Krampus Confidential

by Kyle Sullivan, Derek Sullivan (Illustrator)

Overview

It’s almost Christmas, but the nights in Tinseltown are anything but silent.

Ruprecht, a twelve-year-old krampus and wannabe detective, gets more than he bargained for when he takes the case of a terrified elf. Finding himself at the top of the Tinseltown Police Department’s naughty list, Ruprecht is joined by his best friend, a ghost named Marley, to explore the underbelly of this festive but gritty metropolis, solve the mystery, and clear his name for good.

Book 3 of the Hazy Fables middle-grade series, this quick-witted parody of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon follows up its acclaimed predecessors, Zombie, Or Not to Be (a brainy adaptation of Hamlet) and Hobgoblin and the Seven Stinkers of Rancidia (a Kirkus Best Book of 2019). Featuring powerful witches, a greedy goblin, a colossal cat, a "psychic" reindeer, and a platoon of shadowy phantoms, this whip-smart thriller celebrates the delightfully dark side of Christmas with mystery, intrigue, and a sleighful of characters from European folklore.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948931397
Publisher:	Hazy Dell Press
Publication date:	08/05/2025
Series:	Hazy Fables , #3
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kyle Sullivan is a writer based in Portland, Oregon. His titles for children include Hobgoblin and the Seven Stinkers of Rancidia, Zombie, Or Not to Be, The Cyclops Witch and the Heebie-Jeebies, Monster ABC, Hush Now, Banshee! and Goodnight Krampus.

Derek Sullivan is a Seattle-based illustrator. He has illustrated many books for children including Party Croc!: A Folktale from Zimbabwe for Albert Whitman & Company; and Hobgoblin and the Seven Stinkers of Rancidia, Zombie, Or Not to Be, The Cyclops Witch and the Heebie-Jeebies, Monster ABC, Goodnight Krampus, and Get Dressed, Sasquatch! for Hazy Dell Press.

Editorial Reviews

Select praise for Hazy Fables #1:Hobgoblin and the Seven Stinkers of Rancidia:

★ A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2019

★ A Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Winner

★ "Readers will giggle through every page of this smart political satire.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Engages hard-to-please tween readers with imaginative adventure, fun illustrations and silly fart references…Read it together at bedtime to share laughter and a positive message of empathy and inclusivity.” —The Seattle Times

“A hilarious second coming of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs…This story is like nothing you’ve ever read before…You’ll instantly fart with glee.” —Literary Features Syndicate

Select praise for Hazy Fables #2: Zombie, Or Not to Be:

★ 2021 Independent Publisher Book Award Winner

"A standing ovation for undead environmentalist theater."— Kirkus Reviews

”A pandemic, environmental issues, and characters who do not believe in science are themes all too suitable for students seeking contemporary fiction to write about for class. VERDICT: Highly recommended...Middle graders hungry for the next zombie book will devour this one.”— School Library Journal

"Readers will chortle at the gross details, the Beetlejuice-style illustrations, and...the parodic twists."— Booklist

From the Publisher

10/08/2021

Gr 3–6—Ruprecht, a 12-year-old Krampus, is not the most well-loved creature in Tinseltown, due to some previous misunderstandings and framing for bad behavior that he had nothing to do with. Now that it is winter break, he is working with his best friend, a girl ghost named Marley, to solve cases they get in their makeshift detective agency. However, things go south when an elf comes to them with an alarming amount of "jollification" cases, where an elf is so overwhelmed with holiday spirit that they crash into a coma. Who is the biggest suspect in this ring of jollifications?: An unidentified krampus. Ruprecht must clear his own name, as he has just become the number one suspect. Readers will need a lot of backstory in order to understand Ruprecht. He has a sarcastic, hyperbolic detective tone in his inner thoughts or to other characters that some young readers will find funny and quirky, but others might not recognize. The chapters are short and end in cliff-hangers, making this mystery a page-turner. However, the whodunit meanders and then slows down toward the middle of the book. VERDICT An additional purchase for elementary libraries where this series and other paranormal/fantasy series are popular.—Molly Dettmann, Norman North H.S., OK

School Library Journal

2021-07-27
When they open a detective agency in Tinseltown, Ruprecht and his ghost friend, Marley, become entangled in a deception contrived by a small elf with big bias.

In this third installment of the Hazy Fables series, it appears that a krampus is jollifying elves, that is, overloading them on holiday spirit to the point of coma by showing them a snow globe reported to be the first toy Santa ever made. The bad news is that the police suspect young Ruprecht, who is a krampus, or goat/human hybrid from Germanic mythology, of being the perpetrator. Red herrings abound as Ruprecht and Marley race against the police, a goblin, and a bad witch to find the snow globe and the villain who is wielding it. It seems that society expects the worst of krampuses, and Ruprecht has already suffered from others’ negative expectations, a circumstance that allows readers an opportunity to understand prejudice. But Tinseltown is packed with the usual (and unusual) suspects of Christmas lore, and the culprit could be anyone. Ruprecht narrates the mystery in a noir style that is both world-weary and tongue-in-cheek. The good news is that Ruprecht, unlike most noir protagonists, accepts help, especially from his parents, who are revealed to be legendary Christmas figures in their own rights. This charming work draws to a satisfactory close with justice restored.

Good fun for youngsters who prefer their holiday cheer with a dark twist. (Fantasy/mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews