Jamie Fessenden's Tomte uses a Scandinavian folk figure, the Tomte, to deliver up the classic Northern trope of the human captured underground/in a mound (see Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope). The events are tied into Christmas.
The not-entirely-pinnable nature of Tomte is well-done. The alluring world of the Älvor (elves, fairies) is well-conveyed: attractive yet dangerous. I also enjoyed the time travel switch.
However, I disliked the ending. I'm a big believer that if one is going to undertake life-changing and risky decisions, one should live with them. In The Titan's Bride, when Mizuki decides to stay in his lover's world, his existence as a teen is erased from Earth and others' memories, but the cost of that erasing lingers. People miss him without knowing why.
I also found the tie-in to Christmas something of a stretch. The visit to the toy shop is quite effective. I would have suggested using additional direct Christmas tropes/archetypes to solve the problem at the end.
Below are a few mystery/murder stories for this time of year:
- "Back for Christmas" from Alfred Hitchcock Presents: in all honesty, the Christmas season doesn't play that big a role, but it does supply a clever pay-off. And it stars the marvelous John Williams.
- Die Hard...of course!
- Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot's Christmas
- Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer
- Tied Up in Tinsel by Ngaoi Marsh. Marsh uses the Christmas season directly. Perhaps because Marsh was also a playwright, the murderer's "disguise" is almost directly connected to an English/Celtic version of Father Christmas, who visits the house party which is graced by a huge tree. The weather also plays a direct role.
- "The Necklace of Pearls" by Dorothy Sayers, which uses English customs as part of the plot.
- Master of the Hall by KJ Charles, also replete with English customs--and a Damon Runyon set of dangers!
