[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
April Claus is looking forward to having her friend, Claire, visit Santaland. Claire is still a little stunned at April’s life as Santa’s wife. But they have tons of fun activities planned for her vacation.
The first wrinkle is the reindeer strike. Not ideal a week before Christmas. Then there is a drone accident that ruined the ice sculpture contest.
And then there’s a murder.
One of April’s Santaland friends is arrested for the crime, so April has to get to the truth before the whole town turns on her friend and she spends Christmas in jail.
Review
I get such a kick out of this Christmas-themed mystery series! I love the setting, populated by elves, reindeer, and talking snowmen. The fantasy elements are more about the setting and characters than “magic,” but I enjoy this fresh take on a cozy mystery. The mystery here was good and kept me guessing all the way to the end.
I would have liked a bit more of the story anchored to April’s life as Santa’s wife and to the Claus family. But the full cast of elves opens up a lot of story ideas.
Series fans will want to pick up this new book in the Mrs. Claus Mystery series. Newcomers are probably fine starting here, although some of the setting elements and character history (like with Santa’s family) might take a little bit to make sense.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.