Mrs. Claus and Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland is the first book in the NEW “April Claus” cozy mystery series, coming September 29, 2020.
It’s the first Christmas in Santaland for April Claus—but it may also be her last unless she can uncover a villain with a killer Christmas wish. . . .
Love is full of surprises—though few compare to realizing that you’re marrying the real-life Santa. April Claus dearly loves her new husband, Nick, but adjusting to life in the North Pole is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous elf named Giblet Hollyberry is killed—felled by a black widow spider in his stocking—shortly after publicly arguing with Nick.
Christmastown is hardly a hotbed of crime, aside from mishaps caused by too much eggnog, but April disagrees with Constable Crinkle’s verdict of accidental death. As April sets out to find the culprit, it’ll mean putting the future of Christmas on the line—and hoping her own name isn’t on a lethal naughty list . . .
Dru’s Musing:
This was a fast-paced and action-packed drama that kept me in the game throughout. The mystery was nicely executed with a solid plot that kept me intrigued as I had to know who was behind the murder. The author did a great job with introducing us to a bevy of characters, some of whom were suspects and gifted us with clues for the reader to decipher. The author’s writing style and comfortable tone made it easy to follow along in this visually descriptive narrative, where the dialogue was engaging, and the atmosphere felt very Christmacy. With a quirky cast of characters, this was a delight to read and I can’t wait to see what awaits the Claus’ in their next adventure.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.