Magic has invaded the sleepy town of Halifax, Nova Scotia in the new addition to the Beaumont Brothers Circus Mystery Series. A circus troupe hides their supernatural powers by presenting them in the form of entertainment - living on the edge of discovery by those less tolerant of differences. A murder has occurred in town in early 19th century during a maritime province winter with long nights and blustery snowfalls.

In The Yuletide Killer, the case is investigated by two completing pairs. First is Wilson, an arrogant detective using skills of observation and deduction with the bumbling chief inspector tagging along. The second pair consists of Barnaby, an open-minded detective assisted by Emma, a supernatural being and heroine of previous series books. The teams race through town following clues and an unleased demon.

Additional murders, adding a macabre feeling to the pages, lead to a haunted house. You know everyone loves a haunted house! The presence of magic and the paranormal events begins to surface. In a not-so-subtle lesson in social science, a mob from the town sets out to destroy things they don’t understand only to be rescued by those thought to be evil.

This talented author brings life to complex paranormal attributes and exciting, spine-tingling action scenes. I recommend all three books in the series and, I assume, another addition in the future.