Welcome to Normal, Kentucky where nothing is normal!The Daniel Boone National Forest is gorgeous in the fall. The leaves have painted the sides of the mountains with yellow, oranges, reds and browns you won’t see anywhere else. That’s why it’s such a popular destination for weddings!When a wedding party show up at Happy Trails Campground, Mae West is thrilled. She’s all things girly and excited … girly and excited to assist the bride in all things southern, which is what the bride is hankering for.
Mae recognizes the parents of the bride when they arrive. They are from her past. The past she’s been desperately trying to escape…especially since it was the time she was married to Paul West. This just isn’t any couple, it’s the owners of the famous Moonbucks Coffee Company.
Determined to get the happy couple married off and on their way, hoping to see some of her past drive off forever, Mae volunteers herself and the Laundry Club ladies to become the wedding coordinators.
The wedding is set to take place in the beautiful wedding barn at the Old Train Station Motel, only Gert Hobson, the owner of Trails Coffee Shop and providing the coffee for the happy couple, has decided there’s no way she’s going to help out with Tom Moon’s daughter’s wedding since she claims how years ago Tom Moon STOLE her coffee blend recipe known today as the special Moonbucks blend.
A public fight between Gert and Tom leaves Gert a prime suspect after a member of the wedding party is found dead at the wedding venue. There might not be a happily ever after for the bride to be or Gert Hobson if Mae West and the Laundry Club ladies don’t solve the murder before the wedding party’s RV rolls out of town.
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Another fun time with the Laundry club girls getting together to help out their friend, Mae who is juggling a campground, a bride and a murder. It’s always fun returning to Normal and all of the wonderful people there. I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing.
Valleys, Vehicles & Victims is another exciting installment in Kappes’ Campers and Criminals cozy mystery series. Mae is excited at first to have booked a wedding party for her campground. Then things take a turn for the worst when the wedding party turns out to have ties to Mae’s past, which she has tried so hard to forget. When a member of the wedding party is found dead and her friend becomes a suspect, Mae has no choice but to get involved in the case despite Hank warning her to stay away. Mae can’t allow her friend to go to jail for something she didn’t do and becomes determined to solve this case no matter what.
Kappes does a great job at setting up this intriguing tale full of mystery, family drama, secrets, and murder. I love how this mystery brings Mae’s past back up giving Mae the opportunity to see how much she has grown and changed since moving to Kentucky. I also really loved seeing all of my favorite secondary characters back because they add so much to the story. This case also brings to light some tension between Mae and Hank as she goes against his wishes to help solve the case. Valleys, Vehicles & Victims captures the reader’s interest from the very beginning and never lets go. I really enjoyed the latest installment in this series, and I look forward to reading Mae’s next adventure. If you are looking for mystery, humor, drama, and an entertaining read, then Valleys, Vehicles & Victims is the book for you.
Received a copy of Valleys, Vehicles & Victims from the author in exchange for my honest review.
This was one of my favorite camper and criminals books in the series! There was a lot of twists that I definitely was not expecting. With a mystery, it’s never the most obvious suspect but I definitely did not see this ending coming. I was definitely putting myself in the characters shoes and getting upset along with them when different things happened. I love Tonya’s writing. Is the next one available yet?!!!!
I adore this whole series—like the other books in the series, it works well as a stand-alone, but you can enjoy them more when read in order, I think. Normal, KY is full of interesting characters—add quirky visitors and you have a really fun southern cozy mystery. This book was especially fun, because who doesn’t love to watch a rich bridezilla go a bit nuts? Add in…well, no spoilers, but add in the mayhem of a murder, and of course Mae and her friends need to help find the culprit or culprits. The protagonist, Mae, is a wonderful character—I hope there end up being at least 50 books in this series! I was provided a free ARC of this book, but these opinions are my own.
I enjoyed Valleys, Vehicles & Victims. It was another fun addition to the Camper & Criminals series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary Advance Reader Copy.
Mae has a wedding party coming to stay at the campground. Turns out she knows the family. The bride’s family is not happy with their daughter’s choice of husband and lets everyone know it. The bride’s father gives her anything she wants and she wants to marry this man, so he goes ahead with the preparations. Mae gets involved with the planning, very reluctantly. She is taken by surprise a few times and gets involved with not only the planning, but their lives. When Mae discovers a body, she knows that she has to investigate this murder. Again. Hank isn’t very happy about because once again, her life is in danger.
