ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE BAD BREAK
“A ray of sunshine cloaked in a mystery. Orr is one to watch—the best humorous mystery writer around, with a voice all her own.”
— Laura McHugh, internationally bestselling author of The Weight of Blood and Arrowood
“Here comes Riley Ellison, the journalist-slash-hero we need right now. She solves murders! She writes obits! She gets life coaching from an app and somehow makes it work! I loved this fresh page-turner—it’s fun, funny, and moves like lightning. Jill Orr has created a complex plot and complex contemporary characters that make murder quite delightful. Can’t wait for the next in the series.”
— Lian Dolan, Satellite Sister and author of the bestselling novels Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife
“Deft at imbuing her pop-off-the-page characters with both humor and heart, Jill Orr also spins a gem of a twisty mystery that will leave readers breathless as they chase a huge (and dangerous) headline with Tuttle Corner’s sassy, scrappy new star reporter, Riley Ellison. Utterly delightful—don’t miss this one, y’all!”
— LynDee Walker, Agatha Award–nominated author of Lethal Lifestyles and Front Page Fatality
Praise for The Good Byline
“Jill Orr has put pure joy on the page.”
— BOLO Books
“Fresh and funny, romantic and sunny, Jill Orr’s book checked three genre boxes for me: a smart cozy series, a Southern small town setting, and, my favorite, a newspaper mystery . . . I loved the hilarious emails the author interjects into the narrative from Riley’s Personal Romance Concierge.”
— Carole Barrowman, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
“Riley ‘Bless Her Heart’ Ellison is a breath of fresh air—a funny, empathic, millennial heroine. She kept me turning the pages well into the night.”
— Susan M. Boyer, USA TODAY–bestselling author of the Liz Talbot mystery series
“A fun romp… Recommended to admirers of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum capers.”
— Library Journal
“Who knew obituaries could be this much fun?”
— Gretchen Archer, USA TODAY–bestselling author of the Davis Way Crime Caper series
“In this irresistible page-turner, Jill Orr delivers a funny, smartly written mystery featuring a charming heroine.”
— Ellen Byron, author of Body on the Bayou and Plantation Shudders
“The methodical local reporter, Will Holman, is a standout—here’s hoping he will appear in more of Riley’s adventures.”
— Naomi Hirahara, Edgar Award–winning author of the Mas Arai and Ellie Rush mystery series
For my Ellie, my Fletcher, and my Jimmy.
You guys are all the reasons and all the rewards.
Copyright © 2018 by Jill Orr
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. All incidents and dialogue, and all names and characters, are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. With a few exceptions, all places are also products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
Published by Prospect Park Books
2359 Lincoln Avenue
Altadena, California 91001
www.prospectparkbooks.com
Distributed by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution
www.cbsd.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Information
Names: Orr, Jill, author.
Title: The bad break: a Riley Ellison mystery / Jill Orr.
Description: Altadena, California: Prospect Park Books, [2018]
Identifiers: LCCN 2017040323 (print) | LCCN 2017042433 (ebook) | ISBN 9781945551215 (Ebook)
Subjects: | GSAFD: Mystery fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3615.R58846 (ebook) | LCC PS3615.R58846 B33 2018 (print) | DDC 813/.6--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017040323
Cover design by Susan Olinsky
Cover illustration by Nancy Nimoy
Book layout and design by Amy Inouye
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER 1
So how long will you be gone?” I asked Holman, trying to keep the panic from my voice.
“Depends. Could be a few days or a few weeks.”
“Uh-huh. Yeah. Okay. I gotcha.” For reasons I didn’t understand, I kept spitting out affirmatives. I could feel my head nodding up and down like a bobblehead
