GREAT READS

Down to the Wire

David Rosenfelt.

It's never easy to live up to the legend of a famous parent, and when you choose to follow the same career, the self-imposed pressures are even greater. In Down to the Wire, Chris Turley, a reporter for the Bergen News covers mundane daily community events and visualizes himself as the Pulitzer Prize winner that his father was.

One day, Chris receives a call from a tipster who claims to have information about high-level government corruption. A meeting is arranged and when Chris shows up, a huge explosion occurs across the street. Chris is thrust into the spotlight as both a hero who saves lives and a reporter who covers the story. His career appears to be on its way.

Another anonymous tip and another event where Chris just happens to be on the scene seem destined to give him the recognition and opportunity of which he has dreamed. Coincidence? Or is there some more sinister force at work, giving Chris his dream -- but at what cost?

Down to the Wire delivers the goods for those who enjoy a good suspense novel, filled with plenty of action; moreover, it features intriguing moral choices and an exploration of the darker side of a fast trip to success. David Rosenfelt gives us the ideal way to escape the winter blahs.

Recommended by Carol Brannock