Throughout a person's lifetime they are sometimes faced with both minuscule and monumental decisions they must make. The former types will past with very little impact while the latter ones may alter a person's life forever. Mutualism may be forged initially by comfort and convenience, safety and survival, or by greed and glory. Sometimes the lines are blurred, touching different sides of the equation. Whatever the reason, those entering into a pact of mutuality must realize both the benefits as well as the drawbacks that await them. There are many things that seem to last forever, but one must always keep in mind and beware that the only true constant, is change. Mutually beneficial associations between people can often force a change and cause individuals to rethink, re-prioritize, and re-focus on decisions they made yesterday, and force them to feed on each other's vulnerabilities today. "Lead Story" is a mystery novel that incorporates just such a macabre and dangerous pact between two individuals from two different worlds leading two entirely different lifestyles. The intersection where they meet and forge their alliance is both frightening yet conceivable in today's world of broadcast journalism. This novel will be appreciated by any reader interested in mystery, adventure and romance. Those three elements are intricately woven throughout the on-going storyline. Although the central part of the story takes place in Miami, the reader is taken on a state-wide trip of intrigue stretching out over the entire state of Florida. The story transports them from the far northwestern city of Pensacola all the way down to Key West, the southernmost city in the United States. "Lead Story" focuses on appealing to both the average and the avid reader. Young and older readers will also be drawn to its characters and storyline. It has mass market appeal and crosses all targeted audiences of this particular mystery & crime drama. The novel centers around a Miami based television beat reporter named Arland Hunter. When he is given a temporary opportunity to experience the lofty status of filling in for the lead anchor at his station he enjoys the experience so much that he goes to extreme measures in order to make his ascension permanent. He enters into a mutually beneficial secret pact with a sadistic Miami-based serial killer. They feed off each other's strengths and vulnerabilities in order for each of them to increase their television profiles and achieve their own selfish goals. The reader is taken on a trip to both paradise-like familiar Miami landscapes but also becomes intimately aware of the darker, somewhat sinister side of South Florida. In the end, they are left with a clearer understanding of the inside world of broadcast journalism and the knowledge that desperate people will sometimes go to uncommon extraordinary lengths in order to keep their new-found wealth and status or to simply kill repeatedly so they may grasp their "15 minutes of fame." "Lead Story" also lifts the veneer of covering that hides the private lives of different characters intimately involved in the core story-line. It highlights the everyday problems facing Lieutenant Ayala and Sergeant Highgate, the two lead detectives involved with the day-to-day investigation of the murders committed by the killer as well as other key players such as the tumultuous lives of the television station's head anchorman Carlos Cardona and his wife Mirla. I hope this novel will serve as a vessel to illuminate the unexpected inner feelings shared by both the victims as well as the perpetrators of the most despicable crimes. To show that they are sometimes locked in a conflict they neither created nor have the power to control. Yet the consequences that are manifested when their lives intersect each other can have a profound effect on the way they react and learn t