Book #Review ~ Vistas, Vices, & Valentines (Camper & Criminals #24) by Tonya Kappes #TonyaKappes #CozyMystery

Welcome to Normal where nothing is normal!

Join Mae West and the Laundry Club Ladies as they cha cha and twirl their way around Happy Trails Campground as they put on some sleuthing dance shoes to bring closure to this southern and fun cozy Valentine's mystery.

When I begged Hank Sharp to take dance lessons to celebrate Valentine's Day, I knew I was getting more than I had bargained for. But when a dancer's dead body shows up at the height of the competition and Hank is hired to investigate the murder, I had no idea what we were in store for when he had Dottie Swaggert and Henry Bryant go undercover as a dance competition couple to get insider information.

After a little snooping around, we discovered there were deep running feuds and passions behind those sequins and smiles that gave motive and opportunity to kill for the desires to win the most coveted dancing title.

Time is running out and we fear Dottie's life is in danger. Let's face it, she has a hard time keeping her mouth shut. And NO ONE puts Dottie in the corner.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3r9Yuzc

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58722646-vistas-vices-valentines

ASIN: ‎ B09BK5LHCD

Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books

Publication Date: ‎ January 27, 2022

Print Length: ‎ 182 pages

My Rating and Review:

Vistas, Vices, & Valentines by Tonya Kappes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Vistas, Vices, and Valentines is book 24 in the Camper & Criminals series by Tonya Kappes. It’s the holiday of love in Normal, Kentucky. Due to an upcoming dance competition, there are dancers everywhere in Normal. With the approach of Valentine’s Day, Mae brings in those professional dancers to offer free dance lessons to guests at the Happy Trails Campground. Later, one of them is found dead in a very unlikely location and fingers are pointed toward a guest. Mae, Hank, and the Laundry Club Ladies infiltrate the competition to unravel the mystery.

Vistas, Vices, and Valentines is another great book in the Campers & Criminals series. The mystery is exciting, intriguing, and engaging. The author does a wonderful job keeping the story fresh and exciting.

The author kept me guessing who was responsible for the dancer’s death. There were twists and turns throughout the book that had me going in one direction only to have the mystery shift. Multiple suspects were introduced who had means, motive, and/or opportunity. It was easy to see why they were suspects. The author did a great job building up the suspense until the reveal of the murderer and motive.

As with the rest of the books in the series, the mystery isn't the only thing going on in Normal, Kentucky. Tonya Kappes did a terrific job of weaving everything together between Hank and Mae’s relationship, the murder, and the side stories. The characters are wonderfully crafted, realistically written, and I feel like I'm coming home to Normal with every book in the series.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.  

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Cozy Mystery Review ~ Better Late Than Never (Library Lover's Mystery, Book #7) by Jenn McKinlay @MckinlayJenn @BerkleyMystery @BerkleyPub

In the latest Library Lover’s Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Likely Story, a decades overdue book puts library director Lindsey Norris hot on the trail of a cold case...

When the Briar Creek Public Library holds its first overdue book amnesty day—no fines for late returns—the volume of incoming materials is more than Lindsey and her staff can handle. In a bind, Lindsey drafts the crafternoon ladies to help check in and sort the stacks of books.

But one tardy tome catches her attention—a copy of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, twenty years past due. When Lindsey looks up the borrower, she’s shocked to discover it was a murdered school teacher named Candice Whitley, whose killer was never found.

Candice checked out the novel on the day she was murdered. Now Lindsey wonders if it could provide a clue to the decades-old cold case. No one noticed who brought the book back in, but could it be Candice’s killer? Lindsey is determined to catch the culprit one way or another, because justice for Candice Whitley is long overdue...

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3eGNYbz

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28953443-better-late-than-never

Visit the Author's Website: https://www.jennmckinlay.com/

ASIN: ‎ B01BK0SQ90
Publisher: ‎ Berkley
Publication Date: ‎ November 1, 2016
Print Length: ‎ 297 pages

My Review & Rating:

Better Late Than Never by Jenn McKinlay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Better Late Than Never is another great book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. I love the idea of an overdue book amnesty day. Late books can be returned without fear of a fine. The event is a hit and the sheer number of books returned overwhelms the library. Everything comes to a screeching halt when a decades-old book is found among the returns. Checked out 20 years prior, Lindsey learns the person who borrowed the book is former teacher, Candice Whitley who was murdered the same day she died. Her murdered still hasn’t been found. Now, Lindsey finds herself immersed in a cold case and she just knows the returned book the key to solving the mystery.

I enjoyed Better Late Than Never and devoured it as fast I could without compromising my ability retain the story. The characters are kind and lovable, and I love Ms. Cole. She's a character in her own right. I love the author's writing style, the pacing was good, and the story compelling. The continued character development allowed for me to further get to know the citizens of Briar Creek. The author created a wonderful town, with wonderful characters, and I was able to visualize the entire story. The author did a great job writing this book realistically. I'm invested in these characters and can't wait to dive into the next book.

