Murder on the North Pole Express

Sam Shovel Mysteries #2

by Patricia Meredith

When snowman Sam Shovel came to life this Christmas, he was hoping he’d manage to avoid getting sucked into another murder mystery as he hopped aboard the North Pole Express with his good friend, Kertas the Yule Lad. But things start looking bleak when Sam meets a conductor no one else has seen and then ends up melted, causing his memories to go even more slushy than usual in Murder on the North Pole Express.

This is the second book in the Sam Shovel Mysteries which can be read in any order.


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“Intriguing and mysterious right through to the end. A worthy sequel to Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman! Meredith nails the vibe of the Christmas cozy mystery.” —Thomas Sanchez

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“Another fantastic adventure with Sam Shovel! There is something about these Christmas ones that are just *chef’s kiss* marvelous!” —Noelle Austin

Genres: Christmas, Fantasy

ebook

Published December 2, 2024

About the author

linktr.ee/pmeredithauthor

Patricia Meredith is an author of historical and cozy mysteries. When she’s not writing, she’s playing board games with her husband, creating imaginary worlds with her two children, or out in the garden reading a good book with a cup of tea. Patricia's first series, the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries, is the product of uncovering fascinating local history circa 1901, making it the first historical mystery series set in Spokane, Washington. Her second series about Anna Katharine Green is the first and only historical fiction featuring the Mother of Detective Fiction. Her mysteries are clean, cozy reads known for their quirky yet believable characters.

Before taking the dive into mystery, Patricia Meredith was the fiction editor of over 20 novels and miscellaneous publications, working with magazines, businesses, and publishers on a variety of projects from art books (such as The Art of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire) to fantasy novels (such as Rising Sun, Falling Shadows, winner of the 2013 Scribe Award for Best Original Novel). Her specialty is science-fiction and fantasy novels. She has worked with such names as George R.R. Martin, Tracy Hickman, and Graham McNeill. She launched the novel department for Fantasy Flight Games, so she also has experience in the behind-the-scenes of publication.

Reviews

[Andrews WizardlyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of Sam Shovel delivers on its Christmas promise. The series is full of recipes, lore, and Christmas cheer. I read this in a single sitting as well. So it’s a quick read.

My only critique is I didn’t love the twist at the end. But it’s still well worth the read for people seeking a super festive and enjoyable reading experience

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone's favourite warm-hearted amateur detective snowman is back and better than ever in Murder on the North Pole Express, the chilling but deadly fun second instalment in the Sam Shovel Mysteries series. Snow time like the present to pick up this Christmas mystery and get in the holiday spirit!

Now, I'll admit that I was not sure how or if Meredith was ever going to recapture the irresistible charm and magic of Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman, but for goodness' flake, she did it again! It's full of rich holiday lore and clever puns, vibrant and endearing characters, brain-melting mysteries, mouth-watering festive treats, and the Christmas cheer once again just bleeds off the page.

I absolutely loved the contained setting of the mysteriously magical and timey wimey North Pole Express, and it was a joy to meet all its quirky passengers as Sam launches into his investigation of the curious events happening on the train. Meredith strikes the perfect balance between the thrilling suspense and whimsical wonder, which is exactly what makes these Christmas mysteries so utterly charming, cheerful and addictive. And yes, I admittedly might have seen the twist coming at the end, but that didn't make the quirky mystery investigation any less fun!

While you can totally read this book as a standalone, I personally think you would be doing yourself a disservice by not reading book 1 first; not only would you missing out on another delightfully inventive Christmas mystery, but I also think the stakes of this mystery will feel higher if you are already emotionally invested in the few familiar faces who pop up again in Murder on the North Pole Express.

Also, if you have the chance, please do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook, because the illustrious Andrew Meredith once again does a phenomenal job of capturing the distinct voices of the unique characters and just creates the most immersive reading experience possible. The Sam Shovel Mysteries series is quickly becoming a new unmissable tradition to get me in the Christmas spirit, and I already can't wait for more!

[Stacy Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun! Love all the Christmas movie quotes and Christmas facts from around the world. The fantastical creatures are adorable. The narration perfection!

[Kayla Kay's Hidden Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

The spirit of Christmas carries through another Sam Shovel Mysteries by Patricia Meredith. Sequel to Death of a Christmas Trees Salesman, Sam Shovel is back for another mystery set on the North Pole Express.

This year, Sam and Kertas decide to take a trip on the North Pole Express in hopes of a more relaxing Christmas. After last year's murder investigation, a much needed break was earned, though it doesn’t last long. After Sam meets a conductor no one else has seen, he’s melted, and suspicions begin to rise as one oddity after another occurs on the train. Trapped on the train, Sam and Kertas get to work solving who might be behind it all.

This was a delightful read! Full of charm, holiday spirit, a loveable quirky cast, whimsy and mystery to pull it all together. In addition to this, we see just how much Sam and Kertas’ friendship has grown as they work together to solve the mystery. While some of the cast was familiar from book one, others were new, adding more holiday history and lore into the mix. I love that Patricia Meredith continues to expand the world, giving old and forgotten traditions new life.

Compared with book one, the mystery and stakes aren't as intense. The stakes are still there mind you, and there is plenty of mystery but I didn’t get the same thrill as book one gave me. That being said, this added a cozy vibe to the overall whimsical goose chase Sam and Kertas set out on. Overall, there’s a charm in Patricia Meredith’s writing that effortlessly pulls you into the world and characters.

As I couldn’t wait for my physical copy to arrive, I listened to the audiobook performed by Andrew D. Meredith. He gave a wonderful performance, breathing life into the characters with unique voices, showcasing exactly why he’s a narrator to follow.

I would recommend reading Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman prior to this to fully enjoy the character connections and references. However, Meredith does well at giving brief insight to the references should readers choose to dive into book two first. This was smartly woven in as it gives readers the option to read it as a standalone, should they choose to.

If you’re in the mood for some holiday cheer with quirky characters, mystery and delicious food, I can’t recommend this series enough.

[Kate Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful follow-up to the first book! I thought I had the mystery solved, so the twist took me by surprise. I still have questions about Sam's memory and past and future, so suffice it to say, I'd take half a dozen more of these. 😉

There were less Christmas references in this and more classic pop culture references, but there were still fun traditions and sweet Santas to meet.

[Jennifer McCutcheon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful sequel! I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the references to Christmas cultures throughout the world. This is a fantastic holiday book and would be a great read aloud for families.

[Wouter K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another fine and fun Sam Shovel novel. A great cozy read for the holidays and yet I missed some of the magic that I felt in the first book. Starting with the good, these books are meant to smother you with christmas references, song lyrics, puns and all kinds of creature and characters from christmasrelated traditions from all-over the world. And this book does that like no other.

That being said, for something this short I felt the plot was somewhat complicated and a bit all over the place. While the first Sam shovel novel was a fun mix of plot-driven and character-driven story, following a very classical whodunnit structure, that same scenario here was a bit repetitive to me. Not because it was another whodunnit, which was actually quite fun, but because there seemingly was no urgency. Spoiler explanation of what I mean: Someone was 'maybe' murdered but he might live. It was not clear what the problem was of a train not following its usual route if it was always christmas day on the train anyway. Mr and Mrs Claus turning up in the train was kind of late so the whole time we were kind of looking for a motive. None of the people we met truly had a motive. So it was hard to really decide for myself who I thought the perpetrator might be.

I still feel it is easy to forgive this singular complaint as the core purpose of reading this book for me was to really dive into the holiday feels and all the associations this book uses really helped me do that.

[Kaat Verschueren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this since i read and loved Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman. This one reads quite different though. The first book felt more like a true mystery the entire way through. In this one, the first half was more like a thriller and the classic mystery elements stayed more minor until the second half. This made it so that the stakes felt higher to me.

The ending did feel a little bit rushed. Because of this, the solution to the mystery wasn't as satisfying as it could have been. Given how short this book is, there was definitely space to add some pages which would allow the ending to breathe a little bit more.

I still enjoyed this a lot. I still prefer the first installment over this one, but i'm looking forward to reading the third book when it hopefully comes out next year.

[Steff Mother of Sphynx · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite snowman detective is back and this time he’s on a magical Christmas train! Just as cozy and comforting as a big cup (bowl!) of hot chocolate made by Nessie (yes THAT Nessie)! And Sam isn’t the only one making a return visit, those delicious cookies are back, and this time you can have the starter, main and dessert all with one cookie! A lovely and light book to snuggle down with, now I’m off to plan my cookie menu.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

She did it again! I laughed my way through this cozy mystery sequel and fell in love with the new characters. A delightful read! I absolutely loved her references to the different cultures and the Christmas traditions celebrated in other countries …and the best part is all the recipes she includes in the back of the book!!

[sanjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s a book about a talking snowman idk

[Sierra Duhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love these books. I hope very much that Patricia Meredith continues to write Sam Shovel Mysteries.

[Alicia Birdie and the books · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sam shovel mystery series by Patricia Meredith is a fun, fun historical romp with all different types of Christmas traditions.

[Patricia Meredith]

Thank you to everyone who picked up this second Sam Shovel mystery this Christmas! Merry Christmas and happy new year!