Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Short Story/Mystery/Christmas
Approximate word count: 6-7,000 words
Availability
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on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or
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Author:
“Helen
Smith is a British crime writer who lives in London. Her books have appeared in
"best of the year" lists by For
Books' Sake, The Cult Den, The Independent, and the Guardian.”
For more,
visit Smith’s website.
Description:
“In a
department store in London, a little girl called Sophie visits Santa’s magical
forest with her grandfather. As they emerge from the forest, Sophie’s
grandfather reports her missing… but the little girl’s right there. Is she a
ghost, a twin, an alien abductee—or is there some simpler explanation?
Twenty-six-year-old amateur sleuth Emily Castles has fifteen minutes to figure
out the puzzle before the police are called and Christmas is ruined. “
Appraisal:
This is a
Christmas themed story that is part of Helen Smith’s mystery series. As with
the rest of the Emily Castles series, this story fits in the cozy mystery
subgenre, but unlike the others, there is no body or murderer to find. Fans of
Emily will enjoy this light-hearted short story while those who haven’t
discovered her will find this a quick introduction. I enjoy Smith’s books for
their wry sense of humor and her unique author’s voice. Real Elves is the perfect Christmas read for mystery lovers.
FYI:
Although
part of the Emily Castles series, the books in the series are all stand alone
and can be read in any order.
Format/Typo Issues:
No
significant issues
Rating: ***** Five Stars
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing this post. I am a huge fan of Helen Smith's writings. She is every bit as clever as Lewis Carroll but much cuter.
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