Review: Beaches, Bungalows, and Burglaries by Tonya Kappes

Title: Beaches, Bungalows,  Burglaries

Author: Tonya Kappes
Publisher: Independently published
Publishing Date: May 25th,  2018

Pages: 212
Genre: Adult Cozy Mystery

Series:  A Camper and Criminals Cozy #1
Source:  Audio

 

Welcome to Normal, Kentucky~ where nothing is normal.

Mae West, a far cry from the Hollywood actress, has been thrown for a loop. Her plush lifestyle in the big city of New York comes to a screeching halt after the FBI raids her mansion and arrests her husband, Paul West, for a Ponzi scheme that rips people out of millions of dollars.

Mae finds herself homeless, friendless, and penniless. All hope isn't lost. . .the only thing Mae got to keep that the government didn't seize is a tourist camp ground, Happy Trails, in Normal, Kentucky and an RV to live in. One problem, Mae's idea of camping has room service.

By the look of the brochure, Happy Trails has plush Kentucky Bluegrass, a crystal clear lake, a beach chair with her name on it and thoughts of how much money it could bring her after she sells it. Mae figures she'll take a couple weeks vacation with her toes dipped in the lake. Things aren't always as they appear. The Kentucky Bluegrass is nothing but dirt and the crystal clue lake is murky with green slime on top.

Mae quickly find out that Happy Trails and the citizens of Normal were also victims of Paul's schemes, making her lower than the lake scum in the residents' eyes. Mae doesn't think things could get much worse, but as luck would have it, Paul West has escaped from prison and is found dead, murdered, floating in the Happy Trails mucky green lake.

Mae is the number one suspect on Detective Hank Sharp's short list. After all, Mae has the perfect motive as a kept wife who has been scorned to ashes, embarrassed to death, and seeking revenge.

Time is running out for Mae to prove that she's innocent and nothing like her husband. If only she could get someone to believe her and talk Detective Sharp into looking at other residents who've lost all their savings to Paul's Ponzie scheme before the curtain is closed on this Hollywood namesake.

I was looking through audible... just roaming around like I normally do, and I found this wonderful looking cover. Of course it caught my eye. It's bright, cute, and so simple. Of course I had to know more, so I read into and thought to myself... hmmm another cozy mystery I am in!!!! I loved it. I really do love when I find a winner of a cozy mystery. I love this genre, but it is a hit or miss for me. This on was a hit. Loved the main character, the humor, the story, the setting, the writing. It was all pretty great. 

Mae West just lost everything she had, her nice car, her big house, her friends, her husband...although that last one isn't so bad. Because of her husband and his evil scheming, she lost everything. Now she is starting over in a rundown RV park living in a tiny RV out in the middle of nowhere land Kentucky. 

Her plan is to fix it up and sell it. When she gets there she starts to get into the groove of things, she has plans, she has job, she has friends... then a body is found in the lake... it's her ex.... She becomes a suspect, her friends become suspects... Mae West is now on a new mission...fix up the RV park and find who killed her ex, Paul.

So, yes I loved this read. I mean for me it exactly what I look for in a cozy mystery. It had murder, it had mystery, it had a clever heroine, it had good friends, it had romance... just the beginning of on, it had smart-ass remarks and it had sass. It had it all. 

One of the things I loved in this book was the setting. There was just something about being set in a small town, in an RV park. The tone matched the setting perfectly and I really felt like I was camping for the summer... which was great because it's cold right now. I could really imagine it all and I was in heaven. 

The other great thing... the main character. I just fell for her hard. She wasn't the smartest on the block... but only because she was clueless how to live a not so privileged life. She was really smart and just didn't know it yet. She was also sweet and kind and just a little bit broken...enough to just want to hug her. 

The story was great, easy to follow, the mystery was well done. I did figure it out before it was revealed but just barely. For the most part I had no clue who did the deed.  So many people had motive and means. So good mystery. 

The friendships that were formed in this book were all so wonderful... The secondary characters just really cracked me up. I love the laundry book club women. The pastor's wife, the crazy manager of the park, the FBI agent... So many fantastic characters and relationship. 

If you love cozy mysteries... you need to read this one. The only downfall for me...the rest of the series isn't on audio... so kindle it will be which I am so much slower with. 

Super Cute Super Fantastic! 

For years, USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes has been publishing numerous mystery with unprecedented success. She is famous not only for her hilarious plot lines and quirky characters, but her tremendous marketing efforts that have earned her thousands of followers and a devoted street team of fans.
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