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Rise of the Elves
The explosive finale to the Christmas comedy trilogy from the best-selling authors of the Clovenhoof books.
It’s nearly Christmas, and Hedgelord Garden Centre is under new ownership — but something isn’t right. Sinister figures in black have taken over the shop floor, efficiency is at an all-time high, and nobody seems to know exactly who’s in charge or what they’re building in the warehouse.
Charlotte Mitchell would love to get to the bottom of it, but she’s got bigger problems. Thanks to a spectacularly bad decision, she and her longtime rival Jack Hartigan have just destroyed the town’s famous nativity scene — and promptly been sacked.
Now jobless, aimless, and deeply unaccustomed to being on the outside, Charlotte is struggling to accept her new reality. But when one last reckless plan drags her and Jack into a high-stakes undercover mission, they uncover something far worse than corporate restructuring.
With gun-toting gangsters, tooled-up Santas, and wildly inappropriate cracker gifts, Christmas is heading for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Can Charlotte put the pieces back together, uncover the truth, and save Christmas once and for all?
It’s nearly Christmas, and Hedgelord Garden Centre is under new ownership — but something isn’t right. Sinister figures in black have taken over the shop floor, efficiency is at an all-time high, and nobody seems to know exactly who’s in charge or what they’re building in the warehouse.
Charlotte Mitchell would love to get to the bottom of it, but she’s got bigger problems. Thanks to a spectacularly bad decision, she and her longtime rival Jack Hartigan have just destroyed the town’s famous nativity scene — and promptly been sacked.
Now jobless, aimless, and deeply unaccustomed to being on the outside, Charlotte is struggling to accept her new reality. But when one last reckless plan drags her and Jack into a high-stakes undercover mission, they uncover something far worse than corporate restructuring.
With gun-toting gangsters, tooled-up Santas, and wildly inappropriate cracker gifts, Christmas is heading for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Can Charlotte put the pieces back together, uncover the truth, and save Christmas once and for all?
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2025
6 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 12, 2025
I've long thought Heide Goody and Iain Grant were the most bonkers (in the nicest possible way) of authors but with Rise of the Elves they've raised bonkers to another level.
RotE is the final part of the Festive and Furious series and ties everything up nicely but mayhem? Oh yes, there's plenty of that - The two garden centres, Hedgelords and Bloomers are now being run by a nordic crimelord and are a front (possibly) nefarious deeds. And that's only the start of things. The ending was the funniest thing I've read in a long time but also utter, utter carnage.
Absolutely loved it
RotE is the final part of the Festive and Furious series and ties everything up nicely but mayhem? Oh yes, there's plenty of that - The two garden centres, Hedgelords and Bloomers are now being run by a nordic crimelord and are a front (possibly) nefarious deeds. And that's only the start of things. The ending was the funniest thing I've read in a long time but also utter, utter carnage.
Absolutely loved it
October 2, 2025
Best one of the trilogy
Wow what a fantastic ride weve had with these books
I loved the story , I will seriously miss these wonderful characters
I am going to binge read and listen to the whole again
I love Sam Applewhite and of course the irrepressible Clovenhoof
But Charlotte and the rest of the gang have stolen my heart
A huge thank you to Heide and Iain for creating these truly unforgettable books
Wow what a fantastic ride weve had with these books
I loved the story , I will seriously miss these wonderful characters
I am going to binge read and listen to the whole again
I love Sam Applewhite and of course the irrepressible Clovenhoof
But Charlotte and the rest of the gang have stolen my heart
A huge thank you to Heide and Iain for creating these truly unforgettable books
September 29, 2025
A Festive and Furious Finale!
Rise of the Elves by Iain Grant and Heide Goody is chaotic and hilarious. It delivers a riotous and explosive conclusion to their Festive and the Furious trilogy.
Building on the chaotic Christmas capers of the previous two books, this finale escalates the absurdity to new heights, cementing its place as a standout in the Christmas-themed crime, comedy genre.
The book picks up with protagonists Charlotte Mitchell and Jack Hartigan, both now disavowed from their respective garden centres.
But you can take the people out of the garden centres, but you can’t take the garden centres out of the people. In an attempt to right wrongs and deliver justice, they find themselves forced to navigate a high-stakes mission that drags them into a world of "gun-toting gangsters, tooled-up Santas, and wildly inappropriate cracker gifts."
The plot is a whirlwind of action and misadventure, as the duo must unravel a conspiracy that threatens to ruin Christmas itself.
What makes the book so engaging is the authors' signature blend of slapstick humour and genuine peril. The stakes feel real, even as the situations become increasingly ludicrous.
Grant and Goody's strength lies in their knack for creating lovable, flawed characters who find themselves in impossible situations. Charlotte and Jack's relationship, built on a foundation of rivalry and reluctant teamwork, is the heart of the series. Their banter is sharp, their decisions are often questionable, but their determination to save the day is unwavering.
Heide Goody and Iain Grant are a prolific writing duo based in the Midlands, England, known for their unique blend of comedy, fantasy, and urban fantasy. They began their collaborative journey in 2011 after meeting through the Birmingham Writers Group and have since published numerous series and standalone novels.The duo is perhaps most famous for their long-running Clovenhoof series, which began in 2012 and has garnered a dedicated following. It follows the comedic misadventures of Satan after he is fired from Hell and exiled to the suburbs of Birmingham.
Their other notable works include the Oddjobs series, a horror-comedy workplace series that delves into the trials of a team responsible for guiding the public through the end of days. And the Sam Applewhite series, a crime-comedy series about a woman who finds herself tangled in mysteries despite having a full plate with her job and family.
The authors deserve high praise for the balance of slapstick humour and real danger, witty dialogue and well-developed characters. Rise of the Elves is a must-read for fans of crime comedy and a perfect end to the series.
Rise of the Elves by Iain Grant and Heide Goody is chaotic and hilarious. It delivers a riotous and explosive conclusion to their Festive and the Furious trilogy.
Building on the chaotic Christmas capers of the previous two books, this finale escalates the absurdity to new heights, cementing its place as a standout in the Christmas-themed crime, comedy genre.
The book picks up with protagonists Charlotte Mitchell and Jack Hartigan, both now disavowed from their respective garden centres.
But you can take the people out of the garden centres, but you can’t take the garden centres out of the people. In an attempt to right wrongs and deliver justice, they find themselves forced to navigate a high-stakes mission that drags them into a world of "gun-toting gangsters, tooled-up Santas, and wildly inappropriate cracker gifts."
The plot is a whirlwind of action and misadventure, as the duo must unravel a conspiracy that threatens to ruin Christmas itself.
What makes the book so engaging is the authors' signature blend of slapstick humour and genuine peril. The stakes feel real, even as the situations become increasingly ludicrous.
Grant and Goody's strength lies in their knack for creating lovable, flawed characters who find themselves in impossible situations. Charlotte and Jack's relationship, built on a foundation of rivalry and reluctant teamwork, is the heart of the series. Their banter is sharp, their decisions are often questionable, but their determination to save the day is unwavering.
Heide Goody and Iain Grant are a prolific writing duo based in the Midlands, England, known for their unique blend of comedy, fantasy, and urban fantasy. They began their collaborative journey in 2011 after meeting through the Birmingham Writers Group and have since published numerous series and standalone novels.The duo is perhaps most famous for their long-running Clovenhoof series, which began in 2012 and has garnered a dedicated following. It follows the comedic misadventures of Satan after he is fired from Hell and exiled to the suburbs of Birmingham.
Their other notable works include the Oddjobs series, a horror-comedy workplace series that delves into the trials of a team responsible for guiding the public through the end of days. And the Sam Applewhite series, a crime-comedy series about a woman who finds herself tangled in mysteries despite having a full plate with her job and family.
The authors deserve high praise for the balance of slapstick humour and real danger, witty dialogue and well-developed characters. Rise of the Elves is a must-read for fans of crime comedy and a perfect end to the series.
September 27, 2025
Rise of the Elves by Heide Goody & Iain Grant.
AND THERE'S THE DONKEY!!
The final part of the trilogy & it's as huge & explosive as you could possibly want.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that you're going to giggle like an idiot for most of this book.
Goody & Grant have a knack for setting up a huge set piece from the start so you can look forward to it, but still be surprised by how it turns out.
Whilst this is very much an ending, I found myself wanting much more. I'm hoping that we revisit the world of Hedgelord & Bloomers outside the festive period. I need to know what's next for Anika!!
Ever ready to teach, this book underlines the importance of the avoidance of the grocer's apostrophe.
Hilarious, strangely real, & an absolute festive must.
Highly recommended.
AND THERE'S THE DONKEY!!
The final part of the trilogy & it's as huge & explosive as you could possibly want.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that you're going to giggle like an idiot for most of this book.
Goody & Grant have a knack for setting up a huge set piece from the start so you can look forward to it, but still be surprised by how it turns out.
Whilst this is very much an ending, I found myself wanting much more. I'm hoping that we revisit the world of Hedgelord & Bloomers outside the festive period. I need to know what's next for Anika!!
Ever ready to teach, this book underlines the importance of the avoidance of the grocer's apostrophe.
Hilarious, strangely real, & an absolute festive must.
Highly recommended.
September 29, 2025
And so the trilogy concludes.
Following on from book 2, Charlotte is trying to get back with Jack, and as expected disaster follows. Snomann is still at Hedgelords, and his role in things is going to land Luka and Gallagher in all sorts of trouble, but we may eventually see Luka in a Santa suit. Anika grows into her role, Daffyd realises he's not as divine as he thought, and we discover how many Sven are too many.
With loose donkeys, weirdest Christmas gifts ever, the importance of the apostrophe, and an ending that would make the A-Team proud, this concludes in a hail of action, humour and maybe even some romance.
This has been a wonderful adventure, with the trademark humour we've seen from the authors before, coupled with a sense of characterisation that really makes you care about all the Hedgelord characters. I really hope we see them all again
Following on from book 2, Charlotte is trying to get back with Jack, and as expected disaster follows. Snomann is still at Hedgelords, and his role in things is going to land Luka and Gallagher in all sorts of trouble, but we may eventually see Luka in a Santa suit. Anika grows into her role, Daffyd realises he's not as divine as he thought, and we discover how many Sven are too many.
With loose donkeys, weirdest Christmas gifts ever, the importance of the apostrophe, and an ending that would make the A-Team proud, this concludes in a hail of action, humour and maybe even some romance.
This has been a wonderful adventure, with the trademark humour we've seen from the authors before, coupled with a sense of characterisation that really makes you care about all the Hedgelord characters. I really hope we see them all again
December 30, 2025
Actually laughed out load
October 6, 2025
Well Goody and Grant have done it again fantastic story a mixture of mission impossible, the a team and Billy smarts circus. The last in the series bloody well hope not should think that the Hedgelord and Bloomers teams have many more adventures to come
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews