Friday, June 26, 2026
Moving Day Mysteries: Romantic Suspense Heroes and Heroines Starting Over
Book characters move for a variety of reasons. The same is true in Christian Romantic Suspense. I recently moved from Wyoming to South Dakota, so I thought it would be fun to share a list of "Moving Day Mysteries", Christian romantic suspense novels where the hero or heroine has recently moved to a new location whether that be to buy or inherit a new house, start a new job, or hide from the bad guys ...
One of the quickest ways to make a romantic suspense protagonist vulnerable is to put them somewhere unfamiliar. Whether they're inheriting a long-forgotten house, buying a fixer-upper, relocating for work, or seeking refuge from the past, they begin the story without the safety net of trusted neighbors and established routines. That's exactly when danger likes to strike.
#1- The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright
#2- Gazing into Darkness by Heidi Glick
#3 - The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch
#4- Beneath the Surface by Lynn H. Blackburn
#5- Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble
#6- Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble
#7- Targeted in the Swamp by Kerry Johnson
#8- A Caffeine Conundrum by Angela Ruth Strong (Not romantic suspense, but I loved this series.)
#9- The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House by Joanna Davidson Politano
#10- Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard
What others would you add?
Giveaway: An eBook copy of my newest release, The Escape Game.
To Enter: Answer this question: Have you ever started over in a new place?
Gina Holder is a Christian award-winning author of romantic
suspense and cozy mysteries filled with faith, intrigue, danger, romance, and
epic twists you'll never see coming.
She’s had an infatuation with books for as long as she can remember. She loves
sharing uplifting messages from God’s Word and introducing readers to new and
new-to-them authors on her blog. When she’s not writing, Gina enjoys playing
the piano, cooking, reading, watching Hallmark mysteries, and solving “escape
room” puzzles. She loves growing in her craft as an author. She published her
debut novel in 2017. Gina lives in Wyoming with her husband and daughter.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Secrets Behind the White Picket Fences – Writing Small Town Suspense Stories
When readers think of suspense, they often imagine dark city streets, crowded airports, or remote locations far from civilization.
But some of the most suspenseful
stories happen in the last place anyone expects: a small town.
As a suspense author, I’ve always
been drawn to small-town settings. There’s something uniquely unsettling about
danger arriving in a place that feels safe.
Small towns are built on
familiarity.
People know one another. They attend
the same churches, shop at the same stores, and share generations of history.
Neighbors wave from their front porches. Children grow up together. Families
become woven into the fabric of the community.
On the surface, that sense of
connection creates comfort.
For a suspense writer, however, it
creates opportunity.
Because when everyone knows
everyone, secrets become much harder to hide—and much more dangerous when they
come to light.
In a small town, a crime doesn't
affect strangers. It affects friends. Family members. Neighbors.
The local sheriff may be
investigating someone he grew up with. The witness might be a lifelong friend.
The victim may be someone the entire town loved.
Suddenly, every clue carries
emotional weight.
That's what makes small-town
suspense so compelling.
The setting raises the stakes beyond
solving a crime. The investigation threatens relationships, reputations, and
sometimes the very identity of the community itself.
Another advantage of a small-town
setting is history.
Every town has stories.
Some are passed down through
generations. Some are whispered about behind closed doors. Some are buried so
deeply that people hope they never resurface.
As writers, we can use that history
to create layers of mystery.
Perhaps a decades-old disappearance
still haunts the community. Maybe an unsolved murder continues to cast a shadow
over the town square. Or perhaps a family has spent years protecting a secret
that could destroy everything if revealed.
The past becomes a character of its
own.
And in suspense, the past rarely
stays buried.
Small towns also provide natural
settings that heighten tension.
A lonely mountain road during a
snowstorm.
A forgotten church at the edge of
town.
An abandoned farmhouse hidden among
rolling fields.
A forest trail where no one will
hear a cry for help.
These locations create atmosphere
while reminding readers that danger can exist even in the most beautiful
places.
Perhaps most importantly, small
towns allow readers to become emotionally invested in the community itself.
Readers don't just care about the
hero and heroine. They care about the people around them. The diner owner. The
pastor. The elderly neighbor who knows more than she's saying. The deputy
trying to protect his hometown.