Valleys, Vehicles & Victims is the best of a very strong mystery series! Every element works perfectly and in harmony. Now that the series is on the ninth book, visiting Normal, Kentucky, is a bit like coming home.
All of the characters have come into their own and become fully fleshed out people. Normal, in the heart of the Daniel Boone National Forest is a lively community.
The wedding party that descends on Mae and her campground is every bit as messy and dramatic as you might expect. When the father of the bride turns up dead in a motel room, it is time for Mae and the ladies of the Laundry Club to save the day.
Many thanks to Tanya Kappes for giving me the opportunity to read and review Valleys, Vehicles & Victims!
The first wedding party of the year arrives at Happy Trails Campground. As if weddings are not stressful enough the bride and groom’s parents don’t seem to support this union of the bride and groom. To make things more stressful there is a journalist following the party around to do an article in a high society magazine. As time passes things heat up between the groom and his family and the bride’s parents. Since Mae knew the bride’s parents from her past she can not help but get pulled into the investigation.
I get excited when I get another book in the A Camper and Criminals Series. I love this series. With every new book the series gets better, the characters more complex, and the mysteries get more intricate. This book stays true to Tonya Kappes writing style of quirky characters, small-town southern charm, humor, and mystery. The storyline is well developed and moves at a quick pace with lots of twists and turns. Although there are not a lot of suspects the well placed red herring kept me guessing until the end.
I received a copy of this book at my request, and I have voluntarily left this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
This has been my favorite book in this series. I loved each of these characters that Run throughout this series. You must read some of the previous books to really enjoy each of the other books I the series. I love how Mae solves these mysteries with the help of her friends. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Welcome back to another adventure in Normal Kentucky. This series is one of the best ever written. You can easily imagine the campgrounds as Mae oversees her business. Who wouldn’t want to go there and be part of her group of friends? I have come to think of Mae as my friend and enjoy every story about her.
I loved the story of a wedding party visiting the campground. It was so fun to read about high society and Mae’s past coming up to smack her in the face. What are the odds that she would know the father of the bride? Yes it is true that Mae once upon a time was in the middle of the influential people that made headlines just by appearing at a party.
The bride to be, Shay is a snobby rich girl that has her daddy wrapped around her finger. She is so spoiled that if she just snaps her finger, her daddy comes running to save the day. What I really liked was the business the family was in. Can you smell the coffee brewing as the story circles around a well know coffee company? Shay’s daddy has made millions on his trade mark coffee. The plot thickens as the ownership of the famous coffee recipe comes into question.
The characters in this story are very well written and make for a great read in this free for all adventure with a wedding that may or may not happen. When someone is murdered from the wedding party, it is chaos at its best. Front and center is Mae as she tries to uncover secrets and find out who the killer is. I loved how the story had many surprises with suspects galore . There seems to be a bit of animosity between the bride and groom’s family. Greed and deceit is at the center of this well written story.
It was nice to get more background on Mae and how she came to be the owner of Happy Trails Campground. Getting a glimpse into her past puts in perspective how hard she has worked to start over. Hank is always there to try to keep Mae out of trouble. Oh my I don’t think he knows just how much trouble he is in trying to rein Mae in. This has been a great story filled with mystery, great characters and as always Mae at her best side job of sleuthing .
I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.
Another entertaining episode in the Campers and Criminals Cozy Mystery Series! Although this book does okay as a stand-alone, it is better read in order as the stories and characters continue to develop from one book to the next, although you do need to know there is always a solution and never a cliff hanger. Mae West is the owner of Happy Trails Campgrounds and is the hostess of a socialite wedding. The twist here is that Mae recognizes one of the wedding party as a person from her former NY life when she was married to her now-dead scammer ex. The world-famous Moonbucks (lol) coffee family is the center of attention in this book, and well, besides there being plenty of antics, twists and turns and a super fun cozy mystery, you get closure with a ‘who wudda guessed it’ ending and nothing but pure entertainment. So, no spoilers here, you need to go get this book to get the entire story about this wedding party in an RV park gone wrong. I will tell you that Mae’s boyfriend, detective Hank shows up to the ‘party’ as well. So grab your very own cup of joe, a comfy chair, and buckle in for an enjoyable ride. I received an ARC of this book, and after reading it decided to post an honest review so you will read it too!
Valleys, Vehicles and Victims by Tonya Kappes is another great installment in the Camper & Criminals Series. Join Mae and the Laundry Girls in the Daniel Boone National Forest in the splendor of fall. A wedding group shows up at the campground and Mae is thrilled. Until she stumbles onto the body. Now it’s up to Mae and the Laundry Girls to find the real killer before one of their friends is arrested for something she didn’t commit. You will be guessing from start to finish at who the killer is.
