Though I really liked the concept of this cozy mystery, I just couldn’t get into the story. It was extremely obvious from the beginning who the killer was and the tempo was just a bit off to me. The sugary sweetness of the North Pole was also taken to the extreme, I was afraid I might get a tooth ache. This book will definitely find its audience and they will love it but for me, it just wasn’t my cup of tea or should I say hot chocolate.

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings is the first in what will be a series, not sure exactly what the series is called, but right now, it looks like its the "Santaland Mysteries'. This Christmas book is very quirky; if the series holds true to this book, it will be an unusually series that hopefully won't just put out books during the x-mas holiday.

The characters in this Christmas holiday book are unusual, to say the least. There are jealous and grumpy elves, talking reindeer, slow rambling snowmen, and then there are the Claus'. Not exactly your ho ho ho happy go lucky bunch. The matriarch tries her best to keep everyone upbeat, but it doesn't work all the time. After a couple of murders, it becomes hard to keep smiling and happy, especially when the new Santa Claus is accused of murder.

There are a few suspects but not enough, and they all appear to have the same motive. There are some very unhappy elves, misfit reindeer that get picked on every time they go out in public, and abominable monsters who hunt the residents. The detective on the case only wears black and appears to have some magical abilities that are never really defined. The Christmas castle has areas that are falling apart, and no one seems to care that there are ice rats everywhere. All-in-all Christmastown doesn't sound like a place anyone would want to visit, less alone live.

I found the story original; the mystery itself was done well. The person I thought was the killer ended up not being the bad guy. I was disappointed that we didn't get more background for April and Nick's meeting, getting married, or on April's first husband. There is some info, but it's piecemealed together and doesn't give readers a good cohesive idea of who April is or what she has been through. All of this said Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings had moments of happiness and humor. It paints Christmas in a new light and shows that even Santa can have crazy days. I did not hate the characters; a couple of them were terrific. I smiled at the idea of an elf riding on a snowmobile. I loved the coffee shop and Juniper. I would like to have rated this book higher, but I felt it had some issues that hopefully will be addressed in the next book.

I think I read a book by this author many moons ago, and when I saw this one, I knew I had to give it a try. At first, I was just a tiny bit put off by all the Christmasy themes in this book. I also felt that maybe I had missed a book that happened before this one about how Mr. and Mrs. Claus had met. No, I hadn’t, and once I settled into the book, I was able to appreciate all the little Christmas themes. Not only that, I really hope there are more. Mrs. Claus and family along with the elves, snowmen, reindeer, and all the people in the village are great characters, and I’d love to see them again. I had an inkling who had done it, but the author was great at throwing red herrings in my path. This was a well-written mystery. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

I really enjoyed reading this! Ireland's depiction of the North Pole and its inhabitants was fun and interesting. The characters of the hereditary Clauses are great but I especially liked the main character, April Claus, as she does a great job standing in for the part of the reader that thinks that everyone in the North Pole may be a bit nuts even before the killings starts!

Verdict: Light, frothy and everything thing a cozy mystery should be-the perfect thing to read when the outside is frightful (even if that's from a killer virus).

This book was an enjoyable murder mystery. Someone has been murdering community members and the main suspect’s wife, April, working in parallel with the ACTUAL detective, sets out to find out who is responsible.

But wait! There is a twist!!!

This murder mystery is set in Santaland! Seriously! And the main suspect is none other than Nick...Santa himself! There are hard working Elves, talking reindeer, living snowmen....and a murderer.

If you want a fun Christmas read, check out this delightful twist of a tale!

This was a fun, silly, Christmas cozy! At first I wasn't too sure about it, but as the story progressed I was drawn more into life at the North Pole and began to care about the characters. I DO wish the love story between April and Nick had been fleshed out a little more. Maybe in the next book. I became so involved in the book that I had to finish it and almost ran out of time to cook dinner for my family! (We had leftovers, lol) After finishing the book I realized I was so engrossed, I hadn't thought about the real world for several hours. Now that's a win.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

April’s life changed completely when she learned Nick, the man she had fallen in love with, was Santa Claus. Now, she’s spending her first Christmas at the North Pole as Mrs. Claus. However, the stress of the holiday is nothing compared to the death of an elf. Giblet Hollyberry was not an especially popular elf, but his death comes the day after he had a very public fight with Santa. While the rest of the Claus clan doesn’t seem that concerned, April worries that the evidence is pointing toward her new husband. The North Pole isn’t normally a hotbed of crime, but it seems someone is doing their best to put Santa on the naughty list this year. Can April keep that from happening?

At its heart, this book is a cozy mystery, and it is a wonderful one. There are enough suspects, secrets, and clues to keep the reader engaged the entire way through the book. It’s the setting that makes the book stand out, and it is wonderfully done. It took me a bit to get the pictures from countless specials and movies out of my head, but April’s new world soon came fully to life for me. The characters, whether they are human or not, are very real, and I enjoyed meeting them here. And the book is overflowing with Christmas cheer – so much so that I had to start listening to some Christmas music while I was reading it. This book definitely deserves a place at the top of your nice list. I’m already looking forward to the sequel.

Being a big fan of the Santa Claus movies and always looking for a new cozy series - especially during these trying times - I was very happy to take a trip with April to Santaland. Newly married to Nick, she finds herself just 9 days away from Christmas and up to her eyebrows investigating a murder. It's a far cry from her life in Oregon running a B&B.
A mere six months ago she met Nick and fell in love which led to marriage three months later. Three months married definitely qualifies as the honeymoon stage of marriage but who knew that it would include living in the very cold Kringle Castle along with her new husbands family and, here's the biggie - he's Santa Claus. While she is trying to wrap her head around that and keep the members sorted out with all of the complicated line of succession, etc. suddenly Nick is suspected of killing a very grumpy elf after the elf fails to win first place in the ice sculpture contest. He has a hissy fit for the whole town to witness and is found dead the next day. He's also not going to be the only death in town. Knowing that Nick had nothing to to with it and feeling certain that the local police are out of their depth, April steps in.
I don't know why it made me giggle when I heard the names of the various family members. Nick is as expected but April, her mother-on-law, Pamela, sister-in-law Tiffany - I guess it sort of struck me as shades of an English village upper crust family. But no family I could ever have imagined would have a rather bedraggled and quirky reindeer named Quasar. Have to say I loved him the minute I met him.
The premise worked for me and was the perfect escape. The puzzle was well plotted and the characters were a fun bunch. If this becomes a series I hope that we learn more about how April and Nick met and maybe even have them change locations during the off season. This series has a lot of potential.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have been dragging out reviewing this book because I simply don't know how I feel about it. I didn't particularly like or dislike it. It kept me entertained enough but didn't thrill me in any way. It was an easy book to go through but I also fear it is easy to forget.

What a fun and unique read! Murder and Santa Claus may not seem like a match but it such a fun story. I really enjoyed the North Pole location and all of the characters and the take on reindeer, snowmen, elves, etc. I found many plot points to be realistic in a magical world. I struggled with the relationship between April and Nick. Their’s was a whirlwind relationship and I just didn’t feel love from Nick for April. I loved April’s adventurous spirit and her love for Nick.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

April didn't realize Nick really meant it when he told her he was set to e Santa Claus. Now they are living at the North Pole and not everyone is happy about April (she's an outsider, for sure.). Then, however, the murders start. April turns out to be an ace detective - cozy readers know that there is always more to the victim than met the eye. I admit to struggling a bit with the conceit here but read it as a cozy and it's fun. There's a nice element of the culture clash to add to the usual cozy elements. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Don't wait til December for this one.

I don’t think I’ve had so much fun reading a cozy mystery in a while! April Claus is not only navigating her first Christmas in the North Pole, but she’s trying to figure out who is going around killing elves and possibly her husband’s brother, Chris Claus. Everything points to her husband, Nick, but she knows he couldn’t do it. Despite detective Jake Frost being on the case, April launches her own solo investigation. A well-thought out mystery with plenty of humor and entertaining and quirky characters, Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings is the perfect holiday cozy mystery. I’m hoping the author will write more stories about Santaland and some of its inhabitants.

I loved this book. I have to admit that at first, I thought Santa Claus and murders wouldn't be a good fit but I was WRONG!
The world building was great-the elves, the reindeer, the snowmen etc. The Claus family is structured like a royal succession and April's husband Nick is acting as a regent until his brother's son Christopher is 21 and old enough to act as Santa Claus. Christopher's father, Chris was the oldest brother but had recently died in an accident when chasing snow monsters. The oldest sibling is a female and not able to be Santa and there is also a younger brother Martin who is currently third in line but could be bumped down if Nick and April have children.

Nick has never wanted to be Santa-as the expression goes, he wasn't born to wear the suit as his brothers were. This is his first Christmas as Santa and not only is he mourning Chris, he is stressed with the holidays. And then an elf is murdered (after he insinuates that Nick killed Chris) and then a snowman (who might have witnessed something relevant to the case) Nick appears to be the bad guy.

I highly recommend this, it is a fun read.

I received an ARC from Kensington via NetGalley but the opinions expressed are my own.

This cozy mystery, which I believe is the start of a new series, has a very unique and specific premise - Mrs. Santa Claus is the amateur detective and the North Pole is the setting. April had a whirlwind romance and wedding to Santa, and is now at the North Pole, trying to learn how to be a proper Mrs. Claus. When one of the elves dies from the bite of a black widow spider, April decides to help the local constable solve the case, as he is clearly out of his depth. Mrs. Claus is a bit addle-brained and forgetful, but that may be due to her new circumstances. I really liked all the background and descriptions of the people and places at the North Pole, complete with talking snowmen and reindeer. I certainly hope there will be more stories about April Claus. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an ARC.

This is a real unique cozy as it is set in the North Pole and features Mr. and Mrs. Claus. April met Nick at her Bed and Breakfast in Oregon in the summer and they fell in love but unfortunately Nick has to take over as Santa as his elder brother Chris has died. She is living is Castle Kringle with all of Nick’s family and not everyone is thrilled that he has married a southerner. Funny to hear Oregon called the South (guess it always depends on your perspective). Nick is accused of murder and when the grumpy elf Giblet and later he is found dead after being bitten by a black widow spider who was lurking in his stocking. April does not belief Giblet’s death was an accident and she does not believe her husband is a murderer. She must figure out who killed Giblet so Nick can really become Santa. Not sure if this is a series or a stand alone. I can picture this totally being a Christmas mystery on Hallmark one day. Lots of characters and the story keeps you engaged. Recommend.

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: September 29, 2020
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This was such a great story! A whirlwind romance, newlywed Mr. & Mrs. Claus and murders in Santaland!

I loved the characters and I can totally relate to Alice Claus and her very judgmental mother-in-law. (She handles it way better than I do!)

I enjoyed the new take on where Santa lives and his family dynamic.

I really hope this becomes a series. I am looking forward to reading more about Santaland!

I'm so grateful to Liz Ireland, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings is a cozy CHRISTMAS mystery! I really enjoyed this one although I do wish I waited to read it until it was closer to Christmas. I don't know if it had the desired effect for me because I read it during the summer. At some points it seemed to try a little too hard on the Christmas feels but again, I think this has to do with the time I read it. All in all though I hope the author writes more with these characters because I'd love to see them again!

Definitely a different take on Santa and the North Pole mixed up in murder. Whimsical and well written and enjoyable.

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland introduces readers To April and Nick Claus. A Christmas cozy mystery with a new look at the North Pole community and the families who reside there.

Newly married April has been in mild shock ever since she realized that her new husband is currently THE Santa Claus. She struggles through most of the story to integrate into Nick's world at the North Pole. Even though Ms. Ireland took time to introduce the characters, I never really felt a connection to April or Nick.
A smoothly paced plot and the mystery is well-crafted with several twists and a dramatic reveal. April is determined to solve the murders in her new home and remove the suspicions around Nick.

I absolutely loved this book! It was a fun, Christmas themed murder mystery at the North Pole. The character's are well written and the layout of Christmasland and Castle Kringle and the development of the whole family was just amazing. I hope this is the beginning of a series! I look forward to more stories by this author!