Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine (Mrs. Claus Mysteries Book 6), by Liz Ireland

Publication Sept. 30, 2025

I adore this quirky series. To be honest, while the mystery is always intriguing, I'm there as much to lose myself in the fantasy world of SantaLand as for the mystery. I mean, cranky flying reindeer feuding over Flouncy, a flirtatious female reindeer from the Vixen herd, naturally. A stuffed up, talking snowman. A police station jail cell that is more hotel room than cell. Flying sleighs, with or without reindeer power, note. I mean, the are quite up-to-date there. Cut throat candy competitions. And, oh, so many other fun, quirky bits of this North Pole that don't quite match up with the long time traditional image. Heck, Santa is even not only young but hot. Sorry, ladies, he's married. April Claus is an amateur sleuth who always seems to find herself in the middle of some wrong doing, even murder.

That's the case here. Who killed elf fireman Sterling Redwinkle just as he seemed about to pop the question to his elf girlfriend Juniper? With a poisoned rose, no less. That's just the beginning. April is on the case but also caught up in preparations for BFF Claire's upcoming wedding to private detective Jake Frost. Yes, related to Jack Frost.  Even better (well, maybe....you'll see) she's to be married at Castle Kringle, home of the extended Claus Family. Current Santa Nick is simply holding down the job while waiting for his nephew Christopher to reach adulthood but has proven a caring, wise Santa. April often wishes she had his way with words. Well, when she isn't fretting that the romance is fading this go-round. She even resorts to taking one of those generic magazine quizzes to determine if he's drifting away from her. Yes, they read those magazines in SantaLand, too, it seems. In any case, given her busy schedule, which involves lots of chocolate (a woman after my own heart) and snooping, er, looking into the murder, she barely has time to focus on anything else. She's even desperate enough investigating to descend into Hades. Nope. Not explaining that one. You'll just have to read. Honest, it isn't what you're thinking. Grin.

Bottom line,  as noted, I thoroughly enjoy this series and the various novellas that pop up periodically. The characters, many of which are elves or.....nah, not telling, are quirky and have personalities all their own. the Dowager Mrs. Claus is a force in her own right and harbors no nonsense but, well, we get to see another side of her here, too. Claire has a surprise for April, too, not to mention Jake. Yikes, is the wedding off? Murder does have a way of dousing one's enthusiasm. In any case, if you're looking for a fun mystery with quirky characters, even if it involves talking reindeer and snowmen, this one is for you. Heck, I normally don't read stuff in the fantasy realm, either, but this one has me hooked. Thanks #KensigntonPublishing and #NetGalley for allowing me to time travel and have this early peek at how SantaLand celebrates Valentine's Day. I'm already waiting impatiently for the next chance to drop in on April Claus and the whole crew. Hope she doesn't eat all the chocolate before I get there. 

The Secret of Sweet Treats Kingdom The Board Game Chronicles: Book 1, by Kim Davis

 Publication January 30, 2024

Fun! Just plain ol' fun. A bit of a mix of Alice in Wonderland, albeit with a mint green rabbit, and Dorothy trying to find her way home from Oz, with maybe a bit of Wonka treats tossed in for good measure. It's a quick, easy read and I'm not sure I stopped grinning more than a time or two all the way through. Magical gingerbread characters, an enchanted horse, castles, kings and princesses, and Taylor Swift even gets a mention. Sorry about your Swiftie tee-shirt, Amber.

After starting out in a realistic bent, an older sister annoyed at missing her BFF's birthday party to babysit her little sister, things get interesting. Ava, the little sister, keeps insisting Amber play the Sweet Treats board game with her and, even worse, keeps beating Amber. In a fit of anger, Amber flings the board away, breaking it into pieces. That's when the fun begins. Sucked into a swirling vortex, Amber and Eva find themselves in a land ruled by an evil queen, one where they soft land on what appears to be a football-sized trampoline of .... jello? Nope, you're not in California any more, girls. That was no earthquake.

I stopped taking notes at that point and just enjoyed. We meet an array of characters, from the rabbit and gingerbread families, to an enchanted horse, not to mention a syrup swamp and tales of golden princesses. Amber just wants to rescue her sister and go home. First she has to find her, however. I won't ruin the story and share. It's much too much fun to start your journey with a blank slate just as Amber does after her sister is taken away by the evil queen. I honestly didn't intend to read it all in basically one setting but, well, once I started reading, I fell under the book's spell and next thing your know, "The End". How it got there is yours to discover. Enjoy the trip and don't eat too many sweet treats. Sugar highs can be rough, you know. Thanks #BookSirens and author #KimDavis for giving me this sneak peak at a brand new middle-grade series. I'm way past that age but I'll be back.

