Book Description:

Folks in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, claim that where Nikki Bryant goes,

trouble is not far behind. Her refusal to back down from a challenge has

made Nikki Bryant a top investigative journalist.

When an online friend nudges her to join him in a pact to reconnect with

their first loves, Nikki and her boxer dog Elmo leave the bright lights

of Las Vegas for the charming town of Pine Grove. There, she must face

the biggest challenges in her career and life—the first love she had

left behind and her father’s unsolved murder.

But before she has time to unpack her car, Nikki stumbles upon the dead

body of local news anchor, Ashleigh Addison, her childhood rival. Could

Ashleigh’s death be connected to an explosive news story that she had

teased about airing live? Did that explosive story have anything to do

with the murder of Nikki’s father?

With the clues in her father’s cold case hot again, Nikki intends to

chase down the story of her life until she catches his killer—no matter

what it takes.

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My Review

Killer Deadline is the first book in the Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery series. It follows investigative journalist Nikki Bryant as she leaves behind everything in Nevada to return to her childhood home in small-town Pennsylvania. Her mother is retiring from her job at the local news station, and Nikki is now in charge. Years before, her father, who owned the station, was murdered, but his case was never solved. Now that Nikki's back, she's determined to find out who killed her dad...before she becomes the next victim.
This is a fun little cozy mystery that I rather enjoyed. It's set in PA, which is where I live, so that's a plus. I love books set in my home state. Especially when they're small towns, since I grew up in one. And the mention of Latrobe made me excited, since I grew up about 20-30 minutes from that area.
I really liked Nikki. She was a tough cookie who didn't let anything get in her way of uncovering the mystery behind her father's death, or the mystery of another murder that happens the day after she arrives home. And her dog Elmo is pretty great too. As someone who used to have a Boxer dog, I have to agree that they are a bit ugly, but in a cute way that makes you want to squish their faces and shower them with love. This was my Brutus:


Anyway, back on track. While Nikki is pretty keen on unearthing clues and putting things together when it comes to the murder cases, the one thing she's a bit naive on is the identity of her mystery texter, NerdyGuy. I was surprised it took her as long as it did to figure out who it was.
The other characters scattered throughout the book are well-written, and they all have suspicions cast upon them as things start to unfold.
The mystery itself will keep you guessing, and while it was a little surprising to discover the person and their reason behind Nikki's dad's murder, the person who committed the other murder wasn't as shocking. I suspected them almost immediately, and then I had a few doubts, but I was almost positive they were behind it all. And I was right!
Fans of cozy mysteries will definitely want to give Killer Deadline a shot (pun intended), because it's fun, it's engaging, and it keeps you on your toes. I know I'll be continuing with the series. Can't wait to see what Nikki might have to investigate next!
4 stars!

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