Scoop

by Rene Gutteridge

Book Overview

Olivia takes her discerning eye for style to beautiful Venice on a family vacation that involves dodging pigeons in the Piazza San Marco, gorging on gelato, and barely staying afloat in a gondola. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400071577
• ISBN13: 9781400071579
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Waterbrook Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Get the Scoop on this laugh-out-loud book

This was the first book I've read by Rene Gutteridge. The back cover copy was intriguing enough for me to pick it up, and let me say that I was very pleasantly surprised by the great read. This is the start of her Occupational Hazards series, following a family of homeschooled kids who helped their parents run a clown business until the parents' untimely death in a hot tub related accident. The adult children go off to find their way in this wacky world. This book focuses on Hayden Hazard, who is unsure of what her place is, but is happily working at Channel 7 News as a temp for producer Hugo Talley. The story that Hugo is looking for to strike it big quickly becomes that of his own studio, as his aging anchorwoman has a Botox accident, his conscientious reporter is attacked on camera, and his designer weatherman...doesn't help very much. Will Hayden's determination and simple faith keep the place from falling apart, or expidite the process? Gutteridge uses a very interesting technique of having Hayden be the point of view (POV) character only for the first and last chapters. Otherwise, other characters are the viewpoint for the book, and we get to know Hayden from their impressions from her, rather than getting in Hayden's head. I've noted other reviewers weren't sure of this technique, but I found it very enjoyable. It requires a lot of skill to pull this off and get to know Hayden, and I think it works very well with her talented pen. What category is this book? HUMOR. This was one of the funniest books I've ever read. Gutteridge has a great way of keeping the unexpected flying at Channel 7, and the surprises keep you grinning throughout. The plot keeps you moving, but it is the characters and their interaction that makes this book a delight to read. Overall it was the best book I've read in 2006 (and I read a lot of books!). Original, funny, and a great way to spend some time. I also really enjoyed the next book in the series, Snitch . You can see my blog review and interview with Rene Gutteridge at www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com (see November 2006 archives).

Fun, fast-paced, humorous take on the news business

Scoop by Rene Gutteridge is the first book in the Occupational Hazards series. Book 1 introduces the Hazard family briefly, then jumps into the chaotic, entertaining world of a struggling, last place news operation. Hugo Talley is the executive producer totally devoted to his job and needing a little blue pill to take the edge off the stressful day. The staff is full of great characters: Brenda, the aging icon, Tate, the hansome anchor with one too many quirks, Ray, the quiet Christian, Roarke, the news desk man with the secret crush, and Hayden Hazard, the cute intern. The novel jumps from scene to scene, capturing the craziness of a network news show during sweeps week. Many things go wrong, and Hugo Talley finds himself without an anchor while a big story is developing, a story that may just involve some of the employees at his station. The plot develops rapidly and personalities clash, and characters turn to the vain selfishness that dominates the news industry, or turn to the good that Hayden brings to the station. Hayden Hazard, the focus of the series, grew up in a conservative home and was homeschooled. She seems out of place as she shares her faith with anyone that will listen. As a main character of the series, I feel she was somewhat underdeveloped. We really don't get to know much about her. For me, Gutteridge's strongest characters were the men, Ray Duffy, the hardnosed reporter, and Hugo Talley, the desperate producer. This isn't a genre a usually read, but I enjoyed the novel very much. It is fun, fast paced, even suspenseful. The characters grow on you after awhile. I look forward to Snitch, the next book in the series, featuring Hayden's older sister Mack as an undercover police officer.

Another fun faithful read from Rene Gutteridge

Scoop by Rene Gutteridge was on my to read list as soon as I heard about it. Rene is a terrific writer as evidenced by her Boo series. Her books are filled with quirky characters who you want to know or already know. Scoop is no exception to the rule. Hayden Hazard has left the family clown business and is trying to make it on her own in the high-pressure business of TV journalism. She's working at Channel 7, the perpetual loser in the ratings game. During sweeps week, the anchorwoman disappears, the sewage plant explodes, and a reporter is injured while investigating a pig farm. All Hayden can do is cling to her faith and try to help others find theirs. Hayden is a terrific character; she's who we all want our daughters to grow up to be. Gutteridge never writes stereotypes. The aging anchorwoman has dignity and intelligence. The harried director loves his family and is trying to do his best for everyone. Hayden touches everyone with her simple faith and sweetness. Gutteridge manages to insert clever humor throughout the book, not quite in the over-the-top manner of the Boo books, but in a more realistic, true to life way. This is the first book in the Occupational Hazards series, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading about the rest of the family.

A Bookful of Laughs

I took Scoop along with me on vacation. I am now a great Rene Gutteridge fan! What a sense of humor her writing has. I've bought and read books with labels on them claiming that my money would be returned if I didn't find them hilarious. I didn't find them funny, but I never returned the books for my money back. Those books were okay - just not as funny as claimed. But Scoop is a different story. From the obituaries prior to chapter one (Yes, I said obituaries.) forward throughout the book, I laughed and laughed and laughed some more. Rene's characters are so real I'd like to meet them. Ray Duffey, news reporter, could be your next door neighbor. Hayden Hazard might be your sister. Roarke Keegan will bring tears to your eyes as you suffer with him through his trials. Your sympathies will go out to Gilda Braun, aging news anchor, as she nears the end of her broadcast career. Scoop takes you into the world of broadcast news during an all-important sweeps week. For a small broadcast station in competition with a couple of larger ones in town, coming up with a scoop to bring in viewers is vital. So the hunt is on for a high-profile breaking news story. Hugo Talley, Channel 7 news producer, is determined to make his station come out on top this year. So he orders his news reporters to be on the lookout. He knows, if they work hard enough, they will find him a good story. But a series of disasters within his news staff threatens to bury his goal and even lose his job for him. Can he save the week and bring Channel 7 out on top anyway? Or will Hayden Hazard, his new assistant, destroy the station with her goody-two-shoes act instead of helping him solve the problems? What does she mean anyway bringing prayer into the work place? If you love romantic comedy, you'll rush out and get a copy of Rene Gutteridge's Scoop as soon as you can. And then, I'll bet you'll be like me and search for anything more by Rene that you can find.

terrific inspirational story

Channel 7 News Director Chad Arbus demands News Executive Producer Hugo Talley, already popping anti-anxiety pills like candy, to raise the ratings or he loses his job. He has few options so Hugo turns to his long time anchor Gilda Braun asking her to change her image in order to bring in many new younger viewers. Stunned and somewhat humiliated, Gilda hesitantly agrees to "youthenize" herself starting with Botox treatment to smooth out the wrinkles. However, a side effect of the treatment is a permanent smile that looks ghastly when the news is bad or serious. Humiliated, Gilda flees town, leaving Hugo in the lurch for a fast replacement. With no candidates, Hugo turns to his upbeat assistant Hayden Hazard though he has concerns with her lack of experience and her evangelical beliefs. Shockingly, Hayden is a major success with viewers. Reporter Ray Duffey is attracted to her and shares her religious beliefs, but hides his conviction from the station managers and his peers unlike Hayden who prays out in the open. However, during an interview, a guest verbally attacks Ray on the air, who investigates his accuser learning the man has ties to a wastewater treatment plant explosion, subsequent cover-up, and though somewhat nebulously the missing Gilda. The first Hazard sibling tale is a terrific inspirational story that lampoons its heroine when she comes out in taboo social settings with what seems like platitudes in spite of her truly believing. Hayden makes the story line work as her beliefs begin to impact those around her especially Ray and Hugo yet Rene Gutteridge also spoofs her message. This technique actually has the intended impact of strengthening the message that it is nothing to be ashamed of by displaying your religious beliefs in public. Readers will enjoy the opening of the Hazard brood with a bit of craziness inside a fine pleasant suspense. Harriet Klausner