Paddy Meehan

A neophyte journalist becomes intimately involved in her first assignment: a brutal murder. The explosive start of a new series by the author of the acclaimed Garnethill trilogy. Little Brian Wilcox's murder is the hottest story in Scotland. Every major newspaper crowds its pages with stories examining the crime from every angle. If only Paddy Meehan could get a scoop on the case. A nationally syndicated story would surely launch her fledgling journalism career out of the free local rag shes been working at. But when the connection Paddy had been hoping for finally comes, it only threatens her career and family. Callum, her fianc Sean's young cousin, is implicated in Brian's murder, and when Paddy foolishly confides in her equally ambitious coworker, Heather, all hell breaks loose. Heather betrays her and sells the story to a major newspaper, making the entire Meehan clan turn on Paddy. The only way Paddy can redeem herself in their eyes is to clear Callum's name. As Glasgow buzzes with the scandal, Paddy notices a similarity between Brian's murder and the murder of a local boy several years earlier. Using her investigative skills, Paddy sets out to solve the murder.

Paddy Meehan is thrilled with her new job: working the police beat at the newspaper. Responding to a late night call, she arrives at an elegant villa, where a calm blonde woman with blood on her mouth answers the door. The woman has already convinced the police to leave, and soon Paddy realizes how: she slips fifty dollars into Paddys hand and begs her to keep the incident - whatever it is - out of the press. The next morning, Paddy sees the lead news story: The woman has been murdered. Soon after, the body of a suicide is pulled from the river. Was the blonde more than just a spoiled trophy wife? Are the two deaths related? In pursuit of answers, Paddy is drawn into a web of violence and greed.

Paddy Meehan is no stranger to murder-as a reporter she lives at crime scenes-but nothing has prepared her for this visit from the police. Her former boyfriend and fellow journalist Terry Patterson has been found hooded and shot through the head. Paddy knows she will be of little help-she had not seen Terry in more than six months. So she is bewildered to learn that in his will he has left her his house and several suitcases full of notes. Drawn into a maze of secrets and lies, Paddy begins making connections to Terry's murder that no one else has seen, and soon finds herself trapped in the most important-and dangerous-story of her career. "Superb…This gripping read, with its intricate plotting and realistic regional dialogue, will leave even the most astute reader guessing until the end." "Native Glaswegian Jane MacFarlane flawlessly captures Paddy's voice with her strong Scots accent and dusky modulation [with] astutely nuanced characterization…The gripping story, with its realistic regional dialogue, provides suspense to the dénouement." "Compelling idiomatic dialogue, riveting scenes, and full-blooded characters."