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lynguy1 's review for:
Open for Murder
by Mary Angela
OPEN FOR MURDER by Mary Angela is the first book in the Happy Camper cozy mystery series and is set in fictional tourist small town of Spirit Canyon, South Dakota. Former journalist Zo Jones runs the Happy Camper gift shop where she sells locally made souvenirs as well as antiques and does assorted rentals and even some hiking tours. It is Memorial Day weekend and Jo’s best friend from childhood has returned to town with her family to reopen the Spirit Canyon Lodge. When the power goes out and a dead body is found the next morning. Naturally, Zo’s instincts are to investigate.
Zo is a well-rounded main character that felt real and her motivations seemed believable. The secondary characters are not as well-developed, but they enhanced the story and will likely be developed more in future books in the series. The relationships between the characters seemed believable and not contrived. The plot was well done and had plenty of twists and turns along the way. I also enjoyed Zo’s interactions with her adopted cat, George. My biggest complaint is the portrayal of the local Chief of Police. Themes include friendship, family drama, death, secrets, new relationships and much more.
Overall, I enjoyed this fun, appealing, and entertaining story. I definitely am looking forward to the next book in the series as well as checking out the author’s Professor Prather series. I recommend this book to those that enjoy cozy mysteries.
Kensington Books and Mary Angela provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
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Great start to a new cozy mystery series. Full review will be posted about Oct. 24, 2020; one month prior to publication.
Zo is a well-rounded main character that felt real and her motivations seemed believable. The secondary characters are not as well-developed, but they enhanced the story and will likely be developed more in future books in the series. The relationships between the characters seemed believable and not contrived. The plot was well done and had plenty of twists and turns along the way. I also enjoyed Zo’s interactions with her adopted cat, George. My biggest complaint is the portrayal of the local Chief of Police. Themes include friendship, family drama, death, secrets, new relationships and much more.
Overall, I enjoyed this fun, appealing, and entertaining story. I definitely am looking forward to the next book in the series as well as checking out the author’s Professor Prather series. I recommend this book to those that enjoy cozy mysteries.
Kensington Books and Mary Angela provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
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Great start to a new cozy mystery series. Full review will be posted about Oct. 24, 2020; one month prior to publication.