Christmas, Inc.: A Christmas Mystery

by J. Spencer Osborne

Behind every toy lies a secret. Behind every Christmas light, a spark of magic.

When the founder of world famous, Tinkerhaus Toy Company, dies - the board must choose a successor—and the wrong choice could shatter more than tradition. Rivalries simmer. A mystery woman appears. And deep within the factory, the ordinary begins to twist into the uncanny.

Hollis Sawyer, an unassuming Junior Executive, starts to notice the patterns others ignore. But the closer he looks, the clearer it becomes that this isn’t just about business. The fate of Christmas itself may be at stake.

Warm, witty, and brimming with intrigue, Christmas Inc. is a cozy holiday mystery laced with wonder and packed with secrets waiting to be unwrapped.

Genres: Christmas, Mystery

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2025

About the author

J. Spencer Osborne writes mysteries with grit, wit, and a healthy dose of New England attitude. Raised in Massachusetts on Agatha Christie, Boston sports, and way too much Dunkin’, he blends the sharp edge of an attorney and USAF Reserve JAG with the heart of a Christmas obsessive who believes hot cocoa should come with a deadline.

Christmas Inc. is his debut novel—a holiday mystery where corporate intrigue collides with seasonal magic. He lives in Virginia with his wife, daughter, a Maine Coon named Ollie, and his dog Oreo - truly a Masshole on Safari (in a good way).

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique Christmas Tale

I've never read a story quite like this one before. Everything is normal. A bit of office politics and back biting and suddenly it's all pure fantasy. A jolt, but well done.
The only thing I can think of to compare reality and fantasy meshing so well at Christmas time is The Santa Clause with Tim Allen, but don't get the idea this is the same story. Entertaining read.

[Mary K. Brazzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read

I like to sit back every so often and read something for the fun of it, and this was that book. Thank You, Kathy B

[Heather Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun and enjoyable read! So many Easter eggs (should I say Christmas ornaments?) and clues throughout. It was a delightful way to kick off the holiday season and I can't wait to read it again next year to discover things I surely missed on my first read.

[Robin Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! Got me into the Christmas spirit without a romantic plot! One of my favorite Christmas movies is Polar Express and I feel like this would be Polar Express if grown ups needed a little Christmas pick me up!

[Smithers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author managed to capture Christmas magic with a slice of mystery and a mug full of science fiction. It worked!

Once the groundwork was laid and many hints shown, the action really started. The naysayer son of the founder of Tinkerhaus Toys propels the reader into a magical mystery Christmas riddle upon riddle upon riddle.

I believe the author when he says reading it again you may understand more than the first read. Since I read the free kindle version I now plan to buy the book to read every year.

[JulieAnn Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the story started off a bit slower for me, it had the charm of classic, narrated Christmas tales. The beginning set up everything well and provided important setup, even if they weren’t immediately “Christmas magical”. Once Clarence’s son’s came into the picture, the story truly took off.

Much of the second half of the story is magical and the author has an amazing talent for complex, imaginative world-building. The ideas were fresh and inventive, and each character had a distinct voice.

Definitely a heartwarming story that blends imagination, heart, and magic—perfect for holiday reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Inc is A Christmas Mystery by J Spencer Osborn. I enjoyed this holiday mystery. The characters are well written and I thought that Hollis was perfect for the story. I thought the author perfectly unraveled the Corp intrigue perfectly. This holiday mystery is not to be missef. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to read and read again🎄
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
From the prologue which I loved to the intriguing format, the vivid descriptions, and the style of narration I was totally mesmerized by this story. There is a magic woven throughout the mystery and layers that a reader will spend joyous moments uncovering time and time again. Truly a book to savour every year and it would make a fantastic gift for everyone. A book that can be read together as a family as well! I give it a ten tree rating 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

[Pam]

did not finish -barely started. Not interested. See note


Amazon synopsis:
Behind every toy lies a secret. Behind every Christmas light, a spark of magic.

When the founder of Tinkerhaus dies, the board must choose a successor—and the wrong choice could shatter more than tradition. Rivalries simmer. A mystery woman appears. And deep inside the factory, what’s up seems down, and down isn’t altogether sure of itself either.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

It didn’t start out like a typical holiday cozy mystery so was unsure if I would get into it. However, once it starts to pick up with a little imagination, it is easy to immerse yourself into the writer’s world, secrets and magic.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story with an unique narrative style set in a magical location dedicated to best time of year Christmas. I liked the characters and easy way the author draws us the readers into the heart of the tale.
I received a complimentary copy of this story and I freely left this review.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christmas cozy mystery

The 2nd half of this book was pretty good. But the first half was so slow. It seemed to take forever to get interesting. Characters were well-drawn. Once we git to the plot, it was entertaining

[Arsimms28 · Rating 5 out of 5]

for the love of Christmas

This tale has some fun twists and turns keeping the reader wondering…I can feel the love of Christmas through the writing and love the bonus masshole edge.

[Elisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️

Unique idea. Reminded me of Tim Allen’s Santa Clause movies mixed with company/office politics.

However the characters felt flat and at least for Hollis felt inconsistent. At times the story dragged and I’m not sure why.

But for a non romance Christmas story it was alright.

[Jeannie R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ranged from predictable to confusing.

[Theresa Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting book with lots of twists. It was a very lighthearted mystery! Christmas vibes for sure!

[Kim A · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing in this was not my style. While the story took an unexpected twist, there was nothing “Christmas” about it. I wanted to like this book, but I really did not enjoy it.

[Lauren Foley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Blurton Stephenie]

I didn’t get this book in the Giveaway win

[Mrs K.Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Inc. Is a special story which starts with a Toy Company. There are some surprising events along the way not all good. But it has a very Special Christmas story that is very Magical. I enjoyed reading the story very much and recommend that you read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.