Mining for Murder (A Happy Camper Mystery Book 3) th

Author:    Mary Angela

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0992TPJ24

Lyrical Press

275 Pages

$5.99 Amazon

April 5, 2022

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The South Dakota Gold Rush might be long over, but Zo Jones feels like she's hit the mother lode when she and her friends browse an estate sale, where a rare old book about the history of Spirit Canyon is causing quite a commotion.  In addition to local stories and secrets, the book may even contain the location of a famous stash of gold -- a treasure worth killing for.

Zo's friend Maynard Cline wins the bid on the book, to the chagrin of many interested parties, including the historical society and college history department.  But when Zo and Hattie head to Maynard's mansion to borrow the book for a library event, the only thing they find is Maynard -- at the bottom of the mountain.  The valuable book is gone.  Zo knows this must be murder because there's no way a germaphobe like Maynard would have voluntarily dived into a pile of dirt.  Now she'll have to dig into a new case, and go prospecting for a perpetrator...

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When Zo Jones and her friends Hattie the librarian and Julia Parker go to an estate sale, they come away with more than they expected.  Zo finds some items for her store, the Happy Camper, Hattie finds books she's enchanted with, and Julia...finds a house she knows must be hers.  She wants this house, and nothing will stop her from purchasing it.

But the most intriguing thing of the day is that Maynard Cline, a germaphobe who is a member of the Zodiac Club, a stargazing club that Zo and her friends belong to, bids on a rare book about the beginning of Spirit Canyon, home to these residents.  Unhappy with this win is Jeffrey Davis, head of the history department at the college, and others who think the book should have been given to them free of charge.

Since this is a historical document, Zo wants to see if there is information regarding her newfound own information of her mother.  Since Zo was adopted, she wants to know who her biological parents were, and this might be a first step.. Hattie wants to show it at the library, and Maynard agrees to lend it to her -- for one hour, and only if she's the only one who holds it.  Hattie agrees, and she and Zo head to Maynard's home for the book.  But when they arrive, they can't find Maynard -- at least not at first.  When they see his body at the bottom of the mountain, they know that Maynard wouldn't have jumped.  But was it an accident?  Zo doesn't believe so, especially when she sees one of Maynard's moccasins still on the mountain.  The only clue to his murder is the name "Merrigan" written on a piece of paper.  Could the police chief's family be involved?  Zo intends to find out, with or without chief Brady Merrigan's help...

This is the third book in the series, and I think it might just be my very favorite.  I have enjoyed all of the books thus far, but this one brings us closer to the characters, and I love every one of them.  George is actually learning to become an indoor cat (I hope for his sake) and Max and Zo are progressing in their relationship (I hope for their sake) and I want this series to continue (I hope for our sake).

Zo is intelligent, thoughtful, generous, fiercely loyal to her friends, and extremely capable.  She can run her own business, write a weekly column for the newspaper, and still manage to make time to relax.  She doesn't ask questions invasively nor accuse people of murder, and she can put clues together quickly.  I am pleased to see that what I have thought was occurring in previous books came to be, because it makes the series even more delightful than before (you will have to read this book to find out what I mean by that).

Zo knows the book contains not only the history of Spirit Canyon, but the settlers who first came to the area.  Some say that it contains the map for the hidden gold mine of Ezra Kind, who also came to the area -- and whose mine has never been found.  While they think this is the reason the book was stolen, would someone want it enough to kill for it?  Someone did, although the reason is still unknown.  There are plenty of suspects, and Zo is determined to sift through every one of them.

There is also another intrigue going on behind the scenes with Julia, and Zo's employee Harley is having her own troubles, to her consternation.  There are some funny scenes as well, which gives a break in the action.  But the murderer is still out there, and Brady isn't happy that Zo won't leave his investigation alone.  

