Genre: Adult, Suspense
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Synopsis:
When Jingle Bell, Santa’s SEIC Santa-Elf-in-Charge) for Southeastern operations of the SBI (Santa Bureau of Investigation) is assigned to recover the naughty list from a rogue elf, he finds himself in need of human partners. He recruits Nep Thomas, a PI in Coral Lakes, Florida. But the problem grows as Jingle, aka Rocky, discovers that his adversary, Rime, is dealing with Abdul Abaddah, a Mid-East terrorist recruiter and financier. More support is needed. Soon, Rocky’s group grows to a magnificent seven, but they face a dirty dozen. Only when the dozen has been neutralized – without serious injury – can Rocky bring Rime to justice.
My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book. It started out very humorously. Nep Thomas first meets the elf who sets him on the path to track down a rogue elf, on a south Florida beach. I thought the banter between Nep and his on again off again girl Cassie was funny. He invites her over for crepes at Rocky the elf’s insistence. Where she didn’t believe the story in the beginning she is the one who first believes. One of the other things I liked was the conflict in the story. A rogue elf steals Santa’s Naughty-Nice List with the intent to sell it to a terrorist. Not only does he steal the list, he sabotages the computer system so Santa has no backup list. The rag-tag team that is assembled to accomplish this mission was wonderful. There was the suspense and the humor in just the right dose to keep the story moving forward. I may need to check out other books by this author.
About the Author
Randy was born and reared in Williamston, North Carolina, a small town in the northeastern part of the state. From there, he says he inherited a sense of responsibility, a belief in fair play, and a love of country. As a career US Army officer, he had the opportunity to learn, travel, teach, and hone talents inherited from his parents. Following retirement, he worked in other ventures for the US Government. Every job has in some way been fun. Even the dark days of Vietnam had their light moments, and he cherishes the camaraderie that was an integral part of survival in that hostile world.
At an early age, Randy discovered the town library and the librarian. She was a wonderful lady, who loved to introduce children to books. She engendered in him a love of the written word. Then, one day many years later, he sat at his computer and began to type. About a year later, he had a tome as long and heavy as WAR AND PEACE (or so it seemed). Giving himself every benefit of the doubt, he will simply say, "It stunk." But the seed was planted, and he continued to compose and continued to learn.
Today, he has short stories in several anthologies, and a growing list of novels to his credit. As a prolific reader, the reads across several genres and takes that into his writing. He has written mysteries, thrillers, an historical, and two fantasy/mystery/thrillers featuring a Santa Elf. The count is now at fourteen and growing. He is a regular contributor to Happy Homicides, a twice annual anthology of cozy short stories. He also has a series of short stories featuring a cattle-herding burro. Wherever his imagination will take him, he follows.
Randy writes because he enjoys it and smiles because life is fun. Learn more about Randy and his work at www.randyrawls.com.
