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Alice Orr's "Dear Santa" pales in comparison to her last Christmas mystery, "Protect Me, Love." It begins with a great thread, with two kids trying to keep the secret that the "aunt" they live with isn't related to them at all. But just when Coyote Bellaway is on the brink of getting the money to save him and his sister, he witnesses something that puts his life in danger. It's up to two adults from the local children's community center--Katherine Fairchild and Vic Maltese--to save the boy from the danger stalking him and his sister.
Unfortunately, the story becomes less interesting as it goes along. The pace isn't helped by Orr's endless paragraphs, which basically amount to one and a half paragraphs per page, but there's also the fact that the bad guys stay in the background far too long and the wrap-up happens far too fast. Plus, the bantering between Katherine and Vic is given too much time, leaving less time for plot development. I liked the characters and cared about what happened to them, but Vic's big secret is somewhat of a letdown (I don't know what the back cover copy is talking about, but it is not certainly not heart-rending.) There are also some plot holes: Katherine's stepson is mentioned early and brought up a lot, yet it's never explained what happened to her ex-husband. I had far too many questions when I was finished. Orr has written better books before. Some sweet moments, but not much more.
