[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 has brought Halloween to Christmastown. The kids are thrilled about the costumes and candy of course. And many of the business people are making the best of the holiday novelty. But not everyone is a fan. Someone vandalizes the greenhouse that was growing pumpkins for the holiday festivities. There have also been threats on social media. And then someone tries to kill April. When a body is found, and the killer seems to be an unlikely snow monster, April starts to feel like the Halloween celebration may be overshadowed by a killer.
Review
This was another fun mystery starring April Claus in Santaland/Christmastown. I got such a kick out of the first book, Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings, that this was a must-read for me. And I was not disappointed.
I love the setting for this series – the North Pole, populated by elves and reindeer. Right from the start, this series has a different feel from the majority of cozy mysteries. And the author has done a great job with her world-building. The towns and businesses as well as the Claus family castle are well established while still giving space for future developments and sites. And the core cast of characters are a fun collection of humans and elves, not too unlike the core of any cozy – but with some reindeer and snowmen thrown in.
The mystery in this book veers off in several directions, which I enjoyed. It kept me guessing all the way to the end.
There seemed to be some hints at a future story where maybe April’s “real world” life will clash with her Christmastown one when a friend comes to visit. I can’t wait to see how that goes if that is the next story in this series.
Yes, this is a Halloween story in a Christmas setting. It seems like it wouldn’t work, but it absolutely does, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Don’t miss this fun cozy series.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might-re-read.