Progress, Pennsylvania is having their annual summer fair in 1942. Things look a bit different than they did before the war began and the highlight of this year's fair is a war bond drive featuring several B-list celebrities. Among the celebrities are two locals who left home to seek fame and fortune in Hollywood. Unfortunately they bring more than just their talents to the little stage in Progress. It's up to Irene Ingram to untangle all the knots before someone else's number comes up.

I have always been fascinated with the 1940's. Times were simpler and people were more kind. Even when things got difficult, people banded together to support one another. There were Cokes at the diner, dancing at clubs filled with big band music, and women just beginning to spread their wings, both literally and figuratively. This book was a fun trek back in time. Irene is really coming into her own as interim editor of the local paper while her father is off serving as a correspondent in the Pacific and she's staying very busy to keep her mind off her boyfriend, training in preparation to ship out to war.

The mystery in this book was an interesting one, with many twists and turns and a huge number of potential killers. None of the suspects can be easily eliminated - the actors all play their roles very well! I had my suspicions about several of the characters, one of which did turn out to be the killer.

I really enjoy this series and very much look forward to continuing it!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Second book in the Homefront News series, Death on a Deadline is a surprisingly cosy WWII mystery. I haven't read the first book in the series but this book can definitely be read as a standalone. Most of the story takes place in Progress county and in a fair. Light mystery and fun to read.

At times this story might be what some would term a little bit `cheesey', but it was a light hearted murder mystery which was an easy to put down if one needed to & then pick it up a day or so later & carry on as though it wasn't a huge deal. An ideal book to read while traveling on the Train or the Bus ( some how even as a passenger I've never been able to read while traveling in a car) . #Netgalley,#Goodreads, #FB, #Instagram , #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>, it is a book I would possibly buy to give to one or two friends .

Happy to be back in Progress in the 2nd book in the A Home front News Mystery.. I thoroughly enjoyed the first in the series..Irene continues to run the Progress Herald newspaper while her father is away with war duties..Irene also continues to break down the walls regarding women and the workplace.
The Progress County Fair is hosting a War Bond Drive...and a person is found murdered.Irene goes into investigation mode to discover who dunnit. It is a very good mystery and I was close in figuring out who the murderer was and motivation for it
Each Chapter begins with a WW2 headline, a continuation from book 1 which I really found interesting.
Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
It publishes on 11/8/22

A well written mystery. Second in the series but can be read as a standalone. I love that the story takes place during WWII and the reader can travel back in time. Great characters. Eagerly awaiting the next one in the series. Thanks #netgalley and #Crookedlanebooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

This is the second book of such an enjoyable WWII cozy mystery series. While the previous entry dealt more with spies, this one takes a look at bond fairs, where celebrities would travel the US and take part in festivals where proceeds would be given to the war effort. It made for a fun and interesting setting for a cozy mystery. One criticism I have is that the title doesn't really hint to the setting, and is instead a pretty generic title. Also, the amount of characters who returned from the first book was a bit too much, considering how many new characters are introduced in this one. Still those are very small criticisms compared to how much I enjoy this light series and I look forward to reading the third book when it comes out!

Irene makes for a interesting protagonist, trying to keep her father's newspaper alive while also trying to protect her community. She's an admirable protagonist, and one I can always get behind in the mystery. I also enjoy how both this book and the first one starts each chapter with a war headline which gives a hint as to what is going on in the war on that day. Such a good book!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, in return for an honest review. This is the second book in this cozy series and easily read as a standalone. Well-written, interesting WWII mystery set in a small town. Lots of interesting historical accuracies that move the story along. I look forward to the next in this series.

Irene Ingram, editor-in-chief for the Progress Herald; with her secretary and best friend, Peggy, three reporters, and a photographer, has her finger on the pulse of Progress, Pennsylvania. Readers from small towns will feel nostalgic for Joyce St. Anthony's delicious focus on conversations, family life, and socializing opportunities like the annual county fair.

Rumor has it that Clark Gable, movie star and chairman of the Hollywood Victory Committee, will come to Progress during the county fair; he will rally the WWII bond selling effort – so far, just a rumor. Will it happen? Ava Dempsey owns the local beauty shop where rumors spread fast and furious. But on this occasion, the news came from her sister Angela who was married to a second-rate Hollywood actor, Freddy Harrison.

