D.J. Ciccarello

Author & Novelist

New Release

Santa is Not a Killer
(2026)

The North Pole is on edge. Days before the Centennial Covenant Renewal—the ceremony that sustains the magic of Christmas—an elf is found murdered in Santa’s workshop. Rumors spread quickly, and as whispers of a broken covenant grow louder, suspicion falls on Santa himself.

Harper Winters, Santa’s estranged granddaughter, returns to the Pole wanting nothing to do with the family legacy—not murder investigations and buried secrets. Aided by a disgraced elf with a talent for uncovering inconvenient truths and an anxious young reindeer desperate to prove himself, Harper follows a trail of hidden archives, staged rituals, and erased history. The deeper she digs, the more she questions everything she believed about Christmas, her family, and the myths holding the North Pole together.

Santa Is Not a Killer is a holiday fantasy mystery about legacy, truth, and the cost of protecting tradition.

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Praise & Reviews

“

"A beautifully triumphant coming of age story."

-ARC Review

"The writing is extraordinary! From the very beginning, this story had me engaged and filled with anticipation! Fantastic read!"

-GoodReads US Review

"Exceptional insight with an apparent natural proficiency in crafting a scene, a moment, an era that touches and delves into the depths of the reader's memory of life experiences."

-Amazon Review

"From beginning to end, Ciccarello's writing effortlessly carried me on the journey... His prose drew me in, and there were times when it was difficult to put the book down."

-Val Francis, Author

"I laughed, I reflected, and I cried more than once. I loved this book!"

-Amazon Reviewer

"A powerful read."

-BookSirens UK Review

“

"A beautifully triumphant coming of age story."

-ARC Review

“

"The writing is extraordinary! From the very beginning, this story had me engaged and filled with anticipation! Fantastic read!"

-GoodReads US Review

“

"Exceptional insight with an apparent natural proficiency in crafting a scene, a moment, an era that touches and delves into the depths of the reader's memory of life experiences."

-Amazon Review

“

"From beginning to end, Ciccarello's writing effortlessly carried me on the journey... His prose drew me in, and there were times when it was difficult to put the book down."

-Val Francis, Author

“

"I laughed, I reflected, and I cried more than once. I loved this book!"

-Amazon Reviewer

“

"A powerful read."

-BookSirens UK Review

Other Works

Book cover for The Lucky Chip - red and black background depicting a woman and man in shadow with the man holding a gun.

book cover for "Firefly Hunters" depicting a small boy in a dark field with a lantern

Boys Like Daniel

LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction - 2025

No Time for Duplicity

Psychological Thriller - 2025

The Lucky Chip

Psychological Thriller - 2025

Boys Like Kevin

LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction - 2024

Firefly Hunters

Coming 2027

Learn More

About D.J. Ciccarello

D.J. Ciccarello is an independent novelist whose character-driven stories explore identity, relationships, family, secrets, and the choices that shape our lives.

His novels span genres and generations, from the coming-of-age story Boys Like Kevin and the 1980s Atlanta-set Boys Like Daniel, to the psychological twists of No Time for Duplicity, the dual-timeline The Lucky Chip, and the holiday fantasy mystery Santa Is Not a Killer. Though each story inhabits a different world, his fiction is united by memorable characters confronting questions of the past, truth, and belonging—and discovering that the answers are rarely as simple as they first appear.

D.J. writes stories designed to entertain while leaving readers with something to think about after the final page.

Connect and follow D.J. Ciccarello on Facebook and Instagram at "djciccarello".