Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Boxed Set

I’ll admit, I approached *Camper & Criminals* skeptical of yet another ‘small-town sleuth’ series, but Kappes won me over by the second chapter. Mae West is the kind of protagonist you’d want to share a bourbon with—sharp, no-nonsense, but with a soft spot for underdogs (and her giant dog, George). The first book, *Hammocks, Handguns & Hearsay*, hooks you with a cold case tied to the campground’s history, but it’s the *people* who keep you listening: the nosy park owner, the shady handyman, the retiree who fancies himself a detective. Kappes excels at making even minor characters feel real, which pays off when the suspects start piling up. Johanna Parker’s narration is a masterclass in cozy mystery audio. She nails Mae’s dry wit—listen for her delivery of lines like *“I didn’t retire to babysit grown adults with a grudge and a gun”*—and her ability to switch between Southern drawls and Midwestern clipped tones keeps the large cast from blending together. My only critique? The third book, *Witness, Woods, & Wedding*, drags slightly in the middle with one too many red herrings, and Parker’s voice for the love interest occasionally veers into *too* smooth, losing some of the character’s edge. But the payoff—a wedding-day showdown involving a missing groom and a hidden safe—is worth the detour. Production-wise, the audio is clean, though a few abrupt chapter transitions pulled me out of the story. Still, this is cozy mystery comfort food at its best: familiar enough to relax into, but with enough twists (and campground drama) to keep you guessing. If you love your mysteries with humor, heart, and a side of RV park gossip, this boxed set is your next binge.