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Jane Jeffry #10
The Merchant of Menace
It's beginning to look a lot like murder'Tis the season to jolly and suburban mom Jane Jeffry's in a mad scramble to finish her cookie baking and household chores before her teenage kids arrive home. Also expected are two moms-both the late husband's mother and the disapproving mater of Det. Mel VanDyne, Jane's significant other. The kitchen is a disaster zone, the dog has decorated the house with hair, and the earsplitting racket coming from the neighbors tacky, music-making Christmas display is driving Jane crazy. Now she has to get the green icing out of her hair and be ready to host her post-caroling dinner party.
One thing Jane isn't ready for is a surprise visit from a muckraking TV "action reporter," disguised as Santa Claus. The nasty old St. Nick is out to wrap a happy holiday caroling into a package marked "scandal," but before he has a chance to color the event with yellow journalism, his red-suited body slides off the neighbor's roof to land, silenced forever, on the horns of a plastic reindeer. It looks like Santa's mishap is no accident and, with the help of her friend Shelley, Jane finds plenty of suspects. The phony Santa has an ex-wife and a female assistant who both hate him, and plenty of nice people ruined by tales of naughtiness. Now Jane has to find the Grinch who thought murder was a way to save Christmas before the holiday turns into the unhappiest day of the year.
One thing Jane isn't ready for is a surprise visit from a muckraking TV "action reporter," disguised as Santa Claus. The nasty old St. Nick is out to wrap a happy holiday caroling into a package marked "scandal," but before he has a chance to color the event with yellow journalism, his red-suited body slides off the neighbor's roof to land, silenced forever, on the horns of a plastic reindeer. It looks like Santa's mishap is no accident and, with the help of her friend Shelley, Jane finds plenty of suspects. The phony Santa has an ex-wife and a female assistant who both hate him, and plenty of nice people ruined by tales of naughtiness. Now Jane has to find the Grinch who thought murder was a way to save Christmas before the holiday turns into the unhappiest day of the year.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
2 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
About the author
Jill Churchill
42 books199 followersA pseudonym used by Janice Young Brooks.
Jill Churchill, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards, and nominated for an Anthony for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series, lives as Jane does, in a midwestern suburb. On purpose! She says writing this series and the Grace and Favor series is the best treat she can have without a knife and fork.
Under her real name, Janice Young Brooks, and various pseudonyms, she's written historical novels, a gothic novel, and a history textbook as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. When she's not writing, she's avidly doing genealogy which she says is a lot like mysteries with all the red herrings, clues, speculations, and surprises.
She gardens enthusiastically, needlepoints superbly, and plays a mean game of gin against the computer. She has a son and daughter and two granddaughters, Rose Louise and Emma. Janice is currently in a battle of supremacy with her cat Max.
Jill Churchill, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards, and nominated for an Anthony for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series, lives as Jane does, in a midwestern suburb. On purpose! She says writing this series and the Grace and Favor series is the best treat she can have without a knife and fork.
Under her real name, Janice Young Brooks, and various pseudonyms, she's written historical novels, a gothic novel, and a history textbook as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. When she's not writing, she's avidly doing genealogy which she says is a lot like mysteries with all the red herrings, clues, speculations, and surprises.
She gardens enthusiastically, needlepoints superbly, and plays a mean game of gin against the computer. She has a son and daughter and two granddaughters, Rose Louise and Emma. Janice is currently in a battle of supremacy with her cat Max.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
May 26, 2021
I picked this book up at my local library book sale because I loved the title and thought it sounded fun.
It was a very easy book to read about a woman, a family and a neighbourhood and what can happen within that neighbourhood. It was fun with a little mystery, a murder and lots of great characters. I could see many of the things in this book happening in neighbourhoods from the past.
It made me smile and gave me something light to read after reading a few heavy historical fiction books I read before this one.
It was a very easy book to read about a woman, a family and a neighbourhood and what can happen within that neighbourhood. It was fun with a little mystery, a murder and lots of great characters. I could see many of the things in this book happening in neighbourhoods from the past.
It made me smile and gave me something light to read after reading a few heavy historical fiction books I read before this one.
