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Going to the Bad
(Lilly Hawkins #3)
by
Newshound Lilly Hawkins is back, and this time the story she’s chasing is her own.
NEWSHOUND LILLY HAWKINS IS BACK, AND THIS TIME THE STORY SHE’S CHASING IS HER OWN.
Working as a TV news photographer at her hometown television station, Lilly has documented Bakersfield’s most violent crimes and tragic accidents. To stay sane and avoid burnout, she’s developed a wicked sense ...more
NEWSHOUND LILLY HAWKINS IS BACK, AND THIS TIME THE STORY SHE’S CHASING IS HER OWN.
Working as a TV news photographer at her hometown television station, Lilly has documented Bakersfield’s most violent crimes and tragic accidents. To stay sane and avoid burnout, she’s developed a wicked sense ...more
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Start your review of Going to the Bad (Lilly Hawkins, #3)
Lilly Hawkins, every reader’s favorite determined and dedicated (not to mention, hysterical) news photographer, is back. And this time around, the mystery she has to uncover is extremely personal.
Working as a television news photographer in Bakersfield, California, Lilly is the best at what she does. She’s seen it all, photographed it all, and works her proverbial behind off to make sure she documents her hometown’s violent crimes for the world to see. Of course, it’s not just grisly pictures s ...more
Working as a television news photographer in Bakersfield, California, Lilly is the best at what she does. She’s seen it all, photographed it all, and works her proverbial behind off to make sure she documents her hometown’s violent crimes for the world to see. Of course, it’s not just grisly pictures s ...more
Nora McFarland in her new book, “Going to the Bad” Book Three in the Lilly Hawkins Mysteries series published by Touchstone brings us back to Bakersfield, CA and another adventure with TV news photographer Lilly Hawkins.
From the back cover: NEWSHOUND LILLY HAWKINS IS BACK, AND THIS TIME THE STORY SHE’S CHASING IS HER OWN.
Working as a TV news photographer at her hometown television station, Lilly has documented Bakersfield’s most violent crimes and tragic accidents. To stay sane and avoid burnout ...more
From the back cover: NEWSHOUND LILLY HAWKINS IS BACK, AND THIS TIME THE STORY SHE’S CHASING IS HER OWN.
Working as a TV news photographer at her hometown television station, Lilly has documented Bakersfield’s most violent crimes and tragic accidents. To stay sane and avoid burnout ...more
I have devoured all of the books in Nora McFarland’s Lilly Hawkins Mystery series. The third book in the series “Going to the Bad” just came out August 7 and not only is a great mystery but also an exploration of a variety of relationships as well.
Lilly Hawkins, the main character, is a TV news photographer, called “a shooter”, in Bakersfield, California. In what is normally a man’s job, Lilly has had to be tough.
Nora knows quite a bit about this occupation. After completing her MFA from the Uni ...more
Lilly Hawkins, the main character, is a TV news photographer, called “a shooter”, in Bakersfield, California. In what is normally a man’s job, Lilly has had to be tough.
Nora knows quite a bit about this occupation. After completing her MFA from the Uni ...more
This was my first time to read a Lily Hawkins book, but it will not be my last. I received an ARC from the author via GoodReads and threw it my vacation bag on a spur of the moment. Glad I did because it was a great summer read.
For Hawkins this time the "news" is literally on her front door step, when a beloved family member is shot, discovered by her boyfriend who is acting a little strange. The humor lightens up the book which deals with not only betrayal, but abuse, elder care and asks the q ...more
For Hawkins this time the "news" is literally on her front door step, when a beloved family member is shot, discovered by her boyfriend who is acting a little strange. The humor lightens up the book which deals with not only betrayal, but abuse, elder care and asks the q ...more
Lily Hawkins is back in this third installment and is still a shooter (news photographer) for the Bakerstown television station. Christmas Eve, while sitting at work, she hears there’s been a shooting. Her ears perk up when she hears it’s at her home. Thinking that her boyfriend Rod was shot, she rushes home to find out that Ron is safe but her uncle Bud was the one who was shot.
Within a two day time span, Lily is determined to find out why Bud was shot. She digs into his past to find a lot of ...more
Within a two day time span, Lily is determined to find out why Bud was shot. She digs into his past to find a lot of ...more
Lilly Hawkins, one of the most original heroines in all of mystery fiction, returns and comes to grips with the many challenges in her life laid out in the first two books in the series. After all her trials and tribulations in the series, she finally strives for and achieves the resolutions she has been blindly striving for, and all with wit, heart, and considerable adventure along the way. This book made me cry.
I always watch the news a little differently after reading a Lilly Hawkins mystery...
What a rollercoaster! I wouldn't want Lilly on my tail- she's like my cat after a string.
"You have a giant heart, Lilly. If it were full of anger, you wouldn't try so hard to protect it." - this is both my favorite line and a great summation of the entire book.
Also, best use of snake in a mystery...
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What a rollercoaster! I wouldn't want Lilly on my tail- she's like my cat after a string.
