Lois Lane Tells All

By: Karen Hawkins
Publisher: Pocket Star Books
Publication Date: March 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4165-6027-2
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: July 11, 2010

At the age of six, Susan Collins developed an absolute obsessive love with all things Superman. As she grew up, she followed her idol and became Lois Lane – female reporter extraordinaire – for her small town newspaper located in the hysterical world of Glory, North Carolina.

Susan loves the news; she not only writes the “Dear Bob” column, but she is always getting the scoop on the local happenings. In addition, she tries with all her might to do top-notch editorials that will keep the subscriptions flying out the door, and bring the ad revenue soaring back in.

A man by the name of Mark Tremayne has returned to Glory to take over as the CFO of The Glory Examiner. Although he was born in Glory, he moved when he became an adult to Raleigh, and is the head of a very successful accounting firm there. He’s only going to stay in Glory long enough to get the newspaper back on its’ feet and operating in the black, in order to help out his sister Roxie.

Mark is exactly what Clark Kent is all about: His glasses are geeky; his demeanor is awkward and slightly prissy; and, he could definitely wear a badge that introduces himself as “Mr. Uptight.” What Susan sees, however, in every inch of his amazing body, is a Clark Kent who can certainly turn into “Mr. Incredibly Sexy” in about a second and a half. She doesn’t want to feel this way about him, but her libido seems to dance the cha-cha whenever Mark walks into her office and crosses his arms like the great Man of Steel.

Not only must Susan deal with this newfound lust, but she also must cope with a father at home that she’s taking care of; a man who is much more interested in drinking beer to excess than actually helping out his daughter when she’s in need. Susan certainly has friends to turn to, though. In fact, most of the town is in love with her. She likes football, bass fishing, and every Wednesday night she has the six most eligible bachelors in town over to her garage for a night of poker. She’s always been one of the guys. In fact, except for Susan’s closet full of high heeled “wanton-woman” shoes, she is far more comfortable in a man’s world.

While trying to fight her attraction to the temporary CFO of the paper – and a co-worker named Pat who boasts a Nazi-style haircut and a mouth to match – Susan stumbles across a story of embezzlement that involves the local church Bake-Off, where over thirty thousand dollars has disappeared from their coffers. Soon, all heck breaks loose in the town of Glory, and accidents begin to happen. Out of the blue, Susan’s brake lines are cut, and a hole is drilled in her fishing boat; someone seems very intent on silencing Susan’s investigation into the missing fundraising dollars.

Add to all this a group of women from the local assisted-living center, who are so obsessed with CSI that they’ve ordered “kits” off the internet that will help them solve mysteries, and the novel goes from funny to all-out hysterical. These women are definitely the town’s Murder Mystery Club, and they can’t wait to fill out dossiers on every “suspect” in Glory, and are even setting up a lab in one of the ladies’ bathrooms at the home in order to solve the case of who, exactly, is trying to “take-out” Susan Collins.

Quill says: As a small town girl, who is used to the way of life that comes from everyone on EVERY street knowing you and your business, this book was an extreme treat. Not only that, ladies, but I, for one, am going to hunt for Glory, North Carolina, because I think all us single women should have the opportunity to live in a town that boasts the handsomest, most eligible bachelors in all the land. Enjoy this extremely fun read!