A writing convention, a guest list full of secrets, a murder to solve in three days.

Lori Sykes is invited to be the keynote speaker at the writer’s convention in Bleakridge, Maine. While walking that evening she witnesses a chilling murder under the moonlit pier. The victim, a renowned author known for his gritty crime novels, had been brutally strangled.

Ryker McKay, a one-man shop, small town newspaper man with a reputation for unearthing hidden truths, is intrigued by Lori’s story and the undeniable chemistry between them. He agrees to assist her in solving the murder, recognizing that this could be the story of a lifetime for his struggling newspaper.

As Lori and Ryker delve deeper into the lives and secrets of the suspects, they discover buried rivalries, suppressed scandals, and concealed motives that confirm some deadlines are not meant to be met.

Join Lori and Ryker as they race against time to unmask the cunning and ruthless murderer. Along the way, they uncover shocking revelations that redefine their understanding of love, trust, and partnership.

Deadline To Murder is a book in the Mystery, She Wrote series. Four mystery authors meet at a book conference and discover they all live in small towns in Maine. After a fabulous weekend together they decide to form the Mystery Writer’s Murder Club. They meet monthly at a different house to check out cold cases in the area, write, and relax. They soon discover the only thing more exciting than a good murder mystery book is an actual murder mystery.

If you like fast-paced mysteries with quirky characters, and unexpected twists, you’re going to love Deadline To Murder.

Read Deadline To Murder and get started on an intriguing murder mystery adventure that will keep you guessing until the very end!

The Reviews

Rhonda Hicks
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best of the series to date
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2024
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Delta James has done it again with her Murder Mystery Club. These women are in the most precarious situations; this is the best book. Lori witnesses a murder while participating in a writer's convention. She gets to meet the famous Investigative Reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner, Ryker McKay. Is it Lori's turn to find her happily ever after? You want to make sure you get this exhilarating read.

Linda Reads
4.0 out of 5 stars Steamy murder mystery with humor…what?!
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
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With this book you get not one but two murder mysteries solved. The authors of The Mystery Writers’ Murder Club meet monthly to tackle another unsolved cold-case. This month they have chosen a very old crime that it appears the police did not take seriously or in which were totally stumped. The ladies solve it within days of looking into it! They have garnered a reputation to uphold.
Then Lori must get to her readers’ convention for a book signing. When she realizes that so many of her readers are there and want to spend time with her, she is quite flattered. While that is all well and good, she needs a little break so she goes out at night to walk on the sea wall. She witnesses a murder. She meets a very handsome owner/editor of the local newspaper, Ryker McKay, former investigative reporter and a Pulitzer Prize winner. She is much impressed. Little does she know that he has wanted to meet her for a long time. Can these two curious people solve the murder? Will it be someone close to them making their venture dangerous? The ending is hilarious in the hospital. If you like humor, lots of steam and romance with your murder mystery, you will like this book. I volunteered to review an ARC of it through BookSirens.

Redrabbitt
5.0 out of 5 stars GRIST FOR THE MILL
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2024
The story begins when the Mystery Writers’ Murder Club will tackle an unsolved murder case involving author Pandora Pritchard. It was a case that the police never did much in trying to solve, yet Pandora’s friend, Carole Lee, always wanted to see justice take place.

“Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You caught the killers and brought them to justice, and you have my gratitude.”

Lori Sykes is a guest speaker at a book conference in Bleak Ridge, Maine. While at the conference, another mystery author, Antony Cobain, is rude and condescending to her—and other authors. While he has many books on the market, he doesn’t have a fan base amongst other mystery authors. Lori will be out on a walk and witnesses an attack on a man down near the docks, her phone is dead, the person doing the assault will flee in a boat, and Lori runs to offer aid, only the victim is already dead. Who killed Antony Cobain and why?

Ryker McKay is the owner and editor of the Bleak Ridge Sentinel. He knows of Lori from his friends, Thorn and Slade with the MCU. It won’t be long before Lori and Ryker work together discussing the murder that the town detective won’t classify as a murder. It will have them piecing details together, to see if they can determine who did it and why.

I enjoyed the story and the chemistry between Ryker and Lori. Ryker’s life took a turn when he was shot, and the injuries were so severe he would not be able to return to reporting in dangerous areas. Together, Ryker and Lori try to stay under the radar of the detective while uncovering clues. Can they do it without involving the MCU? Will they find themselves in a life-and-death situation while following leads?

This story was a definite page-turner with a spicy romance. I always love it when we get the coveted happily ever after ending too. The epilogue will set up the fifth story in the series.