Those Who Trespass : A Novel of Murder and Television

What goes on behind the news is the news in Bill O'Reilly's first novel, Those Who Trespass: A Novel of Murder and Television. The engaging thriller centers around a string of murders being carried out in almost ritualistic fashion against the major players of Global News Network (GNN) and miscellaneous others involved in the television news industry. First it's a loutish White House correspondent who gets it with a silver spoon in Martha's Vineyard. Next comes a vice president of the network. As the list grows, so does the pressure on police to stop the killer before he strikes again. Enter Tommy O'Malley, a touch New York detective who has his own ideas about how to keep the streets clean. His work--and life--is complicated by the persistence of a charming young reporter named Ashley Van Buren. In her "Crimetime" column, she dishes a full serving of innuendo and speculation to an audience hungry for just such fare. O'Malley looks like a terrific source to her, and he has to admit she looks pretty good herself.

The real story in Those Who Trespass, however, is that "the way it is," as Walter Cronkite would have said, is not a very nice way at all. O'Reilly, a veteran of Fox and an Emmy winner himself, reveals the skullduggery that goes on under the anchor desk and on the other side of the camera: correspondents "bigfooting" others' stories, young climbers doing anything to secure the anchor seat, and ratings outfits fixing the game to suit themselves. Once you've read this, you will understand the part of the news that's not fit to print.