I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Miss Frost Saves the Sandman
by
Kristen Painter
mystery, magical realism in a Kindle edition that was published by Sugar Skull Books on November 20, 2016 and has 270 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Audibles.
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Blood Rights, Flesh and Blood, Bad Blood, Out for Blood, Last Blood, House of the Rising Sun, City of Eternal Night, Garden of Dreams and Desires, Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case, All Fired Up, "Prologue to The Vampire's Mail Order Bride", The Vampire's Mail Order Bride, The Werewolf Meets His Match, The Gargoyle Gets His Girl, The Professor Woos the Witch, The Vampire's Fake Fiancée, The Shifter Romances the Writer, "The Witch's Halloween Hero", The Dragon Finds Forever, The Vampire's Accidental Wife, The Reaper Rescues the Genie, The Detective Wins The Witch, The Vampire's Priceless Treasure, The Werewolf Dates the Deputy, "When Birdie Babysat Spider", Miss Frost Ices the Imp, Miss Frost Cracks a Caper, Miss Frost Braves the Blizzard, "The Werewolf's Christmas Wish", The Vampire's Cursed Kiss, Her First Taste of Fire, The Trouble With Witches, Moody and the Beast, The Vampire's Sunny Sweetheart, Miss Frost Chills the Cheater, Lost in Las Vegas, Wrapped Up in Christmas, Mystified in Music City, Sucks To Be Me, A Sky Full of Stars, Suck It Up Buttercup, The Forgettable Miss French, Sucker Punch, The Suck Stops Here, Nixed in New Orleans, Miss Frost Says I Do and Spider Too, The Witch's Christmas Catastrophe
Third in the Jayne Frost magical realism mystery series (and a spin-off from the Nocturne Falls Universe) revolving around a hip, young, winter elf in Nocturne Falls, Georgia.
My Take
From the few times I read bedtime stories to the little ones, I betcha anything that parents would kill for this book! Can you imagine not even having to read the whole story before the kidniks are asleep!?
Painter uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Jayne’s perspective, so everything we know is filtered through her presence, mind, and emotions.
Ooh, then Buttercup dishes on Olive. Naughty girl. I do adore Spider. In my more fantastical thoughts I’d love to know what my cats are thinking. Then the rational side of my brain kicks in and says “oh, no you don’t”.
Hmm, Jayne’s heating it up, going to the Ellingham ball with both Cooper and Greyson. As for that metabolism of hers…envy. Pure, unadulterated envy.
Ewww, reading Painter’s description of Luna makes me want to power wash myself in case there are any spiders riding on me. Ick, ick, ick . . . There’s a reveal about how to kill a reaper in here, and . . . trust me, you do NOT want to do that. Sanders doesn’t sound that great either, really, with those odd quirks and horrible temper.
It’s character-driven with plenty of action, as we learn more than we want to know about some of our childhood mythic figures.
I’m still wanting that book though . . .
The Story
The Sandman’s new book is guaranteed to put children to sleep and his first-ever book signing is in Nocturne Falls.
The hitch comes when Tempus’s nightmare of an ex-wife shows up . . . !
The Characters
Jayne Frost is the manager of the premier Santa’s Workshop Toy Store. She’s also Kris Kringle’s niece, Jack Frost’s daughter, a winter elf, and an amateur sleuth with a talking cat, Spider (Miss Frost Ices the Imp, 2), who absolutely adores Chicken Party and isn’t afraid to let you know it!
Uncle Kris is an elemental life who can bend time. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Aunt Martha is Kris’ wife. Daddy is also the Winter King whose throne Jayne will inherit one day.
Cooper Sullivan is a fireman and a summer elf who knew Jayne in college. Robbie is a fellow fireman. Greyson Garrett is a recently arrived vampire who does odd jobs.
Santa’s Workshop is . . .
