Jews don't celebrate Christmas - and this year will be no exception for radio personality Val Virgo (aka Izzy Miller). After his home is blown out from under him the former country singer takes a trip down memory lane, to the mean streets of his misspent youth, in search of a copycat killer with a personal score to settle. Virgo discovers his hunch is correct. One hour too late.
It's the Season of Peace and Goodwill - but not for the residents of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The "murder capital of Canada" is more than living up to its name. The latest victims are not anonymous gang members but Chief Judge Robert Brown, Chairman of the Native Justice Commission, and mail carrier Leon Coleman. The Winnipeg Tabloid has published a letter from the 'North American Aboriginal Peoples Army of Manitoba' taking credit for the "execution" and apologizing for the "innocent bystander". As Inspector Angus "The Bull" Duncan is reluctantly fielding on-air questions about the elusive NAAPALM a last-minute caller names Virgo as the next victim. His producer, and nemesis, Patricia St. John Hogg, cuts the call off before it goes over the air. Inspector Duncan takes the threat seriously. Virgo laughs it off as a sick joke.
Next morning he wakes up in a hospital bed - And is no longer amused.
Why would any self-respecting terrorist bother assassinating a glorified disk jockey? Virgo wonders, laying low in a seedy motel. In search of the answer he calls on Abigail Brown, the child bride of the late Chief Judge, and forgets the question. He is soon reminded. After the second abortive attempt on his life Virgo moves in with "the merry widow" and they join forces in a race against time that comes to an explosive conclusion just short of the finish line. Part mystery, part thriller, part love story Christmas Eve Can Kill You is difficult to pigeonhole - and impossible to put down
This was a very funny and sad book.
William Marantz makes the lead character, Virgo, a very cynical man with a lot of problems.
His biggest problem, is that someone is trying to kill him.
Virgo is a radio personality who has lost his edge.
He doesn't have a lot of followers anymore, his show is not in the top 10, and most of his co-workers dislike him.
When he is threatened on the air, he laughs it off.
When a bomb explodes in his apartment while he is bathing, he stops shrugging things off.
All though a lot of comments the main character made, did not make sense to me, I still found the story very entertaining.
There was one very sad part though which I did not like.
The Author did keep me surprised. Until the end, I had no clue who the murderer was!!
If you like a good murder mystery, you will like this book.
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