There are so many aspects of Death on a Deadline that I enjoyed. Prickles ran up and down my spine at the thought of Germans coming ashore to lay siege to industrial targets like Horseshoe Curve, or the Niagara Falls hydroelectric plant. The arrival of the Hollywood crowd will bring exotic personalities, and all played out to events in the Pacific – should we be surprised if murder or mayhem visit the county fair?

I love that each chapter heading reports events during WWII in the Pacific Arena. For example, Chap. 13, "USS Nautilus Sinks Jap Minesweeper South of Tokyo Bay." and Chap. 18 "Axis Troops Reach El-Alamein." Readers can luxuriate in the wonderfully detailed minutia of people in the Town of Progress; they can also be aware of significant events in the war during June 22 and July 5 1942.

And, for readers who were formerly in the newspaper printing business; it’s a pleasure to follow Irene managing the paper, giving out assignments for writing and photography and explaining the layout. Irene's deep sense of justice compels her to speak against the evacuation of the residents of Japanese descent from San Francisco.

I rate Death on a Deadline 5 out of 5 stars, with kudos to Joyce St. Anthony for this captivating slice of fictional history; with its stalwart Midwesterners, an intricate mystery and the allure of Hollywood. It is much more than murder.

I recommend this book to lovers of history, WWII, the charm of the Midwest, multi-faceted mysteries and for Y/A’s.

I had not planned on completing this book in 2 evenings. As I had the time and was intrigued who the murderer was, I was not able to put it down.

Intertwining WWII events with a fiction mystery works out well in Death on a Deadline. I have not read the 1st book of the series. However, I don't feel as if I missed anything in this book by skipping over (do plan on reading the 1st).

Irene has been left to run her dads local newspaper, The Herald, while he is away on assignment. After finding the dead body of Freddie Harrison, she is now on the trail of finding a murderer. As this is fair week in which they will be rallying for war bonds stamps, time is of essence to find the killer. Out of town celebrities and staff will be leaving, making the tracking of a killer harder.

Who could the killer be?

Could it be his heartbroken wife? Irene can never tell when Angel is acting or being truthful.

Ava, the worried and protective sister of Angel?

Ned, Angels father who pulled a gun on Freddie?

Could it be Belinda, the conniving mistress?

Kirk, the upcoming star who has a deep hate for Freddie?

Greta. the selfish gossip columnist and what is Freddie's connection to her?

Clyde McAllister, who seems infatuated with Angel?

Paul Davis, who is just downright rude and constantly fighting with Belinda?

Many twist and turns leading up to Chief Turner and Irene solving the murder. Along with the help of a few other locals.

First sentence: "Clark Gable is coming to Progress and will be appearing at our war bond drive," Ava Dempsey said. "I have it on good authority."

Premise/plot: Irene Ingram is back for a second adventure in Death on a Deadline. In this murder mystery, the town is getting ready to have a fair, and not just any fair, a fair combined with a war bond drive. Several "stars" from Hollywood will be coming for the multi-day event. But not all the stars will be leaving town with a pulse. Is the murderer one of the town's own??? Or is it one of the other Hollywood stars? (Or "stars" as the case may be.) Irene finds herself right in the middle of another mystery... working side by side with her future father-in-law the chief of police.

My thoughts: I really LOVED both books. I love the small town setting. I love getting to know all the residents of the town. I love the sense of community, sense of place, and sense of time. Both books are set in 1942. This second book being set in June/July of 1942. I would recommend the series if you enjoy war fiction, cozy mysteries, historical fiction, or books with strong character development.

"Death on a Deadline" is a mystery set in 1942 in America. This is the second book in a series, but it can be understood without reading the previous novel and didn't spoil the previous mystery.

Irene's been left in charge of her father's newspaper business, and she's good at the job. Historical details about the war, war bonds, and such were woven into the story and created a distinct feel of the times. The mystery was clue-based. Irene decided to investigate the murder, and she kept asking questions until she found the truth. Whodunit was guessable from the clues, though it wasn't really clear until one character led Irene into a trap where the bad guys explained it all. Happily, Irene and friend rescued themselves. Go, girls!