"You have a giant heart, Lilly. If it were full of anger, you wouldn't try so hard to protect it." - this is both my favorite line and a great summation of the entire book.
Also, best use of snake in a mystery...
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This was a fun mystery with plenty of interesting characters. Add to that a surprise, heart-wrenching ending, and you've got an entertaining book to read again and again. It's a keeper.
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Parts of this mystery are hilarious making this one of the most enjoyable thrillers of the year so far.
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2012/0... ...more
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2012/0... ...more
So much fun!
"Going to the Bad," 'is a humorous mystery that is so visual it's as if the hilarious scenes were taking place on TV and that maybe, Lucille Ball, had returned to a younger life and became the protagonist.
The story begins with Lilly Hawkins at work. Her attention is diverted when a police scanner gives the address of a shooting. She realizes it's her own address and later, learns that her Uncle Bud had been shot.
Zany things are happening at the TV station. The afternoon anchor is nervous about h ...more
The story begins with Lilly Hawkins at work. Her attention is diverted when a police scanner gives the address of a shooting. She realizes it's her own address and later, learns that her Uncle Bud had been shot.
Zany things are happening at the TV station. The afternoon anchor is nervous about h ...more
Having met the wonderfully flawed protagonist, Lilly Hawkins, in McFarland’s book, Hot, Shot and Bothered, it was good to connect with her again. Lilly is a TV photographer for a Bakersfield, California news station. During the Christmas holidays, she is supervising the news stories, when one grabs her by the throat and won’t let go. She learns her beloved Uncle Bud has been shot.
She also learns her uncle was embroiled in something shady and doesn’t want the police involved, so she can’t turn ...more
Lilly Hawkins is a news photographer and she is good at her job. She takes grisly crime scene photographs and more often than not, finds herself caught up in the investigation. Christmas Eve, she hears on the scanner that shots were fired, so she moves quickly when she gets the location, her house! She knows that her boyfriend Rod is there and she's scared he's been hurt or worse.
But when she arrives, she realizes that it's her Uncle Bud who was shot. She didn't even know he was in town. But nei ...more
But when she arrives, she realizes that it's her Uncle Bud who was shot. She didn't even know he was in town. But nei ...more
Going to the Bad is a tongue and cheek mystery, with a well-written plot and unforgettable characters.
Lilly Hawkins is a feisty protagonist. She is not a reporter she is a news photographer who refers to herself as a shooter. She works for a small town television news station.
Lilly has shot scenes of most of the violent crimes and tragic accidents in her town. A criminal scene is just another day’s job. But when the crime scene is her own home, it takes on a different dimension. Using her TV sta ...more
Lilly Hawkins is a feisty protagonist. She is not a reporter she is a news photographer who refers to herself as a shooter. She works for a small town television news station.
Lilly has shot scenes of most of the violent crimes and tragic accidents in her town. A criminal scene is just another day’s job. But when the crime scene is her own home, it takes on a different dimension. Using her TV sta ...more
Right from the start I had a hard time putting this book down. Lilly Hawkins is a reporter…no she is a Shooter. She is busy working at her TV station KJAY when a report comes in of a crime at her address. Can't even imagine what she must have been feeling at that point…panic. All she could think of what her boyfriend Rod. As she arrives she is hoping beyond hope that it isn't Rod…it wasn't it was her Uncle Bud.
As Uncle Bud is rushed to surgery, rather than spend all her time at the hospital wait ...more
As Uncle Bud is rushed to surgery, rather than spend all her time at the hospital wait ...more
Going to the Bad is a tongue and cheek mystery, with a well-written plot and unforgettable characters.
Lilly Hawkins is a feisty protagonist. She is not a reporter she is a news photographer who refers to herself as a shooter. She works for a small town television news station.
Lilly has shot scenes of most of the violent crimes and tragic accidents in her town. A criminal scene is just another day’s job. But when the crime scene is her own home, it takes on a different dimension. Using her TV sta ...more
Lilly Hawkins is a feisty protagonist. She is not a reporter she is a news photographer who refers to herself as a shooter. She works for a small town television news station.
Lilly has shot scenes of most of the violent crimes and tragic accidents in her town. A criminal scene is just another day’s job. But when the crime scene is her own home, it takes on a different dimension. Using her TV sta ...more
Lilly Hawkins is at the news station when she hears about a shooting. The shooting is at Lilly’s place. Lilly fears the worst at first. Rod, Lilly’s boyfriend has returned home. Lilly thinks it is Rod but then discovers it is still bad as it is Lilly’s Uncle Bud.
Lilly can not just stand by and wait for the police to figure out what happened to her Uncle Bud. Lilly takes matters into her own hands and discovers some family secrets that someone wants hidden. How high is the price…murder?
Going to ...more
Lilly can not just stand by and wait for the police to figure out what happened to her Uncle Bud. Lilly takes matters into her own hands and discovers some family secrets that someone wants hidden. How high is the price…murder?
