As the Wicked Watch: The First Jordan Manning Novel

Set in 2007 Chicago, Emmy Award–winning broadcast journalist Hall’s outstanding debut and series launch introduces TV journalist Jordan Manning. A tenacious reporter, Jordan has been making a name for herself by arriving first at crime scenes. When the body of 15-year-old African American Masey James is found in an abandoned lot, Jordan refuses to believe the girl was a runaway, as the police insist. Masey had a promising future, having just been accepted into a prestigious STEM program at a distinguished high school. Jordan puts the demands of her job and her personal life on hold in her effort to discover who murdered Masey, and comes to suspect the girl was the victim of a serial killer. Hall brings insight and nuance to such matters as journalism ethics, police treatment of murder cases involving Black women, and competition among journalists and their reliance on those behind the scenes. Readers will want to see a lot more of intelligent, ambitious, and assertive Jordan. Agent: Eve Attermann, WME. (Oct.)