Author: Stacy Juba
ISBN: 978-0-615-29011-9 

Click Here To Purchase Twenty-Five Years Ago Today 

Having worked as a typesetter in the news room of a small town weekly in my younger days, I felt right at home in the first few pages of this book.  We had an Editor-in-Chief who didn't show up for work; a managing editor who thought he knew everything; reporters who were very self-absorbed and the lowly typesetters who did all the work.  This book took me back and I really enjoyed reading it so much that I didn't put it down until I had read the entire book.
 
Kris Langley is an assistant editor at her home town newspaper located in Fremont, MA.  Her job is much like the typesetter, who types obits, marriage announcements and a feature called Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.  She comes upon a story about the murder of Diana Ferguson, a barmaid, which happened 25-years ago.  She was found beaten to death in the woods close to a college campus.  Most everyone had forgotten about her by now and there had never been an arrest in the case.  This case reminds Kris of her own guilt about the death of her cousin, Nicole, when they were young girls.  Nicole had gone off by herself to meet Holly, Kris's sister, and Kris decided not to accompany her as she was jealous of Nicoles' friendship with Holly.  As a result Nicole had started walking home alone and was picked up by a new neighbor who turned out to be a pedophile, and she was killed.  Kris has been carrying the guilt of this act all her life.  Even though her managing editor wants Kris not to get involved with the story of Diana's murder, Kris does it anyway.  She becomes acquainted with the dead girl's family, including Diana's mother, sister, brother-in-law and nephew.
 
Kris interviews friends of Diana's, including two boyfriends, her closest girlfriend and an art teacher that Diana was involved with during her time in school.  The dead girl's nephew Eric, wants to be involved because he thinks that Kris will bring a lot of hurt to his grandmother and mother.  Kris continues with her story plans and finally has to turn over the story to the paper's lead reporter who is not an ethical person.  Unfortunately, Kris is fired from the paper and goes off on her own to finally find the culprit and try to assuage her guilt about her own cousin.  She alienates her own family along with Diana's family but finally comes up with the solution.  I can say no more because I don't want to give away the end.  This will surprise and amaze you.
 
This mystery is a heartrending tale about families and their relationships.  Kris and Eric are searching for an end to all the heartbreak that their families have suffered.  The scenes in the news room are fabulous and so true.  The news room staff and their attitudes, trials, tribulations and challenges are as true today as they were twenty-five years ago.  The machines are the only things that have changed.  Each character has their own story that meshes with all the other characters.  I guarantee to all mystery fans that once you pick this book up you will not put it down and will praise the author, who tells me that this is her first mystery novel.  Keep up the good work Stacy.  The reading public needs good mystery writers.