(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.
(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.
(A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 37)
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!