Lore of the Stars: Folklore and Wisdom from the Skies Above, by Claire Cock-Starkey , Hannah Bess Ross (Illustrator), Alex Hithersay (Editor)

 

Publication October 3, 2023

Fascinating. Fun. Thought Provoking.

I thoroughly enjoyed this look at the "Lore of the Stars". While some of the myths and lore was familiar to me, I was delighted to find much to learn. Richly illustrated, its colorful renderings of the stories had me browsing through the book initially just to enjoy the pictures. Yeah, I'm a kid that way. I'm fuzzy on how to classify this one as it combines factual information with the whimsy and mythology of associated tales and stories. I know that I, for one, since I live in Alaska where the Aurora frequently appears in our darker winter months, will be mentally visualizing the magical horse-drawn carriages soaring above me according to the Estonian myth of the aurora, taking spirit guests to a magnificent wedding in the sky. Not bad entertainment, I'd say, and I've been lucky enough to stand on my own deck and enjoy the dancing lights as their colors dance above me. 

But, anyway, I particularly liked that the tales were drawn from all over, showing both the differences and similarities of cultures. Animal symbolism was common in all, I noted. As noted, the whimsical illustrations added much to the magic derived from the realities of shared experiences of cultures around the world. While officially targeting older children, I would think any age level will thoroughly enjoy this one. In fact, if you're like this no-longer-a-child, you'll find yourself going back to it repeatedly to flip through (I definitely suggest you get a print copy as it was a tad difficult to navigate all my meandering via digital) following your own whims. 

It is, however, nicely organized and offers both a glossary and index at the end. As an adult, I rather wished for a more complete index but, well, for a children's book, it's ample. My favorite bit of lore changed repeatedly, so it's difficult to offer up a favorite, although being a dog person, I enjoyed the familiar story of Orion and his faithful spirit dog companions, Canis Major and Canis Minor, although the Cherokee tale of how the Milky Way came to be was not just fun but a new one to me. 

Bottom line, if you've any interest in the mythology and lore of the sky above us, this one is for you. If you're a teacher, it should definitely be on your shelf. Heck, I'd think even a savvy science teacher could easily use it as a teaching tool to engage students' attention and imaginations. While my adult mind craved more full myths, there is so much to digest that this one will hold your attention and, as noted earlier, it's a book you'll want to revisit again and again. Thanks #NetGalley and ##QuartoPublishingGroup - #WideEyedEditions for sharing this wonderful rendering of international lore/mythology attached to our heaves through the ages.

Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves (Mrs. Claus #3), by Liz Ireland

 

Publication Sept. 27, 2022

Fun! I loved it! Quirky characters! Santaland! Santa Claus. Sugarplums! Candy canes! Elves! Flying reindeer! And, oh, yeah, murder.

April and Nick have been married a year-and-a-half and she's still not quite adjusted to life in Santaland. Come on. How long would it take you to adjust to being Mrs Claus and living amidst talking snowmen, elves, not just flying but talking reindeer with an attitude, and getting about in a reindeer powered sled? 

Life in Santaland isn't all sugarplums and candy canes, however. Something is afoot. The reindeer are on strike. Then, a kamikazee drone reindeer crashes into a stunning ice sculpture. It's towing a banner saying: "This is just the beginning!!!" The beginning of what? Where did it come from? Is that a threat? Who controlled it? April vows to find out. Then things get worse. Someone is found murdered.

Ironically, I found myself so caught up in the whimsy of the delightful world Liz Ireland has created for us that I almost forgot about the murder at times. I mean, drone reindeer? Clogging elves? A robot elf servant in the Claus castle? Antler toupees? Snowmen on hover-boards? Talking snowmen, at that? How do you put a living snowman back together after they've, well, been powderized by a crash on said hover-board? All this and more, oh, so much more, while April is entertaining Claire, a friend from Oregon who arrives disbelieving. Can you blame her? At least she likes the cold. She also makes a great ice cream.