Going to ...more
Going to the Bad is the third and final Lilly Hawkins mystery. (Hold on while I cry a little. I'm really going to miss Lilly.) All three of the Lilly books are funny, but the humor seems more obvious in this book, and it's full of fabulous one-liners.
In this final book, Lilly is busy unraveling Uncle Bud's secrets while dealing with a dog with bladder control issues. I love a book that has both ups and downs just as you find in real life. McFarland has a great sense of humor and it comes through ...more
In this final book, Lilly is busy unraveling Uncle Bud's secrets while dealing with a dog with bladder control issues. I love a book that has both ups and downs just as you find in real life. McFarland has a great sense of humor and it comes through ...more
I recieved this book in a GoodReads giveaway and I'm not typically into mystery books but this one was a rare exception.
I have no prior history with this series and this is the third novel in it. I think it says a lot that although I had no prior background with the main character and her various companions, I had little trouble adjusting to the story. It certainly cannot stand alone as there were many mentions of previous events from what I assume are the other books, but they were brought up a ...more
I have no prior history with this series and this is the third novel in it. I think it says a lot that although I had no prior background with the main character and her various companions, I had little trouble adjusting to the story. It certainly cannot stand alone as there were many mentions of previous events from what I assume are the other books, but they were brought up a ...more
"Going To The Bad" is the third book in Nora McFarland's "Lily Hawkins Mystery" series, and to me, it is the liveliest, funniest book of trio.
I adore Lily Hawkins as a main character - she is fiesty, smart and devoted to her job as a television news shooter, but also has the natural curiousity that leads her to search deeper and often gets her in deep trouble as a result!
As this is reported to be the final book in this series, this book kind of wraps up Lily's story - and author Nora McFarland ...more
I adore Lily Hawkins as a main character - she is fiesty, smart and devoted to her job as a television news shooter, but also has the natural curiousity that leads her to search deeper and often gets her in deep trouble as a result!
As this is reported to be the final book in this series, this book kind of wraps up Lily's story - and author Nora McFarland ...more
Going to the Bad is the third book in the Lilly Hawkins series but it can also be easily read as a standalone novel. The story hits the ground running when Lilly, a TV news photographer, hears on the police scanner that there were "shots fired" at 173 Jefferson Street. Racing home, she finds her uncle the victim of a shooting. As Lilly rushes to solve the mystery of why someone might want her family dead, she begins to uncover some unsettling secrets in her uncle's past. Overall, Going to the Ba
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Lilly Hawkins is manning the news desk as KJAY when she learns there's been a shooting at her house. She rushes there to find her uncle is the victim. While he fights for his life, she tries to figure out who shot him. What secret from his past has resurfaced? I love the characters, and I felt them grow even more here. And the story kept me turning pages to see what the next twist would be.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers. ...more
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers. ...more
This is my first Lilly Hawkins mystery, and I had a bit of trouble getting engaged in the flow of the novel. But I have to say that by the time I finished, I was convinced that Lilly and her adventures are engaging, funny, and, well worth further reading. We have a nice accumulation of personal storyline, quirky and interesting characters, effective subplots, and a nicely moving plotline.
I won "Going to the Bad" as a signed ARC from Goodreads' First Reads giveaway. This this the first book I've read by Nora McFarland and I look forward to reading more by this author.
There's plenty of humor in this mystery and the plot was well thought out. I had no idea "who done it" until the very end. Some "lite" blood and gore take this out of the cozy category (for me, anyway) and I found it a fun, easy read. ...more
There's plenty of humor in this mystery and the plot was well thought out. I had no idea "who done it" until the very end. Some "lite" blood and gore take this out of the cozy category (for me, anyway) and I found it a fun, easy read. ...more
The story is enjoyable due to McFarland’s taut writing and well-developed story line. In spite of the life and death situation, much of the story is light-hearted because of Lilly’s quirky friends and co-workers. Going to the Bad will please readers who are looking for a light-hearted mystery, a cast of unconventional characters, and a down-right fun read.
An enjoyable mystery. I found it funny that the main character, Lilly, points out when she is doing stupid things. Instead of being a PI, Lilly works for a television station. I can't say that any of the characters really came to life for me. I might try another in the series and see what I think.
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Good reads win: This wasn't one of my favorite reads but it was still pretty good. I guess is could have been because I hadn't read the other books that involve Lily Hawkins. This novel it totally worth the read for mystery readers.
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Characters were likable, plot line was interesting, but overall I felt like some type of spark was missing for me. It was a good book, but something just seemed to be holding it back from reaching its full potential (although I am not sure what that something is).
The author tries to portray the main character, Lilly Hawkins as quirky and cute but she just comes across as annoying and clueless. Other than her (which let's face it is the biggest part) it's not a bad story.
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This is the first Lilly Hawkins book I've read, and I enjoyed it very much. Some of Hawkins' adventures in "reporting" required some willful suspension of disbelief, but that made for no less exciting reading. Will probably seek out more books in this series.
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Nora McFarland has worked for CNN and has an MFA from the University of Southern California's school of cinematic arts. She lives in Macon, Georgia.
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Lilly Hawkins
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