KEY News Books in Order

How to Read the KEY News Series

For readers looking to dive into the pulse-pounding world of television journalism, the KEY News series offers a unique blend of authentic media details and classic suspense. Because the series functions as an ensemble cast mystery where the central protagonist changes from book to book, you have two primary options for tackling this twelve-book saga. However, we highly recommend reading the books in publication order to fully appreciate the subtle character development, changing newsroom dynamics, and the evolution of the network itself.

KEY News Books in Publication Order

Mary Jane Clark published one KEY News novel almost every year between 1998 and 2009. Reading them in this order lets you follow the career trajectories of recurring characters, particularly Eliza Blake, as they rise through the ranks of the fictional KEY News network.

1. Do You Want to Know a Secret? (1998) – Eliza Blake, a morning anchor and reporter, gets caught in a deadly web of political scandal and murder when a colleague is killed.
2. Do You Promise Not to Tell? (1999) – Aspiring producer and reporter Farrell Slater stumbles onto a career-making story that quickly turns lethal when an artist is murdered.
3. Let Me Whisper in Your Ear (2000) – Reporter Laura Walsh faces a career crisis when celebrity obituaries she pre-wrote begin airing before the subjects are actually dead.
4. Close to You (2001) – Morning anchor Eliza Blake moves to the suburbs for a fresh start with her daughter, only to find herself targeted by dangerous stalkers.
5. Nobody Knows (2002) – Washington correspondent Cassie Sheridan is exiled to the Miami bureau after a high-profile reporting error, where she uncovers a serial killer during a hurricane.
6. Nowhere to Run (2003) – Medical producer Annabelle Murphy has to navigate a bioterrorism crisis and severe paranoia inside the KEY News Broadcast Center.
7. Hide Yourself Away (2004) – Grace Callahan, a single mother working as an intern, tries to keep her head above water while a week of broadcasts in Newport, Rhode Island, is disrupted by a killer.
8. Dancing in the Dark (2005) – Correspondent Diane Mayfield interviews a young woman whose abduction claims were ignored, sparking a dangerous hunt for a real predator.
9. Lights Out Tonight (2006) – Critic Caroline Enright attempts to bond with her stepdaughter during a theater festival in the Berkshires, only to investigate a string of murders.
10. When Day Breaks (2007) – Anchor Eliza Blake joins forces with producer Annabelle Murphy, cameraman B.J. D’Elia, and psychiatrist Dr. Margo Gonzalez to solve the suspicious death of a ruthless colleague.
11. It Only Takes a Moment (2008) – In a highly personal thriller, Eliza Blake faces a parent's ultimate nightmare when her young daughter is kidnapped.
12. Dying for Mercy (2009) – Eliza Blake and her KEY News team investigate a series of mysterious deaths connected to a historic estate in Tuxedo Park, New York.

Who's Who in the KEY News Network

Unlike standard mystery series that feature a single detective or investigator, the KEY News books are unique because the protagonist shifts. This keeps the formula fresh while maintaining a strong sense of continuity. The heart of the series is its ensemble cast of media professionals:

• Eliza Blake: The series' most prominent character. She starts as a morning anchor and reporter and remains a major grounding presence throughout, taking the lead roles in books 1, 4, 10, 11, and 12.
• The Sunrise Suspense Society: Introduced formally in the later books (starting with When Day Breaks), this team consists of Eliza Blake, producer Annabelle Murphy, cameraman B.J. D'Elia, and consulting psychiatrist Dr. Margo Gonzalez. Together, they pool their professional skills to solve crimes that hit close to the network.
• Rotating Journalists: Single-book protagonists like Farrell Slater, Laura Walsh, Cassie Sheridan, Grace Callahan, and Diane Mayfield show different angles of the media machine, from ambitious interns to seasoned correspondents.

What to Know Before You Start

Before you pick up the first book, keep these practical reading tips in mind:

Are they standalones? Yes, every book in the KEY News series features a self-contained murder mystery that is fully resolved by the final page. You won't face frustrating cliffhangers. That said, the characters' personal lives—like Eliza Blake raising her daughter or characters dealing with the fallout of past mistakes—carry over from book to book.

Real-World Authenticity: Mary Jane Clark spent nearly three decades working as a writer and producer at CBS News. This first-hand experience shines through in the books' realistic depiction of newsroom jargon, control room panic, tight deadlines, and the ethical grey areas that journalists navigate daily.

Clearing Up the "Footprints in the Sand" Confusion: Some online databases erroneously list the 2013 book Footprints in the Sand as part of the KEY News series. In reality, this book is the third installment in Mary Jane Clark's second mystery series, the Piper Donovan / Wedding Cake Mysteries (which also includes To Have and to Kill, The Look of Love, and That Old Black Magic). While both series are written by Clark, they feature entirely different characters and settings.