Your child has been kidnapped.
You're live on television.
Going live in 10, 9, 8 . . .
Today is a huge day for TV reporter Rose’s career. A live interview with one of the most powerful men in the country, on one of the nation’s biggest TV shows.
7, 6, 5 . . .
But, when she hears an unfamiliar voice in her ear, she knows something is very wrong.
4, 3, 2 . . .
Her earpiece has been hacked. She’s live on air in the middle of the interview. They tell her they have kidnapped her family.
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And, in order to protect them, Rose must do exactly what the hijacker says. They are in control now.
'Write what you know' has to be one of the most familiar pieces of advice given to aspiring authors and Steph McGovern uses her extensive newsroom experience to great effect in her compelling debut thriller, Deadline.
The brief prologue immediately thrusts TV reporter Rose into her worst nightmare when she is informed by the calm voice in her earpiece that he has her wife and son. Her terror is almost palpable as he goes on to state that he is in control now. It's a nerve-racking opening which then is cleverly dialled back a little as the narrative explores the circumstances which eventually culminate in this intense scene. As the storyline switches between the immediate days before the hijack and earlier events, a dark, poignant tale gradually unfolds.
The chapters told from Rose's perspective give readers a fascinating insight behind the scenes of live television news; while this is obviously a work of fiction, Steph McGovern's assured, judicious melding of the more technical considerations with the workplace humour and tensions ensures a sense of authenticity throughout. Rose's easy camaraderie with her colleagues, especially the jokey exchanges she shares with her cameraman Jonesy and her appreciation of the young but undoubtedly talented producer Zoya establish her immensely likeable, relatable character. She is smart, empathetic and perceptive but it's clear that her route to the top hasn't been straightforward and she has had to fight against people's preconceptions. However, despite her polished professionalism, she is still troubled by unsettling past events and like millions of other people has to balance her work and home life. Her love for her wife, Kate and their son, Rory means the sense of foreboding, knowing what she will shortly have to face, is almost unbearable – but this is a multi-layered novel and part two takes us back five years before the hijacking.
Harriet Walters is the sort of headteacher all schools deserve; she is ambitious and determined to turn things around at Newton Banks Academy, a school in special measures where teachers have to spend more time dealing with child protection issues than actually teaching. These chapters are what really cement Steph McGovern as an author to watch for me. She adeptly captures the anger and frustration experienced by anybody working in education, particularly those in deprived areas. Deadline is an irresistibly suspenseful thriller but it is also a razor-sharp examination of class, privilege and political corruption. The grim developments here are painfully rooted in real-life cases but Steph McGovern never exploits their suffering and this is a thought-provoking, heartbreaking read at times.
The twisty, compulsive storyline follows several characters besides Rose – including Zoya, whose own troubles reflect the expectations and dilemmas placed on many living in Britain today – and the tension gradually builds towards the dramatic, unexpected conclusion.
With its well-constructed, gripping plot and observant, engaging characterisation, Deadline is an entertaining, impressive debut from Steph McGovern. I look forward to reading more!
Deadline is published by Pan Macmillan, purchasing links can be found here.
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