Krampus Confidential

August 15, 2021
When they open a detective agency in Tinseltown, Ruprecht and his ghost friend, Marley, become entangled in a deception contrived by a small elf with big bias. In this third installment of the Hazy Fables series, it appears that a krampus is jollifying elves, that is, overloading them on holiday spirit to the point of coma by showing them a snow globe reported to be the first toy Santa ever made. The bad news is that the police suspect young Ruprecht, who is a krampus, or goat/human hybrid from Germanic mythology, of being the perpetrator. Red herrings abound as Ruprecht and Marley race against the police, a goblin, and a bad witch to find the snow globe and the villain who is wielding it. It seems that society expects the worst of krampuses, and Ruprecht has already suffered from others' negative expectations, a circumstance that allows readers an opportunity to understand prejudice. But Tinseltown is packed with the usual (and unusual) suspects of Christmas lore, and the culprit could be anyone. Ruprecht narrates the mystery in a noir style that is both world-weary and tongue-in-cheek. The good news is that Ruprecht, unlike most noir protagonists, accepts help, especially from his parents, who are revealed to be legendary Christmas figures in their own rights. This charming work draws to a satisfactory close with justice restored. Good fun for youngsters who prefer their holiday cheer with a dark twist. (Fantasy/mystery. 8-12)

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October 8, 2021

Gr 3-6-Ruprecht, a 12-year-old Krampus, is not the most well-loved creature in Tinseltown, due to some previous misunderstandings and framing for bad behavior that he had nothing to do with. Now that it is winter break, he is working with his best friend, a girl ghost named Marley, to solve cases they get in their makeshift detective agency. However, things go south when an elf comes to them with an alarming amount of "jollification" cases, where an elf is so overwhelmed with holiday spirit that they crash into a coma. Who is the biggest suspect in this ring of jollifications?: An unidentified krampus. Ruprecht must clear his own name, as he has just become the number one suspect. Readers will need a lot of backstory in order to understand Ruprecht. He has a sarcastic, hyperbolic detective tone in his inner thoughts or to other characters that some young readers will find funny and quirky, but others might not recognize. The chapters are short and end in cliff-hangers, making this mystery a page-turner. However, the whodunit meanders and then slows down toward the middle of the book. VERDICT An additional purchase for elementary libraries where this series and other paranormal/fantasy series are popular.-Molly Dettmann, Norman North H.S., OK

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