Home Sweet Homicide

Hometown Mystery #5

by Rosalie Spielman

From author Rosalie Spielman comes matrimony turned murderous!

Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Tessa Treslow never thought that she'd be attending the wedding of her first love, Joe Eriksson, but that's exactly where she finds herself. Even worse, his fiancée has asked her to be the Maid of Honor!

But in the days leading up to the wedding, it becomes clear why Jessie St. John asked Tessa to stand with her, and it's not just her military-style organization. Between a meddling "best
frenemy" who's doing her best to sabotage the wedding and an ex-husband falling—or being tossed—to his death, Tessa's investigative skills are once again put to the test.

The suspicious death of one of Jessie's ex-husbands in one thing. But when ex-husband number 2 is also found dead, theories are tossed around like a bride's bouquet. In order to help the wedding stay on track, Tessa needs to calm the bride, combat the frenemy, and make sure the flowers arrive, all while keeping sane.

Despite a state detective being brought in to solve the case, Tessa is forced to fight to keep the ones she loves and her home sweet home safe from the most diabolical killer she has faced yet.

" Clever & Compelling Gem! An excellent read and high on my list for 2023 honors."
~Kings River Life Magazine

"You will also fall in love with New Oslo and its residents and businesses. You will want to pack a bag and jump in your car and head there as fast as you can!"
~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 5, 2025

About the author

As a military brat, veteran and military spouse (retired), I've moved more times than I have fingers to count on! I only recently broke my record of six consecutive years at one address.

Somewhere along the way, I discovered that I could make other people laugh with my writing. I enjoy reading to escape from the real world, and hope to give you the same with my stories.

Join my newsletter at www.Rosalie-Spielman-author.com or on Facebook at “Rosalie Spielman author” or my readers’ group, “You Know The Spiel.” I look forward to sharing my experiences with you!

I strive to provide you an escape...one page at a time.

Reviews

[Marian West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Rosalie. I'm so in love with this Hometown series. Tessa and Aunt Edna are great roommates, and in this book we learn a little more about them. And Freddie, as usual, is a great best friend. She's professional and human at the same time.

We learn more about Jailbait Jessie in this book, too. Turns out, she's pretty human as well. There are things that she's afraid of and things that will shake her. It's a good thing when your nemesis becomes a friend.

A scene to look for (not a spoiler): Olive Prunn loves to wear fascinators, and the author's descriptions throughout the scene when Olive wears the pig fascinator just had me in stitches.

This book can be read out of order, but I recommend reading all of them so you don't miss a single moment. Seems a character or two enter with each book and then stay. By reading the whole series, you'll get everyone's origin story.

Disclosure: We received a free digital ARC of this book. No guarantee of a review or other compensation was made.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series

The Hometown Mysteries series has quickly become one of my favorite series. This book is my favorite of the series. I love the small town setting in Idaho, and the characters are so well-written. I can’t wait for Book 6!

[Deborah Almada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another wonderful addition to a series I have definitely started to look forward to! Tessa is used to dealing with difficult and potentially explosive situations from her time in the military, but nothing has prepared her to take on the role of Maid of Honor to her former first crush and her former frenemy! Not even sure how she got here, but doing her best for Joe and Jesse, Tessa finds the situation even more difficult when someone starts knocking off Jesse's former husbands and her high school best friend Shelby shows up to help but seems more determined to sabotage the wedding. Can Tessa help figure out what is going on as Joe is now sidelined because of his obvious connections to the case? This is a really good mystery with lots of potential bad guys and lots of real emotions and drama. One of the things I really appreciate about this series is that the characters are real people, with difficult emotions, real-life problems, and thoughtfully directed solutions. Can't wait to spend more time with these delightfully real and flawed characters, not to mention Vince and Magnus! #HomeSweetHomicide #HometownMysteries #RosalieSpielman #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home Sweet Homicide has all the elements I love in a cozy mystery--a likeable heroine I want to be friends with, a sweet small town full of quirky characters, and a furry companion (or two if you count Magnus the moose!). Add in a wedding, a couple of bodies, and multiple suspects who had motives and opportunity, and you have a winner! Author Rosalie Spielman deftly works in more red herrings and twists than you can shake a wrench at. I raced through this book and highly recommend it to cozy mystery fans who love a strong female lead and a nice dose of humor.

