First published 2004
Seven-year-old Joshua Barker witnesses something terrible: someone takes a shovel to Santa's head. Now Josh desperately needs a holiday miracle to bring Santa back from the dead. The Archangel Raziel arrives in Pine Cove, California, searching for a child with a wish to grant. But this angel lacks intelligence and quickly bungles his sacred duty. Raziel's incompetence sends the small town spinning into Christmas pandemonium. The residents find themselves caught in escalating chaos that builds toward the most disastrous holiday party Pine Cove has ever experienced. Josh's innocent request for Santa's resurrection becomes the catalyst for a series of increasingly absurd and terrifying events. The town's Christmas preparations transform into something far more sinister than anyone anticipated. Moore weaves together the earnest hope of a child with the cosmic incompetence of a dim-witted angel, creating a story where genuine emotion collides with outrageous comedy.
Genres: fiction, fantasy, comedy, holiday
Vibes: emotional, whimsical
Tropes: incompetent-hero, resurrection
Setting: California, Pine Cove
Period: Christmas
276 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow