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Bylines & Skylines (2016) by Amanda M. Lee is the ninth installment in the Avery Shaw Mystery series, and it’s a cozy mystery that mixes newsroom antics, comic‑con culture, and murder investigation. Lee uses her protagonist Avery Shaw to explore how the familiar world of journalism collides with unexpected danger in a high‑energy setting. The novel matters because it deepens Avery’s personal life while maintaining the series’ trademark humor and suspense.
Setting & Author Context
Amanda M. Lee sets Bylines & Skylines in Michigan, particularly orbiting the fictitious newsroom and the locale of a comic‑book convention in Macomb County (as the description indicates). The setting of a comic‑book convention + the newsroom world brings together two spheres of popular culture and professional journalism, which influences the tone: playful, meta‑aware, and still containing investigative tension. Lee’s author style is characterized by witty, snark‑infused narration (as her author page confirms) and she draws on her own experience in newsrooms.
Plot Summary (No Spoilers)
In Bylines & Skylines, reporter Avery Shaw is looking to make some major life moves — she and her boyfriend Eliot are searching for a house so they can officially move in together. At the same time, Avery is given a coveted set of passes to a major Macomb County comic‑book convention and she is put in charge of supervising her arch‑nemesis at work — an assignment she finds both amusing and irritating. When Avery and Eliot arrive early at the convention center, they stumble across a dead body. The discovery triggers Avery’s investigation into who killed the victim and why, while balancing her professional responsibilities, her relationship with Eliot, and tensions with her ex‑boyfriend Jake Farrell who is working security at the convention. The conflict arises from Avery juggling personal life, professional ambition and unexpected danger — she faces the challenge of remaining safe, uncovering truth, and maintaining her relationships.
Characters & Themes
Main characters:
- Avery Shaw (reporter and sleuth) → represents tenacity, humor and juggling personal life with high‑stakes mystery.
- Eliot (Avery’s boyfriend) → represents stability and partnership, while also being drawn into Avery’s chaotic world.
- Jake Farrell (Avery’s ex‑boyfriend & security chief) → represents unresolved history, workplace/crossover conflict, and added danger.
- Convention‑goers / the victim / suspects → represent the unpredictable, larger‑than‑life world of a comic‑book convention and how subcultures intersect with crime.
Major themes:
- Change and growth: Avery and Eliot’s house‑hunting signals Avery’s desire for personal growth, while the murder investigation pulls her into professional growth.
- Dual worlds: The novel explores how the world of journalism (headlines, bylines) and the world of pop culture conventions (skylines, spectacle) collide.
- Truth and identity: Avery Shaw → investigates → a secret in a high‑visibility setting. The series uses the investigator’s eyes to explore integrity in journalism and authenticity in relationships.
- Balance between personal and professional: The novel emphasizes how Avery must balance her personal life (relationship with Eliot, past with Jake) with her role as a sleuth and reporter.
Amanda M. Lee uses her style of blending humor, workplace settings and amateur‑sleuth investigation; the tone remains light‑hearted enough for a cozy‑mystery but still carries suspense.
Tropes & Reader Experience
Bylines & Skylines uses several familiar cozy‑mystery tropes: a protagonist who is a professional (reporter) but steps into amateur sleuthing; a confined event‑setting (comic convention) that creates a closed‑circle feel; quirky supporting characters (comic‑geeks, convention staff); personal stakes and professional stakes. These tropes define reader expectations: humor, investigation, personal growth, and a satisfying resolution rather than intense violence or horror. Amanda M. Lee delivers a reading experience packed with snark, warmth, and page‑turning plotting — readers can expect the familiar Avery‑Shaw voice, witty dialogue, and a blend of workplace comedy with murder‑mystery. On Goodreads the book holds a rating of 4.55 / 5 among ~1,484 ratings.
Series Placement / Reading Order
Bylines & Skylines is Book #9 in the Avery Shaw Mystery series by Amanda M. Lee.
Here is a sample of the sequence around it:
- Book #7: Headlines & Deadlines
- Book #8: Misprints & Mistakes
- Book #9: Bylines & Skylines
Readers who have followed the series will find continuity in characters and relationships, though the book can also be enjoyed on its own due to its self‑contained plot. The series → created by Amanda M. Lee continues to deepen Avery’s world, and this installment builds on previous personal arcs (house‑hunting, relationship with Eliot, workplace conflicts).
Reader Suitability / Why Read It
Bylines & Skylines is ideal for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries set in professional or workplace environments, who appreciate a romantic subplot, and who like investigations set against fun or unusual backdrops. The novel appeals to fans of reporter‑sleuth protagonists, comic‑con culture touches, and humor‑laced dialogue. The story inspires enjoyment, laughter and curiosity, and provides comfort‑mystery rather than dark‑thriller. If you like warm‑hearted mysteries with strong female leads, witty banter and a plot that keeps you guessing while smiling, then Bylines & Skylines is a strong pick.
Continue the Avery Shaw Mystery Series
Read other books in the Avery Shaw Mystery Series.