Haunts, Hikes, & Havoc

(A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 41)

Welcome to Normal, Kentucky—where Mae West faces a ghostly guest list and one chilling murder she can’t ignore…

Mae West is no stranger to mystery. As owner of Happy Trails Campground and partner to park ranger Hank Sharp, she’s kept Normal, Kentucky running as smoothly as a campfire marshmallow roast. But when paranormal TV star Ken Treadwell is found stabbed during the town’s “Haunts and Hikes” festival, with no murder weapon in sight, things take a deadly detour.

With her mama’s event on the line and campground gossip reaching a full boil, Mae must untangle a haunted whodunnit with help from her fiercely loyal Laundry Club Ladies. The suspects? Ken’s polished entourage, a few bitter locals, and even Mae’s right-hand woman, the fiery Dottie Swaggert.

As secrets surface and the ghost-hunting crowd grows restless, Mae races to catch a killer before the next story ends in more than just screams.

Kathleen Kendler
4 out of 5 stars
Nada Tunnel ghost
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2025
Format: Paperback
This is the 41st book in the Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery series. Ken Treadwell’s crew is in town to attend the Haunts & Hike Festival that Mary Elizabeth has spearheaded. They plan to film a paranormal episode on the Nada, similar to Ghost Hunters. The crew is staying at the Happy Trails Campground. The morning of the Hike, Ken is found dead on the trail. So, did a ghost dispatch him to the next world or was it an earthly occurrence?


I loved the secrets, twists, turn, and motives. Seems Ken had his share of haters and didn’t treat people well, go figure. I love how things get twisted. Dina, Ken’s wife refuses to talk to Mae and insists Dottie will be her only interface. No good deed goes unpunished. Mary Elizabeth had Dottie send Ken Treadwell’s team the email invite since her email was acting up. So, Dina believes all the prep was done by Dottie. Turns out to be a bad deal for Dottie. Dina becomes an overbearing witch.


May and the Laundry Ladies need to investigate the death. I liked how they worked with the Sheriff’s office and Hank Sharp.


Since this is the forty-first book, you know there have been numerous festivals for the town or Normal. Some make it to annual status and some are one offs. Plenty of them for this town. So happy to see the economy booming.


This can be read as a standalone but I prefer knowing the background of the regular characters.


I was given an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC). These are my own opinions.