Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I haven't read the first book in the series but that was totally ok, there was no problem to get into the story. It was a good cozy mystery with the author doing something different by placing it in 1942 in Progress, PA. I liked that and the mystery kept me guessing, which was good.

Death on a Deadline Earns 5/5 Headlines…Entertaining & Clever!

It’s June, 1942, with war rages on in Europe, and the small town of Progress is preparing to do their little part: a war bond drive. However, the bigger news, or rumor, is film star Clark Gable will be attending the event. Ava Dempsey assures Irene —, the editor in chief of the local paper, the information is not rumor, but she’s the town’s biggest busybody. Can she be trusted! Ava’s sister Angela, one few recall and who prefers to be called Angel, is an actress in Hollywood, married to Freddie Harrison who Ava paints as a popular up and coming star, and know all about Clark Gable who chairs the Hollywood Victory Committee. Well, don’t “hold the presses” yet…Irene is skeptical that Angel’s “might” is not a “definite.” Angel is pure Hollywood from her looks to her uppity demands, but Irene was right to be reticent. Clark Gable is a no show, but Angel’s own animosity is on full display when B-listed actor and her cheating husband shows up…and that, unfortunately, is the final credits for him!

Joyce St. Anthony has brought her second book set in WWII era into the world of cozy mystery: Victory Gardens, war bonds, fifty-cent lunches, front lines, home front, and families praying Western Union passes them by. She’s included a strong female lead in Irene, a fascinating career in journalism, small town dynamics, and lots of tension to make this a “couldn’t put down” experience. The mystery is well-developed, clever, and easy to read with all the usual suspects with their particular grudges against the victim who himself is a less than admirable character in thought and deed. Too many suspects would rather see the curtain literally come down on him: scorned wife, protective father, competing actor, a mistress. But, don’t overlook anyone waiting in the wings or secret grudges waiting to be exposed!

Joyce’s write style is very entertaining, descriptive with engaging dialogue, and adding to the chapter leads, a current headline was a unique walk down “history” lane sending me to Google to learn more. I love my mysteries to be of another era, and with many references to World War II, 1940’s society, and various historical figures, it was obvious Joyce did her research. Fun. Compelling. Satisfying surprise. This is definitely a book cozy fans should put on their TBR list.

3/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Joyce St. Anthony for allowing me to read and review this book.

I enjoyed the WWII backdrop of this series. I love the how historically accurate it is with the rationings, war bonds, and women working men jobs. I loved how it showed the divide between younger women liking and wanting to continue working once the men come back and the older women telling them not to stay with it when the men return- because women are supposed to be housewives and moms.

The main character is the head of the local newspaper while her father is away. Although she faces some difficulties in being a woman in charge, she starts gaining respect of some of the other workers there. Her soon to be father-in-law is the police chief, her fiancé and her father are away fighting in the war.

The mysteries in these books are good and keep you guessing until the last chapter. The characters are lovable, and it is a good cozy mystery in a small town, even with the war looming overhead.

You don't have to read the first book in this series, but it does help you learn more about the background and the characters you are following. This is a good book for anyone who wants a cozy mystery set in war time or to see women gaining power and status in communities.

"Death on a Deadline" is the solid second entry in what will hopefully be a long series from Joyce St. Anthony. It's 1942 and Irene is helping hold down the American homefront by taking over from her father as editor of the local newspaper. In her initial outing, Irene helped uncover a spy ring set on sabotage. This time, it's war bonds and murder, Rumors swirl that Clark Gable will attend. While this proves false, a prodigal daughter returns to progress and sets off a chain of events that lead to another case for Irene to solve.

The mystery is complex enough to keep the reader guessing, but where these books really shine for me is in the way they show what it was like in a smaller American community during WWII. It would be easy to think that the "We Can Do It" attitude wasn't that prevalent, but it really does seem to have been a time where most people pulled together for the common good. The relationships between the characters are wonderful to read about, too. Irene and her cousin are beginning to work together, instead of against each other, and Irene has earned the respect of the other men on the newspaper. She did butt heads with her future father-in-law, the police chief, in this book, which was surprising, and he gave her more leeway than he should have, considering she committed a B&E while looking for evidence. It was a bit of a letdown, since I felt like he was just there to enable her sleuthing, rather than being a strong character on his own. We have several years left of the war, though, so there's plenty of time for the characters to grow and develop.

4 out of 5 stars.

I received an advance copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received a free epub copy from NetGalley for an honest review!

I felt like this was a well rounded cozy mystery. The setting of it being during WW2 was important for the characters of the story but it didn't overwhelm the plot and the characters still felt modern to me, with the way they spoke and the banter between them. The only things that changed was being able to eat at a diner for 50 cents.

The mystery of this one was strong, I wasn't able to figure it out to the end. It wasn't that obvious but felt like it concluded well.

I'm not generally a big fan of historical fiction but the way this one used the history made it work for my liking.

June 1942. It is time for the County Fair at Progress which is hosting a War Bond Drive. Unfortunately for Irene Ingram, Reporter and Editor-in-chief of the Herald, she discovers a body of one of the actors from the Drive. She assists Police Chief Walter Turner with her own inquiries. Can either discover the motive, and so the killer before any one else is killed.
A well-written and entertaining historical mystery with its likeable and varied characters. It is a good addition to this series which can easily be read as a standalone story.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Death on a Deadline is my first book in the series. Reading the first one will be on my list to read. I really enjoyed it. The Editor-in-Chief, Irene's character appealed to me partly because I have always wanted to write for a newspaper. This book was a big hit with me because of the era and its historical format despite the war that was going on.. There was a lot of variety and character development among all the characters. I loved Irene's amateur investigation into the death of a B-star actor. There were many suspects in the case that I enjoyed reading about.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a honest review.

Irene Ingram lives with her mother, younger sister, Lily, and a boarder, Katherine Morningside, though Katherine is in New York, currently. Irene is Editor-in-Chief, running the local newspaper owned by her father. She is also engaged to the son of the local police chief but he is away at war as well as her dad. In Death on a Deadline the residents of Progress, Pennsylvania, are holding their annual fair and this year they are raising funds for their soldiers overseas. Town gossip, Ava Dempsey is telling people that Clark Gable will be among the participating stars in the war bond drive. Instead of Gable, the headliner is Freddie Harrison, a B-movie star. When Freddie turns up dead in a water tank, Irene gets involved.

I liked the calm, earnest and plucky Irene and I appreciated the inclusion of the newspaper headlines which make you feel as if you could be there, back in 1942. An all-round, great, solid cosy read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my own request, from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

If you’re a fan of historical cozy mystery books, you will really enjoy this captivating new title in the Homefront News Mystery series. Death on a Deadline is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a stand alone. I do recommend you read Front Page Murder though as you get to know the main characters much better in the first book. Here’s a quote from my review of that one:

"Front Page Murder is the first book in the Homefront News Mystery Series, so it’s the perfect choice for those of you who like starting at the very beginning. Front Page Murder has wonderful characters, a bewildering mystery, and lots of cozy elements. It really did make me feel happy! I hope it does the same for you!"

Death on a Deadline has Irene once again caught up in a murder, only this time some of her main suspects are ones with whom she’s well-acquainted!

It’s summertime and the small town of Progress, PA is holding its annual fair. This fair is different this year in that the town is raising money for the soldiers fighting in WWII by selling war bonds; and celebrities, who are touring the country to support the war bond initiative, have descended upon Progress. Unfortunately, the fair becomes much different when Irene, the town’s newspaper editor-in-chief, finds one of those celebrities dead in the dunk tank. You’ll need to read the book to find out why Irene has some locals on her list of suspects.

There are a lot of secondary characters, and that’s one reason I recommend reading the first book before this one. You may find it hard to keep track of everyone with the celebrities in town. Since I read the first book, I knew who the locals were, and it was easy for me to separate the main characters from the “guest” characters. Irene’s spunky and persistent characteristics shine through once again in Death on a Deadline. It’s a good thing the chief-of-police is her future father-in-law because she can easily ascertain info from him, and she can tell him things she’s found out in her “investigating.”

Both the plot and the mystery’s intrigue kept me engaged while reading Death on a Deadline. If you read a lot of cozies, you may figure out who the killer is early on in the book, but you may also change your mind a couple of times as you gather clues with Irene. I enjoyed the titles of the chapters, many of which contained WWII information that I didn’t know before reading this cozy. That’s one reason I enjoy historical cozy mystery books. The authors do their research which makes the books all the more exciting. I’m looking forward to what the author has for us next! I give Death on a Deadline 4 solid stars and think you cozy mystery lovers will enjoy it like I did!

Happy Publication Day to Joyce St. Anthony for the publication of Death on a Deadline, book 2 in A Homefront News mystery series. Thanks so much to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the ARC. This is such a great historical mystery, especially set during WWII on the homefront.

“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.”

If you like strong heroines and a strong sense of time and place, I recommend this series. I love the small town and the relationship Irene has with the Chief of Police (he’s her future father-in-law). I was sorry to see it end. If you like the way the Darling Dahlias series is written, this would be comparable. So fun.
2h

This second book in the series does not disappoint! Irene is still running the local paper and the annual fair is happening, along with a bond drive for supporting the troops. This step back in time is very realistic and filled with all the things that would have gone on, including a soldier's death. But the real problem is a cheating actor husband who gets murdered before the fair can begin. Irene digs for the truth and finds herself in the middle of secrets and blackmail. A great read! I hope this series continues.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series but found that I had a difficult time really getting into this one. There were so many characters and suspects and I didn't really care whodunnit when it was all said and done. Hopefully the next one will perk my interest like the first.

Death On A Deadline is the second book in the A Homefront News Mystery series by Joyce St. Anthony.

Irene is settling in well after taking over as editor-in-chief of the Progress Hearld from her father, who has become a war correspondent in the Pacific.

The planning committee for the war bond drive is meeting and learns from Ava Dempsey, owner of the local beauty shop, that Clark Gable will be coming from Hollywood with other movie stars in support of the war bond drive held in conjunction with the county fair.

Irene is at the fair's opening when she sees the Hollywood Victory Committee has arrived, but Mr. Gable isn’t in the group. Those that made it are Ava’s sister Angel, Freddie Harrison, Ava’s estranged husband, Kirk Allen, a rising star who had gone to school with Irene and no one recognized. His appearance has changed since he was in high school—also Belinda Fox, an aspiring actress and Freddie’s mistress will be joining the stars.

When Freddie doesn’t show up for the group's rehearsal, Irene decides to walk the fair to check out the booths and to keep an eye out for Freddie. Soon she sees a piece of blue material stuck on the dunk tank and goes to check it out and finds Freddie’s body floating in the tank. Once the body is removed from the tank, it is apparent that Freddie was struck on the head with a hard object.

The reporter in Irene sets her off to search for the person who killed Freddie. His wife, Angel, will become the prime suspect, but Irene has doubts. Irene will soon learn that there is no shortage of suspects. Just about all the members of Hollywood personalities have nothing good to say about him. Irene wonders if Ava might have ended Freddie’s life for how he has treated her. Angel’s father becomes a suspect as he threatens Freddie with a rifle. Gossip columnist, Greta, will come under suspicion. Irene wonders why a prominent gossip columnist would come to a small community like Progress.

I love this series, and the characters are well-developed. I would love to call them my friends. St. Anthony adds headlines depicting WWII events. Anthony has researched and provided the reader with a historically accurate book.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this exciting series.

Set in 1942 in the small Pennsylvania town of Progress, Irene is holding down the fort running her father's newspaper while he is overseas covering the war. Getting ready for the Summer fair and the war bond drive has the town jumping. The gossip mill, fueled by local gossip, Ava, is abuzz that the likes of Clark Gable will be the headliner. The reality turns out to be a B-list actor, Freddie Harrison, who is married to Ava's sister, Angel. He's a real jerk and has more than a few enemies. Is one of them his own wife? Whoever it is wants him dead and Irene finds herself investigation another murder. Her future father-in-law is the Chief of Police and he is none too pleased with her poking about into police business.
This is a well crafted period mystery with a great cast of characters and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the last chapter and the unmasking of the evil doer.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Hollywood has come to Progress for a WWII bond drive but at least one of the stars isn't leaving. This second in a nice Homefront cozy series features Irene, an intrepid young woman who has found herself running her father's newspaper and solving crimes, not always with the approval of her future father in law Police Chief Walt. Freddie Harrison was a b-list actor and b-list human, a man who had a number of enemies and who was cheating on his wife Angel, sister of Ava, the town gossip. Irene finds herself sorting through rumors and old hurts to find the real villain. She's got a good friend in Peggy and her family helps as well. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This will be fine as a standalone because there's enough back story to get you up to date. It's a classic cozy set apart by the Homefront atmospherics. A good read.

I fell in love with this series with the first book and was eager to get into the second one which was set in summer during fair time when the rally was on to buy war bonds. Since they didn't have any huge name stars coming, they did get a few what we might call B or C listers now. When one of said stars was found dead, the obvious thoughts were that one of their own did him in. The guy had lotsa secrets he was keeping and what's this...he was blackmailing for some of those secrets.

There were plenty of suspects although one of those I never really considered as a suspect, but I did keep wavering on which of the others was the killer. The person whodunit was on my list though. I loved the showdown and what Irene was able to do to the perp. They had the whole story explained by Walt eventually or at least the parts they didn't all already know. I get a kick out of Peggy and Irene sleuthing, but it was fun that crazy Sylvia from the first book was included too. She was always a hoot! One of her particular talents was really useful for this case.

I'm not sure how many more books are planned but the war went on plenty long enough for maybe a few more. I'd love to see Bill and Irene's Pop get home! The story about the hometown boy shot down in the battle of Midway was pretty sad especially when his good friend (one of the stars, another hometown guy) gave a little memorial speech about him at a bond rally. Hoping for a next book to look forward to!

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

This is the second book in the Homefront news series, featuring Irene Ingram who has taken over the role of Editor in Chief of the local newspaper while her father is reporting war news from the Pacific. The year is 1942 and many details of WW2 are fed into the story and set the scene beautifully.

In Death on a Deadline the residents of Progress, Pennsylvania, are holding their annual Fair and this year they are raising funds for their soldiers overseas. When a visiting minor movie star is murdered, Irene helps her father-in-law, who is Chief of Police, to find the killer. There are many suspects and I guessed who it was completely wrongly.

This is a well written and informative historical cosy mystery, and I hope there will be more in the series.

It’s 1942, and Irene Ingram is managing The Progress Herald while her Dad is covering the front lines. She’s in tiny Progress, Pennsylvania, and everyone in town is in a state of excitement at the news that Clark Gable will possibly be attending the war bond rally at their county fair. The sensible and skeptical Irene is not so sure about it, though, and the book starts with her trying to get to the truth of the Clark Gable rumor.

This is a bit of a different take on a WWII mystery. Many of the books are set in Europe, where the war was a daily and deadly occurrence. However, the war reached its fingers everywhere, and even tiny Progress feels the impact. Sweethearts, brothers and husbands are away; there’s shortages of almost everything; women are working in places they hadn’t before, like the newspaper. St. Anthony brings the war home with her chapter epigraphs in the form of newspaper headlines, detailing the sinking of ships and lives lost all over the globe, but even close to home. The U.S. was not inviolable, as Pearl Harbor proved.

This gives a nice sense of tension to the story – as does the fact that the fairly young Irene must prove herself to the old hands in the newsroom, even though she’s in charge. As editor of the local paper, she also has extra access to things like police investigations. This is of course a mystery, and St. Anthony introduces several characters who are part of the rally.

During WWII Hollywood stars (even of the caliber of Clark Gable) made appearances around the country with the goal of selling war bonds. The group that comes to Progress is of a more second rank caliber but includes a well known Hollywood gossip columnist as well as a man who is starting to make a name for himself, but who grew up in Progress. His looks have changed (improved) so much that no one really recognizes him. There’s also Angel, the purveyor of the Gable rumor, whose sister, Ava, owns the local beauty salon. Her husband, Freddie, turns up looking for her, complicating matters as his mistress is part of the travelling rally group.

There’s enough back biting and tension there to provide ample territory for a murder, and indeed, on the first day of the fair, Freddie turns up dead, discovered, naturally, by our heroine, Irene. She’s engaged to the police chief’s son and he gives her quite a bit of leeway though he continually tells her to step back.

Irene unravels the reason for Freddie’s murder which mostly results in a growth of the suspect pool – pretty much everyone who knew him hated him. As the book unfolds, you probably will too. This is a light novel in tone though it does not take the subject matter lightly, which is a nice balance, and the characters are well drawn and fully realized. Irene especially is a nice calm-center-of-the-storm type heroine, and she’s looking forward to the war ending and continuing her work. I imagine that will create conflict for another novel down the line. This was a pleasant, engaging read.

Set in Pennsylvania during WWII, Death on a Deadline is the second in the delightful cozy Homefront News series. Familiar characters return and new ones are introduced. Readers catch snippets of news overseas and become enmeshed in the shenanigans of celebrity rumours, quirky characters, changing roles of women, journalism and murder.

The newspaper headlines at the beginning of each chapter are a continuation of the first book which really ties them together and makes connections to the war raging in Europe feel real. War bond fairs are organized to help in the war effort which is the atmosphere of this story. Excitement and anticipation is in the air, especially after village gossip Ava sneaks in mentions of the acclaimed Clark Gable's possible arrival. Disappointingly, secondary personality Freddie Harrison arrives. He and his wife Angela's marriage is unhappy to say the least so guess who the first suspect was when he was discovered dead at the event? But there are others. It seems Freddie burned many bridges.

Editor-in-Chief Irene Ingram is both reporter and amateur sleuth. Most of her staff admire and respect her but one or two begrudge her. She performs her job beautifully but her heart aches for her beloved who is away at war. Her future father-in-law is the police chief and respectful to women but she does not always treat him as she should which slightly rankles in my brain. The premise and story are fascinating and beautifully written but to me slightly less riveting than it could be. Though the first in the series captivated me more than the second, I am curious to see what Joyce St. Anthony has in store for the third! This light series is worth sinking your teeth into, especially for Historical Fiction fans.

My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this wonderful book and for introducing me to this series.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good mystery thriller novel. Recommend