A Killer Day in Paradise

J.C. Kenney

Oct 2026 · Elmo Simpson Mysteries Book 5 · Tule Publishing

About this ebook

Christmas in Paradise Springs is in full swing—even if it’s shaping up to be a quieter one for Elmo Simpson. Until a little girl asks Santa for the impossible.

Wild animal removal specialist Elmo Simpson is spending the holidays playing Santa at the community park—and his girlfriend is about to head out of town to visit family, leaving him to a quieter-than-planned Christmas.

Then a child makes one simple wish: bring her father home for Christmas.

The problem? Her father is in hiding—accused of murdering a shady investment banker with a long list of enemies.

Elmo trades his Santa hat for his investigator instincts and dives into a case tangled with small-town secrets, financial schemes, and suspects who all had a reason to want the victim gone. Some wanted revenge. Others wanted silence. One of them is a killer.

Elmo’s got a plan…sort of. But with Christmas fast approaching and a promise he can’t break, he has one shot to uncover the truth, clear an innocent man—

—and catch a killer before Christmas morning comes with the wrong kind of surprise.

Ratings and reviews

A Christmas wish for Santa. A girl’s Christmas wish is her father home for Christmas. He is hiding from police, the prime suspect in a murder. Elmo’s investigation reveals secrets, fraud, and other suspects with motives for killing the shady victim. He has two weeks to fulfill the girl’s Christmas wish. Elmo’s eclectic personality embodies the spirit of Paradise Springs and its unique residents. I never quite knew what to expect as other characters popped in and out of the investigation.

I have read all of the books in this Elmo Simpson Mysteries series and this is my new favorite. In this book, Elmo is asked to play Santa and receives a special request from a little girl. Her father is on the run, accused of murder. Elmo will do all he can to find the real killer and bring the reunite the family. I couldn’t put this book down. It was entertaining and unpredictable.

This story follows Elmo who's relocated to Paradise and he likes to help others out. He's dressed up as the Santa for the day and at the very end a little girl comes up and wants her father for Christmas this year. He listens to the two girls and understands the reason the father left town in a hurry. It is about a murder that occurred and there are many suspects from months ago but no killer yet. He gathers his friends together for a pot luck meal at his new location ...