Witness, Woods, & Wedding

Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery, Book 33

By: Tonya Kappes

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Welcome to Normal where nothing is normal.

In the heart of the charming town of Normal, Kentucky, Mae West has patiently awaited her wedding day to Hank Sharp. Friends and family gather, the crisp autumn air carries the scent of fallen leaves, and laughter dances through the warm Southern breeze. Everything is set for a picture-perfect day, a celebration of love in a town nestled by the serene Daniel Boone National Forest.

But in the South, they say, "Mishaps at weddings are like the rain in April-unexpected but not unusual." Just as Mae is about to say her vows, a bolt of lightning struck. The news hit like a tornado-literally-a young girl had been murdered, and a tornado has torn through the town, turning everything upside down, including the carefully laid wedding plans.

In a town where mysteries were as common as fireflies on an autumn night, Mae West and the Laundry Club ladies venture where others fear to tread, unearthing long-buried secrets and confronting a darkness that threatened to shatter the tranquility of their beloved Normal.

Another question is on everyone minds, will Mae and Hank finally tie the knot?

©2023 Tonya Kappes (P)2024 Tantor

Great book

The one thing with this series, you can start anywhere you want and still know what is going on.

Just glad the main characters finally got married.
Now, on to the next adventure in the series.

What a letdown!

Zero charm. Absolutely no humor. Not even a speck of personality in the entire book. The storyline was lacking to the point where I am wondering why I made it this far into the series. Mae actually got on my nerves. She was actually a bit of a jerk in several chapters. Such a letdown!

Let’s Get ToThe Point!

First, the positive: Tonya Kappas is a wonderful author and delivers a lot of enjoyment with her books. I am a fan and will likely remain a fan. I recognize and respect the effort of creating a story and I am happy to support the effort! I would appreciate the same respect for fresh content as a reader/listener though too!

Second, the challenges…. This is Book 33 in a series. If you are arriving at this series 33 books in, it’s clear to ANY reader/listener might have some catching up to do. With that acknowledged. The fans waiting for each new book to come out don’t need the history dominating the story. We know Mae, Dottie, Hank, Fifi, The Smelly Dog, Trails Coffee and on and on. We all know Mae left home at 18, we all know the tragedy that befell Mae’s family.

Spending a credit on a four to five hour audible listen is reasonable when the characters are on their next adventure and we are actually enjoying the adventure. The content of this story is weak and way too filled in with the history of the campground, how Mae landed in Normal, the history of supporting characters and there are moments when I wonder if someone gets paid a royalty for advertising the beauty of Kentucky and the number of time we hear/read, ‘The Daniel Boone National Forest’!!!

There are paragraphs of detail that repeat what is going on from one sentence to the next just written a different way! Too much emphasis on the outdoor environment and its beauty. Way too little New or Fresh content. This is the book where Mae and Hank get married, something fans have been looking forward to and we are lured along in a story full of nonsense and repeat descriptions.

Spoiler Alert: For example. Mae tries on her wedding dress and finds out the alterations are all wrong, she freaks out, gets reassurance the dress will be fixed in time for the wedding. When the dress is altered, Mae refuses to try it on until her wedding day, the next day. Nonsense. What bride, truly any bride, wouldn’t make sure her dress was perfect? Ridiculous. I agree with another reviewer that Mae comes off like a jerk on more than one occasion. We are supposed to accept that a woman who runs a campground, investigates mysteries, is involved with town revitalization and has a very full social life and carries around a wedding binder all organized is going to let a detail like her wedding dress just be a crap shoot after having a meltdown over it not fitting correctly. Ugh!

Ultimately, spending a credit for a 5 hour story with very little fresh content from characters we know exceptionally well in book 33 is a bit of a waste when most of the story is dominated by filler and recycled details. It may be better to wait until the later books are offered for sale in a multi-book series bundle. No disrespect to the author, I simply would like more fresh experience. Perhaps, like other well established series, the author could provide a prologue with known background facts instead of filling chapters with the totality of history committed fans know very well. Give us more story please.