Member Reviews
The Mrs. Claus series is so unique and fun to read, it's quickly become one of my favorites. In this book, Thanksgiving is being celebrated in Santaland for the first time and so many things are going wrong, including a missing main course!
I loved seeing Mrs. April Claus in action once again to solve a murder and also tracking down a missing turkey! I also liked the scenes between April and Nick because they really showed how much he loves his wife. It was fun having April's best friend Claire in Santaland, but her secret shouldn't have been that hard for April to guess. The murder mystery is more complicated than I expected and I like the way it was resolved. This creative mystery series will have you cheering for April and believing in Santa and the whole world Liz Ireland has created.
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Kensington Books, but my review is voluntary
A cute cozy that does Thanksgiving with gusto! April Claus is married to the real life Santa Claus and lives in Santaland for part of the year. This year the elves have decided to surprise April with a Thanksgiving feast and the entire town has gone in for turkey, a parade and a side of murder!
Yes, this has sentient reindeer, entrepreneur elves and a whole Claus family. And lots of Christmas decor, after all that is what drives most of the economy. Not everyone is dipped in Christmas cheer as a disgruntled woman is poisoned and April wonders if a wild elf wanted for murder and theft might some how be linked to the latest homicide (yes, there has been homicide before, this is the fourth in the series). April is also confounded by the disappearance of the live turkey, Gobble, who is suppose to be the featured centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner from a locked condo abode.
This is full of holiday trappings and feelings and also quirky and fun characters. It has everything you want in a cozy and a decent mystery to boot. And, there are also some family clashes (there has to be at least a few on Thanksgiving, doesn't there?). But in the end the spirit of Thanksgiving prevails and it will leave you with a smile on your face. There aren't that many cozies that go for all out for Thanksgiving but this one will definitely get you in the mood and hungering for some Turkey, sides and pies!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.
This was a very entertaining cozy mystery! I love how the author created an interesting North Pole with a variety of different characters and personalities. The fun elf names were also a welcome addition.
The mystery was definitely an original one; no overused plots exist in this story and by the end, everything is neatly wrapped up. Santa makes a few appearances; he's more of a supporting character, while his wife takes center stage.
I hope to read more books in this series.
This book was so much fun to read. It was fast paced and it kept me on my toes following the clues of the missing turkey and the murder. I enjoyed getting to know Christmasland and Nick the regent Santa Claus and April the Mrs. Claus. April gets everyone excited to celebrate Thanksgiving in the North Pole. The elves took the idea and ran with it. With a pot luck and a thanksgiving parade and the main event, dinner.
Gobbles the turkey goes missing. Then one of the Claus's Elspeth dies at the potluck last seen eating one of April's deviled eggs. April is a prime suspect. I'm excited to read more from this series. I'm a big fan of the magic of Christmasland.
Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys
(Mrs. Claus Mystery 4)
Liz Ireland
Liz Ireland is the author of 18 books, four in the Mrs. Claus mystery series. Mrs. Claus & the Candy Corn Caper (Mrs. Claus Mystery 3.5) can be found in the Halloween Cupcake Murder Anthology, was my first experience with both the series and Ms. Ireland.
Mrs Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys is a funny kid-friendly mystery for holiday lovers! Think Hallmark Channel, this continues the story of the first Santaland Thanksgiving. April’s best friend Claire shows up to celebrate the holiday. Oddly, Claire has a secret and is consistently running off. We deal with an annoying Claus family member being murdered at the pre-Thanksgiving potluck. Lots of suspects abound including April! A kidnapped turkey, a difficult mother in law, reindeer antics, a sneaky friend and so much more.
Mrs. Ireland ends the story with a Lemon Chess Pie recipe.
Well written, funny with a solid mystery. A clean read for all ages. 5*****
I'll admit up front that I was initially a reluctant fan of this cozy series that's just silly good because, well, Santaland, elves, and talking reindeer with egos, but now I'm proud to say- I love it! Once you buy the premise that Alice, a human who met and married Nick, the real Santa, when he was on vacation in the US and moved to become Mrs. Claus in, yep, Santaland, I'll bet you'll be all in too. This time out, there's going to be Thanksgiving, a holiday that's never been celebrated in Santaland because it's too close to Christmas and it's not a Santa thing. Except that Gobbles the turkey has been stolen but even worse, someone has poisoned the nasty (not everyone in Santaland is nice) Elspeth. Alice is trying to find Gobbles and the villain even as she's also juggling being part of the parade. Oh and her human friend Claire is in town but Claire's romantic interest, the mysterious Jack Frost, is not. Once again Ireland has written a clever, entertaining mystery that has little twists and turns and made me laugh more than once. I do think that it will help to have read one of the previous novels, if only to be in the, ahem, spirit of the atmospherics. That said take away the reindeer etc. and it's a cozy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This was a great read on a rainy day.
I love this series that I would define a mix of urban fantasy and cozy mystery. The world building is excellent and well developed, I was happy to catch up with April and the characters and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
I'm not a fan of Claire, April's friend, as she seems a bit silly and rude.as she acts like someone who feel entitled to ignore the locals and any problems she's causing to Aprile.
There's a lot of fun in this story, i love the subplot of the-missing-turkey and enjoyed the twists and the solution that surprised.
4.5 upped to 5
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys is book #4 in the Mrs. Claus Mystery series by Liz Ireland.
It’s time for the first Thanksgiving celebration in Santaland. Not content for a one day celebration, it becomes a week of festivities. But, it gets off to a bad start when the live turkey disappears. Then Nick’s cousin dies at a pre-Thanksgiving get-together.
I really enjoy this series. The chaos around the non-Christmas celebrations are always entertaining. I like April even though she can be a bit forgetful at times, much to her mother-in-law’s chagrin. There were multiple mysteries in this and all the various threads wrapped up nicely. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
April uprooted her life in Oregon to marry Nick, who is the actual Santa Claus. After moving to Santaland in the North Pole, she becomes an amateur sleuth in addition to her duties as Mrs. Claus. This time, the residents of Santaland are enthusiastically preparing to celebrate their first Thanksgiving when Santa's cousin Elspeth is poisoned, and fingers are pointed at April.
I have been looking forward to this one, and it did not disappoint! With excellent world-building and such an original premise, this whimsical series is one of my faves. The setting is magical--as charming as you would expect Santaland to be, and at the same time, the mysteries make these books a fresh take on the imaginary North Pole.
Fast-paced and solidly plotted, this is a well-written mystery with just the slightest edge and all the holiday spirit, and kept me guessing right to the end! The characters are memorable and quirky. April is a likable sleuth, and the elves have a range of vividly depicted personalities, including those with criminal tendencies.
The books take place during different holidays; this time, it's Thanksgiving, complete with family drama, a missing turkey, the stress of getting everything ready, and a parade that doesn't quite end up like the ones on TV. The story is fun and filled with clever details, misadventures, witty dialogue, and humor. Super cozy and imaginative, I loved this! Mystery lovers or anyone looking for a fun seasonal read should check this out!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this ARC.
I love reading about the antics of Mrs. Claus, and all the residents of Santaland! While they are in prime form for Christmas, Mrs Claus has been convincing them to celebrate other holidays (Halloween most recently) and as you might expect it’s a bumpy road. Some don’t want to, others do but it gets confusing. This time up it is Thanksgiving with a side of murder of course,
I truly enjoy reading about the elves navigating new holidays and all the traditions that come a long wirh it. It is similar to exploring a different culture and having no idea how to. The elves are all very passionate and Mrs Claus herself is a fish out of water in Santaland making for great entertainment.
Part of series,
North Pole, Santa,Thanksgiving,Murder and turkey.
IA cute fun mystery murder with a missing turkey.
A fun easy read .
Voluntarily reviewed.
Another fun entry in an incredibly creative series. I always love going back to the North Pole and seeing what crazy shenanigans they are up to! The plot amps up in intensity and ends with a thrilling chase through Christmastown’s first ever Thanksgiving Parade!
In this fourth book in the series Santaland is getting ready for its first Thanksgiving when the Clauses turkey Gobbles goes missing. Add in a murder at the pre-Thanksgiving dinner and a police force that’s preoccupied with building their parade float and April Claus has to step in and solve the mysteries. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous three. The story felt repetitive to me - the same basic themes set around a different holiday.
