I really enjoy the writing of Tonya Kappes. She has several cozy mystery and romance books under her belt. The Campers & Criminals Series has been an entertaining series. It has romance, friendship, dogs, campground, small town Kentucky, humor and dead bodies. There are even camping hacks, hints and recipes at the end of each book.
This book just didn’t have the same feel for me. The friendships and romance are still there. As are the dead bodies. But this book felt like her heart wasn’t in it. Considering it was written during the quarantine, when much of the country was losing heart, it didn’t really surprise me. I did still enjoy reading it.
What worked for me? The campground has the lovable Mae West, Dottie and Henry. We even see a bit of Ty. The town has the fabulously hilarious laundry ladies. It has storylines with Mae possibly becoming a board member for the local natural parks committee, with Happy Trails getting a prestigious hospitality award and the campground is hosting a kayak event. In the midst of all that, dead bodies turn up and if Mae wants to pull of even one of those things she will need to solve it. Hank is back as is his grandma. We see and learn more about Alvin Deters who owns the Feed N Seed store. We also get more story time with Dottie. I really enjoy getting to know more of the people around Mae.
What didn’t work for me there was a feeling that the author was going over a lot of things that regular series readers already knew. I know that it is a difficult balancing act between old readers and new ones who may be starting the series with this book. Ms Kappes has handled that effectively in all of her series, except this one. The suspect list was short leaving it open to being easily solved. I don’t normally solve the mysteries when reading a mystery. I like seeing it all unfold. I enjoy the story. I knew who it was going to be fairly easily. These two things, both of which the author is usually on spot with, being off led me to think her heart just wasn’t in this one or that she was rushing through it.
Do I recommend you read it? Yes. If you are new to the series, this book will give you a lot of background. If you have already been reading the series, you will enjoy it. It will just be an easy solve. There is a lot going on and some absolute laugh out loud moments that you don’t want to miss. ( )

Mae is competing with other campgrounds for the honor of being the best hospitality campground in the county. Her hopes are dashed when a champion kayaker’s body is found submerged in the water, shot with an arrow. Mae and the Laundry Ladies are again searching fo clues to find the killer. Dottie is recovering from hip surgery, and crowds are descending the campground. It’s a hectic time for Mae, but lots of fun for readers of this series. ( )

Kickbacks, Kayaks, and Kidnapping by Tonya Kappes is the 12th A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery. It can be read as a standalone as the author provides all the background information needed on Mae, the town, and the campground. I always enjoy visiting Normal, Kentucky with its friendly residents and Southern hospitality. Mae West turns out to be quite the entrepreneur. She has added water activities (canoeing, white water rafting, fishing, kayaking) to the services offered at Happy Trails Campground. Mae also dreamed up Paddle Fest to launch her latest brainchild. She coordinated with campgrounds around the Daniel Boone National Forest so there will be water happenings throughout the event. In addition, there is a kayak competition where the winner hopes to get a coveted spot on the United State Olympic kayak team. Bryce Anderson is the leading competitor and he is staying at Happy Trails with his agent. When Bryce turns up dead after the opening ceremony, Mae must work quickly to solve the case. Mae and the ladies from the Laundry Club get out the notebook and commandeer the write on/wipe off board in the Happy Trails office. There are a variety of suspects, misdirection, and some good clues. I like how Mae works with her friends to gather intel and question suspects. Dottie Swaggert is a hoot. She is recovering from hip surgery and is cranky. Dottie made some humorous remarks that had me chuckling. I enjoy Tonya Kappes’ conversational writing style. Tonya provides an amusing Southern cozy mystery with quirky characters and small town charm. It is wonderful what Mae has created at Happy Trails. She has given the place a cozy, family feel. Thanks to the authors word imagery, I can envision what the campground looks like with the trailers, cabins, the fires, the trees, and the lake. I love what Mae has done to her cozy camper home. It makes me want a small trailer that I can turn into a she shed. A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery series has friendship, family, small town charm, sweet dogs, romance, humor, and, of course, murder victims. I look forward to Mae’s next adventure in Gear, Grills, and Guns. Kickbacks, Kayaks, and Kidnapping is an entertaining cozy mystery with tempting trails, committee conundrum, walker woes, naughty “nekkidness”, and killer kayaks. ( )

This series just keeps getting better. I love every character in this series and I even sometimes like the killers. This is a fun cozy and you want to read it in one sitting. I love the laughs and a few times the cries. I hope there will be many more in this series. This is one of my feel good mysteries. These characters always perk me up. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )