It's the week before Thanksgiving, and Merry Wilkinson, owner of Mrs. Claus's Treasures, is preparing for a weekend reunion of her mother's college friends. But when the group of women comes into Merry's shop, Merry is met with frosty attitudes and cold hearts.
The women argue amongst themselves constantly, and the bickering only intensifies after one of the friends is poisoned. With her father's role as Santa in danger due to his proximity to the crime, Merry will need to use all of her investigative gifts to wrap this mystery up and save Santa and her favorite holiday.
Thanksgiving, a time to be thankful and Christmas is a time of Comfort and Joy, but not when a passel of Grinches arrive in Rudolph and upset the Thanksgiving and Christmas Spirit.
Noel Wilkinson has headed to Florida to get some fishing in before the busiest time of the year in Rudolph (when he plays Santa Claus), his daughter Merry is gearing up for shopping craziness at Mrs Claus's treasures (meanwhile they have Thanksgiving as well as Christmas items out) and Aline, Noel's wife, has a group of college friends coming to stay for their first ever meet up since they all left college! So far so great, only the women seem to be into the "sport" of backbiting and bitchiness and there is also the possibility that one of them is a shop lifter! Even that could be (just about) coped with until one of the women winds up having an anaphylactic attack at the house, and all the others knew about her peanut allergy so is one of the others a killer or has someone come from outside?
The other Grinch in the works? a newcomer who wants to take over the role of Santa - purely for his own political aims, and the problem is only a couple of people are seeing through his facade, Merry being one of them, so she needs to expose him at the same time as finding the killer or no-one will be thankful this Thanksgiving and Christmas will be a laughing stock.
An Interview With A Character
What is your full name?
Merry Wilkinson
What is your Profession?
I own Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, a gift and holiday decor store in my hometown of Rudolph, New York. I used to be a design and style editor at a lifestyle magazine in New York City
What is your current favourite book or movie?
I don’t have as much time to read as I would like, owning my own small shop. I try to source as many of the things I sell locally, and that means driving around to visit the artisans, but sometimes I have to meet with salespeople or scour catalogues, as well as put time in on the shop floor, as I only have one full time employee. But come the holiday season busy isn’t even the word. I occasionally play Mrs. Claus to my father’s Santa and Alan’s head elf. We take Christmas seriously in Rudolph New York. When I do get time to read, a nice cheerful cozy mystery does the job.
What is your go to comfort book or movie?
My all time favourite book is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. That book inspired so many of the Christmas traditions we love today. And, as I live in America’s Year Round Christmas destination, own a store named Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, and am named Merry (my Dad’s name is Noel), Christmas and the Christmas spirit are important to me. I LOVE the Muppets Christmas Carol with the Muppets and Michael Caine
If someone was to play you in a movie who would it be? OR what would be the character you would want to be in a book?
No one will ever play me in a movie. Believe me, my life isn’t very exciting. I might like to be a character in an old Mary Stewart book. Feeling lonely and a bit sad on vacation in London or Paris and then being suddenly whipped off to an exciting adventure by a mysterious man on a deadly quest for some valuable object. Yeah, I could handle that.
What is your ideal evening?
After a busy day at the shop, particularly in the holiday season, I love nothing better than to go around to Alan’s place in the woods, have a drink and dinner by the fire, while my Saint Bernard Matterhorn snoozes on the rug. Then a walk in the snowy night woods. Perfection.
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 26 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 26 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, GUEST POST
August 27 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
August 27 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
August 28 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
August 28 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
August 28 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
August 29 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 30 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 30 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
August 30 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
August 31 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
September 1 – T’s Stuff – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
September 2 – eBook addicts – SPOTLIGHT
September 2 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
September 3 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 3 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
September 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
September 4 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 4 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
September 5 – CelticLady Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 6 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
September 6 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
September 7 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW
September 7 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 8 – Melina’s Book Blog – CHARACTER GUEST POST
September 8 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
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