Book ~ "The Player" (2014) Brad Parks

From Goodreads ~ When he hears residents of a Newark neighborhood are getting sick - and even dying - from a strange disease, investigative reporter Carter Ross dives into the story - so deep he comes down with the illness himself. With even more motivation to track down the source of the disease, Carter soon hits upon a nearby construction site. But when the project's developer is found dead, and his mob ties surface, Carter knows he's looking at a story much bigger - and with even more dangerous consequences - than an environmental hazard. 

Back in the newsroom, Carter has his hands full with his current girlfriend and with the paper's newest eager intern, not to mention his boss and former girlfriend Tina Thompson, who has some news for Carter that's about to make tangling with the mob seem simple by comparison.

Carter Ross is a reporter for a newspaper in New Jersey.  He picks ups a story about a neighbourhood where everyone is getting sick, breaking limbs and even death.  When he goes there to investigate, he too gets briefly sick which definitely makes him more interested.  Before he can dig into it too much, though, he is reassigned to investigate the murder of a well-known builder, whose body was found on his construction site near the neighbourhood with the illnesses.  The construction site seems to be on the up and up but is it?

In the meantime, Carter is still dating a colleague but his boss and former girlfriend has some interesting news for him.

I liked this book, and though I found it ended quickly and neatly, I didn't see the "whodunnit" coming.  I enjoyed the writing style ... it was funny and sarcastic.  It is written in first person perspective in Carter's voice.  As a head's up, there is swearing.  I liked the characters.  Carter is funny yet dorky and the other characters are colourful.

This is the fifth book in the Carter Ross series and I like this series.  Despite being part of a series, this book works well as a stand alone so you don't need to read the others to enjoy this one as there is enough background provided.