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! When the principal of Normal High School asks Mae West to teach a semester on small town economics, … economics, since she helped bring the thriving economy in Normal, Kentucky when she used her brilliant ideas to bring the Happy Trails Campground back to life, Mae is thrilled and happy to teach the young people.
But when a fellow teacher and archery Coach Roger Carlson, is found stone-cold dead, facedown in one of Happy Trails Campground campers with an arrow sticking out of his back, it puts a damper on the thriving campground when tourists cancel their reservations and Mae’s excitement to teach.
Mae’s hankering to snoop into the coach’s private life and find out exactly why he was renting a camper in Happy Trails and not living at home with his young wife. Her efforts don’t leave her short on suspects. Especially, since Mae uncovered many unhappy parents who had relied on an archery scholarship and perfect ACT scores as their child’s ticket to get out of Normal and go to college.
Mae has to be careful or she just might find an arrow with her name written on it.
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I was given an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.
In this next chapter of Mae’s life, she is given the key to the city in honor of boosting the economy of the city of Normal.
She is also asked to teach a class at the local high school, even though she has no experience teaching.
Unfortunately, before she begins her teaching job, a teacher, who has been renting a camper at her campground has been murdered. This starts a spiral of cancellations so Mae and her gang feel compelled to solve the mystery despite the fact Mae’s boyfriend is the police dectective trying to solve this the “legal way”
With the usual hijinx and fumblings that the Laundry Club tend to get into, that will tickle your funny bone, Tonya Kappas weaves a great mystery that will leave you guessing until the end, “who did it?”
I think this one is my favorite one yet! I liked that there was finally a resolution to the love triangle. The ending took me completely by surprise. I’m seriously loving this series!
Mae West is given a key to the city at a ceremony held at her campground. The school archery coach and Economics teacher, Scott Goodman, who is a new renter at her campground is found dead in a camper. This begins the investigation by the police and the snooping by the Laundry Club.
What I like about this series is that it is a clean cozy with a lot of spirit. It is well-written and plotted. As I read, I can tell Ms Kappes takes a lot of care to plan out her story and the twist and turns. The characters have distinct personalities, wit and to some degree grace. I love the escape from day to day activities when I sit down to read one of her books.
I also enjoy that means the characters use to get their information and that they then pass it onto the police.
If you haven’t yet and like smartly written cozies give this series a shot.
I was given an Advanced E-Copy by the author. I am not obligated to give a positive review.
Another visit to Normal, Kentucky as I continue to read about Mae West. She is fitting into the town well and is recognized by the town for her accomplishments. As members of the school community begin to show up dead, she steps in to assist in finding the killer. I had no idea who was the killer until the end of the story. These books are fast paced with a great group of characters.
Such a good story. I was right about who the bad guy was but man THAT got intense. I know why Hank didn’t talk about his family other than his Granny and wow I don’t blame him.
Will Mae and the Laundry Club ladies solve the murders before Mae is the next victim? Love Mae and the ladies. Wonderful story-line and characters.
I enjoyed this sixth in the series.
When Mae West is asked to teach a semester in economics on how she revitalized the campground and helped increase business in Normal, she finds out that she takes on more than expected.
When she finds the archery coach dead in one of her campers, she must help find who did it to help save her campground. She finds that the coach is not well liked among many and when bodies keep popping up she has her hands full.
I love these characters and the mystery was good and kept me guessing. There is the added bonus of some camping tips and yummy sounding recipes in the back.
Tonya Kappes does it again. This is another great cozy mystery,, filled with kooky characters, a mystery to solve and some romance, as well. This mystery is full of surprises, unexpected twists and suspense that keep you interested in who did it. The book flows smoothly. The characters are the star of this book, providing humour, whit, friendship and small town quirkiness. It is light fun and interesting. I can hardly wait until I get to read the next one.
I love this book series! This is another wonderful book in the Camper and Criminals series. Each book just gets better. The book is interesting and fast paced. The characters are wonderful. I love the Laundry Club ladies. The mystery is interesting and has many twists and turns. The book instantly captures your attention and keeps you entainted until the end. Such a fun book! Each book can be read as a stand alone. This series is one of my absolute favorites and I highly recommend these books!
I normally enjoy this series. The characters and the setting of Normal, Kentucky are anything but normal. I did chuckle at a few things and was caught up in the whole storyline. But this time, at the end, I felt like something was missing. It seemed to end abruptly and then the final scene at the campground between Mae and Hank had me totally confused. I’m hoping I’ll enjoy the next one because overall I have loved immersing myself in this crazy world for a short time.
Since I’m an RV’er I love reading about the antics of these characters. Story flows well. However, the proof reading could be better as there are many errors, but I still enjoy this series & recommend.
Things are going swimmingly for Mae, she is receiving a key to the city for her contribution in helping turn Normals economy around and making her Campground a destination you want to visit. It gets even better when she is asked to give a six weeks class on all that she has done at the local high school. The only downside was having to share her day with a certain reporter. The economics teacher, Coach Roger Carlson, happens to be staying at her Campground for the moment so she decides to take him up on his offer for help. When she finds him in his camper dead with an arrow sticking out of his back Mae knows that attendance might go down if people learn of the murder. After being questioned by the police, her boyfriend Hank, she jumps into action and gets all the ladies together so they can start sleuthing. Coach Carlson was the coach for the archery students, could one of them have been angry enough to do him in? He was staying at the campground because he was having issues with his wife but were they so bad that she would commit murder? Then there were the parents to several of his students that he didn’t see eye to eye with. Having so many places to search and people to look at is sure to keep Mae busy. Follow along as her and the ladies go through all the suspects in search of a killer, can she keep one nosy reporter on the outskirts of the investigation or will she get in the way? This is such a fun series with a unique cast of characters, a down home style setting, and a plot that will definitely keep you guessing. I love this series and always get tickled by Mae and the ladies, not to mention all the hijinks they usually find themselves involved in!!!
There is nothing worse than a murder to have a run of cancellations on reservations at the Happy Trails Campground owned by Mae West.
Mae has just been honored with the key to the city of Normal, KY and has been offered the opportunity to teach a course on economics to the students at the high school of how a small business can succeed in a small town.
But before she can share her ideas with the current teacher, Scott Goodman, Mae finds him dead at the campground with an arrow in his back. Mae needs to find the killer fast before Happy Trails is no longer a happy campground.
I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
Another incredible 5 star read from Tonya Kappes. Canyons, Caravans, & Cadavers: A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery Book 6, is yet another outstanding story from the incomparable Tonya Kappes.
As we’ve begun to expect from her, Kappes improves on her previous work. These characters we fell in love with in book 1 are better with each new story. The background grows in depth with each subsequent story, and leaves you all but begging for the next.
Another well-plotted story with just the right amount of humor, mystery, romance, and twists, and turns. Never a spoiler in my reviews, here’s what you need to know! Well written and fast paced, you don’t have to have read the other books before this to easily get into the story of Mae West, owner of the Happy Trails Campground in Normal, Kentucky who just can’t seem to help herself from getting involved when a dead body turns up! Mae and her posse of super quirky characters never fail to take you on an enjoyable adventure to help(?) Hank (who is Hank? read the book!) find the killer! She is just a trouble magnet, plain and simple. Mae has become somewhat of a celebrity in the town of Normal through the course of the books, so it definitely wouldn’t hurt to go back and read the others, and without a doubt, you will enjoy them too. Laugh out loud moments throughout, and just when you think you know where the story is going…it takes an unexpected twist. So grab your beverage of choice, a quiet corner, and dive in, you’ll be done before you know it, totally satisfied with this page-turner and anxiously awaiting the next installment of life with Mae in the town of Normal. I received an ARC of this book and am providing my honest, unsolicited review.
I love this series! This is the sixth book in the series, but each book works well as a stand-alone. This book seems ripped from the headlines in some ways, regarding standardized test cheating scandals and teacher/coach/parent involvement. The story is much more involved than that, though, and I also know that this book was completed prior to the present headlines. There were a few things that were a little unrealistic, so I would probably give this 4.5 stars and round up to 5. As always, I love this author’s writing, and especially the southern colloquialisms. It has very authentic dialogue and a great set of characters. I highly recommend this series and book. I was provided an ARC by the author, but these opinions are my own.
Canyons, Caravans, & Cadavers is the 6th book in Tonya Kappes’ A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery series. USA Today Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes brings readers back to Normal, Kentucky~ where nothing is normal. A Campers and Criminal Mystery Series is filled with Southern charm and quirky characters. Mae West and the laundry club ladies’ activities keep this series entertaining drawing in readers from the beginning of each “episode” to the end. With the influx of tourists and money since Mae’s arrival in Normal, Kentucky and rehabilitation of the campground, Mae receives a key to the city. Mae agrees to teach a six-week economics class at the high school, but before school starts, Mae finds Scott the economics teacher/archery coach, dead at Happy Trails campground with an arrow through his back. Soon after that discovery, Mae finds the body of the high school janitor, also with an arrow in his back. Why are school employees being targeted? Before additional staff members are targeted, Mae and her friends from the “Laundry Club” are on the case. Ms. Kappes delivers a tightly woven plot with multiple twists that keep the reader guessing. If Hank thinks he can keep Mae from investigating, he is highly mistaken. I truly appreciate reading an entertaining, clean cozy mystery.There are wonderful tips and recipes at the end of this highly entertaining book. If you haven’t discovered this series, I’d suggest you include this one on your book wish list or get a copy today. You won’t be disappointed. I enjoyed it and can’t wait for a return visit with Mae and the gang in book #7!
Canyons, Caravans, & Cadavers is the sixth book in the Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery series. This was another great addition to this series. Mae is excited to teach, but the cancellations are too many. Mae and the gang can’t help but investigate the recent death that is scaring people away. This story kept me hooked, and I highly recommend it.
This is a fun series with great characters! I enjoyed Canyons, Caravans, & Cadavers, and the ending left me anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I can’t wait to see how that situation turns out.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary Advance Reader Copy.
Canyons, Caravans, & Cadavers is the sixth book in the Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery series by Tonya Kappes.
This is a fun series. I love catching up with Mae West and the gang from the Laundry Club.
Mae gets a key to the city which comes with a 6 week teaching position at the high school, which puts her in the perfect place to investigate Normal’s latest murder.
Along with investigating a murder, Hank and Mae have to deal with his family.
I thought I’d figured out who did it a few times, but the story kept taking unexpected twists.
I received this book as a gift and I am voluntarily reviewing it.