The book was thoroughly entertaining, and the plot was done very well.  The author has made each book a pleasure to read, with each one getting better than the first.  When the murderer is revealed and the motive discovered, it shows us that you can never see into the mind of another person.  I look forward to the next in the series and wish I could delve into it now.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Mining-Murder-Happy-Camper-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0992TPJ24/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4556508417

More on Mary Angela's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/mary-angela/

Midnight Spells Murder (A Happy Camper Mystery #2)

Author:    Mary Angela

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781516110735

Lyrical Press Publishing

206 Pages

$14.99; $4.99 Amazon

July 13, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

To celebrate Halloween at The Happy Camper, Zo schedules a talk by a successful author and self-proclaimed witch Marianne Morgan.  Although Marianne's benign brand of witchcraft is more about feminine empowerment than black magic, her presence is still not welcomed by everyone.  Then on a midnight stroll home, Zo spots what seems to be a new Halloween decoration propped up outside the Happy Camper.  What she finds is not a mannequin but a dead Marianne, her lifeless body dressed in traditional witch's garb.  But why would someone send this good witch back to the spirit world permanently?

Soon Zo realizes that plenty of folks have motives for murdering Marianne.  What's worse, nosy TV newsman Justin Castle plans to broadcast a report associating Marianne's murder with the Happy Camper.  Zo calls on her partner in sleuthing, local forest ranger Max Harrington, to help her find the culprit before Justin's report airs.  Otherwise, Zo's business just might go bust.  But to catch this killer, Zo will have to risk much more than just her reputation...

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Zo Jones owns the Happy Camper, a gift shop in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota, which is a big tourist spot for campers and hikers alike.  She's finally found her place in the world after being abandoned at the police station when she was just a baby.  It's nearing Halloween and she's promoting her shop by having a speech and a book signing by local author Marianne Morgan, who is a self-proclaimed witch.  But far from being a bad witch, Marianne promotes self-empowerment for women, and it's a big draw for the event.

However, it's not without its detractors, and several people aren't happy to see Marianne at all.  Yet the event is a success, and Zo is happy.   But her happiness soon fades when she returns to her shop (which she lives above) after a night out and sees what she thinks in a new decoration added by her employee, Harley.  But as Zo gets closer, she finds that it's a very dead Marianne, whom someone had placed a witch's hat on.  When she calls the police, she's worried that after the last time she was involved in a murder investigation, that people will stop coming to her shop and everything she's worked for will go down in flames.

So Zo, aided with the help of forest ranger Max Harrington, vows to find out who killed Marianne, because if she doesn't, local newsman Justin Castle will imply she had something to do with the murder, which in turn means the demise of her business as well as Marianne.  But since there are plenty of people who had a beef with the woman, it's not going to be easy, and she might be caught in a trap of murder herself...

This is the second book in the series and I must say that I quite enjoyed it as much as the first.  Ms. Angela has created an interesting character in Zo Jones, a woman who was abandoned as a baby and worked her way up to owning her own business by her sheer determination and willpower.  She's not willing to let it go now, and she's a strong character; one who doesn't do illegal things to find clues (which I find refreshing), and doesn't go around accusing everyone of murder (which has happened in other series).  

She's also beginning to find pieces of herself that might lead to finding her birth parents (although I will say no more about that) and learning to trust again and maybe find personal happiness herself.  I am also pleased to see that George is learning to become an indoor cat, which is much healthier and his life will definitely improve (sorry, but I believe cats should be kept indoors where they're safe from predators and large dogs).

I also like all the secondary characters in the series, and that's saying a lot.  I especially like that police chief Brady Merrigan is coming around and slowing becoming friends with Zo, in bits and pieces, as it were.  I absolutely abhor the 'evil nemesis' in books and don't think it's necessary to any book to tell a good tale.

When Zo starts looking as to who had motive and means to kill Marianne, she finds that Marianne had more enemies than she would have thought.  But when her friend Jules, also a self-proclaimed witch, wants to hold a séance at Zo's business -- where Marianne was last, it brings clues to the murder.  Then there are all the strange occurrences that can't be explained...

The only thing that bothered me was Justin's actions.  Some things he did were unethical, and couldn't be aired without Zo's consent, since she could sue the station because of the manner in which they were obtained, but that's all I will say about that.

All in all, a very good mystery, with a murderer that I didn't see coming.  The mind of a killer is deranged anyway, but it's always surprising that someone will go so far to keep secrets.  Again, I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to the next.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Spells-Murder-Camper-Mystery/dp/1516110730/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4554241563

More on Mary Angela's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/mary-angela/

Open for Murder (A Happy Camper Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Mary Angela

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781516110728

Lyrical Press Publishing

207 Pages

$15.95; $7.19 Amazon

November 24, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's Memorial Day weekend in Spirit Canyon, and for Zo that means the return of summer shoppers.  It also means the return of her good friend Beth, who's moved back to the area to reopen her family's premier hotel, Spirit Canyon Lodge.  Beth and Zo spent many childhood summers there and Zo can't wait to reconnect and celebrate the Grand Opening.  But the festivities go from bad to worse when a power outage knocks out the lights -- and morning reveals a competitor's dead body found on the premises...

Soon enough, Beth is the prime suspect in the suspicious death.  Fortunately, Zo isn't afraid to put her investigative skills to work and prove her friend's innocence.  To start digging for information, she appeals to Max Harrington, a local Forest Ranger and unlikely ally.  Though they've argued about Happy Camper's tours, in this case they agree on one thing: Beth isn't a murderer.  Stranger things have happened than their collaboration.  After all, this is Spirit Canon.  But as the list of suspect grows, Zo will have to keep her guard up if she doesn't want to be the next lodge guest to check out...

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Zo Jones has lived in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota for most of her life.  She owns a shop called Happy Camper, which is on the first floor of a house that she lives in.  She sells outdoor equipment, gifts, and rents outdoor equipment and gives hiking tours around the area, which is close to Lead and the Mount Rushmore monument.  After being shuffled from foster home to foster home, her life is content, and she's in a good place.  It's also about to become happier since her childhood friend Beth is moving back to Spirit Mountain -- she and her family have taken over the Spirit Canyon Lodge that was once owned by Beth's Aunt Lilly, and left to her.

But soon enough Beth's newfound happiness is clouded when a guest at the grand opening is found dead on her property.  The dead woman was the owner of a rival resort, and made an offer to Beth to buyout the lodge -- once that Beth very vocally refused.  With that argument as ammunition, the local sheriff, Brady Merriman, has Beth in his sight as the logical killer.  The motive?  $20,000 that was in Enid's possession before she was killed.  Now Zo is tapped by Beth and her mother Vi to find out who the murderer is before Beth loses everything she's just put forth.  Zo's unlikely ally is Forest Ranger Max Harrington, whom Zo has always been cool to, but is now decidedly warming up.  Together, they plan to find out the truth.  At least if Zo can stay away from Enid's killer herself...

This is the first in the series, and I wanted to give it a try.  I will tell you that at first I wasn't sure, since it seemed to start out slow.  So slow that I put it down several times, which isn't like me; usually I will read a book in one or two sittings.  But I tired of all the descriptions of Mount Rushmore's surrounding areas and those of Spirit Canyon; I wanted to get to the heart of the matter: the mystery.  (I will say that since I grew up in Minnesota, I have visited the famous monument and its surrounding area, and even though I was a preteen, I still remember the beauty.  But those winters are not something I ever want to experience again! Brrr!).

Once the book got started for me, I found it interesting enough to finish quickly.  There were plenty of subjects, and I even had my own ideas of who the killer was.  The guests were definitely on the shady side a bit, and it seemed everyone had no problem pointing the finger at Beth.  One thing I didn't care for was Brady Merriman.  I was hoping he wouldn't be the 'evil nemesis,' since I so tire of those; and I even found that $100 for eight miles over the speed limit ridiculous.  You wouldn't even get a ticket for that, maybe not even a warning.  Plus, saying something he learned of as stolen property wouldn't hold up in a court of law, although I am not going to say what it was...

I did like that Zo's sleuthing didn't end up doing something illegal and then having to figure a way to lie herself out of the situation.  She seemed smart, to an extent, but having George as an outdoor cat didn't make any sense since she stated that she got him at a shelter (which meant he had been indoors in a cage and wasn't feral); it was also cruel, as outdoor cats have a shorter life span than those kept indoors, especially in the area she lives in.  I hope that she figures out a way to keep him indoors completely.  I am rabid about this subject, and I won't apologize for it.

Other than that, I did like this book quite a bit.  The author is obviously talented and can relate a story that has clues in it, but not overtly.  They were there, and the conversations between the characters seemed relaxed and realistic.

Although I figured it out who the murderer was before Zo, I still wanted to know the reason why, and I thought it rather sad and a bit twisted, to say the least.  The climax was worth reading, and a bit surprising in one part.  However, the book was very good and I will continue to read this series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Open-Murder-Happy-Camper-Mystery/dp/1516110722/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4538434125

More on Mary Angela's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/mary-angela/