Deadly News by Jody Holford is the first book in the NEW “Britton Bay” mystery series. Publisher: Kensington, coming October 30, 2018.

Former Army brat Molly Owens is ready to put down roots, and the picturesque seaside town of Britton Bay on the Oregon Coast seems like the perfect place for it. Especially when she lands a job as editor of the local paper. But she’s got one colleague who’s very bad news . . .

As an experienced journalist, Molly is eager to bring the struggling Britton Bay Bulletin up to speed. But when she pushes Vernon, one of her less welcoming reporters, to dig a little deeper into the story of a prominent local family, the man ends up dead. The fact that he wasn’t well-liked makes finding the killer extra complicated. The lists of suspects range from his ex-wife to his own son to Molly’s boss, who has a secret of his own. But when Molly’s attempts to sleuth out the truth result in her receiving frightening threats, the trouble is just beginning . . .

The one bright spot is Molly’s newfound flirtation with Sam Alderich. The sexy mechanic is used to taking things apart and piecing them back together, and between the two of them they just might be able to solve this deadly puzzle—if Molly can survive peaceful small-town life long enough . . .

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I love this book. We are introduced to Molly who has landed in Britton Bay as an editor. Who would have thought that the next article she pens is about the murder of her co-worker? And when it looks like she’s asking too many questions, someone sends her a warning, but does that stop our heroine?

This was a fast-paced drama that I could not put down becoming a page turner as I had to know what happens next. I love the writing style of the author and the comfortable tone that made it easy to the progress of the story. The mystery was nicely done and tightly woven to keep me in tuned in all aspect as the suspect list was small, despite the fact that the most people in town did not like the victim. As Molly seeks some answers, the more she learns about her new hometown which helps in dwindling down the list of suspects. It all comes to a head when the police make an arrest and Molly feels there’s more there that she can’t put her finger on and that’s when the author pulls out the stop with a change in the direction. From Molly to Sam to Katherine to Bella to Chris and to Tigger, they all played pivotal roles that enhanced my enjoyment of this tale. This is a delightfully entertaining debut series and I can’t wait to see where we go next with Molly and her friends.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.