It is almost Christmas and yards glow with twinkling lights.But more than chestnuts are roasting.
BOOK BLURB
A raging fire sweeps through the decorated landscape of Sled Run, destroying the home of Chief Deputy Oren Rosenberg and killing two.
An accident? Or did something toxic fuel the flames?
Sheriff Piper Blackwell and Detective Basil Meredith believe Oren was targeted and are tasked with finding motive and means before more than the holiday burns bright.
With many clues reduced to ashes, can Piper and Basil catch the culprits before they strike again? Or is this blaze just the start of the most murder-filled time of the year?
The Dead of Sled Run is book five of the Piper Blackwell Series. Want to read the series in order? Check it out on Amazon.
Prefer audio? The Piper Blackwell series is in audio, read by Catherine Wenglowski. Start with book one of the series, The Dead of Winter
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK
There was a fire on Mistletoe Drive two years back.” The Santa Claus Volunteer Fire Chief removed his helmet, let out a long breath, and leaned against the fire truck named Blitzen. Despite the sleet, sweat beaded on his forehead. His name patch read: James “Jimmy” Wollach. He and Piper watched the other firemen roll the hoses and gather equipment, the darkness cut by truck headlights and streetlights. “That Mistletoe fire, Sheriff Blackwell, was after Thanksgiving, right at the edge of December. Nice house. Two levels, new construction. Electrical problems set it off.”
Piper guessed Wollach to be mid-fifties, about the same age as her dad. She knew he owned a gas station at the northern edge of Santa Claus, had served on the county board, and been president of the school board a few years back. Apparently a civic-minded soul. His blue eyes looked kind.
“Burnt to the ground, that house. Just like these,” he said, making a sweeping gesture at the charred remains of Oren’s place and his neighbor’s. “And two years before that, fire took a split-level on Sleigh Bell Drive. That was because of Christmas tree lights, real candles in the windows. All things merry brought that one down. It was right around New Year’s. They’d had a real tree, let it dry out. Total loss. And wholly preventable if they just would’ve kept it watered. They wrestled with the insurance company for months.”
Piper felt numb … from the cold, from worry over Oren, disgust that this was a hate crime. Basil was right, the destroyed houses had been the only two not decorated for Christmas, owned by Jewish people.
And there was the spray paint.
Anger, hate, prejudice had sent Oren Rosenberg to the specialized burn unit of a hospital in Indianapolis. What the hell was wrong with the world?
She shuddered and nearly gagged. The stench from fire, burnt wood, plastic, and all the other things that had gone up in flames remained strong in her mouth. It felt like it had taken forever to knock down every last bit of fire. All the gawkers had given up a while ago. Piper had recorded a lot of names so she or Basil could talk to some neighbors later. A few hours of sleep and she’d be back to question them when it was light.
“This wasn’t an accident,” she said.
“Can’t say that yet,” Wollach replied. “I’ll be out here later today, when the sun’s bright. Take a close look then.”
“Not an accident,” she said more firmly. She’d walked the property before settling next to Wollach. She knew it was deliberately set.She’d noticed the paint.
BOOK REVIEW
A call out to a fire for Sheriff Piper Blackwell is anything but routine when it’s the house of her chief deputy that is alight. Unfortunately the fire has spread to the house next door leaving devastation in its wake. Whilst her deputy and his cats survived two bodies are recovered from the neighbouring house. The fire is not the first to be set and for a while it seems they are hate crimes. When Piper and her team realise it’s not a hate crime it’s much worse and closer to home the clock starts ticking before the next fire is lit.
Book 5 in the series catches up with Piper just weeks after her wedding to Nang and still getting used to having someone to go home to. The books are cosy crime stories set in a small community where crime is usually drink driving or the occasional bar fight. Murder following an arson attack is something that the sheriff has not encountered before. The author has taken us back into the small town life of a small close knit sheriff department. In doing so she has created believable, relatable characters that we enjoy meeting book after book. Whilst there is crime there are no graphical details that some crime writers do. Yet the books are still filled with thrills and twists that make for a very enjoyable reading , and prove to be binge worthy. Perfect for the dark evenings wrapped up on the sofa. They can be read as a series or as a standalone book but I would definitely encourage you to read the series in order as you will not only gain a fuller insight into the characters but fill your hours with enjoyment of reading them.
My thanks to Echo Shea for my tour invite and copy of the book, as always they are my own thoughts and opinions on the book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today best-seller, Jean Rabe’s impressive writing career spans decades, starting as a newspaper reporter and bureau chief.
From there she went on to become the director of RPGA, a co-editor with Martin H. Greenberg for DAW books, and, most notably, Rabe is an award-winning author of more than forty science fiction/fantasy and murder mystery thrillers.
She writes mysteries and fantasies, because life is too short to be limited to one genre–and she does it with dogs tangled at her feet, because life is too short not to be covered in fur.
Find out more about her at www.jeanrabe.com
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