The fifth fantastic installment of Liz Ireland's whimsical mystery series!
This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I always look forward to a new installment of this unique and festive series, and this one did not disappoint!
These escapist and whimsical books, set in Santaland, feature Santa's wife, April Claus, as the amateur sleuth. The world-building is fantastic, with many imaginative touches. I love the author's attention to detail with everything in Santaland, which is all so cleverly done and delightfully on theme. In this one, the elves rescue and care for three injured scientists who absolutely cannot know they have stumbled upon Santaland. So the residents try hiding everything, from singing snowmen to their elf ears, and their shenanigans deliver many humorous moments. But when one of the visitors dies suspiciously, the plot thickens, and Mrs. Claus must uncover the culprit.
In addition to the festive and super cozy setting, the book is full of charming characters. The elves, reindeer, and Santa's extended family are vibrant and memorable, and I enjoy spending time with them. April is a bright, likable sleuth. Her investigative skills have sharpened, and she has a great group around her to help. The mystery was well-plotted and kept me guessing. This book is a treat and a true comfort read with delightfully festive and fiendish fun!
Later, Colleen from @ILikeOldBooks1213 and I will have a special Q & A with the author!
Thank you to Kensington Books for the gifted review copy!
My steep was St. Nick's Black Tea from Simpson & Vail Tea
Black tea with almonds, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, moose tracks flavoring, and orange blossoms. I just got this one and am obsessed with it!
PUBLISHER'S SYNOPSIS:
It’s beginning to look a lot like New Year’s in this creative and witty mystery featuring a unique heroine who’s married to the real-life Santa Claus and living in the North Pole. Santaland is scrambling to keep its secrets hidden from a trio of unexpected guests, but before the New Year’s Eve ball drops, the countdown is on for April Claus to catch a killer…
April Claus is looking forward to relaxing with her hubby, Nick (aka THE Santa Claus), in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. But just after Santa departs for his deliveries, an elf pulls into Santaland with three people he found lost in the frozen wilderness. The survivors of a scientific expedition are injured, but their presence endangers the future of Santaland. So, while the strangers recuperate at the infirmary, April convinces Christmastown to pull off its grandest, most impossible, most magical feat yet . . . pretend to be normal!
Posing as a touristy, albeit Christmas-centric, arctic town, the elves cover their ears, snowmen take a vow of silence, and the reindeer keep their hooves on the ground. But as New Year’s Eve draws closer, hiding their true selves becomes harder to do, especially when one of the uninvited guests dies under highly suspicious circumstances. With a murderer in their midst, April sets out to find the uncorked culprit before any auld acquaintances should be forgot . . . or worse.
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