September 30, 2024 – Sparkling Book Reviews

HOME FOR THE HOMICIDES by Rosalie Spielman

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: It’s Christmastime in Army retiree Tessa Treslow’s small Idaho hometown of New Oslo, but someone is determined to play a grinch this season and is robbing local businesses of their holiday cheer! In the midst of preparing for the first annual Running of the Grinches, a fundraiser to support the Sergeant Santa Toy Drive and the local historical society, a string of unfortunate incidents hit the townsfolk hard. It starts with broken windows then progresses to car theft, assault, and arson—each instance accompanied by a clue that clearly ties the crimes together. Tessa organizes a watch patrol for New Oslo, and during her first shift she helps rescue a victim from a fire. Unfortunately, it is clear to Tessa that the woman was already dead before the fire was set. Did the arsonist accidentally kill her…or is something more heinous and less in the spirit of the season at hand? It’s up to Tessa to find out before tragedy strikes again!

Thoughts: Tessa Treslow is ex-army and now works with her aunt Edna doing car engine repairs. Tessa is in her 40s and is a no-nonsense kind of person and when vandals start messing with businesses in town, she is called up to organize a citizen watch. Broken windows and stolen gifts are only the beginning as the events increase to include arson and murder. It’s up to Tessa and her cohorts to figure out who the perp is before things get even worse. But doing so, puts her and her aunt into danger.

This was a good mystery with clues and suspects sprinkled throughout the story. But I have to say, my favorite character was Magnus the Moose, who kept eating their Christmas decorations (the pine/fir boughs used to decorate the truck). Tessa and her family and friends attempt to have a great holiday while thwarting the perp(s) with clever ideas on tracking and stopping them.

Recommended.

With the October 1 release of Unwavering Victory, Natalie J. Damschroder’s newest romantic adventure series is complete!

The first book, Victory on the Edge, is only 99¢!

Unwavering Victory

Iain Fraser thought he understood his life. Then the brother he didn’t know existed turned it all upside down. Everything he has built, everyone he cares about, is under attack. And every choice he makes to defend it seems to be the wrong one. It’s time to go on offense, but it’s hard to take the fight to the enemy when you can’t find him.

Cassandra Michaelson has been in a protective limbo since her husband was killed. Victory has been her entire focus, a cocoon wrapping her up, keeping her safe but also confining her. Fighting Iain’s brother, the man who stripped that protection away, has awakened her again—and made her see not only that she doesn’t have to be alone, doesn’t want to be alone, but also that she wants far more. She wants to fly again. And she wants to fly with Iain.

Iain has always been waiting for Cassandra. He hadn’t put his life on hold—in fact, he’d thought he was building something new, away from Victory and from the partnership that shattered when his best friend was killed. But Cass refuses to stay away, stay safe, and now they must work together to trigger their enemy’s end game. What they can be after that will have to wait until—and if—they survive it.

Check out the series on:

AUTHOR NOTE: On the series page, you’ll see The Road to Victory before Victory on the Edge. That novella is a bridge between The Seismic Series (Aftershocks and Resonance) and The Victory Series. It closes out Seismic and introduces Victory. It’s not necessary to start with The Road to Victory if you haven’t read The Seismic Series.

About the Author

Natalie J. Damschroder loves combining end-of-the-world stakes with the relationships that make those stakes personal. Love with a Shot of Adrenaline has infused nearly every story she’s published. Whether you like quick reads you can finish in a day or sinking into longer books, you’ll find something to satisfy your craving for action, romance, and happy endings. She also writes paranormal young adult romance as NJ Damschroder, where all of the same elements apply.

Besides her dozens of published books, what Natalie is most proud of is her family. She and her husband have been married over 30 years and still have the kind of partnership she makes her characters fight for every day. They’ve raised two awesome kids now living their own fulfilling lives, which you would think would mean she’d write more books faster. But she’s enjoying reading, relaxing with good TV, and sleeping too much to give any of that up. In the fall and winter, almost nothing will keep her from cheering for her New England Patriots, even though they don’t win as much anymore. She loves to hear from readers, so don’t hesitate to e-mail her!