Deadline

by Maggie K. Black

THE PERFECT CRIME

No one but reporter Jack Brooks believes three seemingly unrelated deaths are the work of a clever serial killer. Not even the woman he's convinced is the next victim—beautiful wedding planner Meg Duff. Even when he tracks her to her remote Canadian island home in time to save her life, Meg can't—and won't—help the maverick reporter. But time is running out, and as a record storm threatens the island, a killer grows desperate. Only Jack can stop him from getting away with murder. And he must, because now not only is Meg's life at stake, but so is his heart….

Genres: Romance, Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense, Christian Fiction, Suspense, Mystery

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Maggie K. Black is an award-winning journalist with a thirst for adventure. She's lived in the American South, Europe and Middle East, and left a piece of her heart in each. She now makes her home in Canada, where she writes stories that make her heart race, chases her dog around the park and shares her adventures with her one true love and and their two daughters.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wedding planner Meg Duff is on a ferry to meet with a couple who are getting married on Manitoulin Island (a Canadian lake island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario.) While she is walking alone on the foggy deck of the ferry someone hits Meg from behind, ties her hands together, and throws her overboard. All she sees is the orange hood of a raincoat.

Jack Brooks, a crime reporter with Torchlight News in Toronto, recently wrote a story about what he believes is a serial killer he called the "Raincoat Killer". Three young women were murdered recently and a person wearing an orange raincoat was spotted at each crime scene. Jack thinks he is on to something and writes a story for his newspaper but the chief of police thinks the murders are unrelated and that Jack is being ridiculous. Jack's editor tells him to lay off the stories about the Raincoat Killer and take the rest of the week off. But Jack, following a hunch, heads to Manitoulin Island. Jack went on a walk-through of the crime scene of the latest victim a few weeks ago and saw some personal items scattered on the floor---pictures and flyers about wedding planner Meg Duff who lives on Manitoulin Island. Thinking there could be a connection to this wedding planner, he catches the ferry to the island. But while on board he sees Meg get thrown off the boat by someone wearing an orange raincoat.

After Jack jumps in the water and saves Meg they become better acquainted and he tells her what he believes---a serial killer is on the loose. At first Meg doesn't really believe him, she thinks being thrown overboard was a random crime, but she soon realizes he may be telling the truth after she receives a threat, a man is murdered, Jack and Meg are attacked in a store, they see a person in a raincoat a few times at crime scenes, etc...

This was an entertaining and exciting read with an interesting cast of characters/suspects. I liked the main couple. Jack was a bold, reckless hero who was determined to find out who the Raincoat Killer was, especially after the chief of police named him person of interest. Meg was a sweet and likable heroine. Her brother Benji was in the newspapers a lot over ten years ago when he was in a snowmobile accident and the boy he was with died. So she’s hesitant to be in the limelight again with reporters asking questions and hounding her.

This was an enjoyable, fast-paced read.

[Aerykah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Love Inspired book I've read in quite a while! I stayed up pretty late last night because I just couldn't go to bed without finishing it. And the ending (well, most of it) came as a total surprise!

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very great spiritual read. Romance, suspense, murders. This novel had it all. Meg is a wedding planner for a wedding taking place on an island situated on Lake Huron. She is tied up and pushed overboard. Jack, a reporter who is investigating a series of murders, jumps in and saves Meg. He does a very good job of protecting her. You’ll want to read this book. It’s short but the action never lets up.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Enjoyable, very action packed read! You won’t be bored reading this one!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deadline by Maggie K. Black. Reporter Jack Brooks is trying to convince the Toronto police department that the three seemingly unconnected deaths are actually the work of a very clever serial killer. On the verge of losing his job over the story, he follows a hunch and ends up saving the next victim from drowning, when she is thrown overboard by the Raincoat Killer. Will Meg Duff, the wedding planner from a remote Canadian island help him prove his theory before it’s too late? Or will she become the latest victim? A thrill packed read for any suspense lover. With a surprise twist you never saw coming!

[John Hanscom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe a little less, but, for this genre, very good. Ms. Black almost blew it with one too many of a similar rescue, but, overall, a very good read. These books tend to be a little prudish, and, with no sexual intent at all, these two people actually touched and hugged each other. It is merely what people do, but, for these love inspired Christian mysteries," it was almost pornographic by comparison.

[LB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very hard to put down. The identity of the guilty came as a complete surprise to me. Maggie K. Black pulled me in with characters that I would enjoy hanging out with (except for the guilty of course). I would definitely recommend this and will probably reread it again in the future.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially, I thought this book was following the typical "playbook" of this genre but I kept reading, in part, because I was intrigued by the setting of the book (which is on the island where my grandmother was born). Then there were so many twists and turns that the ending was an unpredictable surprise. I liked the fact that I didn't figure it out before the author reveal it.

[Judine Brey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The twists of this romance were well placed. I appreciated Meg's reactions to media and the court of public opinion. The fact that she falls for criminal investigative reporter Jack was both well-paced and appropriately frustrating for her. The twists that came fast and furious at the end were very well done, and they were foreshadowed beautifully.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay this book had me on my toes from the beginning. Typical suspense I’ve read don’t have tense portions in the beginning but it hooked me and I couldn’t stop reading! Twist and turns happened that I actually never even caught on to until the end! Such a great read

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

The killer was unexpected for me.Totally unpredictable. But I couldnt warm up to the heroine. She spent majority of the book crying and her turnaround/realisation happened only in last few pages of the book

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Mystery

I really loved this fast paced suspense story by Maggie Black. It will keep you up at night wanting to read the next chapters. She does a great job of keeping you guessing!

[Viv Wilday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading all of Maggie blacks books.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best I have read by Maggie Black. Did figure out who it was 3/4th through the book. It did solve the why question as to how it happened. Now on to another book.

[Gwen]

A new author to me. It was an enjoyable read, although I did get lost in the action a few times.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clever, intricate plot left me with whiplash by the end! The tension kept building and there were enough suspects crawling out of the woodwork that I nearly threw up my hands in defeat and hung up my armchair sleuth membership badge. But I'm no quitter so I persevered and got things thoroughly wrong before I got them half right. Chalk one up for the ingenuous author.

Loved the fact that Jack and Meg are plain ordinary folk caught up in a whirlwind of murder and mayhem. Jack's gritty journalistic background gives him a daredevil persona which Meg perceives as reckless and dangerous. This hero and heroine are living examples of the adage 'opposites attract'. A fiery read cover to cover.

[Erica Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie K. Black packs Deadline full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. The conflicts that keep Jack and Meg apart are as tangible as the danger lurking around every corner. Ms. Black has crafted characters that the reader cares about and draws the reader into the tension of the story without losing the romance element. I really enjoyed Meg and Jack's story. I thought the conclusion to the suspense element was surprising and the romantic conclusion was happy sigh inducing. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romantic suspense full of twists and turns, a cautious heroine and a daredevil hero who find themselves thrown into a twisted killer's web, and a conclusion that fits the wild ride.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Inspired Suspense book Deadline by Maggie K. Black was a very good book. There is a serial killer out there and Jack Brooks is trying to find out who it is. The killer is after Meg Duff who is a wedding planner. Lots of action and suspense. A good read.

[Harlequin Books]

received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews

[Judy Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. Great suspense, romance and mystery. Great reading, and short and sweet

[Harlequin Books]

received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews