Quintessential mom in tennis shoes Jane Jeffrey is once again thrust into a murder investigation, but this time the murderer is very close to home indeed. In The Merchant of Menace, the 10th of the series by Jill Churchill, Jane finds herself in the midst of the Christmas rush and hosting two celebrations back-to-back: neighborhood caroling party one evening and a cookie exchange the following day. The two gatherings are meant to bring the community together, but when a TV reporter is found dead during the singing, it becomes obvious that at least one of the neighbors is harboring something besides goodwill towards men. As Jane and her coconspirator Shelly explore just who might have reason to shove someone off a roof, their sleepy suburb (Chicago is the ostensible nearby city, but the setting could be anywhere there is snow in December) suddenly steams with secrets.

Churchill has done well with this cozy series in which each title is a play on words of a more illustrious piece of literature. The Merchant of Menace fits into the mold: a witty and gentle dose of murder and mayhem coupled with a wry appreciation for the terrors of suburban parenting (teaching teenagers to drive, helping with the homework, meeting the prospective in-laws) and middle-aged romance. The travails of Shylock are perhaps too oppressive for most Christmas readers, but The Merchant of Menace is certainly suitable for passing around with the Christmas cookies and holiday punch. --K. Crouch


From Publishers Weekly
It's the Yuletide season, and widowed Jane Jeffry has her hands full in this 10th installment of the punningly titled series (Fear of Frying, 1997). Not only is Jane hosting two neighborhood parties, but she will meet the mother of her significant other, police detective Mel, for the first time. Adding to the holiday confusion, the Johnsons move in next door and go overboard lighting up their entire house with garish Christmas decorations. Trying to be helpful, one of Jane's friends invites intrusive and often inaccurate TV reporter Lance King to Jane's caroling party. Appalled, Jane makes the woman rescind the invitationAbut to no avail as Lance shows up anyway, intimating that he has a shocking disclosure to make about one of Jane's neighbors. Before he can spill the beans, however, Lance is pushed to his death from the Johnsons roof. Jane and her best friend, Shelley, much to Mel's dismay, decide to find out who had a secret so dire that they'd murder Lance to keep it quiet. The friends unearth a slew of suspects, and all the while, Jane dodges the potential disasters associated with hosting holiday events and entertaining a potential mother-in-law while keeping track of her own three children. In the end, levelheaded, redoubtable Jane weathers the storms, identifies the killer and manages to have a happy holiday season as well. This is standard, lighthearted caper fare from the ableAand very popularAChurchill. Agent, Faith Childs. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
A muckraking journalist crashes series heroine Jane Jeffrey's (Fear of Frying, LJ 10/1/97) holiday party looking for nasty gossip. The man's subsequent murder leads Jane and friend Shelley into a covey of likely suspects. A welcome addition to the series.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Another mystery-lite in the series that includes A Quiche before Dying. It's Christmastime in the Chicago suburbs, where widowed Jane Jeffry is giving both the cookie exchange party and the neighborhood caroling party, while worrying about meeting her sweetie Mel's mother. She is horrified to learn that Lance King, the local network trash reporter, will cover the caroling party, presumably to expose the seamy underside of suburban life. King is murdered that night with a piece of the garish Christmas lights display on the rented house next to Jane's. There are so many whose lives have been slimed by King that cop Mel has no shortage of suspects. Jane solves the crime while getting the shopping and baking done and coping with the pressures of both Mel's icy mom and her own ex-mother-in-law. Churchill panders to her audience pretty shamelessly in this rather wobbly mystery, but like holiday nibblers devouring a plate of Christmas cookies, readers will be surprised to discover they've read every page. GraceAnne A. DeCandido


Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
"Jane Jeffrey is irresistible!"


Kansas City Star
"Jill Churchill just keeps getting better and better."



"Jane Jeffrey is irresistible!"



"Jill Churchill just keeps getting better and better."


Book Description
It's beginning to look a lot like murder'Tis the season to jolly and suburban mom Jane Jeffry's in a mad scramble to finish her cookie baking and household chores before her teenage kids arrive home. Also expected are two moms-both the late husband's mother and the disapproving mater of Det. Mel VanDyne, Jane's significant other. The kitchen is a disaster zone, the dog has decorated the house with hair, and the earsplitting racket coming from the neighbors tacky, music-making Christmas display is driving Jane crazy. Now she has to get the green icing out of her hair and be ready to host her post-caroling dinner party.One thing Jane isn't ready for is a surprise visit from a muckraking TV "action reporter," disguised as Santa Claus. The nasty old St. Nick is out to wrap a happy holiday caroling into a package marked "scandal," but before he has a chance to color the event with yellow journalism, his red-suited body slides off the neighbor's roof to land, silenced forever, on the horns of a plastic reindeer. It looks like Santa's mishap is no accident and, with the help of her friend Shelley, Jane finds plenty of suspects. The phony Santa has an ex-wife and a female assistant who both hate him, and plenty of nice people ruined by tales of naughtiness. Now Jane has to find the Grinch who thought murder was a way to save Christmasbefore the holiday turns into the unhappiest day of the year.


About the Author
Jill Churchill is the winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards and was nominated for an Anthony Award for her bestselling Jane Jeffry series. She lives in the Midwest -- on purpose.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

'Tis the season to be jolly, and Jane Jeffry is racing to finish her cookie baking, fruit-compoting, house-cleaning, and shopping madness before the arrival of her teenage kids and no less than two moms -- her late husband's and the disapproving mater of her significant other, Det. Mel VanDyne. The kitchen's a disaster, her smelly wet dog is decorating the house with hair, and the earsplitting music coming from the neighbor's tacky plastic Christmas display is driving her loony. But, as her friend Shelley points out, if Jane can just get the green icing out of her hair, she'll be ready to hostess her post-caroling dinner party.

What Jane is definitely not ready for is the arrival of Santa Claus, who turns out to be a muckraking TV "action reporter" in a red suit -- complete with camera crew. This nasty Ol' St. Nick can be counted on to wrap a happy holiday happening into a package marked "scandal," but before he has a chance to color the caroling event with his own sleazy brand of yellow journalism, his red-suited body slides off the neighbor's roof to land, silenced forever, on the horns of plastic reindeer.

It looks like Santa's mishap is no accident and, with the help of her friend Shelley, Jane goes looking for the Grinch who thought murder was a way to save Christmas. The list of suspects is longer than a holiday wish list and includes an ex-wife who hated him once, a female assistant who hates him now, and a chorus of nice people ruined by his tales of naughtiness. And, of course, there's no telling how the neighbors feel about a sneaky Santa eavesdropping at their chimney and killing the lead reindeer in their display...

SYNOPSIS

"Jane Jeffrey is irresistible!"

-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

"Jill Churchill just keeps getting better and better."

-Kansas City Star

Jill Churchill is the winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards and was nominated for an Anthony Award for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series. She lives in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, with her husband and family.

FROM THE CRITICS

Kansas City Star

Jill Churchill just keeps getting better and better.

Library Journal

A muckraking journalist crashes series heroine Jane Jeffrey's (Fear of Frying, LJ 10/1/97) holiday party looking for nasty gossip. The man's subsequent murder leads Jane and friend Shelley into a covey of likely suspects. A welcome addition to the series.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING