Santa's Chief Elf for North Texas Operations is beard-deep in trouble. It is December 15, his warehouse has been raided and the Christmas toys stolen. He fears telling Santa so he does the next best thing, hires Arthur Conan Edwards (Ace), Dallas PI. Ace is little inclined to believe in Christmas Elves, so he reaches out to his friends, "Kit" Carsen Levitt and Tom Roberts. For reasons that baffle Ace, Kit readily accepts the elf. Tom, a computer guru, lifts an eyebrow but follows Kit's lead. Ably assisted (or perhaps not) by the Elf and Ace's cats, Sweeper and Striker, the trio set out to unearth the thieves from the bowels of Dallas. Driven by the determination to save the joy of Christmas morning for children, they dig deeper than ever before.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
I was born and reared in Williamston, North Carolina, a small town in the northeastern part of the state. From there, I inherited a sense of responsibility, a belief in fair play, and a love of country. These traits have carried me through my adulthood. Each day, as I see some of the horrific events in our society, I know I was fortunate to be born into the Southern way of life. In many ways, I have lived an idyllic life. As a career US Army officer, I had the opportunity to learn, travel, teach, and hone talents inherited from my parents. Following retirement, I worked in other avenues for the US Government where my opportunities continued. But most of all, I had fun-every job has in some way been fun. I approach writing with the same attitude. I do it because I enjoy it. Ace Edwards, Dallas PI, has become my best friend. His exploits are my exploits. It's a pleasure to be his scribe. He and his cats and all the other characters live with me every day. When they laugh, I laugh. When they are sad, I am sad. Today, I live in South Florida. Why? Because I never want to be cold again. Put that in the been there, done that category, and add that I don't need a repeat. However, that doesn't stop my yearnings for Texas. I tell all who will listen that my heart resides there. Ace's adventures will continue as long as the reading public accepts them. I hope there are many more. I make you only one promise. I write to entertain you. If you get more than that, I feel extremely gratified. If you get less than that, I am sad that I failed you.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tis the season for "Jingle's Christmas" by Randy Rawls,
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This review is from: Jingle's Christmas (Paperback)
With over 350 books in my pile to be read and reviewed, I lost all semblance of control a long time ago. Now I just try to avoid looking at the mess, the fully loaded shelves in place, and walk softly so as not to disturb the slumbering beast. That means the stacks get bigger and bigger despite my best efforts. That also means that occasionally something happens in the space time reading continuum and a book comes spitting out of the beast. Such is the case here.
Published back in 2004 by the now very dead Quiet Storm Publishing it features Arthur Conan Edwards, (Ace) Private Investigator in a case perfect for the season. Ace normally drinks Killians, documents cheating spouses, and occasionally works something more interesting like arson, blackmail, kidnapping, etc. His latest case kept him up late and he isn't thrilled when the phone rings at 3 a.m. The fact that the caller is Jake doesn't improve his mood. But, Jake gets him the occasional high paying client and he needs one these days. Jake tells him about a meeting he setup for Ace the next day before quickly hanging up and turning on his voice mail. That means Ace can't ask any questions and that is annoying as well. Morning comes way too fast and soon he is at and all too soon he is at MeMaw's café in North Dallas awaiting his mystery client. The meeting spot isn't much, Ace's mood isn't much better, and the client is nowhere to be found. That is, until suddenly he is there. The fact that the client can't be more than 2 ft tall probably explains why Ace didn't see him walk inside even though he was looking or notice him earlier. Or how he vanished so fast. But, it doesn't explain how he knew where Ace lived. Or what happened when he was a kid. Ace, 42 and a ten year veteran of the Dallas P. D. before getting out because he was so fed up with the politics, has seen a lot of things over the years. But, he had never met an elf before, let alone Santa's Chief Elf for North Texas operations. Toys are missing and the clock is ticking and the Elf needs help before the big guy finds out. If you can accept the premise, this is a very funny book. Ace, much like his creator Randy Rawls, is a blast and full of entertainment. Sweeper and Striker, his opinionated cats, are back and in rare form as are a number of recurring characters from the series. There are quite a few thugs, occasionally amusing in their own right, as well as complexities to the case and a very overeager client who wants to help in everyway possible. The result is a read that works on all levels and provides a fun time perfect for the season. Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2008
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jingle's Christmas,
By
This review is from: Jingle's Christmas (Paperback)
This has got to be one of most deliciously funny books I have read in years. Not since Westlake's Dortmunder series has there been such a great combination of action and humor. The adventures of Ace, Sweeper and Striker will send you on a roller coaster ride of suspense and laughter.
Judith R. Parker
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Merry Good Read!,
By
This review is from: Jingle's Christmas (Paperback)
Being a PI isn't the glamour job it's cracked up to be, a fact which Arthur Conan (Ace) Edwards knows all too well. Instead of spending his days questioning sultry femmes fatales, Ace spends his nights following disloyal husbands through a string of seedy bars and hoping that he won't wake up with his cats' claws under his skin.
Rarely does his luck hold , though, which seems to be par for the course for Ace. Often instrumental in putting him in the middle of chaos is his childhood friend, Jake Adams, who delights in calling him "Arty" and setting up a variety of strange and shady cases for his old pal. And it is in just this manner that Ace happens to meet the elf he knows only as "Stone." From the very first page of Jingle's Christmas, you realize that Randy Rawls is not your typical mystery writer. Then again, most typical mysteries don't feature an elf, a truck full of toys and two table-cleaning cats within the first couple of chapters. Having not yet read the other books in the Ace Edwards series, I was pleased to find that Jingle was a stand-alone story that gave the supporting characters just enough introduction to make me want to get to know them better. As the story is just over 150 pages, Rawls doesn't waste time dithering over details, but cuts to the heart of the matter right away. I found myself reading the end of Jingle's Christmas and thinking that it seemed to be over much too soon, that I wanted to know what happened after Ace opened the door and that Randy Rawls needs to get to writing on his next installment! Despite the brevity of the novel, Rawls' characters are solid and likeable, reminding the reader of his own nosy, elderly neighbor or certifiably insane cats and making us laugh at our own similar misfortunes in spite of ourselves. Ace's story could easily be your own, which is what makes it so easy to lose yourself in the story that it's sometimes hard to pull back into reality. This, above all else, is the trademark of an excellent storyteller. I won't spoil the story for those who haven't gotten a chance to read it, but suffice it to say that Jingle's Christmas is a fun and inventive novel that goes without hesitation where other mystery novels fear to tread, not wanting to break with the "serious" nature of the genre. Hopefully, Rawls' novels will get more attention now that they're being reprinted, because if Jingle is any indication of his previous novels, he deserves it a hundred-and-twenty percent! As for me, I'm headed to get the others in the Ace Edwards series as soon as possible and I heartily suggest you do the same.
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