Front Page Murder is the first book in the A Homefront News Mystery series by Joyce St. Anthony.

It’s months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and Paul Ingram has applied to War Department to be a war correspondent. Shortly before leaving on assignment, he turns the operation of the family newspaper, the Progress Hearld, over to his daughter, Irene, making her editor in chief. Some of the men at the paper are not happy with Paul's decision, but Irene vows to prove them wrong.

Irene learns from the town gossip, Ava, that the Markowicz Hardware across the street was reportedly robbed. Irene assigns Moses(Moe) Bauer to check this out and write up a story for the paper's next issue. Moe was always saying he was working on the next big story, but two days later, when no one had heard from Moe, Irene decided to head to Moe’s to see what he was up. When she arrives, she finds the front door open, and when Irene gets no response when calling out, she enters the home. When Irene looks down the basement stairs, she sees the lifeless body of Moe at the bottom of the stairs. Chief Turner and the coroner rule that Moe’s death was an accident. Later, Irene will find a note in a book in Moe’s desk that says he ends up dead, and it’s not an accident.

Being short a reporter is keeping Irene busy. She wants to find the killer of Moe but needs to report on possible sabotage at the Tabor Ironworks in Progress. Tabor Ironworks has recently hired more people to handle the increased production of nuts, bolts, and rivets for the war effort. Katherine, one of these new hires, lives in Irene’s mother’s home. Irene has moved into her adorable sister Lily’s bedroom so Katherine can have her room. Irene would like to ask Katherine about events at Tabor, but she feels Katherine is hiding something. A janitor is beaten up by a fellow employee, injured when a machine fell on him, a fire occurred on the production line, and a member of management died. Irene hopes to discover who is responsible for these occurrences before any more lives are lost.

The book is well-written, plotted, and historically accurate. The characters are interesting, well-developed, and believable. I thought young Lily was particularly adorable, and I look forward to seeing more of her. The author provided news headlines at the beginning of each chapter which were very interesting. I got a chuckle out of a percolator for brewing coffee and obtaining lunch at the Woolworth’s lunch counter. I wonder how many readers will need to Google them.

I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this wonderful new series.

When I found out that this was a new series from the author of the Brewing Trouble series, which I enjoyed, I knew I had to have a.copy. I wasn't disappointed. The fact that it was also a historical cozy - all the better. The main character, Irene, has grown up in the local newspaper, the Progress Herald, run by her father. With men and women headed for war in Japan and Europe, many women take over their jobs. Irene's father goes to cover the front lines as a correspondent and leaves his daughter in charge. She is more than capable of running the paper especially when one of her reporters is found dead at the bottom of his stairs and the police want to call it an accident and close the case. On top of that investigation ,there is the case involving the robbery at the local hardware store owned by a Jewish man and then there are strange events at the local factory. All cozies have to figure out how to handle the interaction between the amateur sleuth and the local police. The solution works well here - Irene's future father-in-law is the chief of police.
Irene and her best friend who was her father's secretary - and now is Irene's - make a great team. The mystery is well crafted and very satisfying and it had me guessing to the end. I have set aside a spot on my must be read list for the next book in the series, Death on a Deadline coming out November 8, 2022.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly hadn't expected to like this since historical cozies aren't really my thing. But I gotta say, this was absolutely awesome and now ranks up there with the handful of historical cozies I've actually enjoyed not just endured. I was really excited at the end when I started poking around online to see if there was another book in the works. I was super happy to find out it comes out November 8.

Irene was a super likable, very strong young character who'd had to mature quickly, but I liked that she was flawed enough not to be completely perfect. Meaning I kinda figured out who the kingpin was before she did, and I don't think I'm that good. I feel it was planned to show that even strong people can have times of weakness or where they don't always add everything up. Lily was a sweetheart of a little sister, and I really liked Katherine's character after a certain point in the book. Peggy was a great bestie to have and made for a good sleuth partner even though she was pretty nervous about it.

