Maggie Kelly, author of the St. Just mystery series, has come to accept the fact that her Regency hero, Alexandre Blake, the Viscount St. Just, has somehow become real -- along with his sidekick, Sterling Balder. She's even accepted the fact that since St. Just entered her life, she keeps getting drawn into real-life mysteries and danger. But spending Christmas with her seriously dysfunctional family? That's a challenge! Especially now that she's broken her foot and has to rely on a walker. To put off the inevitable, Maggie takes Alex and Sterling to a casino in Atlantic City, where she ends up winning three million dollars and a lot of unwanted publicity. The trio finally arrives at Maggie's father's house to discover that the police are arresting him for murder -- by bowling ball. And that's just Christmas Eve.

With help from Alex and Sterling, Maggie tries to piece together what happened and finds a growing crowd of skeletons in the family closet. Meanwhile, she has to deal with a large, angry man who is convinced that she robbed him of millions by taking "his" slot machine. And then there's the romantic tension between Maggie and Alex, and the underlying fear that one day he will disappear just as suddenly as he appeared.

This mystery series is a lot of fun. St. Just is a perfect Regency hero who's nevertheless at home in the 21st century. Sterling is naïve and sweet-natured, often confused by American idioms and slang. Maggie can be a bit too self-pitying at times, but when readers meet her family, they'll understand! A solid mystery, a good sense of humor and a dash of romance all combine for a delightful read.