Good Sam

Kate Bradley, a plainspoken and strong willed reporter for the Los Angeles Channel 11 News, has made a career out of covering the “Bummer Beat,” those stories involving crime and disaster. So when she’s assigned a “soft” story, she’s less than enthusiastic. A Good Samaritan has been leaving personalized bags of $100,000 in cash on the doorsteps of those in need. Kate, whose personal conflicts involve thwarting the attentions of her ambitious ex-fiancé and proving her career worthy of her politician father’s scrutiny, reluctantly begins interviewing those who have received the cash, expecting the story to fizzle. Yet as Kate tracks down “Good Sam,” the story becomes a media sensation; she finds unexpected romance and confronts her own deeply ingrained cynicism. Meserve’s narrative has a hard-boiled bent, with dry wit and well-conceived dialogue throughout. Kate’s relatable qualities of self-reliance tinged with vulnerability drive this gratifying mystery-romance about finding the good guys—and knowing when to recognize them. (BookLife)