Christmas Books

I received this book last Christmas and found it to be a treasure.

I bought this book on sale for several people, and I didn't know exactly what to expect. When I received it, I started reading and couldn't stop. I got to the point of tears (good ones) several times! So I am keeping one for myself and ordering an extra. This is just a wonderful book about the true meaning of Christmas - the salvation, power, and love of God for mankind. Each short story or reflection is true as well as touching, and the illustrations are warm and inviting. I am giving this book as a gift to several friends who have been Christians for a long time, and also to a friend who is a new Christian. It will be meaningful for all of them, so it really is a great gift. I look forward to pulling this book out each Christmas and enjoying the stories over and over again.

This is a gift worth giving. It gives your spirit a well deserved uplifting, and those to whom you give it, will rejoice with you.

Not a "New Age" perspective at all, Max Lucado and Chuck Colson have done an exciting job of collecting writings on the western world's biggest holiday. From a Christian, Evangelical, Biblical viewpoint you will have the information needed to get away from the commercialism and back to what was intended when the angels told the shepherds outside Bethlehem "Peace on earth, good will to men."

This book is so wonderful that I have given it as a gift to several friends who also treasure it. The writings are the very best of Swindoll, Lucado and Colson and should be read many times.

My husband and I are reading through these Advent meditations and they are rich and beautiful. Of course we're only half way through, so I can't review for the entire book, but we've shared excerpts with friends and family, and very much enjoyed these readings.

This book guides readers through the four weeks of advent with short devotionals and prayers that lead one into new and wonderful contemplations of the Incarnation. It also includes histories of feast days and every other page is illustrated with a breathtaking sacred masterpiece. I would highly recommend it as a rich pre-Christmas gift for any deep-thinking, art-loving individual.

One quote in particular by Neuhaus struck me with awe:

"God who is the fullness of Being infiltrated our world of beings in order that we might fully be. Christmas is about incarnation, and incarnation is God's becoming what he is not, in order that we might become what he is."

I discovered this book while doing some last minute shopping on Christmas Eve day. I was experiencing that familiar feeling of "missing" Christmas again this year. I found it again in this book. It has inspired me to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas for the first time. The readings are timely, thought provoking, prayer inspiring, and quite simply BEAUTIFUL! I'm already looking for copies to give as gifts for next year. I hope the authors are planning on a similiar collection for Lent and Easter. I would order it sight unseen.

I was looking for a way to focus my attention during Advent this year and heard about this book from the journal Image. As promised, the book has beautiful reproductions of art to go with each daily reading during Advent. There are also scripture passages each day and a short reflection written by one of the six contributors. Information and reflections on feast days are included, and I really like the fact that the book continues until Epiphany. I've been able to keep up so far and have been challenged and encouraged by the readings to remember Jesus in the midst of what can be a very distracting time of year. This book will make a great gift for my friends and family for next year's Advent season.

Every Christmas my wife and I think, "O my, we've done it again - Christmas is here and we've allowed the busy-ness of the season to keep us from preparing our hearts and our home for the coming of the Christ child." We started using this book at the recommendation of a friend and whole-heartedly recommend it to you. We are being prepared this Advent and this book has much to do with it. The paintings, Scripture verses, discussions and prayers have been a great help to us and those in our small group as well.

This is a valuable buy for anyone who enjoys beautiful artwork and loves to snuggle up with a good story on a cold evening. My parents had purchased this book for my little sister and asked me to read it to her one night before bed. I had expected dreading the little children's stories, but as I opened the book and began reading, I found the artwork so enchanting and interesting and the stories so enthralling that I had a great time. I would recommend this compilation to anyone who loves Christmastime.

This is a valuable buy for anyone who enjoys beautiful artwork and loves to snuggle up with a good story on a cold evening. My parents had purchased this book for my little sister and asked me to read it to her one night before bed. I had expected dreading the little children's stories, but as I opened the book and began reading, I found the artwork so enchanting and interesting and the stories so enthralling that I had a great time. I would recommend this compilation to anyone who loves Christmastime.

I bought this book for my little daughter and I'm sure she will enjoy reading it as much as I did!

This is a valuable buy for anyone who enjoys beautiful artwork and loves to snuggle up with a good story on a cold evening. My parents had purchased this book for my little sister and asked me to read it to her one night before bed. I had expected dreading the little children's stories, but as I opened the book and began reading, I found the artwork so enchanting and interesting and the stories so enthralling that I had a great time. I would recommend this compilation to anyone who loves Christmastime.

I love this book! Content selection is good and illustrations are wonderful. The artist has created a fascinating world of characters and images. The quality of print is excellent too.
I bought this book as a Christimas gift for my son and will now order another one for my friends' kids.

I love mysteries, but find it increasingly hard to find ones that aren't rewarmed or overbaked versions of what I have already read. Mr. de Castrique has a series going that will make you wish the third and fourth ones were already out. This one stands alone, but you should read both. Having an understaker as your "detective" really works well (of course it helps that he was a policeman before). And his use of a North Carolina mountain town is a welcomed relief from big urban centers, small English towns and any place in California and Florida.

This is a very good series. Barry is a fully dimensional character with strong family ties and good friends. The sense of place is wonderfully done and dialogue is very true. He provides an interesting look into the human side of the funeral business, which I very much enjoyed. And, it's still a tight mystery with very good suspense. If you've not discovered this series, I definitely recommend giving it a try.

Author Mark de Castrique brings readers back to the small mountain town of Gainesboro, North Carolina in this enjoyable sequel to "Dangerous Undertaking." As his father's Alzheimer's worsens and a buyer is making noises about wanting the family funeral home, Clayton and Clayton, Barry Clayton has another problem.

Finding a loose skeleton on top of a closed casket, which was buried a number of years ago is bad enough. The fact that the skeleton has a small bullet hole above the eyes is indicative of the nature of death. What is unexplainable, as Barry watches at graveside, is why the dead man's wallet contains a picture of the woman he loves, Dr. Susan Miller? Why is a gun registered to her father buried with the skeleton?

As a circumstantial case against Dr. Susan Miller and her father, Walt, begins to build, Barry Clayton begins to investigate with the help of his friend, Sheriff Tommy Lee Wadkins. Faced with a hot shot District Attorney with serious political ambitions using the case for his own purposes instead of justice, the situation is stacked against them. Then there is the fact that Susan isn't telling all she knows, their relationship is in jeopardy on many levels, Barry's father wanders away from home lost in his own mind, and the buyer wants a fast decision. Not to mention that a killer still walks among them and is beginning to clean up the loose ends the only way possible-by killing again. Barry should have stayed on the police force up north where it was safer.

This is another enjoyable read by the author who combines interesting and realistic characters, a good mystery, and elements of real life that touch us all. With so many familiar with Alzheimer's, either directly or indirectly, it is nice to see a storyline concerning the subject handled so well in the first two novels of what promises to be a good series. The author gracefully and with tact, details the hard choices so many families have to deal with today in handling the situation and never raises the subject to preaching nor lowers it to condescension or amusement.

This sequel, which could be read as a stand alone, showcases the same deft touch in regards to the depictions of funerals and the grief of the survivors. These characters though they may only appear for brief snippets, a few pages at most, are just as real as the main characters of Sheriff Wadkins, Barry, Uncle Wayne and others. All are family and the result is a read with characters and scenes that flow at a steady pace towards a satisfying ending that culminates another good read.


Book Facts:

Grave Undertaking
By Mark de Castrique
Poisoned Pen Press
www.poisonedpenpress.com
2004
Hardback
266 Pages
$24.95 US
ISBN # 1-59058-116-4


This review previously appeared online at The Mystery Morgue.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2005

It's just an ordinary day for funeral director Barry Clayton--moving a casket from one location to another to meet the needs of the dead man's family. But when he comes across a skeleton that shouldn't be there--a skeleton with a bullet hole in the middle of its forehead, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. No funeral director put that body in the grave--and no suicide could cover himself so well. When Barry's girlfriend's picture is found in the skeleton's wallet, Susan, and even Barry himself, become suspects.

