Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Puzzle Within by Gina Holder, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Puzzle Within
Series: The Game Masters #1
Author: Gina Holder
Publisher: Scrivenings Press LLC
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Genre: Romantic Suspense
FBI agent Arizona Powers is haunted by nightmares—fragments of a childhood kidnapping no one believes ever happened. Still recovering from a nervous breakdown, she accepts a protection assignment for Bridgette Van Sloan, the strong-willed teenage daughter of a U.S. ambassador who's been receiving threats signed: Enigma.
Nick Trueheart, a former escape artist known as "Nick of Time" turned diplomatic risk analyst, is grieving the loss of his beloved wife—and obsessed with finding her killer. When assigned to Bridgette's security detail, his biggest concern isn't the threats—it's the unstable agent with a vendetta against kidnappers.
When Bridgette disappears from an escape room, Nick and Arizona become entangled in a high-stakes puzzlehunt and a race against time. They must confront their own failures and unravel the secrets hidden within themselves to rescue Bridgette … and survive a madman's twisted game. Because one thing becomes clear: Enigma’s real target is much bigger — and far more personal.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Scrivenings Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
Excerpt from The Puzzle Within
Ari held her breath as the X-ray technician rolled the portable machine into place.
The K-9 unit had come up negative for explosives, but she’d begged the commander to look inside the box. A blockade had been set up to keep anyone from driving too close, and the neighbors’ homes had been evacuated. A crowd had gathered in the street with the arrival of the bomb squad. Local police kept the onlookers at a safe distance.
Nick squeezed Ari’s hand. “You did the right thing.”
Ari exhaled. “I sure hope so.”
A moment later, the technician signaled to the commander, and he joined her on the porch. Ari couldn’t make out what they were saying, but with a nod, the commander turned and approached. “It’s a puzzle.”
Her mouth dropped open. “A puzzle?”
“What kind of puzzle?” Nick asked.
“The kind you put together on a bad weather day. A jigsaw puzzle.”
She blinked and jiggled her head. “A jigsaw puzzle.”
“Yep. This note was with it.” He handed her a piece of paper, then turned to the crowd. “Everything’s clear. You can all go home now. There’s no threat. Sorry for the interruption.”
The bystanders dispersed, grumbling about the disruption to their schedules and having to stand in the blistering sun, making Ari feel worse than she already did.
“I’m so sorry,” she hollered.
The neighbors ignored her.
The bomb squad loaded their van and drove away, leaving her standing in the front yard looking like a total fool.
Nick’s hand rested on her shoulder. “You did the right thing.”
“Stop saying that.” She shrugged him off. “I called the bomb squad over a puzzle.”
“And if it had been a bomb?”
“But it wasn’t.”
Nick grabbed Ari’s shoulders and spun her to face him. His expression grew earnest. “But it could have been. There’s nothing wrong with slowing down and being sure. You might endure a little embarrassment, but isn’t that better than blowing your neighbors sky high and us with them?”
About the Author
Gina Holder is a hybrid author and stay-at-home mom. 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.
Connect with Gina by visiting storiesbygina.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback copy of The Puzzle Within, and a pair of wooden jigsaw puzzle earrings!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 10, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 17, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
I liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt is interesting, and I wonder of the jigsaw puzzle contains any clues or hints.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing about The Puzzle Within today :)
ReplyDeleteSounds exciting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDelete