Sunday, June 30, 2024

#CozyMystery #Review ~ Fireworks, Freedom, & Felonies (A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series, Book 37) by Tonya Kappes

 


ASIN: ‎ B0CQ371JBL
Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books
Publication date: ‎ June 23, 2024
Print length: ‎ 211 pages

About the Book:

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY WITH A SMIDGEN OF HOMICIDE

USA Today Bestselling author Tonya Kappes brings you southern and quirky characters in her mystery series. Her stories are charged with humor, friendship, family and life in small southern towns.

Mae West, owner of Happy Trails Campground located in the Daniel Boone National Forest, is no stranger to the twists and turns of life in Normal, but she never expected her community's knitting circle to unravel into chaos. When local knitting enthusiast is found murdered with her own knitting needles during the town's lively Fourth of July celebration, the community is spun into a whirlwind of suspicion and secrets.

Amidst the burst of Fourth of July festivities and the echoes of fireworks long past, Mae and the Laundry Club Ladies unravels a tangled web of secrets. With tales of a cursed heirloom and hidden treasures rumored to be concealed within the walls of the Stitchin’ Post, they find themselves piecing together clues from both past and present.

As tensions mount against the backdrop of booming Fourth of July fireworks, Mae learns that in Normal, Kentucky, some secrets are explosive enough to kill for. Can she unravel the killer’s identity before the fabric of her community is torn apart forever? Join Mae as she chases down clues and crooks amidst the sparks and echoes of Independence Day celebrations!

My Review:

Fireworks, Freedom, & Felonies is the 37th book in the Camper & Criminals series, but it’s as fresh and exciting as all the previous books. Reading Fireworks, Freedom, & Felonies is like coming back home to Normal, Kentucky and hanging out with all my friends. I love the familiarity of the characters, the hominess of the various locations throughout the book, and the comfort of knowing Mae, Hank, and the Laundry Club Ladies are keeping everyone safe.

The Fourth of July celebrations have commenced and it's almost time for the fireworks. On a dark street, lit up intermittently with the brightness of freedom, a confrontation takes place, and just like that, there's another homicide in Normal, Kentucky. Mae and the Laundry Club Ladies are on the case!

The book was full of twists, turns, red herrings, and shifts in direction. The mystery would start out going one direction, then completely shift a new way. The suspense build-up was written well and intensified until the very end. I was kept guessing until the very end. I loved how the loose threads quickly and methodically tied right up.

As with the rest of the books in the series, the mystery isn't the only thing going on in the book. Tonya Kappes did a terrific job weaving the main storyline and several smaller ones together. 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.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating: