Scoop of the Year by Tom Claver
Martin is an ambitious journalist working on the Financial Review. Martin is good at his job - accurate, dedicated, hardworking and with a good nose for a scoop. But Martin is also uninterested in the culture that comes with reporting. He has a wife and two daughters at home and he doesn't want to waste time and money in the pub, talking macho nonsense with the other hacks. He is a far cry from his colleague Tom de Lacy, a charismatic, silver-spooned charmer with piercing blue eyes. Tom doesn't just grab the limelight though - he also grabs the promotion to industrial correspondent. And that is the job Martin not only wanted but needed.
| Scoop of the Year by Tom Claver | |
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| Category: Thrillers | |
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Reviewer: Jill Murphy
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| Summary: Very witty thriller with a wonderful ending that I didn't see coming and wager you won't, either. The protagonist, a journalist, is somewhat compromised but you'll root for him anyway. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 363 | Date: November 2017 |
| Publisher: Troubador | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1788036221 | |
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Things spiral downward for Martin after losing out on the promotion. While Tom's star rises to the point of landing a plum job in television, Martin's sinks to the detriment of his career and his marriage. So when a possible scandal story about a pharmaceutical company comes Martin's way, he is determined to turn it into something worthwhile and rescue his floundering prospects...
... but can he manage it, with a family crisis unfolding in the background?
I thoroughly enjoyed Scoop of the Year. The book packs a great deal of plot and action into roughly three hundred and fifty pages - Claver blends Martin's rivalry with Tom de Lacey, chasing a corporate scandal and a family drama worthy of the most popular TV soap without ever losing sight of each strand. He writes directly and with an admirable lack of stuffiness. I like this no-nonsense approach to the narrative especially in thrillers, where events count more than anything else. The dialogue is also very good - never stilted and often very witty. There are some excellent throwaway lines that will make you laugh. All in all, Scoop of the Year is a smooth, absorbing and engaging read.
I liked Martin. By the end of Scoop of the Year, he is a somewhat compromised central character but you can't help but root for him. He's treated unjustly - and with a good dollop of old-fashioned British classism - at the beginning of the book but he keeps on trying, both to succeed as a journalist and to do the best for his family. He might be flawed but Martin is, at heart, a good guy.
I don't want to ruin the book by saying too much lest I give it all away, but I will say that I loved the ending. I wasn't expecting it and it really made me think. It's a big reveal but not the type of reveal you'll be expecting. I trust that's suitably enticing and mysterious for you, Bookbaggers!
A satisfying read for all fans of complicated conspiracy thrillers.
If you like thrillers featuring journalists or ex-journalists, you might also enjoy Paying For It by Tony Black. For more from big pharma, try Venom by Joan Brady. We also have a review of Hider/Seeker by Tom Claver.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Scoop of the Year by Tom Claver at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Scoop of the Year by Tom Claver at Amazon.com.
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