There was a lot of good action, and it never felt like the story was dragging. I loved the showdown and who was on hand to help with it! The book releases tomorrow, so if you enjoy reading historical cozies set in WWII, this is for you. Heck, I didn't even realize it was for me because I'm not a big history nut, but I guess the 1940s are just recent enough that they don't seem too weird as compared to some 19th century history cozies I've tried to read. The key characters were so likable, I'm really hoping that Irene's dad and fiancé Bill make it home safely. Oh and that crazy Sylvia! I wouldn't mind seeing her in the next book as well as Katherine.

The language and conversation flowed nicely and wasn't a bit uppity like I've sometimes found with other eras. I shocked my husband by actually asking him a few things about WWII (since he's the history nut in the family lol!) then explained I'd just read a really good mystery stressing how it was fiction though, haha.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Front Page Murder centres on Irene, a young woman who has been left in charge of the local newspaper while the usual Editor, her father, goes overseas to report on the action of WW2. Set in 1942 in a small town in Pennsylvania the author has plenty of opportunity to comment on the way of life at that time.

Of course all round the world where men were being sent off to fight women were "keeping the home fires burning." Irene is one of these women and she does not find it easy, especially when one of her employees is found dead. The police believe it is an accident but Irene finds clues that there is more to it than that. Her reporter's instincts lead her to look for more details and she uncovers a real mystery.

I liked the character of Irene. She is level headed, sensible and does not necessarily take everyone at face value. Many of the other characters are appealing too and will be worth following in future books in the series. The mystery is clever and does not end up being quite what it appears at the beginning.

Overall this is a good start to a new series and one which will be worth looking out for in the future.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I enjoyed this historical fiction cosy mystery book. The characters are phenomenal in this book. It will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page trying to figure out what will happen next. I adored Katherine Morningside and Irene Ingram characters. This is the first book in this series. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book will be in stores on March 8, for $26.99 (USD).

3.5 stars

This series debut features young publisher and editor Irene Ingram, filling in while her father serves as a war correspondent during World War II. The newspaper is in the small town of Progress and Irene is an appealing character. She takes a lot of grief for being young and female and handles herself well, and she is not afraid to wield authority when it is needed.

Irene is engaged to a local police officer who is also serving overseas. Her fiance's father is Chief of Police, which is handy in a cozy mystery. The mystery centers around a local factory doing war work and some anti-Jewish bigotry occurring in town.

Pleasant, non-demanding read, a bit simplistic in style but with a likeable main character. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The United States had just committed itself to fighting Germany and Japan in WW II; the Duquesne Spy Ring had been captured, tried, and convicted. At the same time men were joining the war effort leaving women to work the factories and edit the local papers. It was true not only in the big cities, but in the small towns as well. Progress PA was no exception. Irene Ingram had assumed the position of Editor at the Progress Herald when her father departed as a war correspondent in the Pacific Front. Women were filling positions on all 22 lines at Tabor Ironworks.

But when reporter Moe Bauer was found dead, small-town Progress was shaken to the core. The police chief, Irene’s future father-in-law, was convinced it was an accident. Irene was not so sure. When more “accidents” occurred at the Tabor Ironworks’ plant, additional questions were raised. Irene and her staff of reporters would need to dig for the details as they began to report on the changes around town.

The resulting story, though fiction, gave this reader the opportunity to learn a bit about the history of America’s involvement in WW II - both at home and abroad. It provided an intriguing plot that made the reader guess who was fighting for and fighting against American interests. Each chapter begins with a headline from the news - some from history, some from the book itself. If I had any concerns about the book, it was its tendency to weave these stories into the text and then repeat them as a headline at the beginning of the next chapter. But even with that question, I give the book five-stars.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

A nice start to. a new series! Irene, the editor of the Progress Pa. newspaper, discovers there's evil afoot in her small town- something she didn't expect. It's WWII and Sam, A Jewish man who owns the local hardware store, has received a threatening note. Moe, a reporter for Irene's paper, is then found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. An accident or murder? Irene disagrees with Chief Walt Taylor and sets out on her own investigation. It's a classic cozy but with terrific small town Homefront details. I like Irene, who is spunky and determined,. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one.

