Mining For Murder
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 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.
The Details
Series: A Happy Camper Mystery – Book #3
Author: Mary Angela
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Books
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
ISBN: 1516110749
Page Count: 207
Rating: 
The Review
Zo Jones is quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery characters. The latest addition to the “A Happy Camper Mystery” series, Mining For Murder, is a wonderful addition to an already fabulous series. A mixture of family drama, hidden gold, and a historical book makes this addition a standout hit that will have readers jumping for joy.
A historical book about the gold rush days of South Dakota goes up for auction. There are grumbles and outright hostilities over the ownership of the tome. The book’s contents tell the story of family relationships, hard times, and maybe Spirit Canyon’s secrets. Everyone wants to get their hands on the book for one reason or another. But when a friend of Zo’s win’s the bid and is soon after found dead, it becomes a case of murder. But which family secret got Maynard Cline killed, and does the book hold the secret to finding lost gold or something more sinister?
The characters in this series are delightfully down-home and based firmly in reality. The locations are well developed (having lived in the area this series is set in, I can actually picture many of the real places quite easily, especially the canyon and the gold mine). The victim, although a germaphobe and wealthy, is sympathetic and respected, although not necessarily liked by many.
The suspects are easy to spot and give family and the gold rush an all-new meaning. The motive, however, may be a bit more involved than readers may at first think. The evidence points you in the right direction, but the ending may leave you on the edge of your seat. The killer is unveiled but not before Zo gets herself into deep trouble as usual. In the end, I saw the twist coming, and I am happy to say that I love the direction it will take this series and Zo. The pace was a little slower than I would have liked, but in general, Mining For Murder was a fun and entertaining read from start to finish. I look forward to the next installment.
The Author
Mary is a mother, writer, teacher, and lover of books, literary and otherwise. She first experienced genre confusion when one of her professors asked what type of writing interested her, and she answered “historical romance.” Although she hasn’t pursued romance writing, she has followed her dream of writing traditional mysteries set in South Dakota.
When Mary isn’t penning heartwarming whodunits, she’s teaching, reading, traveling, or spending time with her family. She lives in South Dakota with her husband, daughters, and spoiled pets. Mary and her family love to travel together, read together, and eat pizza together. And when it comes to watching movies, they can always agree on their favorite characters: Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang!
Mary loves hearing from readers, students, and just about anyone else who might want to talk about books, writing, or South Dakota’s weather. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and The Authors Guild.
Readers will want to start this series from the beginning with book one, Open For Murder, and book two, Midnight Spells Murder.
Represented by: BookEnds Literary Agency
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