Review: Home for the Homicides

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.