January 3, 2026
This was my first read of the New Year and it was only when I picked this up that I realised that it was a Christmas installment in the Jane Jeffreys series. Jane is overcommitted with Christmas hosting - two parties at her house plus her first meeting with Mel's mother and the arrival of her late husband's mother too. But when a nasty TV reporter falls to his death from the roof of a neighbouring house, Jane finds herself caught up in another police investigation. There are new residents in the house, but there's also no shortage of suspects who might have wanted the reporter dead. It's a fun romp with plenty of small town Christmas detail in it. I thought the murder was clever with plenty of red herrings and I continue to really like Jane as a character.
May 10, 2018
A cozy mystery. The main character was a little whiny about so much to do and then told herself she was awesome,but noisy. The neighbors held my interest but didn't lead me to solve the murder till the end. I guess that is a sign of a good mystery.
January 9, 2024
This is a triple adrenaline rush for me. First, it’s among the oldest books stored on my hard drive. It has resided there for just a few months short of 15 years. I’m glad it finally gets to see the light of day. Second, the entire series has been such a joy to read. I haven’t found any of the books to be uneven or inconsistent. The books are short and inevitably fun; the characters are memorable and wonderful—the kind of people you’d want for friends if they weren’t bound by the covers of the book. Third, this is set days prior to Christmas. No, it’s not a Christmas book per se, but there are elements that will make you remember the season just past, and if you enjoyed that season, it will refresh all that goodness that makes the season wonderful.
A quick tour of the series if you’ve not touched it: Jane Jeffry is a single mom whose husband died while he was during an affair with another woman. Jane quietly kept that from the kids and let them grow up. In this book, Mike is a freshman at college, Katie is 16 and has a learner’s permit, and Todd is 12 or so. They’re all stellar, solid kids, and when they aren’t driving her crazy, Jane is quietly proud of all three of them.
It is a tradition in the suburban Chicago neighborhood where Jane lives for neighbors to carol to one another the Sunday before Christmas. When they’re all sung out, they venture to someone’s house for a post-caroling party. This year, Jane’s in charge of it.
A well-intended neighbor, thinking to get some free holiday publicity for the neighborhood sing-along, contacted Lance King, a TV reporter with infamous habits of ruining the lives of those he talks to with unresearched ideas he passes as facts and innuendo. Jane gets word as to hos sleazy this guy is and refuses to welcome him to her party. The neighbor who invited him is distraught, but Lance good-naturedly agrees he’ll just have a look around outside; he won’t crash the party.
One of Jane’s new neighbors has crafted a garish Christmas display people can see for miles. The accompanying music is something people can hear for miles. Lance crawls onto the neighbor’s roof wearing a Santa suit. Apparently, his intent is to place listening devices to pick up on neighborhood gossip and such. But someone doesn’t want him up there, and before the party finishes, Lance finishes for good and all. Initially, they think it's an accident. They later amend it to murder. If you read this, you’ll understand why they reached those conclusions.
This is another delightful book in a great series, and the Christmas background makes it even more fun. I didn’t see the solution in advance, and it seems like a perfectly viable, believable solution to me. Well done, Jane and Shelley, for solving another one and treating the rest of us to a lot of fun.
A quick tour of the series if you’ve not touched it: Jane Jeffry is a single mom whose husband died while he was during an affair with another woman. Jane quietly kept that from the kids and let them grow up. In this book, Mike is a freshman at college, Katie is 16 and has a learner’s permit, and Todd is 12 or so. They’re all stellar, solid kids, and when they aren’t driving her crazy, Jane is quietly proud of all three of them.
It is a tradition in the suburban Chicago neighborhood where Jane lives for neighbors to carol to one another the Sunday before Christmas. When they’re all sung out, they venture to someone’s house for a post-caroling party. This year, Jane’s in charge of it.
A well-intended neighbor, thinking to get some free holiday publicity for the neighborhood sing-along, contacted Lance King, a TV reporter with infamous habits of ruining the lives of those he talks to with unresearched ideas he passes as facts and innuendo. Jane gets word as to hos sleazy this guy is and refuses to welcome him to her party. The neighbor who invited him is distraught, but Lance good-naturedly agrees he’ll just have a look around outside; he won’t crash the party.
One of Jane’s new neighbors has crafted a garish Christmas display people can see for miles. The accompanying music is something people can hear for miles. Lance crawls onto the neighbor’s roof wearing a Santa suit. Apparently, his intent is to place listening devices to pick up on neighborhood gossip and such. But someone doesn’t want him up there, and before the party finishes, Lance finishes for good and all. Initially, they think it's an accident. They later amend it to murder. If you read this, you’ll understand why they reached those conclusions.
