Of all of Hailey's novels, The Evening News has the tightest narrative focus and the highest level of tension because from the opening chapters to the closing pages it gives prominence to the various phases of the kidnapping and because this event touches the lives of all the characters. Even the carefully-researched information that serves to satisfy the readers' curiosity about network television news is presented in the context of the emergency created when the terrorists capture Sloane's family. In a manner typical of Hailey's fiction, the story unfolds in short episodes that often end on a note of suspense which stimulates the readers' interest. Through skillful intercutting, the narrative alternates episodes about the rescue activities of CBA-TV personnel at the home office and in the New York metropolitan area with episodes dramatizing the tactics of the terrorists at the scene of the kidnapping in New York City...