Review: Home for the Homicides

HOME FOR THE HOMICIDES by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Romance, Holiday
4****

Blurb: ‘Tis the season . . . for murder. When Special Agents Holly Frost and Mark Shepherd report to the idyllic town of Christmas to investigate a very less than idyllic murder, they’re in for more than the average whodunnit. Welcome to Christmas, a town so cozy and charming it could be the backdrop of a Hallmark movie, where crime is never in season and it’s the holidays all year round. So when a tourist is found stabbed to death by an icicle in the middle of the town nativity scene, the local police are out of their depth—after all, how do you find a criminal in a town where crime doesn’t exist? The stakes are the whole town is relying on Holly and Mark to solve the crime before the annual Jingle Bell Jubilee festival (which naturally the town’s entire economic survival relies on), plus, whichever of them cracks the case will receive a promotion to Major Crimes—and there’s only one spot. Holly and Mark are both on thin ice after screwing up on the job. This assignment is their one shot at redemption, if they can put aside their bitter rivalry. And of course, it’s not only their jobs on the line, it’s their hearts, too—regrets of their holiday party hookup last year haunt them like ghosts of Christmas past, so they both want to wrap up this rom-com gone wrong as quickly as possible. But with just twelve days until the festival, the countdown to catch a killer—without killing each other—is on.

THOUGHTS: What an interesting – funny! – read. Unlike most cozy mysteries, this one starts with a prologue that introduces us to the narrator of the book who lets us know that they are omniscient and will be showing up throughout the story – which they do! Definitely different. The characters all have names that are almost cringe-worthy, especially since this takes place at Christmas time, in the town of Christmas. Holly Frost and Mark Shepherd have been sent to the town in order to discover who murdered a woman there. A town where crime does not happen. Plus… it’s Mark’s hometown! There is so much ridiculousness going on in this story that it’s almost absurd, but fun. And the heat between Holly and Mark. It’s a love/hate relationship that goes back and forth so many times, you can get dizzy. And there are a ton of suspects! But a satisfying ending.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s for providing this ARC.