Publishers Weekly
01/15/2024
Television journalist Hall follows up As the Wicked Watch with a dreary second whodunit featuring Chicago crime reporter Jordan Manning. Channel 8 News has just offered Jordan her own program, and the station switchboard is lighting up with calls from viewers pleading to have their stories covered. One such request comes from Shelly Biltmore, an Indiana woman who believes her missing sister, Marla, has been murdered, possibly by her estranged, abusive husband. Jordan doesn’t think much of the call until Shelly shows up in Chicago, pleading for her assistance. Jordan returns with Shelly to Indiana to interview a long list of Marla’s friends and potential suspects, and uncovers evidence of her involvement in some dark sexual escapades. The plot meanders along, occasionally heating up with admissions of infidelity or abuse, but Hall gives the mystery little shape: Jordan does not so much investigate as wait for her sources to launch into revealing monologues. Rote sections that break from the main plot to document Jordan’s struggles with workplace prejudice and lackluster romantic encounters don’t help. This is nothing special. Agent: Eve Atterman, WME. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
Tamron Hall's Watch Where They Hide is a captivating, authentic novel that combines thoughtful storytelling with perceptive insights into race, class and the challenges of being a successful, ambitious woman of color. I fell in love with Hall's powerful, wryly funny heroine Jordan Manning and can't wait to follow her wherever she may go.” — Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee and The Leftover Woman
“In this tense, sophomore novel Tamron Hall manages to skillfully and relentlessly build a suspenseful story, while remaining sensitive to the difficult subject of domestic violence and the very real trap many women find themselves in.” — Chevy Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of Still Missing and Dark Roads
“Cleverly plotted with the perfect amount of behind the scenes tidbits about working in broadcast news, Watch Where They Hide is a must read for fellow mystery lovers. Chicago crime reporter Jordan Manning is back and better than ever – you’ll want her on both your tv screens and bookshelves.” — Kellye Garrett, award winning author of Missing White Woman
"This is a fast-paced and propulsive mystery with plenty of background information about what it’s like to be a journalist, clearly informed by Hall's career as an Emmy-winning TV journalist. Readers in the Chicagoland area especially will appreciate the author's nods to the Windy City." — Booklist
“Tamron Hall’s debut novel As the Wicked Watch is a singular thriller that brings the vulnerability and systemic neglect of Black girls as victims of violent crime into vivid relief...The cohesiveness and sheer scope of the narrative Hall has woven together is impressive...Readers interested in the gritty details of crime reporting and investigation will be intrigued...Ultimately, As the Wicked Watch is an impressive debut—a moving take on familiar but urgent problems and society’s indifference.” — NPR
“Hall’s first novel blends true crime with illuminating reflections on media representation and the obstacles faced by a Black woman in journalism.” — Oprah Daily on As the Wicked Watch
“As the Wicked Watch—the first in a three-book series from Hall—is a thoughtful, captivating novel that highlights that, to some, tragedy is just a news story, but to passionate journalists like Jordan, the real people behind these tragedies are where the true heartbreak lies.” — Shondaland
Library Journal
01/01/2024
Reporter Jordan Manning returns to right the wrongs of Chicago in the second installment of Hall's series (following As the Wicked Watch). This time Jordan crosses state lines to investigate the disappearance of an Indiana mother of two. When Shelly Biltmore contacts the Justice Jordan hotline, she sounds desperate and scared. Her sister, Marla, has vanished, leaving her two children at daycare. The police suspect Marla has simply left her life behind, but Shelly knows better. Jordan is intrigued by the case and her empathy for Marla convinces her to look deeper. There are unknown dangers and more questions than answers; is getting the headline worth the risk? The plot might strike some readers as cookie-cutter, the writing comes of as a bit amateur, and the chapter transitions chapters are clumsy, but Hall does a good job addressing issues of work/life balance and the pressures on working women. VERDICT While Hall's fans might be satisfied, seasoned suspense readers will find the journey from beginning to end a bit disappointing.—Carmen Clark
