Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings

Synopsis:  

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 . . . (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded.  It was nice to meet April and Nick, but I would have preferred to meet them under different circumstances. There were a lot of characters to meet, and at times I got a little confused who was who. That is only my opinion and others may not agree with me. April has her hands full trying to find the killer of an unfriendly elf so that her husband does not take the blame.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning.  The writing style flows smoothly  and the book is an easy read.  The mystery was well plotted and although I figured out the culprit fairly early, it did not detract from my enjoyment.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery.  And if you like Christmas sprinkled in with your reading, grab this book and enjoy.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.