DEATH ON A DEADLINE by Joyce St. Anthony
SERIES: Homefront News Mysteries #2
GENRE: Historical Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Crooked Lane
RELEASE DATE: November 8, 2022
PAGES: 288
Editor-in-chief Irene Ingram pencils in her newest mystery in Joyce St. Anthony’s second captivating Homefront News mystery, perfect for fans of Anne Perry and Rhys Bowen.
As World War II rages in Europe and the Pacific, the small town of Progress is doing its part for the soldiers in the field with a war bond drive at the annual county fair. Town gossip Ava Dempsey rumors that Clark Gable will be among the participating stars. Instead of Gable, the headliner is Freddie Harrison, a B-movie star. When Freddie turns up dead in the dunk tank, Irene Ingram, editor-in-chief of The Progress Herald, starts chasing the real headline.
There are plenty of suspects and little evidence. Ava’s sister Angel, who was married to the dead actor, is the most obvious. The couple had argued about his affair with the young starlet Belinda Fox, and Angel was the last person to see Freddie alive.
Irene discovers there’s more than one person who might have wanted Freddie dead. As Irene draws on her well-honed reporter’s instincts to find the killer—nothing is what it seems in Progress, and now her own deadline could be right around the corner.
Other Books In This Series
Longer review coming later…
Bottom Line: One of my favorite parts of this series’ first book was the way the author immerses the reader so completely in WWII America, and it’s one of my favorite parts of Death on a Deadline too! From the chapter-opening news headlines to the everyday details that make the time period – and the characters – come alive, it’s clear St. Anthony has done her research while weaving the history seamlessly into the fabric of the story. One cannot be separated from the other, and the end result is smartly entertaining! Along with a shocking murder, the drama of celebrity, the emotions of wartime (including the bond drives), and the buzz of a small town newspaper combine to make this a cozy mystery you don’t want to miss. Can’t wait to tag along with the intrepid Irene on more of her investigative adventures!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received via the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4 stars / enjoyed it!
Reviewer’s Note: Readers of this blog may want to be aware that there is some infrequent cursing in this novel. It is otherwise clean.
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Joyce St. Anthony was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers, but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. In addition to the Homefront News Mysteries, she is the author of the Brewing Trouble Mysteries and the upcoming Cider House Mysteries written under her own name, Joyce Tremel. She lives in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania with her husband.
This giveaway is hosted by Great Escapes, not RimSP
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What about you? What makes you want to read Death on a Deadline by Joyce St. Anthony?
Sounds wonderful. Cover art is excellent. Congrats on your tour.
Sounds like a fun mystery.
A historical cozy mystery? Being set in WWII makes the cozy mystery even more attractive.
My favorite era and a cozy besides. Great 👍
Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.