A serial killer is targeting Black women in Chicago and the police are not doing enough to investigate, so TV news reporter Jordan Manning starts her own investigation.

The whole time I was reading this I was reminded of Christine Pelisek, the reporter who broke the Grim Sleeper serial killer story and exposed the LAPD’s blatant disregard for the lives of the Black women he targeted.

Overall, I loved the concept of this book, but the pace dragged and not a whole lot happened. That said, I’d definitely read another book in the planned series because Jordan Manning was an engaging, interesting character, and I want to know what she does next.

This book reminds me of when i first started reading Marcia Clark. She had so much legal knowledge that she was eager to prove she knew what she was talking about and her first few books suffered from over detailing the day in and day out work of being an attorney. I felt a lot of the same in this novel. Jordan is an investigative journalist in Chicago trying to prove she knows what she is doing and she's where she belongs. When she lands a big scoop, the story doesn't end well and that bothers Jordan... so she begins investigating.
As the Wicked Watch was a highly anticipated read and I was so excited to get an advance copy. I kept my expectations low and that was wise. This was NOT a bad read-- but I didn't want to prematurely hike the likelihood that I would love this book. I did not love it... I also did not hate it. It was an OK read.
Some triggers for this story involve violence toward children and adults. I can't be more specific without spoiling the plot, but know before you go in that this story involves children.

4.5 stars
Jordan Manning is a television reporter in Chicago who cares so much about the stories she reports on, she sometimes becomes too invested in the people and the outcomes. One of those cases is a missing fifteen-year-old honor student who is later discovered to have been murdered. The girl’s mother is not the only one in the city to believe her daughter’s disappearance wasn’t taken seriously because she was black. Jordan is determined to find out what happened and keep a killer from striking again, all the while dealing with preconceived notions about race from witnesses, viewers, and colleagues.

It took me a couple of chapters to really get into this story. The timelines of two murder cases confused me at first and we meet a lot of different side characters who are friends with or work with Jordan. It was hard to know which characters were going to be important to the ongoing story and that distracted me. However, once I got some of that figured out, I really enjoyed the book. Jordan is smart, driven and career-oriented, and is also a caring and compassionate person. Most of the story is told from her point-of-view, with a few “news reports” about the case throughout the book.

The book is very suspenseful and became more tense the closer Jordan got to the truth. I was surprised by some of the revelations that came about about some of the suspects and witnesses. I like the way everything came together by the end. I am also impressed by the way the author makes you think about current, important issues without being preachy. It is educational, thought-provoking, and entertaining. I really hope there will be future books featuring Jordan Manning.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Scene of the Crime Early Reads for this ebook. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Tamron Halls debut thriller drew me in from the first pages.The tension rises as two African American girls are murdered the setting is Chicago and their is a serial killer on the loose.This is a very intelligent thought provoking novel,I will be recommending this and looking forward to next in the series.#netgalley #williammorrow

A difficult read in trying times - but well worth the effort. A teenage girl is found brutally killed in an abandoned playground in a predominantly Black neighborhood, and reporter Jordan Manning is devastated to learn that it is in fact the missing teenager she suspected it was. The author is a professional journalist herself and it shows - with her knowledge of the inner workings and drama of a newsroom and how Manning interacts with the community and politicians of the city, it's clear that Hall has experienced the tension of trying to balance on the edge of reporter, community member, and confidante. It's quite the razor's edge - with lots of twists and turns in the story that examine race, privilege, corruption, and culture in a way probably only someone with Hall's experience could. A great first entry in a series and I look forward to watching Jordan Manning evolve as a crime reporter in future titles!

This is a story that’s supposed to be a mystery, about a 15 year old girl who is found dead, but it really isn’t. This is more of a story about a Chicago investigative TV reporter, Jordan Manning. I found her to be an obnoxious, self-involved person, one who wants you to think she cares about others, but it’s always all about her. She lies easily, pretends to befriend people she thinks can help her, and takes advantage of everyone she can to get her story. She’s incredibly racist and misandrist. Yes, she’s black, but it’s clear that she completely dislikes white people and men. She’s whiny and self-important. She’s reckless, impulsive, and unconcerned for her own safety, or anyone else’s. I didn’t like her at all.