I really liked this book. I am a fan of books set during the war, and throw in some murder and mystery and you have me at hello.

This was the perfect blend of mystery, murder and intrigue.

It was a good start to the Homefront series, and I look forward to more in the future.

This was an enjoyable read. The setting and time period were unique and interesting. The murder investigation aspect of the book was engaging even though it was fairly obvious who the culprit was. The clues were nicely planned out and the characters were pretty well developed. The domestic war effort during WW II showcased the changing role of women in the workforce and this was another highlight in the storyline. This was a good introduction to this new historical series.

Front Page Murder is set during WWII, when the men young and able joined the war effort and the women stayed behind and did their jobs. Irene Ingram is such a woman: she took over as editor-in-chief of the Progress Herald when her father decided to become a war correspondent (it seems he managed to become embedded).

Of the men that stayed behind at the paper 4 out of 5 take some form of issue that a woman in her early twenties is now their boss. One of them is Irene’s cousin Donny who works at the paper to layout the pages. He wants to become a reporter, even asks (almost begs) Irene for an upgrade to that position. When she turns him down, he insults her and says it’s because she is jealous of his talent.

Another is top reporter Moses “Moe” Bauer. Who calls her “doll” and chases after hot tips without telling her what story he is chasing and occasionally without doing the story he is assigned to do. It’s after one such disappearing act that Irene goes to Moe’s house in a quest to find her missing reporter. And finds him at the bottom of his cellar stairs.

The coroner rules it an accident and the chief of police (Irene’s future father-in-law) sees no reason to investigate. Not even after Irene brings him a note left by Moe in which he claims that if he gets killed it is no accident. Frustrated that the police will not investigate based on a note, Irene decides to investigate herself because Moe’s murderer must be brought to justice.

Though I liked the story for the most part, there were things that irked me, such as the conclusion Irene jumped to right there. Despite Moe’s note, it is still possible his death was an accident. Moe’s claim that his death would not be an accident, however, is worth an investigation. What was that story he was working on? As a reporter, Irene should want that story, whether Moe was killed or not.

But she’s young; she probably still has to hone her journalistic nose for a good story. She has a lot of “I should have thought of that moments” and they’re all related to things a reported could have (should have) thought of. Strangely, none are related to running a news paper and it seems she has less experience in that than in reporting.

The scene setting for WWII era is great, but the story couldn’t hold my attention on quite a number of occasions. I guess the urgency of something is going on a Tabor factory wasn’t transferred very well.

It's May 1942 -- not even 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II. Irene Ingram is 22 years old and is the new editor-in-chief of her small town Pennsylvania newspaper because her father is off doing war correspondence stuff somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. A lot of women have had to fill in for the missing male workforce, of course, but a young female in charge of a newspaper still didn't please a lot of people -- including some of Irene's staff. 

One of her reporters, Moe Bauer, is prone to follow his own leads in search of the next big story. When he fails to follow up on a couple of stories that she assigned him, and then doesn't show up to work after that, she goes to check on him and finds him dead. She doesn't think that it was an accident and soon begins to wonder if his death was somehow linked to the stories he was supposed to be following up on -- stories that may have Anti-Semitism at their core.

At first, quite a lot of people urge Irene to stay out of it -- including her future father-in-law who happens to be the Chief of Police, the mysterious girl boarding at her family home who works at a local factory where some of the possible hate crimes have been happening, and the victims themselves. Of course, she has to find out the truth so investigates anyway with the help of her best friend and some others. 

It all takes place over the a time span of less than three weeks so the pacing is pretty steady but not break-neck. I really felt like I knew the characters and the community and enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where the series leads.

