Gumdrop Coal, the elf that delivers coal to bad boys and girls, finds himself out of a job and on the run after he's accused of killing off one of the former bad kids, now a parent himself. To clear his name, he'll travel all around Kringle Town to figure out whodunit in this Christmas-y noir tale.

Filled with Christmas cultural references and puns galore, this was a fun holiday read though the mystery for me was secondary. Most of the chapter titles are lines from Christmas songs, the bad side of the tracks is Pottersville, and basically if there's a holiday pun to made, it is. There's a late, surprising turn to the religious, in my mind, and though it didn't bother me, it may be jarring or unwelcome to some readers. ( )

This story is full of wry wit, wonderful one liners, characters with great names and a reminder of the kind of person each of us should strive to be. This is Ken Harmon's first book and wow, he knocked it out of the park. Fantastic! ( )

Full of hilarious puns and Christmas jokes. After a while it wears a little thin but it's all in good fun. It's amazing how author, Ken Harmon, is able to combine soo many elements of holiday lore into such a wild tale of noir. Gumdrop Coal is our hero, or rather, anti-hero. He's the leader of the coal patrol, and leaves Kringle Town once a year to leave coal for all the bad boys and girls. One day, that all ends and he finds himself out of a job, how did he get on the bad side of the fat man? Is he being frames? Is someone trying to ruin Christmas or take it away from Santa? In order to save his hide and reputation, Gumdrop must get to the bottom of the mystery. He finds himself confronting the misfit toys, enlisting the help of Ralphie and his red ryder bb gun, and some other elves. It will make readers chuckle, but it could have been wrapped up a little sooner. A creative and inventive holiday read. ( )

Gumdrop Coal is one angry elf and gets fired just before Christmas. Is it because he hates naughty kids who don’t learn their lesson or the fact he starts taking it out on the parents. When one parent is found murdered, it looks like Gumdrop is the culprit but is he being framed. Hence, the mystery begins. He sets out to clear his name and find the true culprit.

A Christmas story blended with noir, makes for an interesting combination. I really liked how Ken Harmon added every bit of Christmas lore into the story from your traditional characters to George Bailey and Ralphie from A Christmas Story. But once you get passed that , it is a detective story. Started out well, but falls flat at the end when Gumdrop and the rest (including the reader) learn the true meaning of Christmas. I really wanted to love this story and would like to see a movie made from it, but it’s not one to share with the family during the holiday season. ( )

Schmaltzy, weird morality, overly cute Christmassy, “noir” tale.

Look it started out well: World weary and grumpy elf that runs coal patrol for naughty kids gets caught up in a dastardly conspiracy. Noir tropes collide with every Christmas story going and whilst maybe too cute it was a bit of holiday fun. Fun that was short lived and quickly went into bemused, bored, unease (yes that is a valid emotion thank you).

Look I like Noir, I like the wisecracking and derring-do. I like dark chasms of human behaviour against a sliver of light and darkness. I like it when an author plays with these things. I like silliness, larger than life characters, funky criminals and flawed wise-cracking white knights. I can even forgive a lot of the sexism if there is something else there.

What I do not like overly cute tales with morality lectures. I get really creeped out by the bad guys always being the ugly and disabled ones. I get fed up when tired old national stereotypes are used as jokes and when a series of dangerous set pieces are always solved by luck. I hate it when two different characters say exactly the same catch phrase as if the author forgot whom he was writing. I hate an adult book that refuses to grow up.. I mean everyone (i.e. the ugly) has a heart of gold if only we were nice to them eh? Suuuure.

So um no. Unless you are the biggest Santa fan in the entire world and have Christmas every day, avoid. ( )