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"Faces
of the Gone" by
Brad Parks
; Minotaur (336 pages,
$24.99
)
———
Journalist
Brad Parks'
commanding, entertaining debut featuring an
investigative reporter briskly delves into the politics
of drug dealing, the value of street reporting and an
insider's look at the newspaper industry.
"Faces
of the Gone" skillfully mixes a gritty hard-boiled
mystery with swatches of broad humor that perfectly
captures the newsroom culture.
Carter Ross
is the appealing 31-year-old investigative reporter for
the Eagle-Examiner in
Newark, N.J.
He relishes getting out of the office and onto the
streets that he knows well. When four people are killed
execution-style, their bodies dumped in a vacant lot,
Carter refuses to believe the police reports that this
was the end result of a bar robbery. The story is
front-page news even for "a town as blood-jaded as
Newark
."
An
honest, concerned reporter, Carter works to find the
link between the four people.
Alternating
chapters that focus on a drug lord who calls himself
"the Director" further fuels the tension.
"Faces
of the Gone" illustrates life in
Newark's
inner city without cliches, showing the differences
between the urban neighborhoods and the suburbs where
Carter grew up. Scenes with the victims' families,
especially a mother who knew her daughter's flaws but
still believed in her, are heart-breakingly accurate.
As he
works the story, Carter also immerses himself in the
little intrigues, banter and personalities of the
newsroom. Carter loves his profession and "is
incurably ink-stained." Like other newspapers,
Carter's Eagle-Examiner has its struggles but the staff
is committed to covering the area. Parks also gleefully
shows the friction between newspaper and TV reporters
jockeying for the better stories.
Carter is
an engaging character with more personality layers for
the readers to uncover, making him ripe to carry a
series. Although he comes from an upper-class
background, Carter relates well to those who live in the
inner city. But Parks doesn't make Carter an unrealistic
superhero — he's just a reporter who has uncovered an
amazing story. Supporting characters — both in the
newsroom and on the street — add substance.
Parks'
"Faces of the Gone" ranks close to
Michael Connelly's
"The Scarecrow" in its depiction of the
newspaper industry. Parks, a former reporter at the
Star-Ledger in
New Jersey
, shows he's made the transition to becoming a novelist
with this impressive debut.
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