Kristin's Bookshelf

Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries
by Tonya Kappes
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A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery

This is book one in a 40+ book series, and honestly, I’m hooked. Kappes offers 3-book bundles on Audible, so I’m planning to tackle this series in chunks. Three at a time with palate cleansers in between. Because commitment issues … but make it organized.

We follow Mae West (no, not that Mae West) after a riches-to-rags type scenario. She goes from city life to owning a dilapidated RV park and sets her sights on making amends with everyone her husband (EX!) wronged and bringing the camp back to its former glory. 

When it comes to solving cozy mysteries, I always play my favorite game: “Which characters can future books live without?” I narrowed it down to three suspects … and yes, one of them was the culprit. 

Always satisfying.

Mae is instantly likable. She’s charming, determined, and just messy enough to feel real. She quickly works her way into the community. Shoutout to the Laundry Club Ladies who welcome her with (mostly) open arms, and I am already invested in the hinted love story … currently #TeamTy. 

I thought this series might follow a “fixing the wrongs of her husband (EX!)” theme in each book, but after starting book two … I think I’m wrong. Still intrigued to see where it goes.

Audiobook note: The always fabulous Johanna Parker absolutely nailed the narration. The Southern accents are strong but not over-the-top “I can’t do this” level – which is a fine line, and she walks it perfectly. Side note: Kappes was a new author to me, and I found this series by searching for Parker-narrated books.

Overall, this was such a fun listen. Cozy, engaging, and filled with characters I actually like (which, let’s be honest, is not always the case).

Highly recommend for cozy mystery lovers who want a long, bingeable series.

#CozyMystery #TonyaKappes #BookstagramReads #AudiobookLovers MysterySeries