Set in 1942 Pennsylvania, Front Page Murder is the first in a new delightful cozy Historical Fiction Mystery series...and what a debut it is! Many men have gone off to war and women replace them in untraditional jobs, changing the world forever. The Herald newspaper is now in twenty-two-year-old Irene Ingram's hands after her father left. Many in the town and her workplace do not believe the editor-in-chief's role should be hers but she persists. One of her reporters does not show up for work so she goes in search for answers and discovered something far more sinister than she ever imagined. Meanwhile, Polish Sam Markowicz is at the receiving end of Jewish persecution. Irene's instincts, job and natural curiosity lead her into the position of amateur sleuth. Chief Turner, her fiance's father, is a mentor in ways which is especially helpful when murder strikes.

My favourite aspects of the book are the historical descriptions including references to Kristellnacht and the Polish invasion as well as the chapter headings. Irene is likeable, the town gossip adds fun, the boarding element adds huge subplot interest and there is plenty to look forward to in future books, set up very nicely for all sorts of adventuresome possibilities. I just love reading books set during WWII and enjoyed this one very much. To me the setting and characters are on equal footing with the mysteries.

Historical Fiction readers who enjoy mysteries ought to read this which promises to be a series to look forward to. I am very curious to discover what Joyce St. Anthony has in store next!

My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful book.

This Homefront News series debut is very promising. Interesting premise, a 22 year old woman taking over as the editor in chief of a small town Pennsylvania newspaper when her father goes off to report on World War 2 developments overseas. Interesting characters. Interesting plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful mystery and hope this series has a long run. It's only 1942 and there's a long way to go in the war's homefront.

Very impressive!!

Twenty-two-year-old Irene Ingram has taken over as editor of her father's newspaper The Progress Herald while he is off being a war correspondent in 1942. She's facing prejudice from some of her employees who are certain that they can do the job better than she can. But Irene is determined to prove that she can do the job.

There are lots of stories in her changing town. The local ironworks is hiring women to fill some of the jobs left vacant by men gone to be soldiers. In fact, one of them is even boarding with Irene's family. Katharine is a singer working at the plant to make some money for an operation on her vocal cords. She is really a hit with Irene's younger sister because she knows Frank Sinatra.

Iren is outraged when the owner of the hardware store is targeted for anti-Semitic attacks. Then a Jewish man who works as a janitor at the ironworks is targeted at work and then is the victim of a suspicious accident. Both men are fearful that reporting the crimes will only lead to more problems for them.

But then one of Irene's reporters is found dead in his home after telling Irene that he was off on a "hot tip." The police are thinking that Moe's death was an accident, but a letter Irene finds which tells her to be suspicious if he turns up dead gets Irene investigating to find out what story Moe was pursuing.

Irene tries to find out what is going on at the ironworks, but she is fobbed off by the owner and the new manager the owner recently hired. Then the owner is found dead of an apparent suicide which only raises Irene's suspicions.

The best part of this story was the setting. The slang and attitudes are pitch-perfect 1940s. Irene is a modern young woman who isn't so sure that women will be content to go back to homemaking and child rearing when the war ends, and the men come back. She's missing her fiancé who joined the Army after Pearl Harbor and is in training in Louisiana.

The mystery was not very mysterious. I had the villain identified almost at his first appearance in the story. The book was well-written and the characters were well-developed. The clues were nicely laid out and logical. But there was no suspense for me.

Fans of the time period and those who enjoy historical mysteries will find this one pleasant.

Irene has taken over as editor of the Progress, PA newspaper while her father is headed off to the frontlines of WWII. She knows she can do this…well, most of the time. But others are giving her a little push back about being a woman in charge. One of her headaches is Moe, a reporter on staff. When he doesn’t show up for his assignment, she’s miffed and sure he went to follow his “next big story” instead of doing his job. But when he still hasn’t shown up for a whole day she starts to worry and goes to check his house. She finds Moe there, but very much dead. The coroner says it was an accident, but Irene finds a note to her in Moe’s things saying if he ended up dead it wasn’t an accident. Being a journalist, Irene can’t just let this go and starts to try and figure out what Moe was investigating that could have gotten him killed.

