Review: The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Title: The Other Woman 

Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Series: Jane Ryland/Jake Brogan, #1

Published: September 2012 Forge Books

Format: Hardcover, 416 pages

Source: Publicist

Jane Ryland was a
rising star in television news…until she refused to reveal a source and
lost everything. Now a disgraced newspaper reporter, Jane isn’t content
to work on her assigned puff pieces, and finds herself tracking down a
candidate’s secret mistress just days before a pivotal Senate election.
 

Detective
Jake Brogan is investigating a possible serial killer. Twice, bodies of
unidentified women have been found by a bridge, and Jake is plagued by a
media swarm beginning to buzz about a “bridge killer” hunting the young
women of Boston.
 

As the body count rises and election looms
closer, it becomes clear to Jane and Jake that their cases are
connected…and that they may be facing a ruthless killer who will stop at
nothing to silence a scandal.
 

With its dirty politics, dirty tricks, and a barrage of final twists, The Other Woman
is the first in an explosive new series by Hank Phillippi Ryan.
Seduction, betrayal, and murder—it’ll take a lot more than votes to win
this election.

My thoughts: This is the first book I’ve read by Hank Phillippi Ryan and I am now a huge fan! I recently had the opportunity to meet Hank while she was touring for her latest book, The Wrong Girl, which is the next book in this series. (You can read about that meeting here.) It was so interesting finding out more about the author and I now realize that the reason her writing is so good is that she is also an investigative reporter. The ideas for her books come from real life stories – only she lets her imagination run wild with the little nugget she decides to explore.

The
Other Woman introduces us to reporter Jane Ryland and police detective Jake Brogan. Jane has just lost her job as a tv news reporter for refusing to give up a source. With the help of her friend, Jake, she lands a job at a local newspaper. Her first gig is to follow a political campaign. Jake is working on a set of murders that he is really hoping don’t turn into the work of another serial killer on the loose. 

When the murder investigation and campaign seem to overlap,
Jake and Jane are thrown into each other’s worlds and have to face what
their growing attraction could mean to both of their careers. The chemistry between them is quite palpable, although nothing seems to happen…yet!

This is a book that keeps you turning the pages to find out its secrets and
just when you thought you have everything figured out, new twists and turns appear. Hank certainly knows how to build suspense – I could not put
this down and found myself reading it in just two sittings. I had to know what happened next and the somewhat short chapters definitely make for that “just one more” mentality until you reach the last page!

I loved getting to know Jane and Jake and look forward to seeing if the two of them can continue to work side by side without there being too much of a conflict of interest, especially as it seems things are definitely heating up between them. Can they resist the temptation for the sakes of their jobs? 

Have you read anything by Hank Phillippi Ryan yet?

Books in this series:

1. The Other Woman
2. The Wrong Girl