Frannie Shoemaker and her friends go camping to get away from the real world. So they are surprised and dismayed to find their wilderness campground the production site of a new ‘reality’ show–Celebrity Campout. Reality intrudes on their week in the form of accidents, nature, and even murder. They handle the situation with their usual humor, compassion, and mystery solving, because…camping can … can be murder.
more
Real Actors, Not People (A Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries Book Eight) was another good read by Karen Musser Nortman. While Frankie and her friends are camping, they find it is a production site for a new reality show. Unfortunately there are accidents and even a murder on the set. Frankie and the gang try to solve the mystery of what happened. Michelle Babb did a great job of narrating. I can’t wait to read more by Karen Musser Nortman.
Real Actors, Not People by Karen Musser Nortman is the eighth book in the Frannie Shoemaker mysteries. Another campground…another murder. Frannie once again finds herself smack in the middle of a murder investigation. Frannie and friends find themselves in Upper Michigan (my home state!) in this story. Lots of fun and a good cozy mystery. A reality show is about to begin filming and the actors are characterized as being ‘has-been’ or ‘never were’, and someone has a grudge. With some twists and turns to the plot, the author keeps you guessing to the end as to the culprit. Nortman’s Frannie Shoemaker books are fun to read (or listen to as this reviewer did). The narrator, Michelle Babb, does a nice job of giving characters their unique voice, making for an enjoyable listening experience. I’ve enjoyed this series and hope there are more books to come. I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
Frannie Shoemaker, her husband, and her inlaws have arrived at another campground only to find out their campground will soon become the site of a celebrity reality show. When the celebrities show up, it was obvious they have no previous camping experience. Shortly after the show starts shooting footage, someone associated with the show is found dead. Frannie and her family get pulled into the investigation. Can they help find what really happened?
This series just keeps getting better. I love Frannie and her family and friends. They are realistic, fun, and relatable characters. The mystery is well-plotted, has plenty of suspects, and several twists and turns along the way to the big reveal. This series makes me want to go camping even though I’ve never camped in my life. This is a reflection of how well the book is written.
I listened to the audio version of this book. Narrator Michelle Babb is a gifted storyteller. Babb brings the story to life, allowing the reader to easily visualize what is happening in the book. She has a wonderful tone of voice which helps bring out each character’s personality. I recommend listening to the audio version if you have that option.
UP-Michigan, cozy-mystery, television, camping, murder
Even if you’ve never read any of these Campground Mysteries, you won’t feel out of the loop. This time the group of friends are vacationing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan when they encounter cold wet weather, an invasive television crew, and murder, followed by even worse weather and. .. almost did a spoiler! Anyway, it is a good read made even better by having Michelle Babb to bring the characters to life with her narration.
I listened to the audio version of this book. I really love this series. It’s not what I usually go for, but Frannie and her friends and their camping really appeal to me for some reason. I love the whole concept of preparing meals and eating together and just being out in nature and exploring.
Of course, where Frannie is, a dead body shows up. This time it’s someone involved with the reality TV show that is filming in the campground Frannie and her friends are staying. Frannie is on it!
I was trying to figure out what was different about this story and decided maybe it was that Frannie wasn’t as “involved” with the police officers investigating. I’m not real sure, but there just didn’t seem to be as much involvement in this story.
I enjoyed Ms. Babb’s narration, as usual.
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed this book. It’s another action packed hit. I never watch them, to busy listening to audio books but even I have heard of reality tv shows and loved the idea of one being set in a camp ground. Of course if it was set on a camp ground that Frannie and her friends are visiting then something is bound to go wrong and go wrong it did. It makes for a very entertaining story with plenty of twists and bickering, just right for a good cozy mystery if not for the tv. I hope there is more to come in this series because I have enjoyed them all and feel like I know the characters so well.
Frannie and her friends turn up at the latest camp ground to find they are not the only ones putting in an appearance at the site. A new Reality tv show is planning to start filming B list stars and old washed up has been. The production soon takes over the whole site and every time Frannie and the gang turn around they find the producer arguing with some one that is until he ends up dead. Frannie once again promises to stay out of it but when a sudden ice storm hits, she and the gang are out helping the celebrities that were stuck in tents and can’t help but ask questions. When the killer realises she is talking to everyone it gets very personal for Frannie just when her family needs her the most. Could this case be camera, action and lights out for Frannie? Who needs tv when you go camping with Frannie?
Another out standing performance by the narrator. One that could have very easily been playing on the screen