[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Zo Jones has an eclectic existence in Spirit Canyon. She owns The Happy Camper, a gift shop in town that caters to tourists. She rents bikes and kayaks and also gives tours of the area. On top of that, she writes a weekly column for the local newspaper. She loves the quirky vibe of her South Dakota community.
Zo’s childhood friend, Beth, is back in town just in time for the Memorial Day weekend launch of the tourist season. Beth inherited the Spirit Canyon Lodge and is hosting her first guests for the holiday weekend.
The Lodge’s first guests are a group of college friends and a newly engaged couple. They are also playing host to Enid Barrett. Enid owns two resorts in the area herself, so it’s a puzzle why she would be at the Lodge. And she’s horrid to everyone there, including Beth. She even offers to buy Beth out so she’ll close the Lodge. But Beth turns her down.
When Enid is found dead from a likely heart attack, it’s a shame for a death to mar the opening weekend for Beth and her family. But local police find the death suspicious. And as Enid’s “business rival,” Beth is their favorite suspect. Zo is determined to clear her friend’s name and salvage the Lodge’s reputation.
Review
I enjoyed the South Dakota/Black Hills setting for this new mystery series. The core group of characters – Zo, Beth and her family, the potential love interest, the librarian, the neighbor, and the jerk law enforcement officer – make for a solid group to build the series around. Zo’s shop sounds fun. I enjoyed the scenes where the author described the store and Zo’s stock.
The mystery was solid. I was able to figure out about half of what happened on my own, but there were other pieces where I needed Zo’s help. The case didn’t really grab me, though. While Enid was a nasty piece of work, I wasn’t invested in her as a victim or in any of the potential suspects. Everything in this was fine, but I’m not sure I will come back for a second book in the series.
Cozy fans who are excited about the South Dakota setting should check this out. The setting and Zo’s shop were fun components for this story. There are some new age bits to this – dream interpretation as well as references to tarot readings and seances – which might also appeal to some readers.
Rating: ♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥ = Good/fine/solid