However, Irene was rather rude to her soon-to-be-father-in-law, the police chief. For example, he came to ask her mother about the process of transferring the war bond money to the bank, and before he could fully explain why he's there, Irene was yelling at him saying he was accusing her mother of stealing money. Which he wasn't. She also demanded to be taken to a crime scene even though she had no need to be there. She also had to admit that she'd broken into someone's room and stolen a piece of evidence (which she didn't even give to him). He just shrugged it off. To me, it seemed unrealistic that the police chief was still on such good terms with her by the end.

There was no sex. There were a few uses of bad language (including b--ch). Overall, I'd recommend this historical mystery.

What a great read. This is just the second book in the World War 2 era-Homefront News series and this series has quickly become one of my favorite cozy series.

The author does a tremendous job of portraying life during the World War 2 home front in the U.S. Add in some wonderful recurring characters and an interesting plot, and this is another winner for me.

Absolutely loved it and would highly recommend it to cozy fans.

I love me a good cozy mystery when I need a break from the hard core thrillers and this book was a great read.

I actually really really loved this and while I don’t exactly know how I’d categorise this, but I would say this reminds me of a pretty cozy mystery. I really loved the mystery aspect to this I had so much fun! 5/5 stars!

'Death on a Deadline' is perfect for all the lovers of cozy mysteries out there! I loved the setting, it is a fresh story of the war times of that era and gives a very different perspective on what went on 'back home' during World War 2. In the little town Progress everyone is geared up to support the town fair where a number of actors are participating in a war bond drive. The town is shaken up when one of the actors is found dead on the fairgrounds. Irene, the local newspaper editor decides to investigate. At first the suspect seems to be obvious, either his wife or her angry father but it soon becomes clear that this man had a lot more enemies. Irene Ingram is a delightful heroine, tenacious and smart but also kind and gentle. In between the investigation, the ongoing war is on everyone's mind and no one is untouched by it. I will be looking out for more Irene Ingram mysteries.

journalist, editor, law-enforcement, Pennsylvania, WW2, sabotage, small-business, small-town, family-business, family-dynamics, murder, murder-investigation, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, cozy-mystery, friendship, 1942, war-bonds*****

Another good historical whodunit! This is a good series (I read the first one, too).
Irene lives at home with her mother, younger sister, and a boarder while running the local newspaper owned and (normally) operated by her father who has become a war correspondent. She is also engaged to the son of the local police chief, but he is away at war as well. Some movie people are in town for a War Bonds drive, including the sister of a local friend. Her philandering husband is also a Hollywood actor and in town with his latest. Guess who gets murdered. Yup. And so the sleuthing begins while the police also do their due diligence.
The story is interspersed with news headlines from the time, and that really adds good things to the story.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I loved this story! It was a very enjoyable and intriguing read. The historical fiction and mystery aspects of the book worked really well together and I liked the frequent twists and turns in the story as Irene tried to solve the murder. I was captivated throughout the whole book!

Death on a Deadline by Joyce St. Anthony is a great historical cozy mystery that is the second book in the equally excellent A Homefront News Mystery series. I just love this series.

This book, and series, take place during WWII in small-town Progress, and Irene is our main character yet again. News reporter/editor/investigator by day…amateur sleuth by night, we get to follow her and the excellent set of secondary characters as she attempts to solve the local murder/mystery involving a B-list movie actor that has ties to the local community and, apparently, the long list of suspects. Irene has her work cut out for her on this one…

Full of historical detail, twists and turns, and a great character cast, I truly enjoyed this second installment and am looking forward to the next book.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Crooked Lane Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 11/8/22.

More Than Rumours…
The second Homefront News mystery and rumours abound in the small town of Progress. Irene Ingram, editor of The Progress Herald, needs more than just rumours but, as it happens, she doesn’t have long to wait for a real killer headline. The question is who would want B lister movie star Freddie dead? It turns out that there is a longer list of suspects than Irene could possibly have imagined. With a precisely drawn cast, a well defined sense of time, place and atmosphere and an intriguing mystery at heart, this is wholly enjoyable read and a more than worthy addition to the first in the series,

This is a great book. It’s very well written and entertaining. It read more historical fiction than mystery for me, but I still enjoyed the story. Historical details were spot on and the mystery itself had a few twists and turns that had me guessing until the very end. Highly recommend!!!