The mystery starts with a missing man, er, elf, Blinky. He's a bit, well, odd. An eccentric genius, let's say, and has had a habit of going off alone at times. This time, however, he has a girlfriend, Juniper. At least she thinks she's his girlfriend. She hasn't heard from him and is worried. April isn't so sure but wants to support Juniper, even when Juniper is arrested for killing a long time friend with a crush on her. If you're going to be arrested, however, I must admit that Santaland sounds like the best place to be arrested and spend your time in jail. 

I don't want to give away any more of the plot or the delight that is Santaland, so won't detail the plot further. Let's just say, Santaland is both everything we ever imagined the North Pole to be like and nothing like our dreams. The reindeer are competitive, we've all heard of those reindeer games, but resent the gradual intrusion of technology into their world. Heck, so do many of the residents. The reindeer aren't the only ones who might lose their jobs. April's experiences with the robot maid are a perfect illustration of what can go wrong, not to mention that the sedentary snowmen are hardly cut out for nimbly guiding hover-boards. That said, even 12 year-old Christopher Claus, who will take over as Santa when he is 21, wants a robot for Christmas. Nick is sort of a Santa Regent, so to speak.

Is the murder related to the encroachment of technology into Santaland? Are the competitive reindeer causing the problems? What would Christmas be like without reindeer? Will Nick, er, Santa be able to soothe nerves and bring all the factions together in time for Christmas Eve? Even Pamela, the usually serene grand dame elder Mrs. Claus, dumps food over someone's head. Whoa.

They've called in detective Jake Frost to help. Although this is my first read of this series, it's obvious he's known to both Nick and April and, oh, my, visiting Claire is entranced on first sight. Will April be able to solve the murder, attend all the ceremonial festivities, soothe her reindeer friends, keep her red suited husband safe, and referee Claire's attraction to Jake, not to mention the fireworks display that sounds a bit, well, overboard? You're just going to have to read the book. Set aside your rational self, buy into the fantasy, and enjoy a great mystery with some of the quirkiest characters you can imagine. Fun!

Thank you, thank you, #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for taking me away on a fun, imaginary trip to Santaland. Murder aside, I want to go back! Thanks for introducing me to this series.

High Times in the Low Parliament, by Kelly Robson

Bemused. Confused. Intrigued. Those words describe my initial reactions to "High Times in the Low Parliament". It took awhile for the light to flip on in my mind but once it did, I was definitely intrigued. Who knew the fairy world was so politically charged.

In fact, it wasn't until my mind began to make connections between the disdain and attempted destruction of the Low Parliament and, hmm, maybe NATO that my mind began to make sense of it all. It's an interesting if bewildering world that Lana Baker finds herself deposited in for the sake of a few kisses. Yes, lots of lady on lady type action here but, honestly, it was secondary. The politics and complicated relationships between the humans and fairy characters, not to mention the multitude of factions within the political body are what made the story interesting to me. I didn't even particularly like Lana as the book began but gradually found myself warming to her, then admiring her pluck and smarts as she navigated the complex world she found herself inside. In other words, she matures and grew on me. Same for Bugbite, the cranky fairy that Lana befriends. They're far more complex characters than one imagines at first and their growth and concern for all, not just themselves, made me care about what was and might happen to them.

The political world they inhabit is, well, full of turmoil. Much talk, endless posturing, arguing, finger pointing, and grand gestures that all come to naught. Sounds a great deal like our modern political world doesn't it, even though this one is set in 18th century. I doubt that the author had invasions and threats against NATO in mind as she wrote but given current circumstances, it was difficult to erase that thought from my mind once that light bulb went off. Lana, who admits to not really ever even trying to think shows more common sense than most, coming up with ideas on how to avoid being drowned, the eventual fate of all there if agreement isn't reached. So, given the fate awaiting them, why are deputies of the many, many factions still arguing? To hear their own voices? A grasp for power even if others die as a result? Power or maybe the power to make history? Or end it? Is chaos really more effective than calm? Will anyone listen to reason or are all fated to a dreadful end. But, wait, how are the fractious deputies perhaps thinking to have it all, power and survival?

You're going to have to read the book to find out. Read it with an open mind. For instance, although I don't swing that way, I didn't find the lady on lady flirtation offensive. It certainly fits this seemingly all female world. You may even find different connections than I eventually did. As noted, I was initially bewildered and didn't even like the main character but things change. Isn't that what it's all about? Change for the better?

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Macmillan-#Tor/Forge, #Tordotcom for offering me the chance to read the book. Admittedly, I wasn't sure as I began and it seemed slow but found myself thinking about it while doing other things, a sure sign that I was hooked.