Title: The Stupidest Angel

Author: Christopher Moore

Publisher:  William Morrow 2005

Genre: Zombie

Pages: 320

Rating:  5  / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Zombie; Support Your Local Library; A to Z - M

How I Got It: Library loan

'Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas, and all through the tiny community of Pine Cove, California, people are busy buying, wrapping, packing, and generally getting into the holiday spirit.

But not everybody is feeling the joy. Little Joshua Barker is in desperate need of a holiday miracle. No, he's not on his deathbed; no, his dog hasn't run away from home. But Josh is sure that he saw Santa take a shovel to the head, and now the seven-year-old has only one prayer: Please, Santa, come back from the dead.

But hold on! There's an angel waiting in the wings. (Wings, get it?) It's none other than the Archangel Raziel come to Earth seeking a small child with a wish that needs granting. Unfortunately, our angel's not sporting the brightest halo in the bunch, and before you can say "Kris Kringle," he's botched his sacred mission and sent the residents of Pine Cove headlong into Christmas chaos, culminating in the most hilarious and horrifying holiday party the town has ever seen.

Okay, this is my kind of Christmas novel (albeit one read in February).  We have murder, mayhem, homicidal Santas, angels on miracle missions, sword-wielding schizophrenics, stoners, rats, dogs, sex, and bats.  I think I covered it all.  And it's all topped off with Moore snarky writing.  I love it!  His vampire trilogy started to wear on me after while.  This one definitely does not.  I loved it from start to finish.  The characters are incredibly fun.  I especially liked the Tucker Case and his bat, Roberto.  The story is fast-paced and yet filled with character development.  The horror is there wrapped up in a glowing angel and talking zombies.  And the writing is superb.  Supposedly the characters appear in other books.  Now I must go to the library and pick those up as wel..

Pine Cove

• #1 Practical Demonkeeping
• #2 The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
• #3 The Stupidest Angel