Welcome to Normal, Kentucky~ where nothing is normal. A Campers and Criminal Mystery Series is another brainchild of USA Today Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes. If you love her quirky southern characters and small town charm with a mystery to solve, you’re going to love her new cozy mystery series! The legend of John Swift Silver Mine has been a tale tell around the Daniel Boone National Park for … National Park for over 400 years. This year the treasure hunters have descended upon Normal and staying in Happy Trails Campground before they head out on their yearly expedition to find the treasure.
Once again, Mae and the Laundry Club ladies, along with Mary Elizabeth, find themselves doing things they never thought they’d never do. Go on a treasure hunt! They pile into Mae’s RV and join the treasure hunters so they too can try their luck at striking it rich.
Telling stories around a campfire about the curse of the John Swift Silver Mine is a fun story….until one of the treasure hunters is found dead…was it the curse or was it murder?
Mae discovers an unheeded warning that will bring the tall tale to life if she can’t end the story for good before the killer strikes again with or without finding the John Swift Silver mine.
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I just finished a book by Tonya Kappes titled Assailants, Asphalt & Alibis: A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series. This is the 8th book in the series, based on a small town called Normal, Kentucky, where nothing is normal. This is an awesome series with quirky characters, like Mae West- no, not that Mae West. This one is a relatively new resident, having taken over a trailer park and endearing herself to the community. This can be read as a standalone, but once you read it, or any of the others, I think you will agree that they’re wonderful, lighthearted books that should all be read! I know I plan to do just that!!
In Assailants, Asphalt & Alibis, treasure hunters descend upon Normal as they prepare for the annual hunt for the lost treasure of the John Swift Silver Mine. Years ago, John Swift had hidden treasure in various spots in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Now, groups are descending upon the area in the hopes of finding the treasure. Hearing about the treasure hunt and the famous curse attached to the John Swift Silver Mine entices Mae and a few of her closest friends to get in on the action. But trouble soon follows, in the form of a dead body. And to make matters worse, a freak rainstorm leaves the campers stranded, with a murderer on the loose! Can they figure out who killed the leader of the group?
This book is as catchy as the title suggests. The characters are whimsical and funny, the plot full of twists and turns, and the research that went into the book made it so real. I thoroughly enjoyed Assailants, Asphalt & Alibis, and I can’t wait to read the next installment!
Love Mae and the gang. They get into situations without even trying. While they sleuth their way through the mystery, you will fall down laughing at what they come up with. A truly fun and entertaining series. Camping will never be the same again. A must add to your TBR list.
Mae and the Laundry Club have been drawn by the John Swift treasure hunt. They grab their camper and head out on a girls trip to see if they can unlock the mystery. But it’s not treasure that they find!
It was the perfect cozy read set in Normal, Kentucky with a side of murder and adventure. I absolutely loved how much history was packed into this book. The characters are so relatable that you can’t wait to grab your RV and start your life at Happy Trails Campground. MOST definitely recommend you grab your copy today and get read to go on a treasure hunt with the Laundry Club!
Welcome to a return adventure in the camper and criminal mystery series. This cozy mystery deals with plenty of southern charm and is delightful.
The Laundry Club ladies learn of John Swift’s silver mine and off they go. Driving Mae West’s camper the ladies are truly roughing it without WiFi or luxury accommodations. Many laugh out moments happen throughout the story. While out exploring using a compass and map a body drops from the sky landing near the ladies. Back at main camp another body is discovered. Is this part of John Swift’s curse? Never fear, these Southern ladies are on the case. Many delicious campfire recipes are included at the end. Can’t wait for book 9 in this series.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy and honestly share this review.
This is such a fun cozy mystery. Each of these characters just keeps getting more fun with each book. I learn more and more about these characters with each book in this series. Keep writing more books in this series. I love the setting of these being in Kentucky. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Assailants, Asphalt, & Alibis is book eight in the Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery series. Who doesn’t love a treasure hunt? I had so much fun reading this book. It’s full of twists, turns, and laughs. A perfect combination. I definitely recommend it.
Mae West is back in a truly grand adventure! Assailants, Asphalt & Alibis has Mae and her friends joining the annual treasure hunting frenzy for John Swift’s treasure and lost silver mine. I loved learning about a real legend in the Daniel Boone National Forest – of course, Mae and the Laundry Club gals get swept into the treasure hunt and find far more than a few pieces of silver!
