RELEASED JUNE 19, 2025
A car crash. A cover-up. A rookie reporter out of his depth.
It’s 1974, and Ronald Truluck is chasing the biggest story of his career—if he can keep the facts straight.
Will he break the story, or will the story break him?
“Ralph Ellis delights the reader with engaging characters, a suspenseful plot, and laugh-out-loud humor.”
Kim McCollum, author of What Happens in Montana
About The Accident Report
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.
Celebrate the Launch of The Accident Report
Join us for the launch of Ralph Ellis’s debut novel, The Accident Report, a sharp and witty tale set in 1974 North Carolina. The story follows rookie reporter Ronald Truluck as he investigates a small-town cover-up, navigating the challenges of journalism with humor and determination.
📅 Thursday, June 26
🕖 7:00–9:30 PM
📌 Manuel’s Tavern - 602 N. Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA
About Ralph Ellis
Ralph Ellis is a seasoned journalist and a newbie novelist. His goal is to create sparkling fiction based on the hours, days, and years he spent grinding out stories about hubcap thefts and sewer regulations.