No News is Bad News

Newspaper reporter/editor Bernadette “Bernie” O’Dea’s life has been chaotic since her move to Redimere, Maine. In Cold Hard News, which takes place several months before this book begins, Bernie and the town’s new chief of police, Pete Novotny, were involved in a murder investigation and a struggle for their lives; it looks as if history is repeating itself.

No News is Bad News, the second book in this series, opens in 2009…Bernie is struggling with a variety of issues. She’s determined to keep the town’s weekly newspaper afloat, but at times it seems like an uphill battle. She also wants to make sense of the unexpected appearance at her home of her youngest brother, Sal… Bernie is (mostly) happy to have his company, but she’s not certain Sal has told her the whole story. And to add to the above mix, Bernie isn’t sure about her feelings for Pete. He’s told her he loves her, but her response has been only silence. She likes him, certainly, but is she ready for love?

Maureen Milliken has written a terrific mystery. The fast-paced plot is totally believable, as are the characters, and the small-town setting works to help the reader understand life in a northern Maine town where everyone knows everyone else. Bernie O’Dea is a heroine to watch.