ST. NICK

ST. NICK                                                    ALAN RUSSELL
Posted:  Feb. 11, 2015

When Santa Claus is a cop, you better watch out.

It’s not looking like a very merry Christmas for San Diego cop Nick Pappas. Suspended from his job, alienated from his family, and persecuted by the press, he’s sorely tempted to turn his gun on himself. Except for his first name, he couldn’t possibly have less in common with jolly old St. Nicholas. But when a local mall decides it needs a secret Santa to help collar some vicious muggers preying on its holiday shoppers, Nick’s persuaded to red-suit up so as to take the naughty punks down and avert a ho-ho homicide. For a chance to bust bad guys, Nick’s willing to deal with crying kids, pushy parents, and a chronically cheerful “elf” sidekick. But the biggest challenge for this cop-turned-Claus is one that would confound even the real Kris Kringle: making a pair of next-to-impossible Christmas wishes come true for two children in need…before it’s too late.

This book was initially released in episodes as a Kindle Serial. All episodes are now available for immediate download as a complete book.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is a story about Nick Pappas, who is on leave from the San Diego, police dep. Because of a shooting he was involved in. He is in a bad mood because it is the one job he liked to do and now it is Christmas also on top of everything else. He gets a call from an ex-partner who retired and is now head of security at the mall and talks Nick into coming down to his office for a talk. After a while he realizes that they want him to be the malls Santa Claus, and the perky elf who always seems happy Angie Gordon, helps Nick get into the role of Santa. Nick who is really a bah hum bug, until the children and he starts to warm up to the children still trying to find the people who are robbing customers. The story moves along and he is asked to fill in for a man who normally plays Santa at the children’s wing at the local hospital, this is not for the faint of heart and while he is there he meets Raymond a young boy who helps Nick get his bearings back slowly. He ends up going to see Raymond every day or in the evening and this along with what is happening to him at the mall starts a change. He finds things out about Angie the elf, and he begins to think that his problems are not that big. He then starts delivering baskets to people and when someone also volunteers she becomes interested in him not knowing anything about him and once he tells her who he is she tells him he needs to tell his side to the press instead of being quit, and supports him. This book is funny at times and is also sad but the whole story works and just because it is not Christmas it is still a good story to remind us that people sometimes just need someone to listen, or sit with them in the hospital. A good book. I got this book from net galley.  4 Star.