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Miss Frost Chills the Cheater
by
Kristen Painter
mystery, amateur sleuth, magical realism in a Kindle edition that was published by Sugar Skull Books on November 5, 2018 and has 228 pages.
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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 Saves the Sandman, 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, 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
Sixth in the Jayne Frost cozy magical realism mystery series (and 10.1 in the Nocturne Falls Universe) revolving around the Winter Princess and her boyfriend.
My Take
We’re going to the North Pole in this! And it’ll be a case of bigotry and racism. Too sad that this can happen at the North Pole.
It’s the usual. People who are easily influenced by a small mean-minded minority making the biggest stink. Probably those snow elves. I do have to wonder about Francis. It seems he wasn’t he nicest growing up with Jayne.
We see everything from Jayne’s perspective, through her eyes, as Painter uses first person protagonist point-of-view. It was a very useful POV as Jayne knows Sin and the North Pole best.
A good thing that Jayne is sneaky, of course that comes in handy when she’s investigating a mystery.
I do love how Painter describes the neighborhoods where the various employees live, so reflective of their passions. Tinkers’ Village is referred to as Toy Town.
Ooh, Santa does get angry. Don’t thwart the big guy or you’ll be on his naughty list.
There’s action, yet it’s primarily character-driven as we get to know the North Pole, Jayne’s parents, Uncle Kris and Aunt Martha, and the NP’s citizens — along with the sabotage and underlying evils.
It’s a cozy story of mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Story
It’s a big day with Sinclair accompanying Jayne to the North Pole. Jayne can’t say yes to his proposal until he meets her parents, to face the judging stares of its inhabitants. He’s not an elf, you know . . .
And to prove his innocence.
The Characters
Princess Jayne Frost, heir to the Winter Throne held by her father, Jack Frost. Spider is her talking cat who really loves Chicken Party. At the NP, Allene has been Jayne’s lady’s maid forever. Nesto is her hair dresser. Benna is her makeup stylist. Davide handles the jewelry.
Sinclair Crowe, a necromancer, owns Zombie Donuts in Nocturne Falls and has proposed to Jayne. Sugar is his white cat and Spider’s girlfriend. Sugar will be getting a very useful gift! Archie Tingle is an elf baker who is filling in for Sin; normally he works as a baker in Santa’s toy factory cafeteria.
The North Pole (NP)
The Winter Palace is home to the Winter King and Jayne’s parents, Jack and Klara Frost. Sarha is Lady Frost’s lady’s maid. Gregory Brumal is the palace steward. Ezreal Zur-dar, a half-ice troll and NP boxing champion, is Jack’s office manager. Michael is one of the underbutlers. Jim Bunting is one of the guards. Rowena Silver is the Minister of Finance. Timpson and Sprinkle are footmen. Junger Glace is a maintenance man.
Uncle Kris, Santa to you, runs Christmas Incorporated. Aunt Martha, Jack’s sister, is Mrs Claus. Francis Snow is Jayne’s cousin; Aunt Cecelia is Francis’ mother. Mamie Wynters is Uncle Kris’ receptionist and secretary — the NP equivalent to Nocturne Frost’s Birdie. Ingvar is the new IT guy. Terrance Whitley is the elf who presented Mega Chick as his invention. Stanley Kinder has been a tinker for a long time, winning numerous awards. Mrs Clucks-A-Lot was his entry. Gracie is Stanley’s wife, and she grew up in a confectioners’ household. Their son went into the building trade. Lyla is Stanley’s granddaughter. Fedina Berry is one of the head bakers. Umelia Pine, recently engaged to Francis, and her parents are decorators. Dora Frigit is the Glitterskins inventor, and the third tinker in the competition. Earl Frigit had been her husband and a fellow tinker. Cindy is Dora’s sister. Argyle Featherstone is a tinker whose space is catty-corner to Dora’s. Yula is Argyle’s wife. Xander Sweets used to be the plant manager of the peppermint factory and will be their tour guide.
Constable Larsen, who succeeded Constable Ray, is on the tinker investigation. Crumb is the mayor of the NP.
Sweet Acres is a small exhibition farm that’s run by Farmer Melton Brown. His daughter, Greta Ann, manages their gift shop. Mrs Mint is a teacher. August Woolsey, a snow elf, is the editor of the Pole Post. He was also Mamie’s first husband. Mort Deerman is the only security guard for the paper. Cooper Sullivan, a summer elf, had dated Jayne in the past.
Nocturne Falls is . . .
. . . a small town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year — the better to explain the supernaturals that mostly populate the town. Delaney Ellingham runs a real candy store, Delaney’s Delectables. Santa’s Workshop is one of the shops in town where Juniper and Buttercup work.
Sheriff Hank Merrow is the alpha-in-waiting who recently married Ivy Kincaid in The Werewolf Meets His Match, 2. Hank has also adopted Charlie. Birdie is Hank’s aunt and another werewolf who works as the police secretary.
Lark had been Jayne’s best friend in college until events in Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case, 1 (NFU, 5.6).
The Cover and Title
The background of the cover has a chilly gradation of pale blue on the left to a deeper blue on the right with snowflakes of varying sizes. The text is mostly white with a deep black shadow. At the top is the title with the universal series info in black beneath it. At the bottom of the cover is the author’s name followed by an info blurb. In between is a graphic of Spider touching a snow globe of the North Pole with a wind-up chicken under the sign. On the base of the globe is Jayne’s particular series info. On the right side of the snow globe is Jane in three-quarter profile, her head turned to look at us and wearing a black suit and gold buttons with a red top with her blue hair in a classic bobbed hairstyle with bangs and blue-tinted sunglasses.
The title is Jayne’s actions when Miss Frost Chills the Cheater.
