FANTASY, MAYHEM, MURDER AND DISASTER!

This is the third Jill Ireland Mrs. Claus Mystery, and I must say it is the best of the three. I can’t wait for a fourth installment!
Originally, I started to read the first book with a lot of anticipation, but found it a bit slow to engage me at first, because it was mixing the cozy mystery genre with the whole Santa and the North Pole story we all know. After I was able to buy into this fantasy I found the characters and the plot of the book to be exceptionally well thought of and written beautifully…so I was hooked. The second book was very good also, so I obtained an advance copy of the third book: “MRS. CLAUS AND THE EVIL ELVES”.
When you read this book, let me tell you to please fasten your seatbelt, because the rollercoaster ride starts right from the beginning! I was absolutely fascinated by all the old and new characters and situation that Ms. Ireland so brilliantly mixed together in such a believable way that every time I took a reading break I was anxious to get back into Santaland and the intrigues of the minute. There are an incredible number of amazing stories and plots weaving through the book, and they all finally came together for a most fulfilling end. I insist that all my cozy authors resolve all issues, and Ms. Ireland did just that…and she had so many ends to tie together. Superb! I marveled at the ingenious imagination that created so many original names related to Christmas, and the descriptions are done in such a way that immersed you deeper into the story, and were not just ‘filler’. One comment my wife made as I read the book out loud was that “if I had to be in jail, I would like to be in Santaland Jail.” Have some Kleenex handy, because you will become so attached to the story that at the end there surely be some emotional tears coming out from joy and laughter. Thank you, Jill Ireland for sharing your writing skills with us eager readers. Merry Christmas!

I never really thought I’d enjoy the Mrs. Claus mysteries by Liz Ireland. But, I’ve read two of the three in the series, and April Claus is a well-meaning amateur sleuth who manages to solve mysteries and save the holidays despite her sometimes disastrous interactions with other members of the Claus family. She might have married, Nick, the current Santa Claus, but she struggles with her day-to-day role as Mrs. Claus. Now, she has problems just the week before Christmas in Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves.

April had hoped for a typical week running up to Christmas; concerts, reindeer games, activities, and lots of good Christmas desserts and food. She had invited her best friend from Oregon, Claire Emerson, to spend the week. Claire is still in shock that she’s actually in Santaland, and that this is April’s life as Mrs. Claus. But, there’s trouble at the North Pole. The reindeer are on strike because of a new mechanical drone-deer. They’re afraid they’re going to lose their jobs pulling Santa’s sleigh to deliver toys if a drone-deer can deliver packages. And, to the horror of everyone in attendance at the ice sculpture competition, a rogue drone-deer takes the antlers and head off the sculpture that would probably win first place, a giant replica of the first Blitzen.

While Santa tries to deal with the angry reindeer, Mrs. Claus tries to track down the person behind the drone-deer. She suspects several people, but her librarian friend Juniper is hysterical because an inventor is missing. Juniper thinks of Blinky Brightlow as her boyfriend, and she worries that he’ll be blamed for the drone-deer. Now, April is juggling Christmas week, entertaining her friend, Claire, and investigating the disappearance of an inventor elf.

April is suspicious, wondering if Blinky is behind several new inventions around town, a Snowmaneuver the snowmen are using, and robots that are even showing up in the Claus castle. But, before she can get too far into the investigation, an elf who works with Blinky is murdered, and Juniper is arrested. It’s a little too much to deal with during Christmas week.

Ireland’s latest is once again filled with holiday activities that turn into disasters, such as a drone attack at a Christmas tea and even a food fight between older matrons. It’s a cozy mystery in which murder is taken seriously, while there’s humor and bizarre activities to alleviate the tension. Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves is a fast-paced, fun mystery for those who enjoy their cozies with a little offbeat humor.

This was another caper for April at the North Pole. This time her friend from back home is visiting. This a a quirky type of mystery that has a different take than your normal cozy. There are a lot of little twists and turns that keep you wondering. It is an enjoyable escape.

Who wouldn't want to visit the North Pole if you could? With its quirky characters, beautiful background and entertaining plot this is a fun read.

When April Claus invites her best friend to spend Christmas at the North Pole she’s not expecting to have to deal with murder and a reindeer strike on top of the Christmas rush. A fun quirky mystery with well written characters.

I'm really not sure how I feel about this series.
The characters are odd, but kind of fun.
Some parts of the book were good, and others left me confused.

I absolutely love cozy mysteries and "Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves" was a wonderful addition to the genre. Great read!

3rd in the Mrs. Claus mystery series, this book is a delightful escape into a world of candy canes, reindeer, elves, and Christmassy crime. Tired of living a lie, April Claus invites her best pal up to Santaland for a holiday. Innocent Claire is at first unbelieving, then baffled, then enjoying the opportunities to shop and bake with the elder Mrs. Meanwhile, Santa’s preoccupied with a looming reindeer strike and some elves are embracing modern electronic toys at an alarming rate.

When Santaland is hit by sabotage and other chicanery, terrorizing everyone from the mayor to the usually slow-moving snowmen, April dives into investigating with her customary zeal to protect the place—and the man—she’s come to love even more than her old life in Oregon.

I enjoyed the previous book, Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide. This one’s even better. The author has a way with visual imagery that elicits giggles and sometimes guffaws. The Christmas-theme trappings are delightful. The elves are characters familiar from any small-town (!) mystery: shop owners and bakers, manufacturers and officious public servants. The plot glides along like a well-steered sleigh from first crime to final confrontation, making it easy to relax into the charm and zaniness while trying to spot the clues and smell the red herrings amid the candy canes.

Highly recommended.

#Netgalley #MrsClausMystery #Elves #Christmas #Mystery #cosy #CrimeFiction #reindeer #NorthPole #Santa

April Claus is hosting her BFF Claire for Christmas in Christmastown. While April can understand Claire’s apprehension as a first time visitor, she certainly can’t understand who would have killed an elf this close to Christmas.

With Claire and Jake Frost in town to help with the investigation, April isn’t sure which worries her more, having a murderer loose in Christmastown or having Claire and Jake hooking up. April chooses to focus on solving the murder to save another BFF from falsely being accused of the murder. But can Mrs. Claus deliver in time to make it a very merry Christmas for everyone in Christmastown?

A fun series that takes an adult look at life in the North Pole. Great characters, a good mystery and solid writing make this a fun series each and every time a new book is released.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the third book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. What a great series with a really unique setting and a wonderful heroine! When you’ve married Santa Claus and now live at the North Pole, talking reindeer, snowmen and elf infighting are just part of navigating your new life. When an elf inventor goes missing and the accountant for his company is found dead, April Claus is determined that Christmas week will not be ruined by this catastrophe. There’re already enough issues on Santa’s plate because of the reindeer strike and a push to automate many of the elves’ duties. This series is filled with delightful and clever tie-ins of traditional holiday things. Just a delight, as always! I can’t wait to read the next in this series.

MRS. CLAUS AND THE EVIL ELVES, the third book in the Mrs. Claus mystery series by Liz Ireland, is a magical cozy mystery that’s a treat for the senses! The author’s attention to world-building details brings Santaland to life and I couldn’t help but be filled with a magical sense of wonder at all it has to offer, including the marvelous characters. Protagonist April Claus and her husband, Santa, are beyond busy with all the festivities and preparations during the last week before Christmas. On top of that, April’s best human friend is visiting from Oregon, and the reindeer have gone on strike. Written with plenty of humor and zany antics thrown in, the reader, at first, almost forgets that this is a murder mystery. But as the plot thickens, first with a missing inventor elf and then a murder, Ms. Ireland writes a well-paced mystery that held my attention throughout the entire book. She’s proven, once again, why this has become one of my favorite series!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A cute holiday mystery filled with quirky characters in a beautiful setting. Would recommend

Thank you to Liz Ireland, NetGalley and Kensington Books for the arc of this book.

I received an ARC of, Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves, by Liz Ireland. Nothing says Christmas then Santa's elves, but these elves are different, very different. Such an enchanting and weird holiday mystery.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Kensington Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Fun cozy mystery, quirky enough to be entertaining.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Adorable, really enjoyed this one.