A thrilling tale of revenge set against the vibrant backdrop of sensationalist modern media
Seasoned reporter Sanford “Fuse” Petty is old-school in every way—anti-technology, anti-Millennial (don’t even mention Gen-Z), and anti-“gotcha” journalism. After Fuse is asked to leave his paper pending a disciplinary investigation, he has plenty of time on his hands. So when his oldest friend approaches him for advice after the man’s daughter says she was sexually assaulted by her boss, a prominent media star, Fuse agrees to help. He gives his buddy the only options he feels are available: report the incident to the police and risk a huge “he said/she said” smear campaign against the girl, or plan something even better—revenge.
As a journalist, Fuse has a colorful background investigating criminals, politicians, gangsters, drug lords, and all-around shysters—and knows plenty of shady sources—so he’s the perfect person to enact a complex (and ultimately, entertaining) plan to bring the popular media mogul down in the court of public opinion . . . and make him pay.
Genre: General Fiction
Seasoned reporter Sanford “Fuse” Petty is old-school in every way—anti-technology, anti-Millennial (don’t even mention Gen-Z), and anti-“gotcha” journalism. After Fuse is asked to leave his paper pending a disciplinary investigation, he has plenty of time on his hands. So when his oldest friend approaches him for advice after the man’s daughter says she was sexually assaulted by her boss, a prominent media star, Fuse agrees to help. He gives his buddy the only options he feels are available: report the incident to the police and risk a huge “he said/she said” smear campaign against the girl, or plan something even better—revenge.
As a journalist, Fuse has a colorful background investigating criminals, politicians, gangsters, drug lords, and all-around shysters—and knows plenty of shady sources—so he’s the perfect person to enact a complex (and ultimately, entertaining) plan to bring the popular media mogul down in the court of public opinion . . . and make him pay.
Genre: General Fiction
Praise for this book
"Eric Dezenhall is a genius writer, and False Light is a masterwork--smart, funny, unpredictable, freewheeling, and start-to-finish entertaining. The plotting is brilliant, the dialogue always sharp. Better yet, perhaps, this novel is a good-news reminder that we can always find measures of virtue and fairness and hard truth in justice's difficult alchemy." - Martin Clark
"No one knows the world of damage control better than Eric Dezenhall. His portrait of what a savvy operator can do in a crisis is as real as this vehicle for talking about the battles between good and evil. You'll feel like you're reading or watching an exposé on national television or getting to see the whole truth of what our real world doesn't tell you. Highly entertaining and informative." - James Grady
"In False Light, Eric Dezenhall combines a wickedly funny take on the demise of journalism and the fragility of reputation in the Internet era, with a clear-eyed view of the complex costs of sexual predation, despite the best efforts of the metoo movement. A grown-up fantasy for our troubled times." - David O Stewart
"For any parent who spends sleepless nights worrying about what could happen when the universe gets ahold of their child, False Light is an acerbic tale of revenge in the form of reputation obliteration, the only currency a certain type of climber understands. Eric Dezenhall mixes the serious topics of our times with a riotous look at middle-aged crushes, long marriages, insane relatives, and fears of professional obsolescence." - Lee Woodruff
"False Light is The Big Chill of the metoo era-I want the soundtrack of this terrific, timely book! I also want a buddy like the hilarious, loyal Sandy 'Fuse' Petty. On probation either because he's too old or too good, Fuse has the press chops to help his friend's daughter when her internship with a celebrity goes south. All he wants is justice, and for his teenage daughter to laugh at his jokes." - Mary Kay Zuravleff
"No one knows the world of damage control better than Eric Dezenhall. His portrait of what a savvy operator can do in a crisis is as real as this vehicle for talking about the battles between good and evil. You'll feel like you're reading or watching an exposé on national television or getting to see the whole truth of what our real world doesn't tell you. Highly entertaining and informative." - James Grady
"In False Light, Eric Dezenhall combines a wickedly funny take on the demise of journalism and the fragility of reputation in the Internet era, with a clear-eyed view of the complex costs of sexual predation, despite the best efforts of the metoo movement. A grown-up fantasy for our troubled times." - David O Stewart
"For any parent who spends sleepless nights worrying about what could happen when the universe gets ahold of their child, False Light is an acerbic tale of revenge in the form of reputation obliteration, the only currency a certain type of climber understands. Eric Dezenhall mixes the serious topics of our times with a riotous look at middle-aged crushes, long marriages, insane relatives, and fears of professional obsolescence." - Lee Woodruff
"False Light is The Big Chill of the metoo era-I want the soundtrack of this terrific, timely book! I also want a buddy like the hilarious, loyal Sandy 'Fuse' Petty. On probation either because he's too old or too good, Fuse has the press chops to help his friend's daughter when her internship with a celebrity goes south. All he wants is justice, and for his teenage daughter to laugh at his jokes." - Mary Kay Zuravleff
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