This totally felt like it could have been a script for a 40s black and white film. (Obviously, it would’ve had to star Barbara Stanwyck as Irene.) It takes a little while for Irene to puzzle out what Moe was on the trail of, and in the meantime we get to know a good chunk of the town and learn what running a paper and life is like in the 1940s. The author obviously did a good bit of research with all the 1940s brand names for food and appliances that are seamlessly woven in. I did like that in a rather rare thing for the mystery genre, Irene has a very close relationship with the police chief who is her fiancé’s father. They actually share information willingly, instead of constantly being at odds as is much more common in mysteries. Once things started being revealed it felt painfully obvious what Irene was missing still, but it did allow a friend to show some guts so we’ll forgive it. If you like 1940s black and white mysteries, or mysteries with journalist head sleuths, snatch this up.

Notes on content [based on the ARC]: About 5 minor swears. No sex scenes or anything. 2 male characters are portrayed as playboys who just chase women around. There’s some double meaning talk in a girls’ chat that isn’t spelled out for readers. Some racist hate crimes are happening in town against Jews. A beating, factory accident that results in a shattered leg, and a fire that results in injuries are all part of the story. Two murders, one non-bloody and one only vaguely described.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC for it was a delightful read; a perfect choice for lovers (myself including) of the classic, golden age mysteries.
This book with a very likable heroine and an interesting plot is a very promising beginning of a series.

I really enjoyed this historic mystery! Joyce St. Anthony has penned a fascinating mystery set in wartime USA. She provides an in depth look at what life was like for women left to keep not only the home fires burning, but the economy running as well.
The fact that her main character is a female editor of a daily local newspaper is what drew me to want to read the book, as I am a retired reporter myself. The glimpses of the challenges facing a woman in a traditionally male dominating world, and of how she slowly but steadily earns the respect of those working for her, are poignant. The newsroom setting is portrayed quite realistically, although I did find it odd that the paper did not have a dedicated advertising department. Since advertising is the core of the survival of any newspaper, I was shocked that it wasn't even mentioned until after the ceremony for the staff's deceased colleague. The weekly paper I worked for had a department with three members - two sales people and one graphic designer - so I'd expect a daily to have need for much more.
Regardless, the mystery is definitely a page turner, turning out to have much larger ramifications than our editor suspected. St. Anthony's descriptions of locations and people are in depth, and flow nicely within the narrative.
I look forward to more in this series! I appreciate the opportunity to read this book, courtesy of the author and #NetGalley. #FrontPageMurder

I reviewed this for Mystery Scene Magazine please refer to issue 171 Spring 2022 for my complete review

Irene Ingram is now editor in chief of the Progress Herald. Her father has left to report on the war in the pacific, and her fiancé is in training somewhere, preparing to join the battles in Europe. She may be a great reporter and ready to take on the role, but it’s the early 1940s. Many of the residents in her small town don’t agree. A woman in a position of power is extremely unusual and not always welcomed. Irene is determined to prove them wrong and gets the chance to show her skills, when a sudden and unexplained death hits close to her. With anti-Semitic attacks springing up in the previously quiet and welcoming town, Irene and her friend Peggy begin to investigate.

I liked the historical World War 2 time-frame. It was very well described and it felt so contemporary even though it was set in the 1940s. These characters felt real. She managed to make the reader feel a part of the time too. It was a fantastic story and so believable. I really liked Irene . She was strong, daring and clever, and I want to read more of her stories.

This book gave a very different perspective. We found out about the women who stepped up and took on responsibilities outside the home. Through Irene’s eyes we saw the barriers they came up against.
The mystery was well told and kept me gripped throughout. I loved it.

I was given this ARC to review .