I love the Mrs. Claus series. This book takes place at Thanksgiving and is filled with so much fun! I love how it's about Thanksgiving because there aren't too many Thanksgiving books out there. If you follow the series this is a must read!
MRS. CLAUSE AND THE TROUBLE WITH TURKEYS is the fourth book in the Mrs. Claus Mysteries by Liz Ireland. Once again, the author has brought the North Pole to life with charming characters, captivating capers, laugh-out-loud moments, a turkey kidnapping fiend, and a dastardly pre-Thanksgiving feast poisoner. Her vivid imagery with whimsical humor brings the setting and the characters to life in such a delightful way, page after page. This is one series I rush to read each new book as soon as I receive it. April Claus, a transplant from Oregon after falling in love with Nick, the real Santa, is not who you might envision a Mrs. Claus to be. She’s trying her best to uphold her role, but she’s a bit klutzy and even though she has great intentions, somehow falls short of expectations. Yet, she makes a perfect protagonist with her caring personality and her enthusiasm for whatever she attempts to do.
The multi-faceted mysteries are well-plotted with a fast pace. First, there’s the puzzling turkey-napping of Gobbles, the turkey awaiting its Thanksgiving fate. Instead of Gobbles being in his cushy crate, Grimstock, the vulture sent from a scam turkey-by-mail company, has taken his place. (While this can easily be read as a standalone, you’ll have more appreciation for the humorous situations by starting from the beginning.) Then there’s Claire, April’s best friend from Oregon. Claire has shown up but is hanging out with a questionable man, instead of with her friend, and seems to be hiding something. And then Santa’s cousin, Elspeth, is murdered during their pre-Thanksgiving potluck dinner. Fingers quickly point at April since the victim ate one of April’s deviled eggs that she’d made from a YuleTube video. This is one of those books that’s fun to just go along for the romp and enjoy every single last detail instead of trying to guess ahead on who the perpetrator is. The clues are there if you want to be an armchair detective and the reveal brings all the pieces together in a highly satisfying manner. While I’m very thankful to have read this newest release, I want to be greedy and say more please and the sooner the better!
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys by Liz Ireland is the fourth book in this cozy mystery series, and I have really enjoyed them all! The premise is so much fun; elves, reindeer, Christmasland, snow beasts, a Hallmark perfect town, and murder.
We get to catch up with all the well written characters, and are introduced to a bunch more. This time Mrs. Claus has introduced Thanksgiving to the land, and instead of a one day celebration, the elves have decided to turn it into a week long one, since they love to sing and celebrate.
We get a missing turkey, secrets being held by a best friend, attacks on the elderly, and “hard labor” at the prison… if you consider eating pastries and making paper mache something you don’t want to do.
So much sweetness and fun, combined with mystery and murder, makes for a great cozy!
I enjoyed this book so much! This the fourth book in the series and I enjoyed it as much as the others. I love how the books are based around the holidays. Such a fun series!
I love this series so much. I couldn’t wait to devour another Liz Ireland book. These books are all so fun and easy to fall into. I gifted my mom the first 3 books and before we could put away the wrapping paper, she was already nose deep in the first one. This is the fourth book in the series and it didn’t disappoint. It was such a great addition to the series. It kept me guessing until the very end. It was so good that I will have to re-read it on Thanksgiving. Every time I finish one of the books in this series I have the deep desire to live in Santaland…murders and all.
Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the fourth in the Mrs. Claus series written by Liz Ireland. I enjoy the humor in her books. In this episode, It’s nearing Thanksgiving and it’ll be the first time in Santaland that they are celebrating this holiday thanks to April.
Gobbles, the turkey has disappeared. A relative dies at the kickoff dinner. April’s best friend has news to share.
April’s kitchen disasters are eye opening, her band playing a little less awful but her deductive reason is awesome. Will she and friends find Goggle and the killer(s) before Thanksgiving? It’s a wonderful ride!
I was given an advanced readers copy by Netgalley.Thanks so much! These are my own opinions and I am not required to leave a positive review.
This is another fun installment if the quirky Christmas inspired mystery. I have loved this series and really like the fact that Thanksgiving has been incorporated into the latest installment. April and crew are always getting into trouble, but it’s never too heavy when candy canes and mistletoe are in the backdrop! For anyone who LOVES Christmas 365 days a year!