The sheriff seems willing enough to push forward with the obvious case and Susan's lies and her confrontation with the dead man only days before he vanished, give her motive, opportunity and means. Barry needs to dust off his ex-police skills to get to the bottom of the mystery. It doesn't help, though, that Susan is lying to him as well as to the police. Could it be that she has more to hide than Barry is willing to accept?

When he starts pulling on the case, Barry finds hints that something is rotten in the criminal justice system--that maybe the Sheriff has a good reason to point fingers anywhere but within his own department. Suspecting is one thing, though. Staying alive long enough to find out the truth becomes a major challenge.

Author Mark de Castrique creates an engaging story with enough red herrings to fill the Atlantic and a charming romance betwen Barry and Susan. I especially enjoyed the way de Castrique deepened Barry's character through his evolving relationship with his Alzheimer-suffering father and with the community he somewhat reluctantly serves as funeral director. de Castrique's strong writing kept me glued to the pages. Good stuff.

When his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer?s disease, Charlotte police officer Barry Clayton leaves the force and returns to Gainesboro, a North Carolina mountain town. He helps his parents and his uncle run the family business, the Clayton and Clayton Funeral Home. He is there when Pearly Johnson?s coffin is exhumed so it could be moved to the family plot. State Senator Richards paid a lot of money to be buried in Pearly?s plot, which is next to Caleb Turner, a Union sympathizer.

Before they reach Pearly?s coffin, they discover the skeleton of another man on top of the coffin, a bullet in his head. A wallet is found with four hundred dollars and a picture of Barry?s girlfriend Susan Miller. They identify the body of Samuel Calhoun, a private detective who was buried with the gun of Susan?s father. Both Susan and her father become suspects in the death of this sleazy blackmailer. When Barry makes inquiries, he is shot. Still he thinks the killer is someone in the justice department and Barry and his friends better find out who it is before someone else dies.

Mark de Castrique has written an exciting regional mystery that gives readers feeling of what it is like living in a small southern mountain town. The protagonist is a hero in the truest sense of the word as he gives up his job to take over the family business that means everything to his mother and uncle. He?s patient with his father, tries to protect his girlfriend, and find a murderer. GRAVE UNDERTAKING shows the importance of the funeral home in the community as neighbor helps neighbor in time of need.

Harriet Klausner

My children loved this book. If you have children, buy this book for they will really enjoy it, and if you still have a little child inside yourself you, are really going to enjoy it also!

Millions know Jamie Farr by his beloved M*A*S*H character, Maxwell Klinger. What few remember is the fictional camel named Habeebe "Klinger" introduced in one episode. In this book, Jamie and his wife Joy tell the rest of the story that will delight a whole new generation of fans. You meet not just Habeebee and wife Habeeba, but their young one named, you guessed it, Hababy. And with Hababy come several other friends from the animal kingdom. The story is fun and it has a point. The pictures are bright and sure to delight any youngster. I hope this isn't the last time we meet this wonderful family ... both the camels and the Farrs.

Jamie and Joy Farr's book, "Hababy's Christmas Eve" is so delightful. Habeebee, Habeeba and Hababy are almost lifelike and sends a joyful message about Christmas. Illustrations by Alice io Oglesby bring the Camel family to life. This book is a great read and I would recommend it to all adults and children.

Joyce Rapier, author: "Windy John's me 'n tut" and "Windy John's, Rainbow and the Pot o' Gold"

I received an eBook for review and the pages progress slowly, however it is worth the wait while the wonderful illustrations move into place. I would be interested to see the paper copy of the book. This is a children's 32 page picture book I am happy to recommend for use by teachers, and parents.-Molly Martin, 20+ years teacher

I bought Jamie & Joy Farr's book to read to my great-grandchildren, and I think it's an inspirational little story about the camel family that Jamie first introduced on M.A.S.H. I especially enjoy the little fantasy that HABABY's ancestors were the camels that carried the wisemen as they followed the star to Baby Jesus.
The book is well-made and beautifully designed, too; the paper slick, and the illustrations especially colorful. My grand-children really loved it, and kept pointing to details in the fabulous illustrations.
Thanks, Jamie, Joy, & illustrator Alice for entertaining us in such a delightful way. I plan to place this book on our table every Christmas and hope it becomes an annual tradition ... reading it to our youngest ones ... beside a cozy fireplace.
Reviewer: BETTY DRAVIS, author of THE TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY and MILLENNIUM BABE: THE PROPHECY



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Well researched and very interesting. Our family highly enjoyed these advent readings this season. Great selections from the Messiah combined with historical and Biblical insights. Great for any family.

We have used "Handel's Family Advent Reader" for a couple years in a row and it is just as wonderful every time we read (and listen to) it. Who can resist the music of Handel's Messiah? Even if my sons pretend they're singing in the opera (lip synching) as they listen to the selections, I know they are still enjoying it and appreciating it. The stories are all very unique and each has a special "Christmas gift" to give the reader. If you enjoy Advent devotions, you'll love this one! It's my favorite Advent devotion so far!

I bought two books, one for my mother as an early Christmas gift and the other to use as a Sunday School lesson helper. Many in my adult class are in the church choir and not only appreciate great music, but need to leave sessions early, or arrive late because of their choir commitment. The various stories, references to current living circumstances and history are great tools for keeping interest high within the class setting and throughout the Advent Season. I get the best of both worlds- the opportunity to read it over and over as I prepare lessons and the CD to listen to those wonderful tunes from the Messiah.

I bought two books, one for my mother as an early Christmas gift and the other to use as a Sunday School lesson helper. Many in my adult class are in the church choir and not only appreciate great music, but need to leave sessions early, or arrive late because of their choir committment. The various stories, references to current living circumstances and history are great tools for keeping interest high within the class setting and throughout the Advent Season. I get the best of both worlds- the opportunity to read it over and over as I prepare lessons and the CD to listen to those wonderful tunes from the Messiah.

If you have never bought a family devotional before, thinking your family would never sit still for it, you're in for a real surprise! This is one thing you will want to add to your family's list of "to do's" over this Christmas season. I have never read a devotional quite like this one. Based on the great Handel's Messiah, this beautiful book is full of stories you most likely will never find anywhere else. Chock full of surprising and very interesting but little known facts. For instance, why do people all stand up when the "haleluia chorus" is played? How about this story intitled "Daughter of Her Son". This is a beautifully written piece about Mary and her relationship with her Savior/Son. Children will love the stories entitled "The Flying Snakes", "The Reindeer People" and "No Christmas allowed". Each story has been carefully researched and well written with beautiful color artwork. There is a story for each day of advent. I guarantee your family will be eager to sit down each evening to hear what story will be read that evening. If you have never had family devotions before, this is a great way to introduce your family to a time of learning, reflection, and what Christmas is truly all about. This is the best book of the Christmas Season. I can't wait to go through it again this year with my loved ones.

This book is so touching and adorable. One of those books that not many people are familiar with b/c it's older. I highly reccommend it. I believe it's out of print and so Amazon is a great place to find it! A must have for Santa belivers!

We have to read this book multiple times every Christmas season. My son loves the great trouble that Santa will go to in order to reach poor little Harvey Slumfenburger on top of the Roly Poly Mountain, who will not be getting any other Christmas presents this year. It also gets us talking about how many people do not have enough money to buy everything they need or want. It has a message AND it's funny and entertaining. We really love this book.

I disagree with the designation of 4 - 8 years old as the reading level for this book. Students of 4 to 5 years old could not read this book themselves. I would say some first-graders, and most second and third-graders could read it independently. But it's a great story, whether it's read to children or by children. This story about a determined Santa, rope-climbing, skiing and traversing impossible terrain to reach Harvey on Roly Poly Mountain, is just inspired. Harvey is a little boy from a poor family who only gets one present each year - the one Santa brings. When Santa gets home and realizes the one present left in his sack was supposed to have reached Harvey, he immediately sets out to reach him - despite the fact he must get there without his sick and exhausted reindeer. This story captivated a class of kindergarteners - and it's not a really short book. When I got to the end, the students were clearly touched, and one sighed, "I love Santa." A second-grade teacher wants to borrow it now, to read to his class. Great Christmas story!

This is a heartwarming story about Santa's determination to ensure that every child has a wonderful Christmas morning. Santa's journey to Harvey's house on the top of Roly Poly Mountain teaches children and reminds adults that it is better to give than receive. The ending will spark conversations between all ages! Read this story every year to remind you of the true meaning of Christmas.

This book reveals Santa as he's never been revealed, starting with an exhausted Mr. Claus who is home after a long Christmas Eve journey. He really just wants to nurse a sick reindeer and get some sleep. Except, to his chagrin, he notices a lump in his sack and realizes he forgot to deliver a package. And this package, unfortunately, will be missed. It's for Harvey Slumfenburger, and it represents the sole Christmas booty that the young boy will get. You just know how much Santa wants to go back out to deliver this gift, but he does so without complaint.

Of course, the reindeer are tired and sick, so Santa has to find creative and sundry ways to the top of Roly Poly Mountain, where Harvey lives. He gets the present to Harvey and finds his way back, although it's a long and tiring journey.

My children love this story. The idea that Santa would go to such lengths is really appealing, and they adore trying to guess what Harvey's gift is. (The author smartly leaves us wondering). The story is about love, and any parent who has tried to obtain a hard-to-find toy or move mountains to get from work to the school play would completely relate.

Don't be put off by the monotonous aspect of Santa's trip, or the unfortunate tongue-tying name of the young boy. This book will be a Christmas favorite, one that brings parent and child together in understanding sacrifice and love and generosity of spirit, truly the things that make Santa and the season magical.

I have four children, ages 8 through 3, and this is their hands-down favorite Christmas book. Well, possibly, all-time book. Each page has tons of details for the kids to notice and find -- even as an adult, I seem to find new things in it each time we read it. And thanks to this book, they are learning all the words to the song.

Hilary Knight's Twelve Days Of Christmas tells of a bear who struggles with an overabundance of holiday gifts from her sweetheart. Whimsical animals parade in each scene as poor Bedelia struggles with a house increasingly filled with odd gifts. The illustrations are especially whimsical.

This is a definte must for the Holiday Season. Wonderful details of a courtship between two bears using the song the Twelve Days of Christmas. Each page is a treasure trove!

I've loved Hilary Knight's work since I was a child feasting on his *Hilary Knight's ABC.* In his *Twelve Days of Christmas," Knight provides an original and meaningful interpretation of the traditional carol. I especially love the way Bedelia returns the "true love" of her beloved gift-bringer by making a fair for him to enjoy--love is reciprocal in this book! The second thing I love about this book is the subplot, in which the raccoon struggles to open the mysterious can, only to find a true love of his own. Finally, the concept of each day as a "pick-up," in which Benjamin brings a partridge and a pear tree (and ensuing gifts) on *each* day, adds a new dimension to the story. Well-planned, beautifully executed, and the finest children's picture book version of "The 12 Days of Christmas" that I've seen.

It's Christmastime, and Benjamin Bear looks out his window, and down the path to his beloved, Bedelia Bear's little cottage, and you can almost see the gift ideas popping into his furry head. So, on the first day of Christmas, he arrives with a partridge in a pear tree, and the fun begins..... Hilary Knight, author of Where's Wallace and The Owl And The Pussy-Cat, and illustrator of Kay Thompson's Eloise books, takes this old familiar holiday song, and turns it into a joyous and engaging picture book. His marvelous artwork, full of bold, bright color, and expressive detail, grows busier, and more intricate with each page turn, until it almost spills off the paper. Young and old alike will be mesmerized as they pore over the pictures, finding something new and fun each time they open the book. With a delightful and creative surprise at the end to get everyone in the holiday spirit, Hilary Knight's The Twelve Days Of Christmas is a wonderful read-aloud book the whole family can share together, and is sure to become a "must have" classic to help usher in the Christmas season, year after year.

Set during the hard times of the Great Depression, Wonder As I Wander by Gwenyth Swain is the enchanting picture book story of Annie Morgan, a young girl pondering the mysteries of life. Annie wonders how her beloved mother could have died in the spring, when the land was full of life; how her wandering preacher father will pay for gas and food when he gives away so much to the poor; and why a sheriff won't let her father preach on the courthouse square. A haunting, evocative, and emotional story, superbly illustrated Ronald Himler with windswept colors, Wonder As I Wander is especially recommended for young readers ages 5 to 8.

