April Claus is looking forward to relaxing with her hubby, Nick (aka THE Santa Claus), in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. But just after Santa departs for his deliveries, an elf pulls into Santaland with three people he found lost in the frozen wilderness. The survivors of a scientific expedition are injured, but their presence endangers the future of Santaland. So, while the strangers recuperate at the infirmary, April convinces Christmastown to pull off its grandest, most impossible, most magical feat yet . . . pretend to be normal!
Posing as a touristy, albeit Christmas-centric, arctic town, the elves cover their ears, snowmen take a vow of silence, and the reindeer keep their hooves on the ground. But as New Year’s Eve draws closer, hiding their true selves becomes harder to do, especially when one of the uninvited guests dies under highly suspicious circumstances. With a murderer in their midst, April sets out to find the uncorked culprit before any auld acquaintances should be forgot . . . or worse. (Summary via Goodreads)
Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before New Year's released in September but I made myself wait until right before Christmas to start reading it because, well, it's about Santa and Santaland.
Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before NewYear's is the fifth book in the Mrs. Claus Mystery series by Liz Ireland and even though a murder occurs, Ireland makes readers rethink if Santa is real or not. Here, let me explain .....
Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare before New's Years starts with (Nick) Santa Claus heading out in the sleigh to deliver presents to kids all over the world. This leaves his wife, April (Mrs. Claus), back in Santaland worrying about him returning safely. Nick and April are the current Mr and Mrs. Santa Claus. They reside in Castle Kringle with Nick's mother, his brother's widowed wife, Tiffany, and nephew Christopher, who will be the next Santa when he is older.
While all of Santaland is being festive an elf rides into town on his sleigh with three injured humans !! One of the male humans has a rindeer antler in his back. The other two are unconscious. April has them taken to Doc Honeytree immediately. The humans, Sam, Eric, and Elaine are in no condition to travel and have to stay in the hospital in Santaland !!!
April has an emergency meeting called and they decide in order to keep the secret they have to make Santaland look like a normal place. It is decided to pretend they are a town in Canada. This means that the snowmen cannot talk or move around like normal, the reindeer cannot talk as well, and the elves need to be "normal" meaning they have to hide their ears and wear "normal" footwear.
Unfortunately when Eric is found dead in his hospital room April has more important things to deal with .... who killed him. This is going to be hard seeing as noone from Santaland knew him and had reason to kill him .... so she tries to focus on Sam and Elaine.
Readers cannot help but fall in love with this book as well as the entire series. Ireland really paints the picture for readers with her descriptions. And as you read and get lost in the story, you feel like Santa is real !! And who doesn't like to have that feeling whatever time of year you read these books ? So I highly encourage you to grab a glass of eggnog or cup of hot cocoa and a sugary snack and spend some time in Santaland ..... you'll love it !!!!
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