There Goes Santa Claus: An Ivy Towers Mystery

While the story is enjoyable, I am so disappointed to pay 6.69 for a small, worn book that was only 6.95 retail!

I'm sad to say that this is book #4 and the last of the Ivy Towers Mystery series. Ivy, Amos, Winter Break, and the townsfolk seem like old, dear friends to me now and I don't want to bid them farewell. Nevertheless, Nancy Mehl has ended her series on a high note. This is a sweet, hopeful, uplifting story, ideal for Christmas season reading - except for the murder, of course. Christmastime has come to Winter Break, complete with snow, sleet, holiday lights, and church activities. The newlyweds have been married ten months and Ivy is dreaming, wishing, praying about having a baby to complete their happiness. They love Miss Skiffins the calico cat and Pal the border collie they adopted in Book 3, but a baby would be their greatest blessing. Ivy's Christmas preparations are complicated when a man dressed as Santa Claus falls off the roof and dies in a snow drift on their front lawn. Inside a plastic bag on their roof they find a Cabbage Patch Doll, circa 1985, along with a note addressed to "Ho Ho." Why was Santa on their roof in the middle of the night, and who is Ho Ho? The truth unfolds slowly, and I must confess the clues revealed along the way by Mehl were diabolically sneaky. Ivy solved the mystery long before I had a clue. The sub plot this time involves the theft of diesel fuel from area farmers. I was also clueless in solving this mystery. Nancy Mehl sure knows how to weave a fine tale of intrigue to leave her readers guessing until the end! I think she distracted me this time with worry when Pal got poisoned and I missed a clue or two. The final solution took me by complete surprise. Ivy Towers and Winter Break, Kansas are unforgettable. I can't remember when a fictional person or place has staked such a claim on my heart and mind. The characters in this series are well developed and realistic. They live, in all life's fullness, in a memorable town where people pull together to survive every tragedy and celebrate each other's joys. Fans of Ms. Mehl's work will be like me and hate saying goodbye to the Ivy Towers Mystery series. But we can take comfort in knowing another series is in the offing. This entire series of four books is highly recommended to cozy Christian mystery fans and anyone who enjoys a well written story.

When newlyweds Ivy and Amos find Santa Claus dead in the snow of their front yard, it launches a mystery that spans two generations and involves several puzzles in one: Who was "Santa," who killed him and who is stealing heating oil all over the county? Ivy leads with her heart and Amos uses his lawman skills to get to the bottom of things. When all is revealed, a decades-old question is answered and a ubiquitous villain is revealed. Meanwhile, readers get another heaping helping of small town color and characters. Even the characters' names evoke a whimsical smile and the personal quirks are just plain fun. Readers will be sad to learn that Nancy Mehl's Ivy Towers series comes to an end with this book, but relieved to know that this popular writer is working on a new series. We'll be watching for it, Ms. Mehl!

The perfect holiday recipe: a snowy day, a cup of hot cocoa, and Nancy Mehl!