'Ornery' was what Annie Morgan's father called her in "I Wonder as I Wander," the 2003 story (Eerdmans) of an Appalachian carol that has become a favorite at Christmas-time: "...the way Papa tells it Annie was too fine a name for the kind of baby I was -- full of fire and vinegar. So, all of a snap, he took to calling me Ornery." The author, Gwenyth Swain, dedicated the book to a friend of the family who used to call her 'Ornery'.

The story tells how John Jacob Niles, premier collector of mountain folk tunes, discovered the young girl singing in a village square to divert the local sheriff from insisting that her preacher-father move on. Niles persuaded Annie to sing the verses over and over until he had them written down to his satisfaction, and the words were preserved for generations to come.

The drawings by award-winning illustrator Ron Himler fit the story beautifully, and coincidentally show Annie's father strongly resembling the Swain grandfather of the author!

SAVOR THIS STORY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

I know this song. I have sung it as a solo and directed choirs to sing it. The words and the music combine to make a beautiful sadness...a sense of being alone and yet peaceful. Gwenyth Swain has used her imagination and sensitivity to create a story of the song's beginning and Ronald Himler has added perfect illlustrations. The characterization of Annie Morgan and her Father is written and illustrated without a flaw. It is a lovely book, one to share with a friend no matter what age. It is sure to bring a tear to your eye.

The Appalachian carol "I Wonder as I Wander" has a haunting melody - and words with staying power. *Perhaps* it came to the attention of American balladeer John Jacob Niles as described in this story. And the sweet, poignant words *may* tell about young Annie wrestling with the loss of her mother and the struggles of an itinerant life that followed.

The author's imagination paints word-pictures that artist Ron Himler shares in watercolor for our delight. Annie questioned God, honestly, with innocence and hope. Today when we hear that song we will feel the beauty of Christmas, while the hope lingers year 'round.

We have many wonderings of our own. Sharing these with our children is important, as is opening their eyes to the values 'grown' during the Depression years.

This is a book all ages will eagerly read together. WHY aren't special titles like this shelved in 'adult fiction' for more readers to discover?

I am an Appalachian. My father's people were born in the North Carolina mountains, moving into East Tennessee and I grew up in West Virginia. In my childhood I had a school teacher that played this tune "I Wonder as I Wander" on a dulcimer for us at the holiday times, and I've often heard it played in venues in my home state. Mostly I heard it at the Mountain State Festival's of my life. Then when I grew up I grew to love the work of Langston Hughes the poet and eventually sadly separated from my rural home and went from teaching art in West Virginia to teaching in South Central LA in Watts then a migrant town and now teach in Oxnard CA. Somehow it caught my eye that Langston Hughes titled his autobiography, "I Wonder as I Wander" and I always assumed that he was in some way connecting to this melody I knew from my childhood and the "just plain folks " life of rural people he grew up understanding.And talks so beautifully about in his autobiography. By the way it is an extraordinary book. This beautiful book I ran into just very, very recently and the title caught my eye once more. I thought, "How extraordinary." So I was so pleasantly surprised to read such an interesting story of a song catcher and child. I know my grandmother knew this tune, she was such a mountain treasure , you cannot know just how rich my life is having known so much through these roots. I've heard "I Wonder As I Wander" in Flag Pond, Tenn. More importantly I know from my father so much about the life of song in the mountains. Can you imagine something so fine as the story of a song catcher? And child with a song to sing? This story is a lovely way to bring the life of rural mountain people into your classroom(or child's life) as you quilt, think of the ways you might integrate such a book into listening to dulcimer or Appalachian musicians. I know WAY on out in California I love to bring Almost Heaven roots to the children. I have West Virginia pen pals to share cultures and exchange tales of two very different communities and this book is a perfect one to help set the pace and scene for understanding. I loved the look of the artwork and the truth is I'm a bit stunned by how my life has just truly been a circle. There are many songs about that as well that sound from my Appalachian days of life in the hollers. Buy this and share a world that my Dad knew in Depression days. It'll be such a welcome addition to literature in your child's life. And one day read Langston Hughes book as well. And listen to the tune that inspired so much divergent creativity and connection.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (5/08)

Two weeks before Christmas, Duncan Wagner sets out to kidnap the son of State Representative Win Booker. Coincidentally, as he is driving up West Border Parkway to do so, he sees eleven-year-old Gabriel Booker out hitchhiking. Due to the fact that Gabriel willingly gets into Duncan's car and rides back to his house, the kidnapping attempt goes much easier than planned.

Once back at Duncan's home, Duncan reveals to Gabriel that he has been kidnapped and that he is going to try to obtain one-hundred-thousand dollars in ransom money from Gabriel's father. Gabriel tells Duncan that his father is not going to pay anything. He says that he ran away from home once and no one even bothered to look for him. Duncan, however, believes that he can get Win Booker to pay and moves forward with his plan. Being that Duncan supports himself by dressing up as Santa and collecting money for the "needy" (meaning himself) he needs this extra money to be able to make it through the winter.

Gabriel is not the typical kidnapped victim. He is actually a very willing participant and despite numerous opportunities to escape he chooses to remain with Duncan. He eventually develops a close relationship with Duncan, and in many ways assists him in the kidnapping process.

Stephen Masse does an excellent job of creating memorable, likeable characters. He takes a man and a boy from very different backgrounds and creates a tight bond of friendship between them. The story itself is full of numerous twists and turns and is an extremely fast read. The 203 pages really fly by, and I finished the book in one morning.

Masse was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts and chose that locale for the setting of his book. He does an excellent job of portraying the feel of the city in the winter, making "A Jolly Good Fellow" the perfect book to read for the holiday season. This unique novel is both humorous and heartwarming. Anyone who enjoys an entertaining, fast-paced read will definitely enjoy this book!

In just over two hundred pages, this little novel packs quite a wallop: page-turning suspense, endearing characters, humorous predicaments, and a whole bunch of unexpected plot twists. Not only that, but each and every storyline thread is satisfyingly tied up in the end. Simply put: once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. But you know what? Even though the storyline is tres compelling, it was the author's engaging writing skill that truly captivated me. Masse's style brings to mind J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, the writing is that good. I expect that's because of the authentic-sounding dialogue and such insightful interactions between the characters.
Basically the story goes like this: Duncan Wagner, a young man without a clue, decides to kidnap the eleven-year-old son of a politician whom Duncan despises. But when Duncan goes for the kid, he's surprised to find the boy hitchhiking--actually running away from home. Once the boy is captured, he's more curious than scared and is enjoying himself. What follows is a heartwarming, often humorous journey of discovery and fast friendship for both the kid and Duncan. Written in the present tense, A Jolly Good Fellow imparts a sense of urgency to the situation and the reader is sent on a roller coaster ride of unpredictable situations, culminating in a most satisfying conclusion.
Stephen V. Masse is from Boston and that explains how he was able to do such a fantastic job of rendering the old combat zone and flavor of Beantown. He studied creative writing at UMass Amherst, probably where he discovered his gift for dialogue and started forming his incredible style. He spent time writing "Out of Control", a weekly newspaper column and that might explain his talent for humor. Finally, I need to tell you that this book isn't Masse's first foray into the novel arena; he penned one other novel: Shadow Stealer. Bottom line: get yourself a copy of A Jolly Good Fellow and prepare for one fantastic read.
Highly Recommended by reviewer: Jan Evan Whitford, AllBooks Reviews

In Stephen V. Masse's new novel, A Jolly Good Fellow, few things are quite what they appear. Playing with our petit--or grand--bourgeois prejudices, with our readers' expectations, the author adeptly lifts one curtain and then other, revealing what boils down to a higher morality. In the process the author, without being overly freudian, also divulges some of his own obsessions. You might however want to take a valium or two before starting on the journey Masse proposes because the atmosphere while riddled at times with joy--'tis the time before Christmas--is also increasingly tense.

Meet Duncan Wagner, a good bad-guy plucked from another era--you can almost hear his not-such-high-class Boston accent. He is also kidnapper extraordinaire of 11-year old Gabriel Booker, a brattish heir all too happy to comply, fleeing another set of clutches, those of his father, State Representative Winthrop Booker III. Whiffs of Rudyard Kipling's Captain Courageous. Classes crash.

'Tis a world of disguises: Wagner transforms himself into Santa Claus, jingling bells in downtown Boston--an opportunity to meet street-artist Martina. The oddly sweet maid also comes across as a throwback from another time, almost too good to be true; one can almost picture her in black-and-white, silently smiling. Young kidnappee Booker himself changes appearances in a slightly more unsettling way, but under which circumstances I prefer to let you discover for yourself. (Reviewers who jump the gun should have... far heavier volumes tossed at them!)

As the tension mounts, drop-off points for ransom being discussed, Masse, not unlike late movie director Alfred Hitchcock, speckles his good-natured tome not only with suspense but a generous twinkling Christian, Catholic to be specific, symbolism.

Again, too much hinges on peeling away the different layers, as one flips avidly through the pages, to reveal precise details of the cleverly-woven plot. Suffice it to say that it does leave the reader on tenterhooks until the very last moments.

Yes, 'tis the snow-ridden season and if you like your eggnog with an ample dose of spiking and Tabasco, snap up your own personal copy of Steve Masse's riveting, rather charming work. In short, Jolly Good Fellow is a jolly good if rattling read!

Michael Kent is a Washington, DC based writer, artist, French-English translator. He is the author of the novel The Big Jiggety, and a friend of the author.

I'm not your average book reader, and to be completely honest, this is one of the very few books I've read since I was forced to in high school. I started reading this book chapter at a time, but as I got going, I realized I couldn't put it down. I finished it as quickly as I could with some questions in mind, but as soon as I hit the last few chapters, the few skepticisms I had were squashed by one of the most elaborate endings I think a story's ever seen. All questions were answered and the story ties perfectly together- beginning to end. This is a story that should be read by EVERYONE. Christmas, winter--any time is a good time to read this book. And being that I see more movies than I read books, I enthusiastically hope to see this book played out on the big screen someday. Bravo, Stephen. Bravo!

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (12/07)

Stephen V. Masse combines a flair for writing an imaginative creative plot with colorful conversation and believable, likable characters. In "A Jolly Good Fellow" Duncan Wagner, a professional Santa Claus, who supports himself from the proceeds of his "beggar's kettle," plots a kidnapping.

After weeks of careful planning and surveillance, equipped with rope, chain, and duct tape, Duncan is ready to snatch his prey. Eleven-year-old, Gabriel, son of State Representative Win Booker, is the planned victim of the kidnapping. Ironically Gabriel decides to run away from home. He purposefully misses his school bus and is hitchhiking. As Duncan opens the car door to offer the young hitchhiker a ride, Gabriel slips in beside him.

As the plot unfolds there are multiple clever plot twists. Duncan finds Gabriel smart, vulnerable, and demanding. A bonding relationship between an unhappy man and a scared "kid" develops. Duncan soon realizes he has not thought through a plan for demanding ransom, a method of receiving the ransom, nor the consequences if ransom is refused.

Telephone demands and threatening notes are used to create an urgency that convinces stubborn and haughty Representative Win Booker to ante up the ransom demand. Pickpockets, muggers, a street artist and a former restaurateur all play a part in pulling the story together.

The setting of the story is downtown Boston. I could almost feel the chill in the air as Masse describes Gabriel shivering on a street corner. I could taste the sweetness of the candy cane as Gabriel stirs his cocoa while he and Duncan enjoy a late night conversation at the kitchen table.

I personally enjoyed Duncan's first person account. His "blue collar" vocabulary is masterfully consistent throughout the narrative. The following paragraph is typical: "Get your coat on, we're gonna go out for supper," I says. I go in my room and grab some money, and put my Santa bag under the bed. Then I unlock Gabriel from the chain."

"A Jolly Good Fellow" is delightfully funny, with a unique plot, an amazing cast of characters, and enough suspense to keep the reading guessing right up to the surprising unexpected conclusion. Stephen V. Masse is witty, clever, and entertaining. His books are destined to become best sellers. I am eager to read his upcoming book "Short Circus."