[Phyllis · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[The Book Adventurer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Rosalie Spielman, for sending me a DRC of Home Sweet Homicide! This is book #5 in the Hometown Mysteries. I absolutely loved this book!👏👏 I don't know how she does it, but every time I read one of Rosalie's books, I just get so drawn into the story. I've never been to Idaho in real life, but when I read this series, I feel like I'm right there in New Oslo (fictionalized version of a real town) and part of Tessa Treslow's family/community. And then there's the mystery, which is always well crafted. In this book, Tessa's been asked to be the maid of honor at the wedding of her high school sweetheart, Joe, to her high school nemesis, Jessie. Two of Jessie's ex-husbands end up murdered, leaving Tessa to wonder if Joe and/or Jessie are in harm's way...or could either of them possibly be the murderer? You can find out when the book is released on August 5!

[Tracy Condie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Tessa Treslow reporting for maid of honor duty and murder solving, sir. This is the fifth Hometown Mystery book and my first time reading from this series. The story is a stand-alone cozy that takes place in the town of New Oslo, Idaho. Tessa, moved back home after a successful service career to take her place working with her Aunt Edna, restoring vintage vehicles, (and solving mysteries). This latest book does not involve vintage vehicles, but it does involve something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, plus a dead body or two.

Tessa hasn’t always gotten along with Jezebel aka Jessie who is engaged to Tessa’s high school boyfriend so why on earth is she agreeing to be her maid of honor? It certainly makes for an entertaining plot as do several of the characters. Jessie, the bride, for one has an unfortunate name, a bit of a reputation that she is trying to put way behind her, four ex-husbands, and a beautiful set of twin girls who can seem a little odd at times.

Shelby, Jessie’s high school BFF frenemy, is a professional wedding planner, so why wasn’t she asked to help. Most likely because she is a frenemy who irritates everyone every time she opens her mouth. Tessa and the other ladies have everything well in hand, but Shelby tries to steamroll Jessie, the gang and their hard work. Needless to say, I half expected Shelby to be the victim because she is only slightly less repugnant than Jessie's first husband, Zane, the actual victim. Much of my enjoyment while reading this book involves the back and forth between Tessa and Aunt Edna. Everyone needs an Aunt Edna to help keep you straight and to listen when needed or to give advice when you might not want it. Something that Tessa seems to need from time to time to keep her cool when dealing with Shelby, who really should not have been invited in the first place. Tessa didn’t return from duty with PTSD; she came back with a bit of anger and Shelby does a great job of triggering. I appreciate the realness that Ms. Spellman incorporates into the story, from Tessa’s need to contact her therapist to Nick’s loss of limb from his time in the service. There is some light-heartedness to balance out the real-life seriousness.

In addition, there are some really good red herrings to go along with the shifty suspects to keep you entertained and turning pages. Who is that guy that says he is a PI and who really hired him? Both the bride and the groom are on the suspect list, but we know that they couldn’t have done it, right? One more cozy aspect to this story is that there is also a fur baby, Vince the boxer, who is a butt wiggling ball of fun. All in all, this is a good read that has me wanting to check out the rest of the series to see how it all started.

[Missi Martin (Stockwell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading a few books in the Hometown Mystery series by Rosalie Spielman I fell in love with the town of New Oslo, the people and the stores ..... Unfortunately I skipped a few books in the middle and have now just finished reading Home Sweet Homicide. And yes I still love the town and the people but I don't think I will EVER recommend getting married there !! I know it is specific to the couple getting married in Home Sweet Homicide but it does leave an impression !!

Okay .... I don't want to scare you away so let me start over ....

In Home Sweet Homicide one of the main characters Tessa is asked and accepts the role of maid of honor for her friend Jessie. That should be awesome and fun right ? Except Jessie is has already been married a nunber of times and this time she is getting married to Tessa's ex-boyfriend Joe. Even though Tessa is in a great relationship with Nick, the sting is still there.

But bad things start to happen ..... Shelby a friend of Jessie's who is a wedding planner finds out that she is getting married and didn't hire Shelby to plan the wedding so she decides to do whatever she can to ruin the wedding. And then one of Jessie's ex-husbands is found dead and ruled murder ...... I sure hope Shelby wouldn't go that far but then if she didn't do it, there's someone else out there looking to stop the wedding !!

I could tell you more but I don't want to ruin it for you and I honestly don't think you would believe me !!!

Spielman has a magnificent imagination !! She sure has a knack with creating stories that make you coming back for more !!

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy these Hometown Mysteries! I love that both Gemma and Aunt Edna are veterans, shecanics and best friends. In Home Sweet Homicide, Tessa has been coerced into being "unofficial" maid of honor at her first love's wedding! It is the bride's fourth wedding. The bride's "best" friend turns up to help with wedding prep but sabotages things instead. Then the bride's ex-husbands start dying. It was fascinating to watch Tessa trying to keep the wedding on track, keep the frenemy from derailing things, keep the bride calm and keep everyone safe from the killer. I like to clear my calendar and spend the day in New Oslo whenever Ms. Spielman delivers another of her wonderfully plotted, twisted mysteries! You do not want to miss this exciting tale.

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retired Army Colonel Tessa is one of my favorite characters. Along with her aunt, they are mechanics that love to work on old cars. She didn’t expect to attend the wedding of her first love, but now she has been asked to be a bridesmaid! She does agree, but the days leading up to the wedding are filled with mystery and drama. There is a frenemy from their high school days, and not one, but two of the bride’s ex-husbands are murdered! It’s a nice cozy mystery and I was pleasantly surprised at the end. I highly recommend this book.

[Suzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun who-dunnit adventure in New Oslo. Tessa, Aunt Edna, and gang are back at it. This time the mystery involves former frenemies and the dreaded wedding planner. Tessa can't escape as she is the maid of honor. All these stories are fun to read, in any order. Highly recommended if you like a good cozy mystery with great characters and storytelling.

[Kirstin Troyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

she does it again

Once again Rosalie had me sucked in and I finished this in Two days. This has become one of my favorite series..from the human and non human characters to the well written plot! They keep me guessing til the end

[Eileen Gernet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another who done it brain teaser.

I love this series. The author has a way of distracting the reader just enough to bring the mystery to fruition without giving away who done it!

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness can Tessa’s world get any crazier? She has agreed to be Jessie’s maid of honor of all things. Yes she has moved on from Joe but it is bound to dredge up some old feelings. To make matters worse Jessie’s overbearing friend Shelby storms into town trying to take over the wedding planning but really just wants to sabotage the whole thing. Oh and then of course there is the fact that two of Jessie’s ex husbands are murdered and there are a whole slew of suspects.
What an incredible story this one was. I think it might be my favorite one in the series so far.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher.

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home Sweet Homicide is the 5th wonderful book in Rosalie Spielman's Hometown Mysteries and it is a really good addition to the series. Tessa Treslow and Aunt Edna do vehicle restorations. They are closed for a week for friends Jessie St John and Joe Erickson's wedding. Tessa can't believe Jessie asked her to be her Maid of Honor along with Jessie's twin daughters. Tessa and Jessie didn't get along in high school and Joe was Tessas's first love even though they are friends now. I didn't like Jessie in earlier books but she has become very likable. Jessie's childhood friend Shelby, who is a wedding planner, shows up and causes a lot of problems which adds humor. Jessie was married three times before. Two of her exes live in the area and the 1st is visiting and he ends up dead. Of course this disrupts the wedding preparations. Joe (the local police detective) can't work on the case so Detective Lace is brought in. Joe's son Jax is here for the wedding and looking at colleges. The wedding brings out some drama which adds to the story. The suspects are wedding attendees of course but with the secrets and red herrings, I wasn't sure. Tessa is dating Nick and they are a great couple but apparently have no plans to get married anytime soon. Both of them are retired Army and sometimes deal with repercussions of being in the military and are very caring and supportive of each other. The characters are what make this series so enjoyable! #HomeSweetHomicide #HometownMysteries #GemmaHallidayPublishing

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tessa has been asked to be Maid of Honor for Joe Eriksson's fiance. A difficult job because Joe was her first love. Also, the woman he was marrying, Jessica, wasn't exactly her best girlfriend! But when murder, sabotage, and a serial killer become involved, it becomes apparent that she was the right person to be asked!
An intriguing plot filled with the bride's former husbands, a snarky "girlfriend" who wants to be her wedding planner and will stop at nothing to make that happen, multiple murders, an encounter between her dog and a porcupine, and much more. Secrets have a way of coming out, and there's lots of them being shared!
This engaging book is the fifth in the excellent series. It certainly seems to be the most complex and emotional story line! Definitely plot that kept me reading non-stop to the end!

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

THOUGHTS: This is a good addition to the Hometown Mysteries series. In this one, Tessa is up against a serial killer who tests her at every turn. Tessa’s first love, Joe, is getting married to a woman who’s been married three times before. When two of the bride’s exes end up dead, all signs point to the bride, Jessie. Because of the relationship of everyone in the police department to the bride, the groom, or the victims, the state brings in a special investigator. And Tessa is told to stay out of it–which means she doesn’t, of course. After all, these are her friends.

I love Tessa and her aunt and that they aren’t standard characters. Tessa is a retired Army Lt. Colonel and her aunt runs a garage, fixing autos, which Tessa works at too. No ice cream shops or bakeries for these two. The story keeps you reading until the very end and gives you a satisfying ending.

Recommended.