. But what really makes the book enjoyable is
Charlie herself: she's attractive, witty, caring, loving, and very good
at what she does. Insert this appealing character into a fast-paced
topical story and the result is a book that is hard to put down until
Charlie files her story with Channel 3 News.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Air Time and to Nancy Berland Public Relations for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Air Time? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Prime Time
Harlequin (Mass Market Paperback), June 2007
ISBN-10: 0-373-88135-5 (0373881355)
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-88135-2 (9780373881352)
Face Time
Harlequin (Mass Market Paperback), October 2007
ISBN-10: 0-373-88143-6 (0373881436)
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-88143-7 (9780373881437)
Air Time
Mira Books (Mass Market Paperback), September 2009
ISBN-10: 0-7783-2719-1 (0778327191)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2719-6 (9780778327196)
Drive Time
Mira Books (Mass Market Paperback), February 2010
ISBN-10: 0-7783-2797-3 (0778327973)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2797-4 (9780778327974)
Omnimystery keywords for Air Time ...
Location(s) referenced: Baltimore, Maryland, Boston,
Massachusetts.
