The Accident Report

A Ronald Truluck Novel

By: Ralph Ellis

Narrated by: James Matthews Vannoy

It’s the summer of 1974, and Woodward and Bernstein have vanquished Nixon from the White House. In a sleepy North Carolina textile town, rookie reporter Ronald Truluck is bored with writing about lawn mower thefts when he gets a tip—city councilman Lamont Moody got drunk, drove his Bonneville off the road, and ripped up somebody’s front yard. But the police let him walk away.

Recognizing a cover-up when he sees it, Ronald vows to break Lamontgate and make his bones as a serious journalist. It won’t be easy. Ronald is a long-haired pothead who’s loosey-goosey with the facts. His paper, The Eagle, runs pet-of-the-week photos on the front page, not corruption stories. And the linchpin source only wants to talk about his book of poetry, not the accident. With a little help from his brainy girlfriend and the flower-child city hall reporter, Ronald lands the story—with results nobody expected.

©2025 Black Rose Writing (P)2025 Black Rose Writing

Critic reviews

“Ralph Ellis delights the reader with engaging characters, a suspenseful plot, and laugh-out-loud humor.” —Kim McCollum, author of What Happens in Montana