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7 oeuvres 118 utilisateurs 16 critiques

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Œuvres de Mary Angela

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Mining for Murder by Mary Angela is the third book in the third book in the Happy Camper Cozy Mysteries, and each one keeps getting better… with the first one, Open for Murder, really good to begin with!

The series takes place in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota and there is something refreshing, like how you feel after spending an hour in nature, about Angela’s writing. Her descriptions of South Dakota and the town are so vibrant and realistic I could see myself visiting the town, and I’m not into camping at all.

Besides her gorgeous descriptions, Angela is fantastic with character development too. Jules, Zo’s best friend, is a fantastic business woman with a gift for the supernatural. Max, Zo’s boyfriend, is a forest ranger who helps her out in solving cases instead of constantly telling her to stop investigating. And then there’s George, Zo’s Maine Coon is the perfect portrayal of a typical cat, always demanding food and wanting attention on their own terms.

Throughout the series Zo has been trying to find out more about her birth parents and we get some more information regarding that plotline, along with a mystery that had me guessing the killer all the way to the end. Often I’ll know who the killer is at least half way through a cozy mystery, but that wasn’t the case this time.

Another excellent book in the Happy Camper Mysteries, and a series that I highly recommend.
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Signalé
KimHeniadis | 3 autres critiques | Apr 11, 2022 |
I was intrigued by Mining for Murder's South Dakota setting, so I decided to give it a try even though it's the third book in the Happy Camper cozy series. What I found was an enjoyable mystery with a strong cast of characters.

Zo Jones is the owner of the Happy Camper Gift Shop. As a baby, she was left at the police station and subsequently raised in a series of foster homes. Zo loves estate sales and traveling from place to place on her red Kawasaki motorcycle. Her main squeeze is Max, the forest ranger who can have a roaring fire going in minutes from rain-soaked wood. Zo's best friend, Jules, owns the Spirits & Spirits liquor store and voodoo shop.

Spirit Canyon is right in the middle of the area around Mount Rushmore, and tourism is its main source of income. I was pleased to see that, whenever the history of the area was brought up, Zo made her feelings known about the indigenous tribes who were overrun by whites with gold fever. Speaking of gold, having a mystery surrounding a legendary Lost Dutchman-like treasure is always good, especially when it also involves an old house with secret rooms and compartments.

I enjoyed this third Happy Camper mystery and didn't feel lost or confused by not having read the first two books. I did have to laugh, however, when Zo was crowding local law enforcement and was told point-blank, "You're a business owner... Go run your gift shop." I often wonder how many of the amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries can continue to pay their bills because they never seem to run their businesses.

Bill paying aside, Mining for Murder is an enjoyable mystery in a history-rich setting filled with strong characters. I wouldn't be surprised if I come back for more.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
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½
 
Signalé
cathyskye | 3 autres critiques | Mar 27, 2022 |
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.
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Signalé
joannefm2 | 3 autres critiques | Feb 17, 2022 |
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.
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Signalé
joannefm2 | 1 autre critique | Feb 16, 2022 |

Statistiques

Œuvres
7
Membres
118
Popularité
#167,490
Évaluation
4.1
Critiques
16
ISBN
14

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