If all that’s not enough, she not only has a journalism degree, but also has one in forensic science. She’s says she’s certified as a crime scene investigator in both Illinois and her home state of Texas. Personally, I find that hard to believe. Even harder to believe is that she carries an official police evidence collection kit in her purse, and she doesn’t hesitate to use it. All I could think was that she was likely invalidating and disqualifying evidence she was collecting without police approval. I mean, is she a reporter, or is she a forensic crime scene investigator. I don’t think she can legitimately be both.

Honestly, if I was a professional journalist, I’d be embarrassed to release a book like this, even an advanced reader copy. I doubt that the author even bothered to proofread the book before turning it into her publisher. It’s filled with misused words, continuity errors, and the writing is immature and amateurish. The characters are primarily stereotypes, and the story often takes melodramatic turns. The names of people, ones who have little involvement in the story, except that Jordan knows them or is friends with them, litter the pages, cluttering up the narrative. I don’t really need to know how she met every one of her friends or acquaintances, or any of the other extraneous information that pops up.

Often, the writing has a stream-of-consciousness feeling to it. The dialogue often presents as stilted and forced, offering far more unrequested information than one would naturally offer in conversation. Support characters are flat, not one of them is fleshed out. They’re only there as devices for Jordan’s use.

As for the mystery, the author gives away everything as the story develops; there is no big denouement, no dramatic revelation. I wasn’t surprised by anything. Secrets? There aren’t any. Things often either drag or jump out of nowhere. It's a slow read. This would have been a much better book if it had focused on the mystery, not given the surprises away, and kept Jordan Manning in the background.

What’s a “liquor lounge”? Or a “music lounge”? I live in Chicago, and I’ve heard of bars and taverns, night clubs, cantinas, saloons, and taprooms. I’ve never heard of a liquor lounge, but it appears multiple times in this book. My kid is a professional musician with lots of friends who are professional musicians, classical and jazz, a racially diverse group; none of them have ever heard of a music lounge. Also, when the author talks about Austin, it wasn’t always clear if she was referring to her hometown of Austin, Texas or the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. Speaking of neighborhoods, if you’re not from the Chicago area, a lot of the towns, neighborhoods, and street names will mean nothing to you, and they will likely draw you out of the story.

This is supposed to be the first book in a series. I won’t be seeking out any further installments in the series. I found the writing sub-par and the main character unlikable and impossible to sympathize with. There are so many better books available that are true mysteries with characters that are believable, ones with whom you can commiserate, a plot is better thought out, and writing that is worth your time reading.

This book was a massive disappointment. I do not recommend it. Unless major revisions were made in final editing, this book is sorely lacking.

Disclaimer: I have never watched Tamron Hall on television, not when she was, apparently, on the news, and not now that she appears to have a talk show. My loyalties lie with a different network than the one with which Ms. Hall is connected. My opinions in this review were influenced only by the characteristics of this book.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank them for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

I love Tamron Hall. Unfortunately I did not love her book.

It pains me to say it, because I’ve been a big Tam Fan since her days as an on-air journalist/presenter for The Today Show. As the Wicked Watch, her debut novel, was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021. But it just. doesn’t. work.

The mystery follows 30-year-old (semi-autobiographical???) Jordan Manning, a journalist-slash-forensics expert who’s tracking the case of a killer in Chicago after the body of a 15-year-old missing girl is found. The child has been raped and ravaged, and Jordan likes brunch with her besties. Yep. That sentence pretty much sums up this book for me. Chapters with extremely dark, graphic depictions of this poor girl’s death are followed by ones about Jordan’s shoes, love life, and BFF meetups.

In addition to being uneven in tone, it’s also quite repetitive and boring. That feeling of “I’m finishing this damn book tonight so I can move on with my life” is never a good sign, is it? Neither is the thought that it probably wouldn’t have found a big 5 publisher if it wasn’t written by a celebrity. Ouch.