I received an advance review copy for my honest review.
3.5 stars
I really enjoy the Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery Series, and VALLEYS, VEHICLES, AND VICTIMS is a fun adventure with campground owner Mae and the residents of picturesque Normal, Kentucky.
Mae gets a blast from her past when a bridal party comes to town, and she realizes that she knows the family from her former high society life through her deceased ex-husband Paul. She has no idea that the bride Shay Moon’s bargained an exclusive interview with Mae to get a society magazine to come cover the wedding. A secret comes to light that could threaten the family’s coffee empire, and when the father of the bride is found stabbed to death in the groom’s motel room, Mae feels she must solve the case to help her friend Gert, the local coffee shop owner.
I had a hard time getting into VALLEYS, VEHICLES, AND VICTIMS, perhaps because the murder does not take place until more than halfway through the tale or because all of the characters associated with the wedding are terribly unlikable. I cannot stand the entitled attitude of the bride and her father. I also missed the Laundry Club members’ contributions; they seem mostly absent here. The mystery itself is entertaining though, and I did not figure out whodunit right away.
I continue to be a fan of Mae and recommend VALLEYS, VEHICLES, AND VICTIMS to readers of the series and those looking for a light, funny cozy mystery.
I received an ARC of this title and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
This story was fun, and aggravating, from beginning to end. Mae West has been at Happy Trails in Normal, Kentucky for quite awhile now. Long enough to bring her true reputation (not the one they thought because of her con ex-husband who stole money from them) to light. She is loved and respected. Of course, true to the normal course of life, in rolls the past – literally!
Shay Moon, the bride to be, is throwing her high society almost out the door when she spots Mae West’s articles and seems to dote on her. What Mae is not prepared for is her over-pretentious father, Tom, whom she and Paul had seen and met through other social engagements. She is also not prepared for is Pierce, the journalist for “High Society” magazine – with whom Shay had promised a all-inclusive story with Mae, without Mae’s knowledge.
Things start to turn downhill as truths come to light about Shay’s husband to be, his family, recipes and soon, murder. Things are not as they seem and sometimes the bad guys do really want to make amends. They just don’t always know how to do it.
This story was easy to read and also fun to follow along. I said aggravating earlier because you can feel the animosity that Mae feels towards Pierce and her old life. It gives Mae a look on how she has changed for the better and the true friends she has made.
I gave this story 4 stars because of a couple things. While I am glad that Pierce fell off of the story, that was a problem. Most because he was kept building up Mae’s aggravation and then just disappears with no more word of where he went, if he wrote a story, etc. It was like he no longer existed. Also because of Hank. He does make a presence in the story, but is preoccupied with tying up his last case. But I am surprised Mae doesn’t get whiplash from his attitude and personality. First he is okay with her helping out, but then all of the sudden he freaks out and about wants to lock her in her camper (not literally) and keep her from investigating. While I understand he is worried, it seems he does not know what to do with his feelings (most of us) and that Tonya helps him figure it out. I almost get a headache reading about their relationship.
This book is best read as part of the series to understand the character dynamics and relationships, but can be read as a standalone. I received a free copy of this book to review.
Valleys, Vehicles & Victims is the next book in the wonderful campers and criminals cozy mystery series. A bride, groom, family, and friends can’t wait to participate in a destination southern wedding. This one takes place in the beautiful Daniel Boone National Forest. When the wedding party steps foot off their RV the reader can tell tension is in the air. Filled with moments of mystery, tension and laughter. I read this page turner of a book straight through. Tonya Kappes keeps the reader on their toes trying to solve this mystery with Mae West, amateur sleuth. This series can’t be missed. Enjoyable, witty, and a most unpredictable read. I was given an advanced reader copy. I voluntarily reviewed this copy.
Valleys, Vehicles, & Victims book 9 in the Camper & Criminal Cozy Series by Tonya Kappes. I just love this series and each book gets better as we go along. I don’t know how Tonya does it but she does. I love visiting Normal Kentucky and all the wonderful well developed characters. You feel like you are friends with them all. Even though this book is #9 in the series it can very well be read as a standalone. You might want to read the other books in the series since there are snippets from earlier escapades. So many twists and turns to keep you entertained. You think you have it all figured out but guess what you are wrong. I just can’t wait for the next adventure with these fun loving quirky characters.
