A Hard Man Is Good to Find [Mass Market Paperback]

Everyone at the Nortown Journal, a small paper in upstate Connecticut, wants to know why Pulitzer Prize winning NY Times writer Harry Crandall is stuck running their paper. They even have a betting pool on what brought him there. Harry's not so much hiding out as biding his time until he can vindicate himself as a result of a scandal that he's managed to keep secret. He cleans house and discovers that the job he thought would be a piece of cake is actually going to take up a lot of his time to get it to turn a profit. He also finds himself drawn to the city editor, Jamie McClane. They have an antagonistic relationship while trying to keep from acting on their pent-up feelings. Jamie is mistakenly informed that it was sexual harrassment that got Harry canned, and when he finds out, he does his best to flirt with her and make her uncomfortable for investigating him.

Enter a sexy pregnant ex, a career building story about a child's murder, and assorted office politics, and you have the makings of a humorous and steamy story of small town life. The ending is a little too abrupt in tying up loose ends, but overall it is a funny and quick read.

Jaime McLane knows she's in trouble when the latest edition of the Nortown Journal is published. The headline is awful and she thinks her boss will be furious because she didn't fix it before the paper hit the streets. With her job on the line, insecurity mounts when she's summoned to see the man in charge, Harry Crandall. After all, he's been firing staff left and right.

Harry, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist from New York City and the Journal's new publisher, thinks of this job as a temporary assignment, eventually planning to return to the big city where he belongs. Not only did he find the headline amusing, but Harry believes Jaime has the makings of a great journalist.  Realizing her talents are wasted as the city editor, Harry decides to keep her on her toes by putting her on probation, but he also encourages Jaime to act on her instincts when she plans a follow-up piece looking into the Joshua Tate murder from almost a year ago. What does Jamie uncover about Joshua Tate's murder? Is there a future for Jaime and Harry?

A Hard Man Is Good To Find by Jane Blackwood is a great story, delving into the lives of two diverse people from two different worlds. Jaime McLane, a talented, strong-willed woman, likes her life the way it is and resists change.  Smart and eager, Jamie has a natural instinct for news. Harry Crandall, a typical big city dweller, comes to small town America to lick his wounds. What he doesn't plan on is his attraction to a small town woman who interferes with his plans.

 

Both Jaime and Harry are well-rounded, flawed characters who become steamy hot when they finally come together. I highly recommend this tale for those wanting an entertaining read about the mass media and the surprises that occur when in pursuit of a story. I eagerly await more books from Ms. Blackwood.

Gene

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

'A Hard Man is good to Find' by Jane Blackwood was a great find. This is well-written contemporary romance novel. The main characters are both strong and with flaws and are real to a fault. Harry leaves the New York Times to run a small town newspaper, Jamie is the local editor - sparks fly, and you cannot help enjoy the ride. This is very quick read with a splash of mystery, romance and underlining heartache.