A Melicent Christmas

Melicent Unger finds herself alone for Christmas. Her husband, SD, has been admitted to a psychiatric unit after the tragic death of his family in a car accident. She continues working at Girls-n-Grits to keep busy and make ends meet. Her grandson Roger, the Elvis impersonator, convinces Melicent to go with him while he does volunteer visits as Elvis in area nursing and assisted living homes. Melicent particularly likes the old people in a nursing home close to her rental home in North Las Vegas. There is an opening for an activity aide while their current person is on maternity leave. Melicent happily accepts the job with the agreement that she is given the one morning a week off to visit SD. Enjoying the new friends Melicent goes back during the overnight shift after she leaves Girls-n-Grits just to visit for an hour or two rather than go home alone. On these quiet nights, she gets to know some of the patients as well. There are a few that she adores, she learns about their lives. Many of the patients' families live long distances away or no longer have any living family members. When the patients can't sleep, she will play Gin Rummy or Canasta with them, laughing and talking for an hour or two. Melicent plans a guy's night out taking some of the seniors out to Girls-n-Grits for a steak dinner and to see the dancers. The dancers, especially Dana and Marigold, are extra attentive to the older gentlemen giving them complimentary lap dances. The next morning, Melicent is woken up by someone pounding on her front door. Detective Rateliff has another detective with him and explains that one of the patients she took on the field trip to the strip club was murdered overnight. The first suspect, a former hooker is arrested and then cleared, but she refuses to leave county jail as it's much more interesting than the nursing home. To stay, she starts giving detectives information on long unsolved crimes including bank robberies, kidnappings, and art thefts. Melicent is determined to search with the help of her friends, using their charm the find some suspects and worry there have been and will be more victims. Along the way there are kidnappings, resisting arrest, jail house Christmas party, Neighborhood Christmas party, even a Christmas party at Girls-n-Grits. So many parties, how will Melicent celebrate Christmas? In conclusion, "A Melicent Christmas" is a thrilling novel that follows Melicent Unger's journey through loneliness and loss with laughs. The story takes place in Nevada, and readers will enjoy the vivid descriptions of the nursing home environment, the strip club, and the surrounding desert.