We have all been warned about the dangers of the internet many times over, especially for children. There are predators lurking out there, sometimes pretending to be who they are not, preying on the young.

Jan Brogan’s Teaser takes readers into that world as Chronicle reporter Hallie Ahern investigates a possible sex ring involving teen girls. As a former gambling addict, Hallie has turned to chat rooms to keep herself occupied and out of trouble. One night Hallie stumbles onto what will become a career make it or break it story. She finds a video clip of two girls in a provocative situation, with a promise of more to come—in other words, a teaser. Hallie’s investigation into the video and her search for the two girls involved, lead her into dark territory. Drugs, sex, and murder are all tangled together in a complex web of conspiracy. The more she learns, the more complicated things become and the more danger Hallie finds herself in.

I instantly liked the character of Hallie Ahern. She has a reporter’s tenacity and dedication to her job, but she also takes time to think things through—even if at times she ends up going with her first impulsive thought. She is aware of the toll her choices have on her personal life, which is where her more vulnerable side comes out. Her live-in boyfriend is a prosecutor who has made sacrifices in his career because of his love for Hallie. In Teaser, Hallie finds herself facing difficult choices—follow the story and risk losing the man she loves or hand over the reins to someone else. Her quandary is complicated by the fact that she cares about what happens to the girls she meets on her quest for the news story. These warring factions only prove to deepen Hallie’s character, and endear her more to the reader.

Jan Brogan also takes readers inside the newspaper business, where the financial impact and worth of stories are negotiated and decided upon. I liked that the staff of the newspaper worked so well together (most of the time). They seemed like a real team even off on their individual assignments, and each of the characters in the newsroom were interesting in their own ways.

Teaser is a compelling novel that had me glued to the pages, turning them as fast as I could to find out what would happen next. While this is the third book in the series featuring investigative reporter, Hallie Ahern, it stands on its own quite well. I look forward to going back in the series and seeing where Hallie got her start. ( )