St. Nic, Inc. takes one of our most beloved children's story and injects it with true reality. A reality where an extensive bureaucracy runs a worldwide logistics network whose primary goal is to distribute child-friendly leisure products — otherwise known as toys. Yes, Santa is a multi-billion dollar operation that's years ahead of the world in terms of human resource practices, systems technology, and geo-engineering. This clandestine charity operation is threatened by both external and internal forces. Now Nicole Klaas, together with her stolid security head, Jeff Wells, must deal with the sudden arrival of two explorers — who may be spies for a government agency hell-bent on uncovering the truth about the North Pole.

SR Staley's realistic take on the Santa story borders on the satirical, and delves into several relevant social issues that make this read more than just another fiction novel. His take on discrimination of people with dwarfism alone is cause enough for several sleepless nights of thought. At its heart, St. Nic, Inc. is a story about how a fictional tale would fare in today's world. It is Santa's Batman Begins, complete with action-packed scenes, internal character struggles, and sometimes meaningful dialogue that can fuel your imagination just enough for you to overlook plot holes and characterization lapses.

The book's concept is great. It is the perfect "What if?" scenario and SR Staley did a good job of milking it for all it is worth. He seems particularly adept at describing dull bureaucratic machinations and turning it into a fascinating read. The best part of the novel was when he was describing the history and inner workings of the company. You could feel the warm glow of pride and excitement emanating from the pages. Fictional novels are meant to take readers on a wild, speculative ride and St. Nic, Inc. achieves that — and doesn't even need a flying reindeer-drawn sleigh to do so.

St. Nic, Inc. by SR Staley revolves around Peter Peary who finds himself in a hospital bed after a fall in the north of the Arctic Circle. Peter Peary is on an expedition to the North Pole when the accident happens. There are many people suspicious of his presence there and they are not willing to let him go. Peter has to work his way out now. The story has a Chief of Security who is suspicious with a lot of questions to which Peter has no answers, and the Drug Enforcement Agency of the Caribbean Division which is planning a raid into the Arctic and the Little People.

Set in the North Pole, the story is adventurous, taking readers through intrigues, follies, delusions, thrills and imagination. It is a gripping story involving a lot of action and the characters and the plot are original, pulling readers into the story. The characters are portrayed well and they complement each other by seamlessly connecting together the sub plots with the main story. The story, though set in the North Pole, takes a turn from the usual fabled theme of Santa Claus and his reindeer, and leads a reader down a different and unexpected track. The action is real as Peter works his way through the plot to find his own footing in the hospital where he feels he is a prisoner. The narration is detailed and gives a lot of clarity to the plot and the scenes as they unfold.