by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win either an ebook or print copy of Tents, Trials & Turmoil, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness
Mae West found out that “money doesn’t buy happiness.” Sure it can buy spa visits and weekends in the Hamptons, but now, without much of it, she has happiness in stacks. Her, now demised, ex-husband’s Ponzi scheme sent him to prison and Mae to Normal, Kentucky, where she took ownership, renovated, and made a success of the Happy Trails Campground. She’s been a key factor in reenergizing the community and local businesses, and has discovered, accidentally, she has a new calling as an amateur detective. Her support includes ex-forest ranger, now detective and boyfriend Hank Sharp, adoptive mother Mary Elizabeth, campground manager Dottie Swaggert, camp handyman Henry Bryan, foster brother Bobby Ray, a plethora of Normal residents filled with real “southernness,” and a quirky group of ladies dubbed the “Laundry Club.” With this comes a “love-hate” relationship with Violet Rhinehammer who’s always looking for the inside scoop that would catapult her local news anchor celebrity to national attention.

Tents, Trails & Turmoil earns 5/5 Trails of Mystery…Engaging Entertainment!
Thirty-one-year-old Yaley Woodard, a local tour guide for the Sierra Club, has been missing for a couple of days, and Violet Rhinehammer is right there with the “Breaking News,” sticking her microphone into Mae’s face for insights. Mae hadn’t even heard that anyone had been “snatched” in broad daylight, but she did personally understand that one might just up and leave without notice. Disillusioned by her own small town life and childhood tragedies, Mae left Perrysburg, Kentucky, the second she turned eighteen, never really intending to return. But, Yaley isn’t like that, and friends and family fear the worst. Unfortunately, the worst comes true. Yaley is found…dead.

The campground is set for a full load of tourists and a pair of Honeymooners, but unfortunately it is now a crime scene, and reservations are in jeopardy. Circumstantial evidence, including an eye witness statement and an argument with the victim, seems to implicate Yaley’s boyfriend, Joel Grassle. But…Is Joel just too obvious a suspect? Is there more to him than meets the eye? or Is there something hidden behind this recent murder that requires a bit more digging? Mae is not going to let Joel get railroaded, so what would it hurt to ask a few questions? Hank, detective-in-charge, is keeping a close eye on her and her “little gang of sleuths” which again causes personal conflicts. It isn’t easy to have a detective as a boyfriend, or a snoop as a girlfriend.

Check in for the Fun! Tonya Kappes has added another entertaining journey to her A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery series. This eleventh book again partners Mae and the Laundry Club (a dynamic I enjoy) as they seek answers to this most recent death putting the campground and town in jeopardy. Is it a…disgruntled boyfriend? Business conflicts? Sibling squabbles? Beyond the clever twist, turns, and variety of felonies exposed, Tonya’s signature southernisms are sprinkled throughout. For me, I find the characters to be the most entertaining, just the right amount of quirky, and many are realistic examples of friends, family, and acquaintances readers may recognize. Cozy fans have to suspend some belief when law enforcement and civilians are involved, but the idea that one’s boyfriend is the investigating officer keeps an air of realism intact…I like that! Mae’s strength and ability to solicit answers in an informal setting along with her theorizing possibilities and getting into trouble are recognized and resigned to by Detective Hank. What do they say? If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

Bonus! This series always includes delightful “Recipes and Cleaning Hack from Mae West and the Women in Normal, Kentucky, and Happy Trails Campground” with easy-to-follow recipes for some delicious treats and a few RV or camping tips that can often be translated to anyone, with or without a camper or in the woods or the backyard. Enjoy Campfire Breakfast Hamburgers, Skillet Bacon Cinnamon Rolls, and Campfire Meatballs! There is also an interesting Camping Hack: Know Your Wood informations along with RV Trash Hacks and Black Out RV Curtains.

Be a Big Tonya Kappes Fan!
USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes has so many fan favorite series. She has several ghostly-, magical-, and caffeinated-themed series garnering a huge fan based. For ghosts, she has the popular eight-book Ghostly Southern Mystery and seven-book Kenni Lowry series. Add some magic with the thirteen-book Magical Cures Mystery and three-book Spies and Spells series. Get a little caffeinated with this eight-book Killer Coffee Mystery. She also pens the soon-to-be three-book Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery and a soon-to-be eleven-book Camper & Criminals Cozy series to round out the Kappes literary universe. She has an enjoyable online presence and various EVENTS enticing fans to gather to talk, share, and partake in the fun!

Facebook – Author Tonya Kappes
Join the “Cozy Krew”
Become a Member at the Website – Tonya Kappes

To enter to win either an ebook or print copy of Tents, Trials & Turmoil, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “tents,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 30, 2020. US only, and must be 18 or older to enter. AND BE SURE TO STATE IF YOU WANT PRINT OR EBOOK. If entering via email and requesting a print copy be sure to include your mailing address in case you win-emails will be deleted when the contest is over. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying year 2 of retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband of 26+ years.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.