. . . where all of Santa’s new toys get a workout. The shop employees include Juniper who is seeing Pete, a pharmacist; the slightly Goth Buttercup is the night manager; Holly; Kip, who works well with Juniper; and, Rowley, a retired tinker, and Dorthea, his wife and a retired North Pole (NP) baker, Gladstone. Santa’s Bag is like a TARDIS and works as a portal to the NP from wherever the Bag is located.
Tempus Sanders is the Sandman, a huge supernatural elemental/elf celebrity with a new book all parents would kill for: Hush, Little Baby. Olive Pine is Sanders’ efficient, hummingbird-on-crack assistant.
Nocturne Falls, Georgia, is . . .
. . . a safe haven for supernaturals where it’s Halloween 365 days a year. It’s also mostly owned by the Ellinghams, a vampire family with Elenora as the matriarch with three grandsons: the curmudgeonly Sebastian, Hugh, and Julian. Alice Bishop is Elenora’s secretary who just happens to be a very powerful, old witch. Sebastian is engaged to Tessa Blythe, a valkyrie (The Vampire’s Fake Fiancée, 5). Hugh is married to Delaney who runs the sweets shop, Delaney’s Delectables (The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride, 1). They have a new son, George. Aunt Martha has a business deal worked out with Delaney.
Birdie Caruthers, a werewolf, is the sheriff’s aunt and the department’s receptionist — she knows ALL the gossip. Sheriff Hank Merrow is married to the pregnant Ivy (The Werewolf Meets His Match, 2). They have a son, Charlie. Penny Jo Lamont is a cousin to the Merrows.
Bridget Merrow, sister werewolf to Hank and Titus (the fire chief), owns Howler’s, a popular bar and grill. Sam, a werewolf who’s brother to Ivy and a fireman, is Bridget’s boyfriend. Miriam Newburg is the town librarian. The Tombstone is the town newspaper, which is owned by the Hodges. Piper Hodge, a daughter, frequently works as a reporter. Be careful around that one, you only have to read (The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride) to understand why! Joe Simmons is a photographer.
Gertrude is a ghost who used to be a witch, and she lives in the Van Zants’ attic. Pandora Williams is a witch and the premier Realtor in Nocturne Falls. She’s engaged to Prof Cole Van Zant (The Professor Woos the Witch, 4). Marigold, a green witch and one of Pandora’s sisters, runs a florist shop. Nine-year-old Saffron is Marigold’s daughter. The third sister, Charisma, is a life coach. Corette Williams is their mother and a witch who runs the bridal shop.
Edna Turnbuckle, a hobbit, runs the Black Rose, a D&B (Dead and Breakfast). Salvatore’s makes the best pizza. Franklin is one of their delivery guys. Mummy’s Diner is renowned for its breakfasts, especially their cinnamon rolls. Lynette and Reena are servers there. Executive Limos is available for transportation. Guillermo’s is an Italian restaurant. Insomnia, a supernaturals-only nightclub, is owned by a guilty-feeling reaper, Lucien Dupree, who has a ghost living with him, his grandmother, Hattie Dupree. Big Daddy Bones is a new barbecue restaurant in town.
The beautiful but skeletal Luna Nyx, Mistress of Nightmares. And Tempus’ ex-wife who had been a reaper of the criminally insane before she married him. She has the power of life, death, and fear in her hands.
Years ago at the North Pole (NP)
Lyle Bell was the captain of the curling team and a major babe.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a cheerful sky blue framed in big white snowflakes with a snow globe front and center, filled with the Sandman’s golden hourglass. Spider is kicking back against the base of the globe which has a label on it with the series information. Jayne is all dressed-up in an LBD, diamond necklace, big hoop earrings, and a shiny blue tiara with her hair upswept. The title is at the top in a fancy font in white with a thick black shadow with the spin-off series info under it in a deep gray. The author’s name is below the globe in white with a lighter black shadow and an info blurb is below that in white with a fuzzy black background.
The title is literally all about Miss Frost Saves the Sandman, for he’s in dire straits.