When danger threatens the town,
readers feel that threat personally because they've come to know the community.
That's one reason I continue
returning to small-town settings in my own books.
Whether the story takes place in
Amish country, a mountain community, a coastal village, or a remote town tucked
away from the rest of the world, the setting offers more than scenery.
It creates relationships. History.
Secrets.
And for a suspense writer, secrets
are where the story begins.
One example is my novel Tangled
Past, set on Hope Island, a small coastal community where a decades-old
murder still casts a shadow over the town. Twenty-five years after Police Chief
Raymond Dutton was murdered, his son, Asa, returns home searching for answers.
His only lead is Maya Callahan, the young witness found at the scene as a child,
who has no memory of what happened that night. As long-buried secrets begin to
surface, Asa and Maya discover that someone is willing to kill to keep the
truth hidden. Hope Island may be picturesque, but like many small communities,
its greatest danger lies not in what everyone knows, but in what someone has
spent decades trying to conceal.
For a chance to win an e-book copy
of Tangled Past, tell me, what makes a small-town setting memorable to
you as a reader? Please be sure to include your email in your comment.
Mary Alford is a New York Times and USA TODAY
bestselling author who loves giving her readers the unexpected, combining
unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots that result in stories the
reader can’t put down. Her books have garnered several awards and nominations.
Mary lives deep in the heart of Texas with her husband, two cats, and a dog.
Mary is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook,
Instagram, and X.
Monday, June 22, 2026
WHAT'S HOT in Christian Mystery and Suspense
Marji Laine here.
Ohhh! This sounds like it has a great mystery attached! I'm so in!
Wild
Storm
by Kendra Cross
Eliza
Brennan has spent years leading search and rescue missions in the Colorado
backcountry—saving strangers in impossible conditions.
But she
couldn’t save her mother.
When a
brutal winter storm traps hikers in the mountains, Eliza and her team race
against time to bring them home alive. But the rescue turns deadly when it
becomes clear someone is hunting victims in the storm—and the mountain isn’t
the only threat closing in.
Photojournalist
Nate Carson has seen the worst the world has to offer. War taught him to rely
on facts, not faith—and to keep his distance from anything that might matter.
But when he’s caught in the same storm Eliza is battling, their paths collide
in ways neither of them expected.
As the
danger escalates, Eliza uncovers something even more chilling—a clue hidden in
her mother’s old journal that suggests her death wasn’t an accident.
Now the
storm is closing in. The killer is getting closer. And the truth Eliza has been
searching for might cost her everything.
Because
in Brennan Ridge, the past isn’t buried…
And some
secrets refuse to stay lost.
A
gripping Christian romantic suspense novel about courage, redemption, and
learning to trust when everything is on the line.
THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS
On Tuesday, Suspense Sister Marji Laine will tell us what’s hot in inspirational suspense and mystery.
Wednesday, Suspense Sister Mary Alford will be talking about “Secrets Behind The White Picket Fences - Writing Small Town Suspense Stories.” She’ll also be giving away an eBook copy of TANGLED PAST, a book in the Hope Island Securities series.
A murdered police chief. A missing truth. A witness who can’t remember.
Twenty-five years after his father’s unsolved murder, Asa Dutton returns to Hope Island determined to uncover the truth. His only lead is Maya Callahan—the little girl found hiding in the barn the night his father died.
Maya has no memory of that stormy night. But as fragments of her past resurface, so does danger. Someone is watching. Someone who will kill to keep the truth buried.
As Asa and Maya grow closer, the stakes turn deadly. Because remembering the past may be the only way to survive it.
BUY IT HERE
On Friday, author Gina Holder presents a list of romantic suspense novels where the main character is new to town. Here’s a look at her recent release, THE ESCAPE GAME:
Twenty years ago, the world’s leading enigmatologist disappeared, leaving behind a cipher no one could solve… not without his journal.
Puzzle shop owner Demi Kayne has spent twenty years hoping her father would return home. When she discovers his hidden journal, she finally uncovers the clue she’s been waiting for—but it leads somewhere far more dangerous than she imagined.
Liam Shepherd, a missionary and escape-room enthusiast, is searching for answers of his own. His sister has vanished without a trace, and the trail of clues leads him straight to Demi—and the secrets hidden in her father’s journal.
