by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Life is Good, and then…
Mae West has turned diamonds into dungarees, a penthouse into a parking spot, and New York to Normal, Kentucky; she couldn’t be happier. She renovated Happy Trails Campground, the only thing that truly belonged to her after the government confiscated all of her husband’s assets, and turned it into a popular, full-service vacation destination. In the process, she helped to inject well-needed tourist revenue into the small community’s coffers. She also garnered dear, yet some quirky, friends and reestablished a relationship with her adopted family. Also, after a rocky start, she is set to marry local PI Hank Sharp, no date, yet, but next Fall, Mae thought, would make a beautiful backdrop.

All is not rosy in Daniel Boone National Forrest since beyond the flora and fauna, it’s also been the scene of many a crime. Mae has been a person of interest a time or two and several close friends and family have also been implicated, but, with a bit of awkward help from the quirky Laundry Club ladies and a bit of luck, Mae has used her amateur detective skills to help put a few in jail. But, the governor recently pardoned two of them: Lester Hager, former Baptist preacher found guilty of murder, is now suffering from cancer, and Grady Cox, Jr, who despite his mental break defense, was found guilty of Mae’s ex-husband death. Although questionable decisions by the out-going governor, the two have returned to Normal.

Trappings, Turkeys, & Thanksgiving Earns 5/5 Deviled Eggs…Engaging Cozy!
It’s Thanksgiving, and Normal has a lot of traditions around this time: the Turkey Trot 5k run and a big reunion of current and former residents in for the holidays. Mae loves the season and all the treats it brings, but she needs to stay in shape if she ever hopes to fit into a wedding dress. She joins the local running group with Christine Watson, owner of the Cookie Crumble bakery. (Yes, a bit of an incongruity.) Yet, Mae’s still breathless up the hills and her thighs still ache, and she’s not sure she can keep up her resolve to the wedding months away. Letting the group run off ahead of her, she decides she needs to do more walking than running for safety sake. She spies a wayward squirrel dropping its gathered treasure, a laminated obituary, next to a makeshift remembrance marker for seventeen-year-old Theodore Redford. Who is he?

The festivities started with a pre-gathering at the Red Barn Restaurant: long-time friends reuniting, toasting with special concoctions, and listening to some toe-tapping tunes. Mae is red when Hank’s antagonistic sister makes an entrance and a bit green when one of Hank’s former girlfriends appears. But, things get out of hand with beer bottles flying, murder accusations spewing, and Sheriff Hemmer getting an errant fist in the face. But, the next day, it’s the dead body that puts a black eye on Thanksgiving, and several of Mae’s friends in jeopardy.

Turkey-rrific! Tonya Kappes’ long running A Camper and Criminal Cozy Mystery series maintains its popularity with book twenty-eight, Trappings, Turkeys, & Thanksgiving, due to a clever mystery, lots of possible scenarios, evolving characters and relationships, realistic investigative techniques, and a nail-biting arrest. Once again Mae is spurred on to snoop with her crew, The Laundry Club Ladies, resulting in the usual missteps and successes. It’s made more complicated when some friends are implicated in the murder, but this time an “accident” that happened years prior may hold the key to why this death has just occurred. I enjoy how the clues and details are revealed slowly in and about the Thanksgiving celebration and wedding talk, and however a surprise, the final reveal was realistic and supported by the drama. It didn’t come out of nowhere. But, there were other issues happening that she wove well into the story. I like that!

Tonya has an entertaining writing style interspersing many delightful southern mannerisms and colloquialisms. She provides ample descriptions and effective dialogue in the narrative to illustrate the natural environment, the small community, and the multi-generational characters. The mystery is well-developed, the characters are realistic, the journey is engaging, and the ending included more than a few surprises. It’s one of my favorite series!

Extra Treat! This series always has some tasty treats and helpful ideas for any level of camper whether you’re in a national park or the backyard. Recipes and Camping Hacks from Mae West and the Laundry Club Ladies include (1) Dirty Chai Donuts (Christine Watson’s Recipe from the Cookie Crumble) and (2) an Autumn Fizz (The Red Barn’s seasonal special). The Camping Hacks include (1) off-season camping needs and (2) winter campfire tips.

Don’t Miss This Special Deal! Tonya Kappes is one of several popular authors who have a book from one of their series available thru Prolific Work’s sixty-book Twisty Tales & Cozy Crimes giveaway. Yes, SIXTY “free and exclusive books” are available for a short time. The books are claimed thru Prolific Works as an ePub, mobi, or pdf file. Be sure to “LIKE” Twisty Tales & Cozy Crime Facebook page, too.

Surprise! From Tonya Kappes’ A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mysteries check out Brides, Bribes, & Binoculars for FREE…clever, witty, and fun! Mae has been kidnapped…by her bridesmaids! With a bedazzled T-shirt announcing “Bride-to-Be,” Mae’s being whisked away for an unprecedented bachelorette party weekend since an actual wedding date hasn’t been determined. But, it’s the Laundry Club, and they’re not known for doing things according to tradition, nor do things go smoothly! Earns 5+/5 Bridezillas!

Amazon Preorder Alerts! The next mystery for Mae and company is the twenty-ninth book, Gifts, Glamping, & Glocks, set for December 15 release. In 2023, more is coming with the thirtieth book, Zoning, Zealots, & Ziplines, set for a February release and book thirty-one, Hammocks, Handguns, & Hearsay, for April. Don’t miss a single A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery!

Be a Big Tonya Kappes Fan!
“Southern Hospitality with a Smidgen of Homicide!” USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes pens a variety of series. along with this Camper & Criminals Cozy series, she also has a Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery and Holiday Cozy Mystery series along with some exciting ghostly-, magical-, and caffeinated-themed series. For ghosts, there’s the Ghostly Southern Mystery and Kenni Lowry series. Add some magic with Magical Cures Mystery and Spies and Spells series. Finally, get a little caffeinated with her Killer Coffee Mystery. She also 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
YouTube — Tonya Kappes

To enter to win an ebook copy of Trappings, Turkeys, & Thanksgiving, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “turkeys,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 26, 2022. US only, and must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. A new Thanksgiving episode went up this week.

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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.