The Big Mistake

Is pursuing her dream career really all that's important, or is Stella about to make the biggest mistake of her life?


Savvy, experienced network reporter Stella Reynolds, used to covering one crisis after another, finally lands a plum assignment to interview a celebrity movie star and emcee a charity gala for Lucky, her racecar driver boyfriend. But within an hour of touching down in Chicago, the A-lister's a no-show, Stella's mom calls to demand that she check in on Fran, the granddaughter of an old family friend, and then a tragic school shooting breaks just down the road.

Stella rushes to cover the crime, and it's a doozy. Police are baffled, how did the gunman escape? Stella's overbearing boss won't stop hounding her to scoop the competition, and she digs in, looking for answers.

A local reporter bent on beating Stella complicates things, and the police chief in charge of the investigation doesn't trust anyone in the media. But Stella's boss is adamant; find a new angle or find a new job.

When it's clear that the Hollywood star, Fran, and the shooting aren't nearly as unrelated as it initially appeared, Stella's only thoughts turn toward unmasking the gunman. Her job depends on it, and so do countless lives. But will her laser-like focus derail her relationship with Lucky? How many times can she put her job first, knowing that eventually, she'll have pushed everything and everyone in her life off to the side one too many times?

The Big Mistake is the sixth book in the Stella Reynolds Mystery Series, but can be read as a standalone novel.