Mrs. Claus Mystery

April Claus knows being married to the real Santa makes every day feel like Christmas. But when a different holiday arrives at the North Pole, so does murder . . . For the first time ever, Christmastown is celebrating a strange new tradition-Halloween. But not everyone is willing to watch their dependable winter wonderland get overrun by carved pumpkins and costume parties. As a series of scary happenings hit Santaland, each one more intense than the last, April realizes having a role in the festivities could cost her family, friends-even her own life. April isn't the only unlucky target. Outspoken elf Tiny Sparkletoe is found dead in the snow outside his cottage, crushed in the middle of what appears to be a monstrous footprint. With mayhem descending like reindeer on rooftops, April must stop the Halloween killer before the fate of Mrs. Claus becomes another creepy tale to tell in the dark . . . "An exceptional series launch . . . This fun, well-plotted mystery is the perfect holiday entertainment." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Jessica Fletcher meets Tim Burton in this creative and witty cozy mystery series from Liz Ireland, filled with unconventional characters, year-round Christmas cheer, and a unique heroine who's married to the real-life Santa Claus! April Claus has grown to love her new North Pole home almost as much as she loves her husband, Nick-Santa himself. But even in Christmastown, the holidays can be murder... April Claus is getting an early gift for her second Christmas in Santaland. Her dear friend, Claire, is visiting from Oregon, and April hopes to show off her adoptive country at its cozy, glittering best. But when the annual ice sculpture contest is derailed by a kamikaze drone-deer, it's just the first in a series of un-festive events... Drone-deer, created by inventor elf Blinky Brightlow, are none too popular with the genuine, flesh-and-hoof kind, who are currently on strike. With no reindeer games to keep them in shape, Nick worries they may get too chunky to pull his sleigh come Christmas. Now Blinky is missing, his girlfriend, Juniper, is under suspicion, and between rogue reindeer and conniving elves, all of Santaland seems to have gone sugarplum-crazy. Add a dash of murder to the mix, and suddenly April is battling not just to clear Juniper's name, but to save herself from being put on ice-permanently...

Jessica Fletcher meets Tim Burton in this creative and witty cozy mystery series filled with unconventional characters, a year-round Christmas setting, and a unique heroine who's married to the real-life Santa Claus-and this time, there are two holidays in the mix. At Castle Kringle, the elves are excitedly arranging their first ever Thanksgiving day feast. April's husband, Nick-the real Santa-has some misgivings, since it's tough to get ready for Christmas when everyone is obsessed with helium balloons and pie recipes. Chaos erupts when Gobbles, the live turkey imported for the castle feast, is bird-napped. That crime is quickly overshadowed at a pre-Thanksgiving potluck when Nick's cousin, Elspeth, face-plants into her mashed potatoes-dead. Someone poisoned Elspeth, and April believes Constable Crinkle is hauling the wrong suspect off to jail. An ominous message, written in what seems to be blood and urging April to stop investigating, only convinces her more. But who's really to blame? Where is Gobbles the turkey? And can April solve a double helping of mystery in time for everyone to sit down to a non-deadly dinner together? Praise for Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves "Funny, well-paced . . . Ireland's bizarre series conceit works, a tribute to her deft juggling of sleuthing and satire. Fans of Leigh Perry's Family Skeleton mysteries will be tickled." -Publishers Weekly