Hot, Shot, and Bothered

Lilly Hawkins, a "shooter" (news photographer) for KJAY-TV in Bakersfield, Calif., shows her mettle in McFarland's gritty, entertaining sequel to 2010's A Bad Day's Work. While responding to a forest fire at Lake Elizabeth that's already killed two firefighters, Lilly hears of "an accidental drowning." The drowning victim turns out to be environmental activist Jessica Egan, whom Lilly got to know one summer 13 years earlier. KJAY's producer, Rod Strong, reminds Lilly she has "a front-row seat" for the area's biggest natural disaster in 50 years, but Lilly is intent on investigating the drowning, which she believes is a homicide. Rumors that Jessica was wild and reckless don't fit Lilly's memory of her as "smart and strong." Lilly demonstrates great professional poise while revealing much about her disreputable past and forcing a clever killer into the open. Readers will look forward to seeing a lot more of the gutsy, stubborn Lilly. (Aug.)