It’s December 1932. Santa is found dead behind the sleigh in the first ever Santa display at the Merkantia department-store.
What was he doing there after hours? Who is he? The department-store Santa? Another Santa? No Santa at all?
The department-store’s in-house detective, Adeline la Cour, is on the case in collaboration with a Detective Chief Inspector Strøm.
It’s 2½ hours to opening time…
First book in the ‘Merkantia Mysteries’ series with hygge, humour and whodunnit.
WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
ISBN: 9789897-975723-7-5
BUY BOOK at XINXII (EU) or Barnes & Noble, Apple, Everand (more coming up)
Also take a peek at lendorphandlacour.com
Review
Are you also in need of an hour on the sofa watching the birds in the cold outside? Then Santa Surprise is just what you need.
A clever female private detective and a nearly-retired police investigator spring into action when the children’s Father Christmas in the department store toy section is found dead on the floor one morning. A bottle of port and a few ginger biscuits are practically the only clues. And as the morning unfolds, intrigue, envy, and a number of other delightful truths come to light before the department store’s daily residents take up their usual posts.
Freya Anduin has a rare gift for conjuring sweet, witty, unusual, and humorous imagery through her language – she describes both things and circumstances in a way that’s an experience in itself. There’s no need to spell out the violence, blood, and depravity – there’s enough of that in the news.
It turned into a lovely hour in the armchair, with a warm bellyful of contentment, while the blackbird flitted back and forth in the garden and justice made itself known. I give it a glass of mulled wine and a pile of ginger biscuits as top marks – you’d hardly dare touch the port after that story.
Birgitte Zimling
(Not for kids.)