Not all of Santa's elves are jolly. Gumdrop Coal has gotten fed up with dispensing only lumps of coal to bad children, and he decides to visit a few to mete out more "hands-on" punishment. But he doesn't stop with the kids -- after all, who are the biggest influence in a child's behavior? The parents. Then Raymond Hall, a father Coal "decked" ends up dead (shot in the eye with a Red Ryder BB gun), and Coal is framed for the murder. While trying to clear his name -- with the help of his relentlessly optimistic friend Dingleberry Fizz and the sassy (possibly femme fatale) reporter Rosebud Jubilee -- Coal discovers the plot is much more complicated than a simple frame. Someone is out to destroy not only Santa but Christmas itself!

This unlikely mash-up of noir and Christmas story shouldn't work, but it does. With nods to just about every noir and holiday convention -- usually with a twist -- there are also some clever pop culture references. That alone would make a refreshingly original book in its own right, but there's also a deftly plotted mystery here and a unique gumshoe who would give Sam Spade a run for his money. Anyone who's ever groaned at the 100th repeat of It's a Wonderful Life or felt sorry for the misfit toys in Rudolph will love this book. (Readers of Jasper Fforde should particularly enjoy the word play.) This is the perfect gift for the mystery lovers on your list with an off-key sense of humor, or those who enjoy the new genre of blending classics with zombies, vamps, etc. I certainly had a holly jolly good time reading it!