Here’s hoping Hall finds her footing with the next installment in this planned series, though I won’t be reading it to find out. There have been some positive reviews for As the Wicked Watch, so please do check those out if you’re a Tam Fan too. Meanwhile, I’m moving on with my life.

My thanks to William Morrow / Custom House / Scene of the Crime for the advance copy to review via NetGalley. Expected US publication date is Oct. 26, 2021.

As the Wicked Watch introduces an unconventional heroine, Jordan Manning. Jordan is an investigative reporter in Chicago that also has a degree in forensic science. When stories that she encounters hit too close to home and are often dismissed by the police, she tends to take it personally, but when a fifteen year old honor student, Masey James, is missing for three weeks and classified as a runaway despite not meeting any of the typical triggers for it, Jordan decides this particular young woman is not going to be overlooked. When Masey's remains are found, Jordan goes full steam ahead, especially when the police arrest three young boys for her murder, in complete contrast to the leads Jordan has been pursuing that hint that there's more to Masey than meets the eye and it could have lead to her death. The story moves at a breakneck pace which feels much in line with Jordan's job as a TV reporter, and keeps the reader engaged. I'm somewhat conflicted about Jordan as a character - it's hard not to admire her relentlessness and tenaciousness in pursuit of truth and justice - she also works hard and cares deeply about the important people in her life. She's also reckless, tends to get so wrapped up in pursuing something that she's thoughtless or dismissive, and there were points in the story that she was disclosing confidential information when she shouldn't have. But flawed characters make more interesting characters, right? The author could scale back the amount of detail she puts into describing irrelevant characters and scenes, but overall this is a great first effort from Hall.

This thriller was a breath of fresh air for the genre and I am highly impressed. Obviously Tamron Hall is well versed in the true crime arena and her knowledge made this possibly one of the best thrill rides of the year! I am officially on team Jordan!

The lack of police concern and media coverage on missing Black girls is an incredibly important topic that needs more attention. Hall takes her experience in journalism and her platform to shine a light on it and I applaud her for that. The premise of the storyline is great and I was definitely interested while reading the book. However the writing felt forced and formulaic.

As The Wicked Watch is a solid mystery story told through the eyes of the reporter investigating it. Masey James, an African American teenager, goes missing in Chicago. Jordan Manning, the local African American reporter, gets emotionally invested in solving what happens as she knows that African American missing girl cases do not get the same attention as missing White girls. Jordan makes it her mission to solve Masey's story even if it puts Jordan herself in danger.
The story is socially and politically charged which is repeated numerous times throughout the story. This can cause it to seem slow and drawn out at times but the underlying mystery and the engaging characters are what keeping you reading through the slow parts.
I enjoyed the mystery and subsequent resolution of the book. I enjoyed seeing a story from a different perspective than my own.
Thanks to Netgalley, William Morrow and the Scene of the Crime Early Reads for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

I love Tamron Hall's crime reporting on her ID Channel show, and she's been very open about her sister's murder and what a violent crime does to a family. I had high hopes for this book, and for the most part, my expectations were met.

What I loved: This story absolutely did not shy away from racism and how it exists in everything from the media reporting a crime to the detectives investigating it. The story felt gritty, raw, and absolutely real.

What I didn't love: There were several places in which the story felt bogged down by unnecessary commentary/dialogue. I'm truly hoping there will be more installments in this series and our protagonist Jordan can truly find her voice.

Thank you to the Publisher, Tamron Hall and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/as-the-wicked-watch-2/

“I know from the many stories that I’ve covered that the wicked watch, and they strike when they think nobody’s looking…”

As the Wicked Watch is journalist Tamron Hall’s debut novel but you would never know it. Billed as the first in a new crime series featuring news reporter Jordan Manning, a young black female reporter who works for a Chicago TV station and is the reliable narrator of this novel. I am sure Tamron used her own background as a reporter in Chicago and then NY to write this story and it shows. As the reader, I felt like I was living vicariously through her early years as an investigative reporter and how it affected all aspects of her life.

