Reviewing Mining for Murder
What a treat this little cozy mystery novel was! The third book in the Happy Camper Mystery series was action packed and had a depth that I was surprised was ingrained within the story.
I didn’t feel like I was missing any information by jumping in this without reading the prior two books, and so, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Zo Jones (the amateur sleuth) who as an orphan, grew up in the foster care system and stayed in the town that she only knew and made a home for herself as an adult. I loved that this book included Zo’s character arc as she finally got some resolution by the end of the story, which makes me look forward to seeing how it plays out next for her.
Mining for Murder draws the reader in with this adventourous cozy that involves a treaure hunt, a murder, a valuable missing book and history playing a big part in present that places Zo and her friends on a journey of figuring out who the murderer is and who stole the book.
Mining for Murder releases on March 29th!
Thank you Lyrical Press and Kensington Books for the arc. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Book Description
Zo Jones is enjoying the sunny season at her Happy Camper gift shop in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota—when a murder reminds her all that glitters isn’t gold . . .
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 germophobe 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 . . .