Don't Shoot the Messenger

They’ve changed. He hasn’t. And that’s the problem.

Alan Hope has spent his entire working life as a reporter for the local newspaper. Now in his early sixties, he’s the newsroom dinosaur, firmly out of touch with the TikTok generation. So when his editor insists he starts an online blog, Alan treats it like free therapy. It’s not like anyone is actually going to read it… right?

Wrong! Because the more Alan’s life unravels – both personally and professionally – the more his brutally honest posts explode in popularity. Suddenly, the tight-knit town of Bashford is reading Alan’s innermost thoughts…

His wife announces she no longer wants to grow old with him. His two grown children are more like strangers. His colleagues are mortified at the oversharing. Then he’s forced to work with fellow reporter Lisa – young, ambitious and the epitomise of modern life. Everything Alan is not.

But can someone from a completely different generation help Alan reconnect with his own family? And can Alan – a newspaper relic who now actually hates newspapers – help Lisa uncover the truth about her father?

Perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary and Mike Gayle, Don’t Shoot the Messenger is a charming comedy about family, friendship and finally embracing something new… even if you’re a few decades late.