We meet Jordan as she is investigating the disappearance of a young black girl, 16, who has disappeared in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. The girl, Masey James, is a straight-A student who loves her family and is very active in her church. Jordan has done what all journalists shouldn’t do and has formed a close bond with Masey’s mother, Pamela. As she begins to use her investigative tools to find out what happened to Masey, a body is found and the mystery becomes who was Masey James and why was she brutally and shockingly murdered?

While the book’s focus is primarily the murder, As the Wicked Watch is also a tutorial on racism and sexism in the journalistic world. Also, it focuses on the bias in black communities and how systemic racism affects the actions of both Policemen and journalists. Even Jordan, a black reporter, feels biased when a car driven by a black man follows her home and into her parking garage. She also recognizes that the color of her skin affects how she may be welcomed into a black community, whereas other reporters may seem suspicious.

There are some parts of Tamron Hall’s novel that may seem cumbrous. For example, her relationship with a photographer that seems to be off and on, however not explained why. Also, her friends with benefits with a gym trainer that she seems to not want to take further but welcomes his presence frequently throughout the book. But more confusing is the actual murder of Masey James. While her character has many facets beside the loving and deeply religious high schooler, we are not told “why” she was killed. There are hints towards it at the end but the reader is left wondering not who but why? As the Wicked Watch can be described as “unputdownable.” Though after putting it down, I still wanted more!

This was a solid book and a solid beginning to a new series. The author included a lot of important social commentary about race, but it was done in a way that was a bit awkward and almost clumsy in that it abruptly removes the reader from the story and then just as abruptly plunks the reader back down into the plot instead of weaving the plot and the social commentary together. Aside from that aspect and having some issues with the story’s pacing, this is a book that had some teeth to it, and I’m excited to see where future books lead.

DNF. This book was too slow and didn't have enough forward plot development. It was too detailed in some parts.

I've been a fan of Tamron Hall for years, so I was excited to see she had a book out. Though I love the genre and the crime reporter angle, this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. There was a lot of overdetailing and unnecessary commentary, too much rambling, that stalled the plot on many occasions. There were also inconsistencies. It could've benefited from a tighter edit. The author did shed a light to the unsolved crimes in the inner city of Chicago. I found Jordan to be a likeable lead, which isn't always the case with those in her profession (reporter). I loved her determination to give a voice to Masey (the victim). I also liked the fact that the author provided behind-the-scenes glimpses into the inner working of the media and journalism.

Thank you for my early review copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I believe this book will be a huge bestseller.

Big fan of Tamron Hall as a newscaster, tv anchor, talk show host and now as an author. The novels backdrop is Chicago where Hall lived while a local reporter and her love for the city sines through. A quick, easy to read mystery. Well written and will appeal to her fans and new readers alike.

Had high hopes for this one!! I love thrillers with crime reporters are the main POV, but for some reason this fell short for me. The story was compelling, but there was SO MUCH unnecessary commentary that really drug this story into the mud. I think it could have easily been 200 pages less and still semi-impactful. I'd read more by this author if it were more succinct and to the point. I really enjoy the different POV from someone outside of the police department, but there wasn't enough meat to the plot and WAY too much other commentary.

Jordan Manning is a reporter for one of Chicago’s top newsrooms. Determined to keep her position on the investigative crime beat she puts all she has into her reports. When a Black girl goes missing and is written off as a runaway, she wonders if the color of the victims’ skin makes her seem less important. As the story unfolds, Jordan will stop at nothing to expose the truth. She just hopes she can complete the task, as the closer she gets to the answers, the more danger she finds.

Tamron Hall takes the reader behind the scenes of an investigative reporter in her book "As the Wicked Watch". Stressing how a news broadcast is a quick glimpse of the whole story, she expresses the daunting tasks of a journalist. Yet, she also ensures it is all worth it in the end.

However, between the slow-moving plot, inconsistencies between characters and locations, as well as the influx of profanity, this novel was a struggle to finish. The mystery and thrill seemed to be lost with an abundance of unnecessary rambling. Therefore, a rating of 3 out of 5 stars is awarded.

None the less, this a good read for someone wanting a front row seat into the world of journalism.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #SceneOfTheCrime, and #WilliamMorrow for the free advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.