Their search brings them to the eerie Ives Mansion, where its brilliant and reclusive owner has designed a deadly challenge. Once inside, Demi and Liam realize they’re no longer guests.
They’re players.
Trapped inside a twisted real-life mystery game, they must solve a series of lethal riddles before time runs out. Each puzzle brings them closer to the truth about Demi’s missing father and Liam’s sister —but also deeper into a carefully crafted game where the stakes are far higher than they're ready to face.
With the clock ticking and lives hanging in the balance, Demi and Liam must confront their fears, their pasts, and the faith that may be their only hope of escape.
In this gripping Christian suspense novel, every clue matters—and every mistake could be fatal.
Can Demi and Liam solve the final puzzle before the game ends…or will the escape room become their tomb?
BUY IT HERE
Twenty years ago, the world’s leading enigmatologist disappeared, leaving behind a cipher no one could solve… not without his journal.
Liam Shepherd, a missionary and escape-room enthusiast, is searching for answers of his own. His sister has vanished without a trace, and the trail of clues leads him straight to Demi—and the secrets hidden in her father’s journal.
Their search brings them to the eerie Ives Mansion, where its brilliant and reclusive owner has designed a deadly challenge. Once inside, Demi and Liam realize they’re no longer guests.
They’re players.
Trapped inside a twisted real-life mystery game, they must solve a series of lethal riddles before time runs out. Each puzzle brings them closer to the truth about Demi’s missing father and Liam’s sister —but also deeper into a carefully crafted game where the stakes are far higher than they're ready to face.
With the clock ticking and lives hanging in the balance, Demi and Liam must confront their fears, their pasts, and the faith that may be their only hope of escape.
In this gripping Christian suspense novel, every clue matters—and every mistake could be fatal.
Can Demi and Liam solve the final puzzle before the game ends…or will the escape room become their tomb?
BUY IT HERE
Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!
Stay tuned for the announcement of our annual SUMMER OF SUSPENSE CONTEST!
THE SUSPENSE SISTERS
WE LOVE BOOKS
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Living in Big Sky Country
I'm seeing a lot of books coming out that take place in Montana. I know in the town I live in, there has been an influx of people moving here from out of state. Some of this is driven by a TV show that shall remain nameless. Every time I turn around another celebrity has bought up a ranch. I think a lot of people visit and want to live in Montana because there is a lot of myth and fantasy connected to what it means to live in Montana.
Except for a brief time that I lived in Arizona, I have lived in big sky country all my life. Born and raised as they say. While it is true that Montana is a beautiful state with plenty of outdoor opportunities, there are some harsh realities that never seem to make it into many of the books and movies about Montana. First, it's really hard to make a living. Montana ranks close to the bottom for wages keeping up with the cost of living. Most people end up working a couple of jobs. My late husband drove truck, did bobcat work, fixed motorcycles and guns and owned cows. Second, the winters here can be brutal. Even for people who love to ski or do other winter sports, the below zero temps end up keeping them inside. Because Montana is a rural state, there are a lot of people who have to drive long distances for healthcare and often don't have a lot of shopping options for food and clothing. Montana ranks high for suicides. I think the long winters, isolation, addictions and poverty contribute to that.
I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer here. I have stayed here for a reason. I just wanted to inject a little reality into all the fantasy and myth that float around living in Montana. Not everyone who moves here can buy a ranch or live in a cabin by a lake. When I wrote my Ruby Taylor mystery series, I wanted to show the real Montana using humor so the books were far from depressing. The main character has a master's degree but works in a feed store. I'm giving away a copy of the second book in the series (USA only) Sassy Cinderella and the Valiant Vigilante which won a Carol Award. You can read the second book without reading the first Romance Rustlers and Thunderbird Thieves. Each of the three books in the series has a humorous mystery that wraps up at the end of each book. The third book in the series is called Cow Crimes and the Mustang Menace.
Have you visited Montana? What did you think? If you haven't visited, what attracts you to the state? Maybe you live in a place that has a lot of myth and fantasy connected to it. Share about that. Leave a comment along with your email address. I will do the drawing Monday night (USA only) and notify the winner by Tuesday.
Sharon Dunn
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