Two of the treasure hunters the gals were tagging along with died under mysterious circumstances. And Mary Elizabeth, Mae’s foster mom, is one of the suspects. Mae and the Laundry Club immediately go into full investigation mode. What they discover completely surprised me!
I love Tonya Kappes’s writing! The Camper & Criminals Cozy series is particularly wonderful – the characters are warm and lively. Normal, Kentucky, in the heart of the Daniel Boone National Forest is a perfect setting – especially Mae’s little corner of Normal, the Happy Trails Campground! The storytelling is spot on and the mysteries always keep me on my toes! While Assailants, Asphalt & Alibis can be enjoyed on its own – the entire series is excellent and well worth reading!
Mae West and the Laundry Club are at it again but now they go on a treasure hunt into the Daniel Boone National Forrest to find The John Swift Silver what happens instead is dead bodies and what some thinks is a John Swift Curse. This has so much twists and turns haliarty abounds. I love leaning history along with fiction this was a joy to read.
I received an ARC for a honest review
It’s another great adventure with Mae and her side kicks in this funny, entertaining mystery. I get excited every time I know there is a new book in this series. I have come to think of the main characters as my friends and imagine sitting around the campfire with them.
This story finds Mae and her friends taking a trip in the Daniel Boone National Forest to look for treasures. The rumor has been circulating around that John Swift left treasures hidden in the mines deep in the forest. The author does such a great job of recapping the history of John Swift that I was ready to join the caravan to help look for the treasures.
I laughed so hard when Mae and her friends decided to go for the weekend and search with others. All of them in one camper with no electricity is an accident waiting to happen. Being in the woods with no cell phones, air conditioning or even a hair dryer was too much for one camper. Oh my I wanted to scream with happiness at the groups’ shenanigans. Mary Elizabeth becomes the victim of stolen property when her pearls come up missing. To be fair, who wears pearls on a camping trip? Only one of our lovely ladies can pull that off. It sets the stage for a full out pointing fingers and unexplained deaths.
One of the intriguing parts of the story was learning more about ginseng. I didn’t know how valuable it was until the author enlightened me on its importance to some. Harvesting it in the forest has become a crime but not everyone abides by the rules. I was surprised at the unexpected deaths that happen and was taken aback at who was the number one suspect was. For once it is not Mae, but she finds herself deep in the investigation.
This story is full of twists, laughs and characters that make the story come alive. One weekend ladies’ get away turns into a cat and mouse game when the killer is determined to not get caught. Don’t miss this wonderful adventure that puts the ladies in danger in a story filled with quirky characters and a trip they will never forget.
I received an arc copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.
Mae and the gang go on a road trip to hunt for treasure. Of course there is at least one dead body and Mae is on the case. This time Granny Agnes helps her out. This one was a little different IMO partly because it doesn’t take place in Normal or a the campground. Hank and Mae’s relationship is changing and I loved the ending. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy.
Mae West once again finds herself in the middle of an investigation in this fun eighth entry in Kappes’ Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery series ASSAILANTS, ASPHALT, AND ALIBIS. The story draws on real Kentucky folklore, John Swift’s treasure buried somewhere in the Daniel Boone National Park. Mae, her mother, and friends join a group of experienced treasure hunters to search for Swift’s bounty. Not all is fun and games, though, when they are isolated by heavy rains, mom Mary Elizabeth’s pearls are stolen, tension arises among the hunters, and one of them falls to his death. Is the death an unfortunate accident, a result of the Swift legend’s curse, or murder?
Time spent with Mae and friends is always madcap hilariousness and a wonderful escape from the burdens of real life. The characters are well developed, varied, and oh so eccentric. I missed Dottie and Hank was not featured as much, but I was happy that Hank’s grandmother was featured. They are among my favorites. The mystery is interesting, but, as always, the ending feels rushed and the resolution slightly out of the blue.
I really enjoyed ASSAILANTS, ASPHALT, AND ALIBIS and recommend it to any cozy reader, especially those seeking a Southern setting and a cast of zany characters. This book can be read as a standalone.
I received an ARC of this title from the author and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Pretty fun ride.
I always enjoy a romp into Normal, KY and the Daniel Boone National Forest. I am always learning something interesting while reading this cozy series. This time around, I learned some tidbits of information on John Swift’s silver mine and his hidden treasure. I also learned about ginseng agriculture in Kentucky. I was not aware of this crop being grown in Kentucky.
It’s always a refreshing break when I read any book in this series and Ms Kappes did not disappoint.
