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    Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries
    Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries
    Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries
    Audiobook5 hours

    Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries

    Written by Tonya Kappes

    Narrated by Johanna Parker

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Mae West, a far cry from the Hollywood actress, has been thrown for a loop. Her plush lifestyle in the big city of New York comes to a screeching halt after the FBI raids her mansion and arrests her husband, Paul West, for a Ponzi scheme that rips people out of millions of dollars.

    Mae finds herself homeless, friendless, and penniless. All hope isn't lost . . . the only thing Mae got to keep that the government didn't seize is a tourist camp ground, Happy Trails, in Normal, Kentucky.

    By the look of the brochure, Happy Trails has plush Kentucky Bluegrass, a crystal clear lake, and a beach chair with her name on it. Mae figures she'll take a couple weeks' vacation with her toes dipped in the lake.

    Mae quickly finds out that Happy Trails and the citizens of Normal were also victims of Paul's schemes, making her lower than than lake scum in the residents' eyes. Mae doesn't think things could get much worse, but as luck would have it, Paul West has escaped from prison and is found dead, murdered, floating in the Happy Trails lake.

    Time is running out for Mae to prove that she's innocent and nothing like her husband. If only she could get someone to believe her before the curtain is closed on this Hollywood namesake.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJan 30, 2019
    ISBN9781977339782
    Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries
    Author

    Tonya Kappes

    Tonya Kappes has written more than fifteen novels and four novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, two very spoiled schnauzers, and one ex-stray cat in northern Kentucky. Now that her boys are teenagers, Tonya writes full-time but can be found at all of her guys' high-school games with a pencil and paper in hand. Come on over and FAN Tonya on Goodreads.

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    Reviews for Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries

    4/5

    98 ratings9 reviews

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    • 5/5
      So so so good! I really enjoyed the story and Mae’s character development.
    • 4/5
      This was a fun little cozy! I enjoyed getting to know Mae and this cute little town. The mystery was interesting and kept me listening. I can't wait to continue with this series!
    • 3/5
      A bit boring, but fun! May was a conflicting character. The love triangle is feeling forced, especially just after her divorce, but I'm sure it will get better in the rest of the series.
    • 5/5
      I love this series. I am re-reading it and I still enjoy it. It has fun quirky characters mixed with southern charm and a good puzzle to solve.
    • 4/5
      Mae West’s husband was convicted of a Ponzi scheme, though Mae was unaware of his dastardly dealings. She has lost practically everything to the FBI seizure, except for an RV and a camp site. And a secret stash of money. She is trying, in a small way and with limited funds, to help some of the people her husband had cheated. Now living in the RV, Mae is somewhat surprised to discover that the camp residents in the town of Normal, Kentucky were friendly and welcoming, and that she likes being there. She settles in, deciding to improve the camp. Everyone is surprised when her husband escapes from prison, but there are bigger surprise to come. It’s a good mystery, filled with southern charm and engaging characters, and is quite an entertaining story.
    • 3/5
      Cute, easy lazy read. good palette cleanser between heavy non-fiction. Characters friendly enough to merit reading next in series to see how it develops. Rich & pampered wife, divorced as result of husband's criminal embezzlement of other people's money (including hers) finds herself living out of a camper in Normal Kentucky managing her only remaining asset (which she didn't know she owned).Southern charm, and Cinderella moments ooze, but in this world of COVID, scheming and screaming politicians and environmental disasters, it's a soothing way to escape for a few minutes.
    • 4/5
      Beaches, Bungalows, and Burglaries by Tonya Kappes1st book in the Camper and Criminal series. Cozy mystery style with southern influences and laced in humor. Mae West, not the actress, moves to Normal, Kentucky after her ex-husband is caught and jailed for swindling people of their life savings. Mae is left with only a camper and a mostly bankrupt camp ground. Mae hopes to sell and get back to her previous plush lifestyle but soon realizes that the neglected residents of the camp ground were also victims of her ex. Its going to take more money than she has to clean it up and their stories break her heart. When her ex bobs up dead from under the dock on the little lake, everyone is a suspect.The first part of the book is a lot of world building. The mystery, aka body, doesn’t show up until quite a ways in. Delightfully campy and entertaining. Easy to read and I look forward to more from Normal, Kentucky. I alternated between an ebook and audiobook. I much preferred the audiobook because of the need for better editing in the text version. The narrator was pleasant to listen to.
    • 5/5
      If you enjoy a cozy mystery you will love this one. It has great characters and deaths. You know that one of these characters must have committed the murder but you don’t want it to be any of them because they are all likable. I look forward to another one in this series. Keep them coming. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
    • 4/5
      Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries by Tonya Kappes is the first tale in A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery series. Mae West’s (not the actress) life has been turned upside down. Her husband, Paul duped people into investing in his Ponzi scheme and Mae did not know until the FBI showed up at their house. She has lost her home, car and possessions. Her attorney, after he takes her car keys, states that there are two items that she owns and one of them could help her earn a living. For some reason, Paul put an RV and the Happy Trails Campground in Normal, Kentucky in Mae’s name. With no other options, Mae hops into her new home on wheels and heads for Normal. The brochure shows a beautiful campground on a lake and Mae could use a vacation before making plans for her future. Mae arrives at Happy Trails and discovers that the brochure was printed twenty years ago. Mae is surprised to find out that the residents of Happy Trails and Normal were also victims of Paul’s nefarious schemes. Mae does not think life can get worse, but then she is approached by Detective Hank Sharp (local FBI agent and park ranger). Paul has escaped from prison and his body has been found floating in Happy Trails gunky lake (covered in green slime). Mae, of course, is at the top of the suspect list, but there is a town full of alternatives. She sets out to find the Paul’s killer as well as revitalize Happy Trails. She will need help and the ladies of The Laundry Club are happy to assist. Come along to Normal, Kentucky where life is happily never normal.Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries was a delight to read. I found it well-written and entertaining. It has a nice steady pace throughout the whole book. Mae West is an interesting and likeable main character. She would rather wallow in her new home, but she is lacking in clean laundry. That is how Mae meets the Laundry Club ladies whose stories make Mae wants to help those taken advantage of by Paul. Mae, though, is lacking in the life skills department (laundry, cleaning, cooking, how to use a Keurig). It is a good thing she met Dottie and the other ladies of The Laundry Club are willing to help Mae. The ladies warm up to Mae and set out to help her fix up Happy Trails. The town has a group of diverse characters and shops. I loved Happy Trails and the residents. I like how they come together for dinner and I had not heard of iron skillet smores before this book. There is a hint of romance in the story (a little flirting or interest expressed). I am happy the author did not rush Mae into a relationship. The mystery was straightforward, and I thought the killer stood out like a dog sitting in the middle of a group of cats. My rating for Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries is 4 out of 5 stars. Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries is an amusing story and I am keen to read Deserts, Driving, and Derelicts.