About the Author Author, Journalist, Educator, and Writing Coach John DeDakis is a former CNN Senior Copy Editor for the Emmy and Peabody-Award winning news program "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."      DeDakis (pronounced  deh-DAY-kiss) is the author of four previous mystery/suspense novels, Fast Track, Bluff, Troubled Water, and Bullet in the Chamber. Bullet in the Chamber is the winner of Reviewers Choice, Foreword INDIES, and Feathered Quill book awards in 2017. The first two novels are set in Wisconsin where the author grew up: Troubled Water is set in Georgia where the author worked for 17 years as a journalist at CNN in Atlanta. Bullet in the Chamber and Fake are set in Washington, D.C. where the author lived for 13 years and was a White House correspondent. The books feature Lark Chadwick, a young woman searching for purpose in life who finds it as a journalist. The novels deal redemptively with issues of suicide, journalistic integrity, anonymous sources, mentoring relationships, presidential politics, and various public policy issues.  In Fake, Lark, as a White House correspondent, investigates the sudden death of the First Lady as Lark, herself, is the victim of “fake news.” Each book in the Lark Chadwick series is written to stand alone -- they don't need to be read in order.   From 2013 to 2015, DeDakis was an adjunct journalism faculty member at the University of Maryland-College Park. John DeDakis, a native of La Crosse, Wisconsin, began his journalism career in 1969 at a campus radio station at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was tear gassed while covering an anti-Vietnam War riot in 1970. He earned a B.A. in Journalism from that university in 1977 following a stint in the U.S. Army where he worked from 1972-74 as a Special Events Reporter at The American Forces Network - Europe (AFN-E) based in Frankfurt, Germany. During that time he interviewed legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock. In 1970, DeDakis was the first news director of WLSU-FM (88.9 NPR) located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.  From 1976 to 1983, DeDakis was a reporter at WMTV (NBC-15) in Madison, Wisconsin.  From 1983 to 1988, he was a correspondent with CBN News in Virginia Beach, Virginia. DeDakis was CBN's White House Correspondent during the last three years of Ronald Reagan's presidency.   In addition to interviewing Ronald Reagan, John also interviewed former president Jimmy Carter. In March 2013, DeDakis retired from CNN after a 25-year career there that began in 1988 when he joined the network as a writer. From 1989 to 2013, he copy edited newscasts anchored by Wolf Blitzer, Carol Costello, Bill Hemmer, Martin Savidge, Daryn Kagan, and Kitty Pilgrim.  DeDakis regularly leads “From Novice to Novelist” writing workshops at numerous writers’ conferences around the country, as well as at an immersive writing retreat in Ireland, and aboard the Coral Princess on a cruise to the Panama Canal. He was also the Writer in Residence at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta in the spring of 2013. For the past two summers, he has led writing workshops at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. DeDakis taught a journalism/writing class for student interns during the summers of 2007/08 as a lecturer at American University, Washington, D.C. (Guest speakers included legendary White House Correspondent Helen Thomas, Bob Schieffer of CBS News, and Michael Ruane of the Washington Post.) DeDakis is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. In 2013, he served as a judge for MWA’s Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel (Hardcover). John DeDakis lives in Baltimore, Maryland. Read more
S**T
A well written expose of a cultural nightmare
John DeDakis brings us a stinging indictment of today’s ‘journalistic’ wars in his latest novel. Fake follows Lark Chadwick, White House Correspondent, as she navigates the sometimes seedy underbelly of supposition, innuendo, and rumor, only to find she has become the story everyone is chasing. As the true scope of her troubles unfold, she is forced to rely on back channels, old friends, and unknown intentions, to expose the truth. DeDakis has triumphed, writing an engaging and faced paced political thrilller I found impossible to put down. As a man writing a female character, it just doesn’t get better than this. The strength, compassion, and vulnerability of Lark shines through, and is a timely and accurate view of the issues we face today.
L**D
High on Political Intrigue
John DeDakis has hit it out of the park. Again. FAKE: A LARK CHADWICK MYSTERY is a riveting mystery that's high on political intrigue and frontline heroes defending credible threats from inside and outside the United States. A tense and entertaining read, FAKE captured my attention from the get-go and took me on an exhilarating ride. I highly recommend this book!
S**T
Wow!
I want to know when the next Lark Chadwick mystery is coming out!!! Because after the last one, "Fake" -- all I could say was 'WOW!' and "YAY!' and "When?" What a ride!! This is a fantastic adventure in the Lark Chadwick series by John DeDakis! When I got 'Fake', I restarted the series from the first book 'Fast Track' and read them in order. This has been one heckuva an adventure. Chadwick is written so believably -- John, well done!! -- we see her hesitations, her doubts, and her fortitude! I have really enjoyed this series.
H**N
Didn't disappoint
Note: no spoilersOnce again, John Dedakis didn't disappoint. Tightly written, suspenseful and one of those stories you can't put down. The 4th (I think) of the Lark Chadwick series, it can stand alone, but if you read the others first, you will enjoy it more.
B**H
Another great Lark Chadwick mystery!
Fake picks up where Bullet in the Chamber left off and touched on timely topics as Lark found herself in the midst of another mystery. I couldn’t put it down!
Z**T
John is one of my favorite authors👍🥰
Each new book of Johns gets better and better. I had Fake on reserve from amazon and the moment it arrived was a perfect day to snuggle in with a cup of coffee during thunderstorms. I could not put it down and finished it the next morning! FAKE is just amazing and recommend it as a must read!!!
V**L
Brilliantly combines the hot subject of fake news with a high intensity plot
Picking up where “Bullet in the Chamber” left off, “Fake” pushes its protagonist harder, further, and faster than ever before. Still reeling from recent events in the last novel, Lark Chadwick presses forward in her true-to-form way only to find herself fighting against the ugly side of modern journalism. Unfortunately for her, it’s only the beginning as the career field she’s loved and thrived in for so long suddenly becomes fraught with falsities, fiction, and frenemies. Why bother reporting the truth when fake news leads in the viral headlines?DeDakis brilliantly combines the hot subject of fake news - one we can’t seem to get away from any more – with a high intensity plot full of scandals, secrets, and international incidents (…or are they fake??) that we’ve come to expect from his Lark Chadwick series. While his previous novels have concluded with the subtle insinuation that more would be coming, this one leaves the reader SCREAMING for what’s potentially unfolding in the next book. “Fake” is exhaustingly suspenseful – I had to walk away from it a few times just to breathe and calm down and the ending left me shell-shocked. I hope to hell the next novel is already well on its way.There is a facet of DeDakis’ writing style that I especially enjoy when he combines a real world topic and a fictional narrative. In “Fake”, he chronicles the disastrous effects of fake news on Lark’s life. However, he’s also discreetly highlighting the very serious, real-world implications of fake news on our society and its conditioning of future generations. For someone like me who stopped watching the news because I don’t know what to believe anymore, a reevaluation of that stance is in order. Even if ignored by a portion of the population, fake news ruins real lives, real careers, and can have irreversible effects on real people. It’s a complicated problem, yes, but it needs to be taken much more seriously by our culture which feeds on information-overload 24/7. While “Fake” is a work of fiction, it isn’t purely for entertainment purposes only. It’s smart writing and it makes you think long after you’ve finished the last page.“Fake” is a must-read for thriller fans and well as those who love political fiction. I’d also recommend it for those looking for diversity and inclusion in the story line as the novel tips its hat to the #metoo and LGBTQ communities. Finally, I’d highly encourage those looking to read and follow a strong female protagonist to pick up any of the Lark Chadwick novels. It’s refreshing to find that healthy balance of ‘confident’, ‘smart’, ‘not sexualized’, and ‘not a manhater’ in her. She’s relatable, believable, and just vulnerable enough to make female readers completely empathize with her. Years ago, I was overly skeptical (and yes, maybe even a bit offended) when I read the Acknowledgements section at the beginning of “Troubled Waters” and realized its male author was writing in the first person as a woman. But skepticism and offense quickly dissipated with each gripping page turn. The struggle is real and in “Fake”, DeDakis still gets it. Very well done!
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