Tonya Kappes is a pro at capturing the southern town of Normal, Kentucky! From the descriptions of the crisp leaves changing colors in the fall all the way down to the perfect wedding venue Tonya provides a vivid pictures for all to see. The Camper & Criminals series has been a favorite series of mine since the first book released and I have been captivated by each book since. Kappes writes in a league of her own and I am always looking forward to her next release with enthusiasm. If you are a reader of cozy mysteries and enjoy books that not only provide the perfect setting and backdrop that will fulfill your needs of travel without having to actually leave the house, then this series is a must read for you. Not only that, the mysteries are excellent! She knows how to leave a trail of breadcrumbs leading to a killer while also tricking us into thinking it’s one person when it’s actually another! I love the surprise factor! In this book, I certainly didn’t see “who-dun-it” until the big reveal at the end!
That being said, readers who are fans of this series are going to want to join Mae, Gert, Dottie, and the rest of the crew as they get ready for their first wedding party at the Happy Trails Camp Ground. Unfortunately, what’s supposed to be a happy moment for everyone involved turns deadly when one of the individuals in the wedding party gets killed… What will happen to the wedding? Has Mae finally met her match with a killer? And what will happen with all the ladies as one of their own is thrust into the spotlight for possibly being a killer? Well, you’ll have to read Valley’s, Vehicles & Victims to find out!
SIDE NOTE: I recommend reading this book in order of publication as a certain romantic relationship does blossom throughout the series. Not only that, these books are lighthearted and fairly quick to read so you can breeze through the series in no time!
Tonya Kappes
This is the ninth book in the series of A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery where Mae West is hosting a Bridal Party at the Happy Trails Campgrounds in Normal Kentucky. It is a rocky start since the brides and grooms families don’t get along. This going to be a very long weekend for Mae and the Crew especially since Mae has just been made the Wedding Planner! Wow what has she gotten into now? Gert Hobson of the Trails Coffee Shop ends up being suspect in the murder of the Tom Moon father of the bride, Shay. Guess there won’t be a wedding now and Mae will need to focus on who killed Tom Moon and why!
The story was great and unbelievable characters in which it makes you feel like you are in Normal Kentucky. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy.
It’s Fall in the Daniel Boone National Forest, the foliage is magnificent and Mae is ready to welcome a wedding party to her camp ground. The wedding will be held in the wedding barn at the recently upgraded local motel. What could possibly go wrong? Well, besides the fact that things usually go haywire with weddings, it’s a given. Homicide isn’t a must have on any bride’s list for the event. For Mae and the Laundry Club Ladies, a homicide here and there…and there, this is business as usual. This time, though, the homicide comes a bit too close to Mae for comfort. As soon as the bride and her mother and friends arrive, Mae wonders if she sees a familiar face in the group. Soon she has her answer – the parents of the bride are from Mae’s past life, the life she escaped when her rotten, cheating and (now dead) ex-husband was running his Ponzi scheme. If that wasn’t enough, her friend Gert has a past with the bride’s father and, when he turns up dead, the police put Gert at the top of the prime suspect list. Time to get the Laundry Club Ladies on the case to track down the killer while trying to keep one of their own from becoming the next victim.
I’m the kind of gal who shies away from camping unless it’s in a fully tricked out RV or one of those glamping tent set ups. However, in this case, I could be convinced to hang out with Mae and her friends. I have no doubt she would make me feel very welcome and would find just the perfect camper for me. Hanging out at night around a campfire with good food and lively conversation, yes, I could do that. After having read all nine mysteries I have become very fond of the characters in them. Full of humor and friendship, a small town with a big heart…always a five star read for this long time mystery reader.
Happy Trails Campground is in turmoil. Mae West is caught up in the craziness of the society wedding of Shay. Her father is Tom Moon owner of Moonbuck’s Coffee. Things keep getting worse when the bride promises that Mae will give an exclusive interview about her past. I couldn’t believe this bridezilla! As the future in-laws fight, Gert, the owner of Normal’s local coffee shop, accuses Tom Moon of stealing her special coffee recipe. Now he’s been murdered and Gert is the prime suspect. This story is filled with nonstop drama. There were so many suspects. I couldn’t stop reading. I like Mae and her friends. Nothing stops them from finding the truth. I enjoy the small town atmosphere. The romance between Mae and Hank adds a special touch to this cozy. I hope that they don’t run into problems with her sleuthing. I don’t see Mae changing. She will always do what’s right. I can’t wait to see what will happen next.