This is book 8 and can be read as a standalone mystery. Mae and the gang kept me smiling as they try to solve the murders that ensue in this book.
The humor, the great writing and the characters keep me coming back.
I received an advanced e-copy and
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. I am not required to leave a positive review.
The gals are going treasure hunting and primitive camping, no electricity or water or any of the fine things they are used to. The laundry club is all caught up in the lore of the famous Swift treasures supposedly left behind in the Daniel Boone Park, and they figure they have as good a chance as anyone to find it. What they do find are a pearl necklace thief and a catapulting body. You’ll learn all about the stories of treasure hunting and a new to me the fact of ginseng harvesting in Kentucky. The characters are amazing as usual and the locations rich and descriptive.
There is nothing like finding yourself engrossed in a good cozy mystery. One of my favorite series has returned once again. I always enjoy returning to Normal, KY and the adventures of Mae and the Laundry Club ladies. In this adventure they were trying to track down Silver from the John Swift story. Of course there was a body involved and hijinks followed as they tried to solve the mystery. It was a fun read with great characters and a fascinating mystery. I enjoyed it and can’t wait until Mae’s next adventure.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book
Mae and the gang are in the midst of murder up to their eyeballs in this latest installment that takes place as the Laundry Ladies, along with Hank’s grandma, hunt silver treasure in Daniel Boone National Park. Snarkiness, humor, adventure, twists and turns and the return of the characters that make you just plain laugh out loud. Written around the legend of John Swift, this mystery has no shortage of bodies turning up dead, and you would expect nothing less when Mae West is in the vicinity. If this is your first venture into the Camper and Criminals Cozy series, this will certainly make you want to go back and read the others, if you’ve never read anything by Tonya Kappes, this is a great place to start, if you love a good cozy mystery, get this one, you will not be disappointed
I just love this series. I love the comraderie between Mae and her friends, her relationship with detective Hank and the town of Normal. The backdrop of Daniel Boone Park has so many stories to keep this series moving along. This one takes some of the friends on a treasure hunt and a murder to solve. When you get to the end it will knock your socks off. I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing.
Welcome to another crazy criminal investigation with Mae West and The Laundry Club Ladies, residents of Normal, KY and the Daniel Boone camp ground. Mae owns the camp ground thanks to her weasel of an ex husband who out Ponzied Ponzi and Bernie, too. He hid some of his assets using Mae as cover and the Happy Trails camp ground was all she had left. So she returned to Normal (hah), a place she had escaped from when she turned eighteen. She had no intention of returning but, when she had to, it turned out to be just about the best life change ever. The campground is doing very well and she has friends and family who care about her. They even rally around when she crosses paths with a killer….or two or three or ‘I have lost count’. Agnes, Mary Elizabeth, Queenie, and Abby are up for any kind of sleuthing adventure Mae comes up with and this one is a biggie.
Legend in these parts has it that John Swift, a very long time ago, found a silver mine and, to this day, people crawl over just about every inch of the forest hunting for it, maps clutched in their hands. Mae and her gang are working with three different maps – will that increase their luck? Luck is what these ladies will be needing when they head off in the camper for a weekend hike in the forest, following the other treasure hunters, Mason and Dirk. Camping gets rough when the rains come, the roads turn to mud and there is no cell phone connection. Glad Mae brought a CB radio along because the bodies start to pile up and the heat is rising, it’s time to call for her policeman boyfriend, Hank.
Besides the killer in their midst and the lost silver mine, there is a thread I also found very interesting – the growing and harvesting of Ginseng. To say that I found this latest Camper and Criminals mystery entertaining is an understatement. Reading time spent with Mae and the gang is always a hoot.
I really like Agnes, Hank’s granny, so I was happy that she tagged along with Mae and the Laundry Club ladies on their treasure hunting adventure. This was another fun mystery, and I loved the ending. I look forward to visiting Mae and Hank in the next Camper & Criminals mystery.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary Advance Reader Copy.
This is the 8th book in the Camper & Criminals series where the Laundry Club ladies decide to go on an adventure and look for the treasure of John Swift. They are joined by Agnes Swift and things always go wrong when the ladies get together! Not one but two murders have happen and Mae needs to solve theses murder(s) before the cruse gets her….so we are told.
I really enjoyed seeing a different side of Mary Elizabeth and Agnes in this story!
I received an Advanced Readers Copy and love this series and can’t wait for the next book.