I borrowed this book from my library.

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Cozy Mystery Review ~ A Likely Story (Library Lover's Mystery, Book #6) by Jenn McKinlay @MckinlayJenn @BerkleyMystery @BerkleyPub

 

Small-town librarian Lindsey Norris must solve a murder and a missing person's case involving two reclusive brothers.

NOT HIS BROTHER'S KEEPER

Delivering books to the housebound residents of the Thumb Islands, just a short boat ride from the town of Briar Creek, library director Lindsey Norris has befriended two elderly brothers, Stewart and Peter Rosen. She enjoys visiting them in their treasure-filled, ramshackle Victorian on Star Island until she discovers that Peter has been killed and Stewart is missing. Now she's determined to solve a murder and find Stewart before he suffers his brother's fate.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zgnAic

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611594-a-likely-story

Visit the Author's Website: https://www.jennmckinlay.com/

ASIN: ‎ B00SI026IS
Publisher: ‎ Berkley (November 3, 2015)
Publication Date: ‎ November 3, 2015
Print Length: ‎ 293 pages

Read an Excerpt on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zgnAic

My Review and Rating: 

A Likely Story by Jenn McKinlay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Likely Story is another great book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. The author sets the stage with a pair of homebound, reclusive brothers on the Thumb Islands, just off the coast of Briar Creek. As she delivers books to residents of the island, she has gotten to know them and enjoys being able to bring them books and visit while she’s there. When she delivers books to Stewart and Peter, she finds Peter is dead in the home the brothers share, and Stewart is missing. The race is on to find Stewart and find out what happened to Peter.

The setting is enjoyable, and the mystery is well-thought out. This one of those books (actually, series) that hooks you, keeps you entertained, and then suddenly, you're at the end already. Every character is great. The characters are well-developed, fun, and likeable. Written 3-dimensionally, they never fall flat or appear like cardboard cutouts.

I found myself able to connect with Lindsey, not because we are or aren’t similar or we've been down the same roads, but because she is fun, interesting, and nice. I love the author's writing style, the pacing was good, and the story compelling. The continual character development allows me to get to know Lindsey, Beth, Sully, and everyone else. The author created a wonderful town, with wonderful characters, and I was able to visualize the entire story.

I borrowed this book from my library.

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Cozy Mystery Review ~ Death Comes to Dogwood Manor (Missy DuBois Mystery #4) by Sandra Bretting @KensingtonBooks #LyricalPress

 

Making Southern brides beautiful is top priority for hat designer Missy DuBois, but sometimes her Louisiana studio moonlights as a crime-solving headquarters . . .

While driving to her hat shop, Crowning Glory, Missy accidentally sideswipes a car parked in front of Dogwood Manor, an antebellum mansion being converted into a high-end hotel by the much-reviled property developer Herbert Solomon. Of course, the car is his Rolls Royce. But Solomon is too busy berating his contractor and interior designer to worry about a little fender bender. When Missy returns to check out the mansion’s chapel where her latest client will be married, she finds the developer dead on his property. After an autopsy finds poison in his body, Missy’s shop is then flooded right before it’s supposed to be featured in an article about wedding-veil trends. Now before everything becomes sheer disaster, she’ll have to train her sights on finding a killer . . .

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Hwjc1H

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40798526-death-comes-to-dogwood-manor

Visit the Author's Website: https://sandrabretting.com/

ASIN: ‎ B078LRLRZB
Publisher: ‎ Lyrical Press
Publication Date: ‎ June 12, 2018
Print Length: ‎ 168 pages

My Review and Rating:

Death Comes to Dogwood Manor by Sandra Bretting
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dogwood Manor has been purchased and is being converted into a luxury hotel by disliked property developer Herbert Solomon. As Missy drives by the historic mansion, she accidentally hits Herbert’s Rolls Royce, partially hidden from view. When Missy enters the construction zone to locate Herbert and inform him of the damage, he’s too busy yelling at his crew to pay attention to her.

Later, Missy runs back to Dogwood Manor to check a few details for the bride who selected this location for a wedding. Her return trip turns into a nightmare when Missy finds Herbert dead. Missy also discovers her shop, Crowning Glory, is flooded, ruining much of her showroom. Between fixing her showroom so it’s presentable for her upcoming article about veil trends and working with the bride who was supposed to get married at Dogwood Manor, Missy has to don her sleuthing cap once again and locate a killer.

The plot of Death Comes to Dogwood nicely executed and solid. I enjoyed the multiple threads involving the murder, the magazine article, disasters, and the other storylines. There are many twists, turns, and diversions along the way. She also gives the reader plenty of viable suspects that I enjoyed investigating right along with Missy. The author did a great job concealing the real suspect(s) and the reason for the murder. The vivid descriptions allow me to formulate the story in my mind as I read along.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.  

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