At the Library: An interview with mystery author Rosalie Spielman

Author Rosalie Spielman is a former Palouse resident and a Palouse enthusiast.

Given her fondness for this area and her background living in Troy and Moscow as a young person, it is not surprising she chose to set her cozy “Hometown Mystery” series in the Palouse.

The third book of the series, Murder Comes Home, was recently released. Spielman’s novel, “Hallo-waiian Murder Mystery,” part of the “Aloha Lagoon” mystery series, was released this autumn.

I had the opportunity to question Spielman about writing, her new book, and her connection to our bucolic corner of Idaho.

Question: What attracts you to the cozy mystery subgenre?

Answer: I enjoy reading and writing in the cozy mystery genre because despite having a murder, they are warm, fun, homey and comfortable, without sex and violence on the page. They typically have great characters and settings, but most of all, the mystery is always solved and the perpetrator is always brought to justice.

Q: Why did you choose to set your “Hometown Mystery” series in the Palouse?

A: I am originally from this area, though we moved away when I was in fifth grade.

As a military brat, veteran and military spouse, I have lived many places, but the Palouse hills always make me feel like I am home. These hills are the home of my heart.

Q: How would you describe “Murder Comes Home,” the third book in your “Hometown Mystery” series?

A: In “Murder Comes Home,” my main character, Army retiree Tessa Treslow, is settled into her new life and routine, working on a new business with her aunt.

They are hoping to raise some money to support their new auto restoration business by having “pickers” with a TV show come and go through their old outbuildings, much like the History Channel show, “American Pickers.” Of course, in a murder mystery, there is a victim, and it is one of the crew. There is also a subplot dealing with a historical mystery relating to the previous occupants of Aunt Edna’s farmhouse.

Q: New Oslo is a fictional small town from your “Hometown Mystery” series that was inspired by Troy. What motivated you to create a town based on Troy?

A: When I was writing this book, I knew I wanted it in a small, rural town. I played with several different locations until a visit to my parents, when it struck me that this is where the story is supposed to be set. It will always feel like home, and it is the same feeling I wanted Tessa to have when she returned. New Oslo is very much like Troy, and I describe it to the point that if a stranger read it, left Moscow driving east on Route 8, they would absolutely know when they had arrived AT “New Oslo.” I even have a café in a renovated gas station, though I obviously couldn’t use the best name for the café, since the Filling Station already had it. (My fictional café is the High Octane Café.)

Q: You are a mom and a veteran; writing came later for you. What inspired you to start writing after serving in the military and raising children?

A: I’ve always loved reading, but I didn’t try writing until I was about 40. I’ve always had stories in my head and played with the idea of writing in different genres, but I didn’t start writing in earnest until I was 40. I confided in a friend, and she gave me a kick in the butt, asking me, “What are you waiting for? You’re not getting any younger.” So I wrote a couple fantasy books first before switching to the genre I actually read more in, and then I was signed by my agent and got my book deals.

Q: Do you have any book recommendations?

A: If you are new to cozies, I recommend books by Korina Moss, Amanda Flower, Ellery Adams, Leslie Budewitz, VM Burns, Sherry Harris or a very long-running series, the “Tea Shop Mysteries” by Laura Childs. Those are all very typical of the cozy mystery subgenre.

Rosalie Spielman’s books can be found at both the Troy and Moscow libraries.

Sturdy is the manager of the Troy Library, a branch of the Latah County Library District.