Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Cityside
Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
William Heffernan
Class/Genre:
Morrow, Jul 1999, $24.00, 320 pp.
His personal and professional lives are all but dead, leaving New York Globe reporter Billy Burke very depressed. However, suddenly things look much brighter when Billy finds a story that, if handled correctly, could provide him with a Pulitzer. A hospital refused to provide life saving open-heart surgery to an impoverished child because the mother has no means (either out of pocket or insurance) to pay the cost.
Billy begins to investigate and soon realizes that hospital administrators are protecting their butts by altering or destroying records. However, his superiors at the Globe want Billy to hang somebody because someone needs to take the public hit as the malevolent person refusing proper health care to a poor child. Billy remains the consummate professional, not concerned with a prize, but with an honest story that will help the victim. Still, the clock is ticking on the life of a little boy and the pressure mounting on Billy to find a public goat.
CITYSIDE is a fabulous look at the journalist profession to hit a home run at every bat since the Watergate exposure. The story line is entertaining and intriguing as readers hope the lad gets his needed operation. However, William Heffernam falters a bit by painting Billy and his seemingly horde of women as totally perfect beings. The so-called villains are portrayed in a more even manner as hospital administrators struggle between costs and proper health care. Mr. Heffernan provides readers with a deep, well-written thriller.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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