This is another delightful book in a great series, and the Christmas background makes it even more fun. I didn’t see the solution in advance, and it seems like a perfectly viable, believable solution to me. Well done, Jane and Shelley, for solving another one and treating the rest of us to a lot of fun.
January 27, 2018
Jane Jeffry is the widowed mother of a son in college and a son and daughter in high school. She is fortunate enough to be able to remain a “stay at home mom.” Jane is head of the neighborhood cookie exchange plus is hosting a neighborhood Christmas dinner AND the instigator of a neighborhood caroling session. Plus her (ex) mother-in-law is coming for a visit and to top things off her boyfriend (a police detective) has just told her that not only is his mother coming for a visit but the heat in his house has broken down and can his mom stay with Jane for a day or two? … Jane seems to be surviving until a busybody neighbor informs Jane that the local scandle-mongering TV reporter is going to interview her in the middle of the Caroling party. ……. Jane has had it and tells the neighbor that she simply won’t allow that reporter on her property… but of course he and his crew turn up anyway …………. And he winds up dead. Just your everyday Christmas happenings...
December 25, 2022
The theme of this cozy Christmas mystery seems to be bad marriages and bad mothers-in-law. Jane's circle of friends and neighbors seems to include several divorced and widowed women who were relieved to be rid of their bad husbands. Jane also has to contend with two difficult mothers-in-law - one the mother of her late husband and the other the mother of her future husband. In one telling interlude her best friend Shelley tells Jane she is lucky to have been given a warning about how her future mother-in-law will be like. There is also a widower who is now caring for his pre-teen daughter after his bad wife got killed. The backstory is the murder of an unpopular investigative TV reporter who apparently was going to do a tell-all story about life in the suburbs. Jane solves the case although she is "party central" in the neighborhood and has to host two Christmas parties while doing myriad Christmas tasks. Unconventional plotline with conventional characters.
March 4, 2020
This book sat on my shelf for years, which explains the lateness of my comments on a 1998 hardback. This winter it suited my purpose of light beach reading. Nothing too serious here, no complicated plot to keep track of. It's set at Christmas and amateur sleuth Jane Jeffry is more concerned about the menus for her holiday guests than the new noisy neighbors or the body of a questionable journalist discovered on the neighbor's lawn. Jane seems more than willing to let her police detective boyfriend deal with it. This is one of those simple guest list mysteries where one of a handful of people must be responsible and we are given a few details about each, the game being to guess which of these details spells guilty.
December 18, 2022
haven't read a Jill Churchill mystery for several years, but had a yen to read one. I find her cozy mysteries to be well-written, with characters I enjoy and can relate to. The mysteries are interesting and I like the interplay between the characters. While I'm not a fast reader by nature, Churchill's books read very quickly and keep your attention. I really enjoyed my visit with Jane Jeffrey, her neighbors and friends. I'll probably read the next book sooner rather than later.
April 23, 2023
haven't read a Jill Churchill mystery for several years, but had a yen to read one. I find her cozy mysteries to be well-written, with characters I enjoy and can relate to. The mysteries are interesting and I like the interplay between the characters. While I'm not a fast reader by nature, Churchill's books read very quickly and keep your attention. I really enjoyed my visit with Jane Jeffrey, her neighbors and friends. I'll probably read the next book sooner rather than later.
February 3, 2018
I enjoy reading this book. It was a quick read and in the genre of a cozy mystery. The main character was a likeable homemaker and single mother with the typical busy schedule that a family brings. The story was at Christmas so even more
hectic. When the murder occurs you can relate to Jane, he main character and enjoy her curiosity that brings her into the solving of the murder. A fun book.
hectic. When the murder occurs you can relate to Jane, he main character and enjoy her curiosity that brings her into the solving of the murder. A fun book.
May 22, 2018
Another great whodunnit!
July 12, 2020
how do you have time to sit and read a couple of chapters of a book in the afternoon when you are hosting Christmas dinner in 2 days and still have gifts to wrap???
September 5, 2020
3 - Good
Read
August 29, 2022Nice change pace. I enjoyed the read.
July 27, 2023
A good cozy mystery for light reading in the summer.
It could have used more character development, especially the victim.
And, why are both the mothers-in-law (or almost), nasty women?
It could have used more character development, especially the victim.
And, why are both the mothers-in-law (or almost), nasty women?
September 26, 2023
This was a good read
July 12, 2024
Fun mystery read. Great characters.
May 20, 2025
Definitely the best one in this series so far!
Read
December 22, 2025Very enjoyable
January 26, 2013
Cozy read, but with an amateur detective who has sense. She actually figured out the mystery rather than tripping over the murder like so many cozy mysteries.
During the lead up to Christmas, Jane is almost overloaded preparing for neighborhood and family celebrations when she discovers that someone has invited the local TV muckraker to one of the gatherings at her house. Knowing that if he can't find something bad to report, he will smear someone just for the ratings she refuse to have him in her home. When he shows up at the last minute, she is afraid to refuse him entrance, but his "preview" of the night's report warns that things are going to be as bad as everyone fears. That is until someone takes action leaving one less muckraker on the block.
Now as holiday activities continue, Jane and her friend and neighbor, Shelby, have to keep and eye open in case someone in the neighborhood has developed a taste for murder.
I think I would like a little more development of her boyfriend and detective, Mel, but overall good characters. Interesting plot. I am ready to read more.
During the lead up to Christmas, Jane is almost overloaded preparing for neighborhood and family celebrations when she discovers that someone has invited the local TV muckraker to one of the gatherings at her house. Knowing that if he can't find something bad to report, he will smear someone just for the ratings she refuse to have him in her home. When he shows up at the last minute, she is afraid to refuse him entrance, but his "preview" of the night's report warns that things are going to be as bad as everyone fears. That is until someone takes action leaving one less muckraker on the block.
Now as holiday activities continue, Jane and her friend and neighbor, Shelby, have to keep and eye open in case someone in the neighborhood has developed a taste for murder.
I think I would like a little more development of her boyfriend and detective, Mel, but overall good characters. Interesting plot. I am ready to read more.
November 12, 2016
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
June 20, 2012
I love this series of Jane Jeffry mysteries. They are quick reads and have quirky plots. And this one didn't disappoint. Jane and her neighbor are in the midst of preparing for 2 big Christmas parties Jane is having when things start to fall apart. Their new neighbor puts up the house decorations from HELL and then the town's scandal monger newsman gets invited to Jane's party and everyone is on edge and when he is found dead on the prong of an garish reindeer no one knows whether to feel bad or glad. But how did he get dead, only Jane can figure that out!
June 13, 2015
Jane Jeffreys can't say no and finds herself committed to hosting two Christmas parties. On top of that, Mel asks her if his mother, who has never met Jane, can stay with her when she visits. A local TV "scandal monger" reporter wants to do his broadcast from her living room but is found dead in a neighbors yard. Jane and her friend Shelley get busy finding out who the guilty party is because they know the neighbors and can get clues faster than the police. Not the best in the series but still good.
November 4, 2008
#10 in the Jane Jeffry mystery series. In this mystery, Jane and her friend Natalie become involved with the murder of a mean spirited investigative TV reporter. The story is set a few days before Christmas with Jane hosting two back-to-back neighborhood activities as well as dealing with both her mother-in-law and her boyfriend's mother. In the midst of all this, the despised journalist is murdered while covering one of the events Jane is hosting.
January 6, 2014
I was looking for another author like Ann George, but couldn't get attached to these characters. I may try another Jill Churchill but will probably avoid this particular series. Seemed to go beyond "character development" and just have too much fluff/filler that had nothing to do with the actual mystery, which was a little weak in itself.
December 22, 2010
What a fun mystery wrapped up in Christmas merriment. This is a perfect holiday read as it caused me to laugh out loud at some of the exploits of Jane and Shelley. I have to read some more of their adventures soon.
January 8, 2011
A muck-raking reporter disguised as Santa Claus bites the dust at Jane's Christmas party. She's also meeting Mel's mother and trying to impress her - great. There's just so much potential for disaster, and while murder isn't funny, Churchill makes me grin over it.
June 11, 2016
Looking back over the series, for me this is where Churchill should have stopped writing it. This was the last book for which I got a sense of Jane's community and her place in it as neighbor and mother and housewife.
Read
September 1, 2011Cookie parties and caroling parties seem like tame fare until the despised local "investigative reporter" appears. I am impressed with how Jane and her trusty sidekick Shelley managed to put all the pieces together and solve so many mysteries.
August 23, 2015
Light, light, light. Just what I was looking for after the last title I read. I would probably read another Jane Jeffry mystery if it came my way, but I wouldn't go looking for one.
Still, it was a pleasant read for a hot, smoky, August weekend.
Still, it was a pleasant read for a hot, smoky, August weekend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews