Title: BuriedAuthor: Jeffery Deaver
Series: Hush Collection #4
First Published: July 30, 2020
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Pages: 80
Genre: Mystery, Short Stories, Thriller
Format: Ebook
Source: Prime Reading
Rating:
An old-school reporter discovers that the search for the truth is still full of surprises in a twisty short thriller from bestselling master of suspense Jeffery Deaver.
After a long run as a respected journalist, Edward “Fitz” Fitzhugh is on his way out when he stumbles across the story of a lifetime. The Gravedigger is a serial kidnapper who taunts the police with riddles. The other puzzle is his motive, which Fitz is determined to piece together. When an eyewitness to the latest abduction leads Fitz closer to the facts, he realizes that the last great story of his career is not at all what it appears to be.
This story was such a treat, Buried follows an old-school investigative journalist as he digs into the mystery of a serial kidnapper, publishing news on the second abduction to help save the victim while wondering about the kidnapper’s motives. Is it for fame, or is it something more?
I love how the story dares to comment on the current state of journalism, with traditional print giving way to online gossip and clickbait sites for sources of news. Fitz laments about the way things used to be and doesn’t fully grasp the new age of online reporting, which tends to focus more on garnering views from viral sensations while important local news ends up buried under the fluff. This story highlights the very real power that online connectivity can have with true journalism.
I also loved the mystery here, it was engaging enough and gives the reader all the parts to piece together. It was a fun read and Buried is easily the best story in the entire Hushed Collection. If I were to recommend one to read, it would be this one over all of the others.
“Real journalists dig, they background, they research. They’re fucking pains in the ass housing subjects for statements. They get double attribution—at the minimum—talk to multiple sources… They report facts. Not alternative facts, not sort-of, kind-of facts…”
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
About Jeffery Deaver
A former journalist, folksinger and attorney, Jeffery Deaver is an international number-one bestselling author. His novels have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the New York Times, the Times of London, Italy’s Corriere della Sera, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Los Angeles Times. His books are sold in 150 countries and have been translated into over twenty-five languages. He has sold 50 million books worldwide.