#BookReview ~ Dandelions, Deception, & Detours by Tonya Kappes (Camper & Criminals, Book 43) #CozyMystery

Dandelions, Deception, & Detours (Camper & Criminals, Book 43) by Tonya Kappes 

 

In the heart of Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest, murder has checked into Happy Trails Campground.

ASIN: ‎ B0FP5TMFH9

Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books

Publication date : ‎ March 29, 2026

Print length: ‎ 232 pages

Amazon

Goodreads

About the Book:

When a high-profile RV dealership manager is crushed beneath a fifth-wheel trailer, it looks like a tragic hitching accident.

Until the coroner rules it homicide.

And Mae West’s husband becomes the prime suspect.

As owner of Happy Trails Campground in Normal, Kentucky, Mae is used to managing campfires, communal suppers, and the occasional tourist meltdown—not clearing her husband’s name in a murder investigation.

With help from the sharp-eyed Laundry Club Ladies, a campground full of watchful guests, and more than a little Southern stubbornness, Mae follows a trail that will lead her straight to the killer.

In a town where reputation is everything and word travels faster than wildfire, Mae must uncover who was really behind the wheel before Hank’s future goes up in smoke.

Because at Happy Trails, loyalty runs deep.

And no one messes with family.

My Review:

Dandelions, Deception, & Detours is the 43rd book in the Camper & Criminals series. While this may be the 43rd story, the author does a spectacular job keeping each story fresh and imaginative.

Spring is here and that means RV shows. Competing dealerships are showcasing the newest RVs, features, and hot pricing. Mae and Hank are perusing the RVs on display when Hank comes face-to-face with a former classmate. One who clearly has issues. He's found dead at the dealership the next day and it seems like a tragic fifth-wheel accident. When the death is ruled a homicide, Hank is first on the suspect list.

We all know Hank didn't do it so that's not a spoiler. Mae and the Laundry Club Ladies put their heads together to clear Hank's name and get him removed from the suspect list. The author developed several suspects besides Hank, and they all had means, motive, and opportunity. The book was full of twists, turns, red herrings, and shifts in direction. I was kept guessing until the very end.

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 other 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 with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

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#BookReview ~ Four Leaf Felony (Holiday Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Tonya Kappes #CozyMystery #TonyaKappes

 

Smiling eyes aren't shining upon Violet Rhinehammer!

About the Book:

Violet Rhinehammer finally got the call! She's been working so hard in her hometown of Normal, Kentucky as a reporter for Channel Two News and the Normal Gazette to get the national attention to she believes she rightfully deserves!

Now is her time! Violet got an interview of a lifetime with a huge national news network. It didn't take her long to pack her bag and hop on an airplane leaving Normal, Kentucky behind!

While in flight she was so busy dreaming about her opportunity. The passenger sitting next to Violet yammered on and on about her grandchildren, Violet had to use her southern manners to excuse herself to the bathroom after the woman gave Violet a headache.

After all, Violet had to keep her head in the game because she was determined to get the job so she didn't have to go back to her small hometown.

Violet's moment of bathroom silence quickly turned to chaos after she found a dead body in the airplane bathroom causing the pilot to make an emergency landing in the small town Holiday Junction.

The NTSB has grounded any flights leaving in or out of Holiday Junction and every passenger is considered a suspect which means Violet Rhinehammer is stranded until the murder is solved. Y'all know Violet! She's not going to sit on her laurels, she's using her keen journalist skills and possibly a little help from the Laundry Club Ladies from Normal, Kentucky to solve the crime.

After all, she's got to show up for her big interview and her dream job is slipping through her hands.

Amazon

Goodreads 

ASIN: ‎ B09W5XWC4D
Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books
Publication Date: ‎ April 14, 2022
Print Length: ‎ 172 pages

Four Leaf Felony is a spin-off of the Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery series by Tonya Kappes. The spin-off stars Normal’s ace reporter, Violet Rhinehammer as she is offered what she thinks is the opportunity of a lifetime and finally, her chance to leave Normal for bigger and better things. Unfortunately, fate is not on Violet’s side.

Violet finds a dead body in the bathroom on the airplane and knows as soon as she sees it, that the death is no accident. Foul play is certain. Now she’s stuck on a plane with a murderer until the pilot makes an emergency landing in Holiday Junction. Everyone is a suspect, so no one can leave until the murder is solved and culprit apprehended.

No one to sit on the sidelines, Violet makes it her mission to report on, and hopefully solve, this case. As she investigates, she learns Holiday Junction isn’t your average small town. The residents are quirky, their traditions set and there is no wavering, and the festivities outlandish. Just wait until you meet the mayor!

I found Four Leaf Felony a fun and quick read. Violet’s character in the Camper and Criminals series didn’t impress me much and I had a hard time with her in the beginning of this spin-off. She was pretentious and condescending in certain scenes. Sure, she’s a reporter in Normal, KY but an international journalist she is not. Honestly, the Violet at the beginning of Four Leaf Felony and I would never be friends. However, that said, she finally loosens up a bit after getting to know and understand the town and its residents and I found myself enjoying her character a little bit more.

I enjoyed getting to know everyone in Holiday Junction. We get to meet a lot of interesting people and learn how important holidays are in this town. The mystery was well thought out and I didn’t have a clue who the murderer was or why until the author reveals everything. I was shocked. Definitely looking forward to the next book.

My review copy is from my ebook library. 

Originally reviewed on Saph's Cozy Corner.  

My Rating:

#BookReview: Body on Baker Street (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, Book 2) by Vicki Delany ~ #CozyMystery #SherlockHolmes

Body on Baker Street

A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery

by Vicki Delany

Book Information:

A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, Book 2

Cozy Mystery

Crooked Lane Books 

September 12, 2017

Hardcover: 304 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1683312994

E-Book ASIN: B06XW3K7F5

Amazon

About the Book:

Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room in anticipation of the store’s upcoming book signing with the illustrious Renalta Van Markoff, author of the controversial Hudson and Holmes mystery series. But during the author Q&A session, dedicated Sherlockian Donald Morris verbally attacks Renalta and her series for disgracing Sherlock’s legacy, only to be publicly humiliated when the author triumphantly lashes back and gains the upper hand. That is until Renalta collapses on the table―dead.

Donald insists he didn’t do it and pleads to his friends to clear his name. Fortunately, Gemma and Jayne have no shortage of suspects between author’s bullied personal assistant, her frustrated publicist, the hapless publisher, a handsome rare book dealer, an obsessively rabid fan, and a world of other Sherlock enthusiasts with strong objections to Renalta’s depiction of the Great Detective. It’s up to the shrewd sleuthing duo to eliminate the impossible and deduce the truth before the West London police arrest an innocent man in Body on Baker Street the second Sherlock Homes Bookshop mystery perfect for fans of Miranda James and Kate Carlisle.

My Review:

Body on Baker Street is the great second book in Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. When Renalta Van Markoff, a famous author, drops all of her engagements and wants a book signing at the last minute, Gemma makes it happen. She puts up posters, spreads the signing via word of mouth, and makes sure to have several of the authors books on hand and ready to go. The town is excited to have such a spectacular author visiting them - well, most of the town.  After Donald Morris and Renalta get into a verbal sparring match after Renalta's speech, Renalta falls face town on the table during the subsequent book signing event. Donald is the prime suspect having not only threatened the author to her face but also due to spreading his views around prior to Renalta's arrival.  Gemma knows that Donald didn't do it but proving that is a bit harder than she anticipated.  

 The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series is wonderful and keeps getting better.  I really liked book one but I love book 2. Full of quirky characters, red herrings, and twists and turns, I was engaged and sitting on the edge of my seat throughout the entire novel. There are multiple threads developed within the mystery that seem unrelated then, masterfully, everything comes together into an "A-ha" moment.  I enjoyed every bit of Body on Baker Street.

Gemma is painfully observant but unlike in book one, it isn't to the point that she tends to alienate herself and the people around her. She does, perhaps do it on purpose when one specific police officer is involved though. Her blunt manner isn't intended to be malicious most of the time and that's what makes her character quirky and lovable. She pulls some hair-brained schemes that put her in a lot of danger but ultimately the bad guy/gal is caught. Our cozy mystery heroine lacks common sense sometimes but it all works out in the end.

The supporting characters really round out this great cozy mystery. Gemma's best friend Jayne is her reluctant partner-in-crime, but she has Gemma's back regardless of the situation. Ryan is one of the police officers assigned to the case involving the death of  Renalta Van Markoff. He and Gemma have a history that sometimes gets in the way of the investigation. The chemistry between them is definitely there, even if the pair try not to acknowledge those feelings. I hope to see a bit more development between the two of them in the next book. They don't have to get right back into a relationship but I'd like to feel by the end of the book that they are make headway. I like them together and don't mind romances that don't take over the book but are there in the background. It makes the characters more realistic to me.

The plot was laid out well and the character development and world building continued on nicely. I did NOT suspect who was behind everything or the reason. The author did a great job keeping the suspect under wraps and bringing in other contenders who fit the bill.

I enjoyed Body on Baker Street and can't wait to see what Gemma gets involved in next.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

Review previously posted on Sapphyria's Books but has been updated.

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If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

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