Some mornings start with coffee. Sage Holloway’s started with a corpse.
When Crescent Harbor’s most hated developer drops dead, police zero in on the obvious suspect — Sage’s employee, a single mom whose public threat against him now looks an awful lot like motive. But Sage knows her. And Sage knows better.
Armed with a baker’s instincts, a suspicious coffee cup with very strange sediment, and Shadow — her unnervingly perceptive cat — Sage starts asking questions that powerful people would rather she didn’t.
In Crescent Harbor, the scones are fresh, the secrets run deep, and some things were buried for a very good reason.
She just wanted to bake. Now she has to find a killer before someone decides she knows too much.
Book 1 of 5 — The complete Moonlight Murder Mystery Club series is available now.
(A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 45)
Fall cozy mystery with food, fun & felonies
Welcome back to Happy Trails Campground in Normal, Kentucky—where the leaves are turning, the coffee is hot, and something suspicious is always brewing.
This fall-themed cozy mystery serves up everything readers love: campground life, Southern charm, small-town gossip, and a tight-knit community that sticks together when trouble rolls in.
Expect festive gatherings, comfort food, and a whole lot of cozy chaos as Mae West and the Laundry Club Ladies find themselves right in the middle of another can’t-look-away mystery.
Between RV living, seasonal recipes, quirky townsfolk, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this story delivers all the warm, feel-good vibes of fall… with just a touch of trouble.
✔ fall cozy mystery vibes ✔ small-town Southern setting ✔ campground & RV life ✔ food, recipes & gatherings ✔ amateur sleuth heroine ✔ quirky, lovable characters ✔ friendship, gossip & community ✔ clean mystery with humor
Perfect for readers who love cozy mysteries filled with seasonal charm, found family, and a setting that feels like home.
Because at Happy Trails… there’s always something going on.
(A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 44)
Southern campground cozy tea party murder.
Spring has bloomed across Normal, Kentucky, and the Historical Society’s elegant tea fundraiser at The Milkery Bed-and-Breakfast is supposed to be the social event of the season. Fancy hats, polished silver, and enough gossip to keep the church prayer chain busy for months have the whole town buzzing.
Then Southern etiquette expert Florence Sparks winds up dead at the bottom of the staircase.
At first, Sheriff Al Hemmer believes Florence simply took a nasty tumble in her high heels. But when toxicology reveals poison, suspicion quickly lands on Tex Randal, the campground’s shirtless chiropractor, Reiki healer, and favorite local flirt, after one of his signature roller bottles from Cascades Mobile Spa is connected to the murder.
Mae West Sharp knows Tex may be many things, but a killer is not one of them.
So with the ever-nosy Laundry Club Ladies at her side, Mae starts digging through dangerous secrets, shifting social circles, suspicious seating charts, and enough small-town drama to make a casserole supper go dead quiet.
The deeper Mae digs, the clearer it becomes that Florence knew far too much about Normal’s most influential residents. Someone was willing to poison her to keep those secrets buried beneath sweet tea smiles and Southern manners.
Because in Normal, Kentucky, good etiquette might get you invited to the tea party, but it will not keep murder off the guest list.
Perfect for readers who love:
🏕️ Campground cozy mysteries 🫖 Southern tea parties and small-town gossip 👭 The Laundry Club Ladies 🔎 Amateur sleuths and twisty whodunits 😂 Southern humor, charm, and community drama
Welcome back to Normal, where the sweet tea is cold, the gossip is hot, and murder always shows up uninvited.
(A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 43)
In the heart of Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest, murder has checked into Happy Trails Campground.
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.
Dandelions, Deceptions, & Detours is a heart-filled Southern cozy mystery packed with campground charm, small-town secrets, loyal friendships, and a satisfying whodunit twist readers of the Camper & Criminals series love.
Perfect for fans of: Small-town cozy mysteries Strong amateur sleuth heroines Southern charm and community Campground life and RV adventures Clean mysteries with heart
Welcome back to Normal, Kentucky. Pull up a camp chair. The fire’s already burning.
(A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 42)
Welcome to NORMAL… where nothing is normal!
It’s a not-so-merry Christmas in Normal, Kentucky! When bossy Gingerbread Gala chairwoman Harper Stewart is found strangled with holiday garland, campground owner Mae West and the Laundry Club Ladies swap cocoa for clues. From feuding bakers to a fake fundraiser—and even Mae’s mother-in-law landing on the suspect list—Happy Trails Campground becomes ground zero for one festive whodunit.
Packed with small-town charm, Southern sass, and Christmas chaos, Gingerbread, Garlands, & Gunshots is the perfect cozy mystery for sleuths who like their holidays sweet…with a dash of murder.
Jeanie D 5 out of 5 stars Just Another "Normal" Christmas? Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2025 Format: Paperback Christmas is coming to Normal, Kentucky! Mae, Hank, and the Laundry Club Ladies are busy preparing for their gatherings, and there is enough snow to result in a beautiful snow globe effect with an occasional drift. It wouldn’t be Christmas, however, without a mystery! Come to Normal to get your sleuthing itch scratched, and enjoy being with Mae, Dottie, Betts, Queenie, and Abby!
Mae, the Laundry Club Ladies, and several other ladies were helping decorate The Barn venue for the Gingerbread Gala. Harper Stewart was, for the very first time, in charge of everything for the Winter Festival. She wanted everything done perfectly, her way, but was sadly lacking people skills. She even accused Christine, owner of the Cookie Crumble Bakery, of using a box kit for her gingerbread house! Harper’s words were harsh, insulting to everyone helping out. Rather than argue, the volunteers left.
Later that evening, Mae was concerned when Harper missed her big moment to light the tree, and didn’t seem to be anywhere at the festival kickoff! Mae and Dottie went back to the Barn to help Harper finish. The lights were on, and Harper’s car was in the parking lot. Inside, they found a couple chairs tumbled over, and other items broken on the floor. Just beyond that, Harper lay on the floor, dead. Strangled by garland used for the decorations.
On behalf of the sheriff, Mae and Hank went to tell Harper’s husband, Levi, what happened. The evening ended with Mae agreeing to complete the decorating according to Harper’s plans. Levi wanted it done in her honor. They also discussed an unusual event. There was an ongoing fundraiser to put a bench downtown in Harper’s honor. It was never requested for review at the National Park Committee, where Mae worked. When she saw the amount raised, Mae added it to her to-do list.
Mae and the Laundry Club Ladies had much to do, and so little time! Mae picked up all the plans Harper had made at their home. They were also trying to help solve the murder and the phony collection for Harper’s bench. The suspects were primarily everyone Harper insulted or argued with at The Barn venue. Bev, Hank’s mom, was one of the primary suspects, especially since she and Harper had a long, stormy history.
While Bev was not one of Mae’s favorite people, she didn’t want her to be a police suspect, especially when Sheriff Al questioned those decorating the Barn. The night they went to cut the Christmas tree for Normal, Bev and Mae actually had a few shared moments of fun – for the first time! Then, one innocent action resulted in an over-the-top reaction until Bev realized that Mae wanted to get her off of the suspect list, not accuse her.
Mae, Betts, Dottie, Queenie, and Abby did their best snooping to discern who the killer was. Harper was not popular with most folks in Normal, so, like the police, they focused on those who she insulted at the Barn. There were as many twists and turns regarding the murder and fake fundraiser as the roads in the nearby mountains, but they persevered – but would Mae survive the cost of the search? I highly recommend Gingerbread, Garlands, & Gunshots, and hope that you have as much fun reading it as I did!
Many thanks to the publisher, Tonya Kappes Books, who provided a pre-publication copy of this novel. This is my honest review.
