Book Review: Killer Deadline by Lauren Carr @TheMysteryLadie @BooksbyAcorn @iReadBookTours

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Title: Killer Deadline
Series: A Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery #1
Author: Lauren Carr
Narrator: Anita Alger
Publication Date: August 5, 2020

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Purchase Links:
Audible // iTunes // Amazon

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Killer Deadline
A Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery #1
Lauren Carr
Narrated by Anita Alger
Acorn Book Services, August 2020
Downloaded Unabridged Audiobook

From the author—

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.

Lauren Carr has several popular series and releases numerous books every year but, apparently, she isn’t busy enough because here she is starting another one 😉 I love those other series that are what I consider traditional mysteries with various elements of law enforcement and, although Killer Deadline is very different, being a true cozy, I do believe Ms. Carr has come up with another fun series.

There are two things I can always expect from a Lauren Carr book, a good deal of humor and one or more very appealing pets, and Killer Deadline has both; surely Elmo the boxer has established himself as one of my favorites and the author’s brand of humor is unforced and understated with none of the silliness often found in cozies. Nikki is a sleuth who comes by it naturally, being an investigative journalist from a big city, and she’s drawn to looking into her own father’s murder years before, especially when an old rival is murdered soon after Nikki comes home. Everything seems to revolve around the local TV station owned by Nikki’s family and both deaths, including the new one, are rooted in the past.

Elmo, meanwhile, is busy being a social media icon and Nikki is second guessing her decision to move back home and run the TV station but, at least, there’s potential for a romance with her old crush, Ryan. Add in investigating murders, running a top-rated TV station and coping with the eccentricities of a small town and Nikki is a very busy lady. I’m looking forward to more of her adventures.

This was also my introduction to Anita Alger as a narrator and I thought she did it well, with good tone and pacing. Her male vocalizations were a bit lacking but I think she’s fairly new at this and reading in the other gender isn’t easy. I’m sure she’ll continue to strengthen that aspect of her narrations.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, October 2020.

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About the Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Killer Deadline marks Lauren’s first venture into mystery’s purely cozy sub-genre with a female protagonist.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

​A popular speaker, Lauren is also the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

​Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook
~  Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Bookbub

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Follow the tour:

Sep 21 –Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 22 – Books, Tea, Healthy Me – audiobook review / giveaway
Sep 22 – Books, Tea, Healthy Me – book spotlight / author interview
Sep 23 –seasons of opportunities – audiobook review
Sep 23 –Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
Sep 23 –A Page Before Bedtime –book review / giveaway
Sep 24 –I’m All About Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 25 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 28 –Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 29 –Viviana MacKade – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 29 –Blooming with Books – audiobook review / giveaway
Sep 30 – Cover Lover Book Review – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 1 – The Book View – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 2 –My Journey Back – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 2 – Splashes of Joy  – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 5 –eBook Addicts – audiobook review
Oct 5 –Pen Possessed – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 6 –fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 6 –Bound 4 Escape – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 7 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 7 – Buried Under Books – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 8 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – audiobook review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 8 – Pine Enshrined Reviews – audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
Oct 9 – Hall Ways Blog – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 9 – Lisa’s Reading – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 12 – Amy’s Booket List – audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 12 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 13 – jea reads/instagram – book review
Oct 13 – Book Lover in Florida – book review / giveaway
Oct 13 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 14 – Christa Reads and Writes – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 14 – Why I Can’t Stop Reading – audiobook review
Oct 15 – My Reading Journeys – audiobook review / author interview / giveaway

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Giveaway

Win a $50 Amazon gift card courtesy
of Lauren Carr, author of 
Killer Deadline.

Enter here.

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