As the Wicked Watch

By: Tamron Hall

Series: Jordan Manning #1

ISBN: 978-0063037038

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: 10/26/2021

Format: Hardcover

My Rating: TBR

The first in a thrilling new series from Emmy Award-winning TV Host and Journalist Tamron Hall, As The Wicked Watch follows a reporter as she unravels the disturbing mystery around the deaths of two Black girls; the work of a serial killer terrorizing Chicago.

When crime reporter Jordan Manning leaves her hometown in Texas to take a job at a television station in Chicago, she’s one step closer to her dream: a coveted anchor chair on a national network.

Jordan is smart and aggressive, with unabashed star-power, and often the only woman of color in the newsroom. Her signature? Arriving first on the scene—in impractical designer stilettos. Armed with a master’s degree in forensic science and impeccable instincts, Jordan has been able to balance her dueling motivations: breaking every big story—and giving a voice to the voiceless.

From her time in Texas, she’s covered the vilest of human behaviors but nothing has prepared her for Chicago. Jordan is that rare breed of a journalist who can navigate a crime scene as well as she can a newsroom—often noticing what others tend to miss. Again and again, she is called to cover the murders of Black women, many of them sexually assaulted, most brutalized, and all of them quickly forgotten.

All until Masey James—the story that Jordan just can’t shake, despite all efforts. A 15-year-old girl whose body was found in an abandoned lot, Masey has come to represent for Jordan all of the frustration and anger that her job often forces her to repress. Putting the rest of her work and her (fraying) personal life aside, Jordan does everything she can to give the story the coverage it desperately requires, and that Black children rarely receive.

Jordan is convinced that there’s a serial killer on the loose and he’s hiding in plain sight.

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Praise

“As the Wicked Watch is a terrific read—a propulsive, compelling mystery, but also a nuanced look at class and racial inequality. With Jordan Manning, Tamron Hall has given us a smart, empathetic heroine to cheer on for years to come.” -- Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author

"Wow—Tamron Hall knows how to tell a story! And this timely and compelling thriller is a treat to read. Unflinching, revealing and authentic… Authentic and life-changing—and completely entertaining—this is the first of what is sure to be a long-running series from a beloved and talented journalist." -- Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Perfect Life

"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

“Emmy Award–winning broadcast journalist Hall’s outstanding debut and series launch introduces TV journalist Jordan Manning…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.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A pulse-pounding story that also provides a fascinating and important look into the difficulties of reporting on and finding justice for Black victims. Emmy Award–winning Hall’s extensive background as a TV journalist, including reporting for NBC and anchoring for MSNBC, infuses a great deal of credibility and behind-the-scenes verve to her first crime novel." -- Booklist (starred review)

“Hall’s decades of field experience lend a lot of credibility to the story and provide a strong footing for an intriguing new crime series.” -- Library Journal

"Tamron Hall’s new novel introduces a detective sure to become an icon...It is a powerful, clear-eyed novel that demands accountability, from its fictional world, yes, but also the real one." -- CrimeReads