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Fake News & Office Blues (2022) by Amanda M. Lee is the twentieth installment in the Avery Shaw Mystery series. Amanda M. Lee uses her seasoned newsroom‑sleuth protagonist Avery Shaw to investigate an apparent abduction and large‑scale corruption while navigating the workplace chaos of her own news organization. The novel matters because it blends newsroom humor, serious investigative stakes, and personal risk — a hallmark of Lee’s engaging cozy‑mystery style.
Setting & Author Context
The story of Fake News & Office Blues takes place in Michigan, within the everyday but chaotic environment of Avery Shaw’s newspaper world and the wider local‑crime community. Lee draws on her own background in journalism — Amanda M. Lee worked in newspapers and uses that experience to ground the fictional newsroom environment. The setting of a newsroom mixed with community‑threats influences the tone: humor, workplace banter and professional responsibility all converge. Amanda M. Lee’s style is characterized by snarky prose, rapid‑fire dialogue and an ability to weave serious mystery into an otherwise light‑hearted tone.
Plot Summary (No Spoilers)
In Fake News & Office Blues, reporter Avery Shaw is fresh from a high‑profile case and looking for a quieter story when she witnesses two men in a car attempting to abduct a woman outside the courthouse. When the woman disappears and the local sheriff casts doubt on what Avery saw, the story spirals. Meanwhile, Avery’s own newsroom boss is trying to reassign her to fluff‑pageant pieces, and her husband Eliot questions whether Avery is overreacting. Avery decides to dig deeper, even as barriers mount and danger rises. The setup follows: the protagonist (Avery Shaw) → witnesses → a suspicious event, then the protagonist → initiates → an investigation despite pressure from her professional environment. The tension builds as Avery balances workplace angst, personal relationships and the unfolding danger.
Characters & Themes
Main characters:
- Avery Shaw: Reporter/sleuth; determined, witty, ethical. → Represents resilience and professional integrity.
- Eliot Kane: Avery’s husband; supportive but concerned for her safety. → Represents personal grounding and relational tension.
- The newsroom boss / sheriff / abducted‑woman’s circle: Figures who challenge Avery’s instincts and raise the stakes. → Represent authority, conflict and obstruction.
Themes:
- Truth versus perception: The novel explores how what Avery saw may be dismissed or manipulated, so perception → challenges → truth.
- Workplace chaos and personal ambition: Avery’s professional world collides with her personal life, so journalism → affects → identity and relationships.
- Danger hiding behind routine: A seemingly ordinary assignment hides a threat, so the ordinary → conceals → extraordinary danger.
- Ethics of reporting: Avery’s path investigates how reporters pursue justice even when institutions resist.
Amanda M. Lee uses her voice to juxtapose comedic newsroom elements with serious investigative tension. The novel remains accessible and light‑toned yet layered with stakes for Avery’s career and life.
Tropes & Reader Experience
Fake News & Office Blues employs several familiar cozy‑mystery tropes: a professional protagonist (reporter) who becomes sleuth, workplace setting combining personal and professional stakes, and the “woman sees something no one else will believe” angle. On the reader‑experience front, the book delivers witty dialogue, newsroom in‑jokes and sharp investigative momentum. The tropes → define → reader expectations of fun‑driven suspense, and Amanda M. Lee → delivers → that mix of humor and mystery. According to Goodreads readers, the book holds strong ratings (around 4.7/5) reflecting that many fans consider it a high point in the series.
Series Placement / Reading Order
Fake News & Office Blues is Book #20 in the Avery Shaw Mystery series by Amanda M. Lee.
A quick placement snapshot:
- Book #19: Hard Hitting & Misleading
- Book #20: Fake News & Office Blues
While this novel can be enjoyed on its own thanks to its self‑contained mystery, readers familiar with earlier entries will appreciate recurring characters, evolving professional arcs and the ongoing relationships (especially Avery’s marriage to Eliot). The series → created by Amanda M. Lee → continues to build continuity and character depth across titles.
Reader Suitability / Why Read It
Fake News & Office Blues is a perfect pick for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries set in professional environments (especially journalism), who value a strong central female protagonist (Avery Shaw) with wit and integrity, and who like the mix of light humor with genuine investigative danger. The tone is breezy enough for comfortable reading yet layered enough for suspense. The novel appeals to fans of reporter‐sleuth narratives, workplace dynamics, and readers looking for a female detective in a non‑traditional setting. The book inspires readers with a sense of justice, curiosity and professional agency — and it offers a solid entry point into the Avery Shaw Mystery universe.
Continue the Avery Shaw Mystery Series
Read other books in the Avery Shaw Mystery Series.