Mrs Claus And The Trouble With Turkeys

Jessica Fletcher meets Tim Burton in this creative and witty cozy mystery series filled with unconventional characters, a year-round Christmas setting, and a unique heroine who’s married to the real-life Santa Claus—and this time, there are two holidays in the mix. At Castle Kringle, the elves are excitedly arranging their first ever Thanksgiving day feast. April’s husband, Nick—the real Santa—has some misgivings, since it’s tough to get ready for Christmas when everyone is obsessed with helium balloons and pie recipes. Chaos erupts when Gobbles, the live turkey imported for the castle feast, is bird-napped. That crime is quickly overshadowed at a pre-Thanksgiving potluck when Nick’s cousin, Elspeth, face-plants into her mashed potatoes—dead. Someone poisoned Elspeth, and April believes Constable Crinkle is hauling the wrong suspect off to jail. An ominous message, written in what seems to be blood and urging April to stop investigating, only convinces her more. But who’s really to blame? Where is Gobbles the turkey? And can April solve a double helping of mystery in time for everyone to sit down to a non-deadly dinner together? Praise for Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves “Funny, well-paced . . . Ireland’s bizarre series conceit works, a tribute to her deft juggling of sleuthing and satire. Fans of Leigh Perry’s Family Skeleton mysteries will be tickled.” —Publishers Weekly

April Claus knows being married to the real Santa makes every day feel like Christmas. But when a different holiday arrives at the North Pole, so does murder . . . For the first time ever, Christmastown is celebrating a strange new tradition—Halloween. But not everyone is willing to watch their dependable winter wonderland get overrun by carved pumpkins and costume parties. As a series of scary happenings hit Santaland, each one more intense than the last, April realizes having a role in the festivities could cost her family, friends—even her own life. April isn’t the only unlucky target. Outspoken elf Tiny Sparkletoe is found dead in the snow outside his cottage, crushed in the middle of what appears to be a monstrous footprint. With mayhem descending like reindeer on rooftops, April must stop the Halloween killer before the fate of Mrs. Claus becomes another creepy tale to tell in the dark . . . “An exceptional series launch . . . This fun, well-plotted mystery is the perfect holiday entertainment.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Exceptional…the perfect holiday entertainment.”— Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW This Christmas season, travel to the North Pole you’ve never seen before—where Santa’s new wife, April Claus, is not only set on creating the perfect holiday—she’s also set on solving the perfect crime… Love is full of surprises—though few compare to realizing that you’re marrying the real-life Santa. April Claus dearly loves her new husband, Nick, but adjusting to life in the North Pole is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous elf named Giblet Hollyberry is killed—felled by a black widow spider in his stocking—shortly after publicly arguing with Nick. Christmastown is hardly a hotbed of crime, aside from mishaps caused by too much eggnog, but April disagrees with Constable Crinkle’s verdict of accidental death. As April sets out to find the culprit, it’ll mean putting the future of Christmas on the line—and hoping her own name isn’t on a lethal naughty list . . .

Santa Claus finds a way to help Turkey avoid becoming Christmas dinner.

Jessica Fletcher meets Tim Burton in this creative and witty cozy mystery series from Liz Ireland, filled with unconventional characters, year-round Christmas cheer, and a unique heroine who’s married to the real-life Santa Claus! April Claus has grown to love her new North Pole home almost as much as she loves her husband, Nick—Santa himself. But even in Christmastown, the holidays can be murder… April Claus is getting an early gift for her second Christmas in Santaland. Her dear friend, Claire, is visiting from Oregon, and April hopes to show off her adoptive country at its cozy, glittering best. But when the annual ice sculpture contest is derailed by a kamikaze drone-deer, it’s just the first in a series of un-festive events… Drone-deer, created by inventor elf Blinky Brightlow, are none too popular with the genuine, flesh-and-hoof kind, who are currently on strike. With no reindeer games to keep them in shape, Nick worries they may get too chunky to pull his sleigh come Christmas. Now Blinky is missing, his girlfriend, Juniper, is under suspicion, and between rogue reindeer and conniving elves, all of Santaland seems to have gone sugarplum-crazy. Add a dash of murder to the mix, and suddenly April is battling not just to clear Juniper’s name, but to save herself from being put on ice—permanently…

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, Turkey nervously makes a series of costumes, disguising himself as other farm animals in hopes that he can avoid being served as Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving is all about showing kindness and gratitude to everyone you love—and if you're careful and clever, you can help a turkey friend find his own family, too! Will you meet a turkey this Thanksgiving? If you do, will you be ready to help hide him as a special pet until he can find his flock again? By being helpful, friendly, and smart, you can help your new turkey friend get back to his family in the wild by disguising him as you search! So, grab some supplies—scissors, colored paper, glue, and and string—and get ready to make a mask to keep your turkey friend safe. Then be you can work together to hide him until he can find his family flock! Sue Fliess’s poetic read-aloud text and Simona Sanfilippo’s vibrant, whimsical illustrations will provide joy for young readers eager to make a turkey friend (and disguise)! Also included are guides for teachers and parents about how to engage children in making turkey masks, learning about the history of Thanksgiving and facts about turkeys, and the value of friendship and family on this special day of gratitude.

Kids will gobble up some fun facts about Turkey Day with this amazing tale of courage and faith. Celebrating a bountiful harvest and eating delicious food skim the surface of what the Thanksgiving holiday truly means. It’s Not About You, Mrs. Turkey is a unique tool for parents, grandparents, and teachers to share both the historical and religious background of the holiday with young readers. The fun and colorful illustrations give children the opportunity to see clothing styles of the past as they learn the importance of courage, sharing, friendship, and giving thanks. “Do your kids believe Thanksgiving is only about dinner? Then you need this book to share both the historical and religious background of Thanksgiving with your kids!” —Homeschool Preschool, “9 Terrific Turkey Books for Preschool” “I am always in favor of literature that points children away from commercialized holidays and teaches the true meaning of why we celebrate a holiday. Author Soraya Coffelt has done exactly that in It’s Not About You, Mrs. Turkey. In a loving and factual way, she lays out the true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christianity’s significance.” —Christian Children’s Book Review “A wonderful history lesson in the form of a young children’s book.” —Our Big Happy Family Blog