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Reckless Camper Cozy Mysteries #1
The Handyman Homicide
The new campground comes with a body.
Sassy Letouroux is not normally an impulsive woman, but when the campground that held so many childhood memories comes up for sale, she throws caution to the wind and buys it—sight unseen.
Arriving with her 85 year old mother and her bloodhound, Elvis, Sassy realizes there’s a lot to do before the campground will be ready for the spring rush of guests.
And first on the to-do list is find out who murdered her handyman.
Sassy Letouroux is not normally an impulsive woman, but when the campground that held so many childhood memories comes up for sale, she throws caution to the wind and buys it—sight unseen.
Arriving with her 85 year old mother and her bloodhound, Elvis, Sassy realizes there’s a lot to do before the campground will be ready for the spring rush of guests.
And first on the to-do list is find out who murdered her handyman.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 10, 2022
593 people are currently reading
1259 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
January 22, 2022
A nice debut. The characters are kinda kooky, but that brings levity to the story. The protagonist has bought an old rundown campground/RV place—sight unseen—with a house and cabins that need plenty of TLC to be livable. Her 85-year old mother is with her and they’re both in good health and hard-workers. I knew who the victim was going to be before the person was identified, and I figure seasoned mystery readers will, too. The big mystery is why was the victim killed?
March 7, 2022
Libby Howard's new cozy mystery series, Reckless Campers, starts out with a bang and keeps getting better as Ms. Howard introduces us to her new characters. I enjoyed this book with it's twists, relatable characters and a bloodhound named Elvis that kept me turning the pages until I reached the end.
January 11, 2022
Fun story
It's great finding a decent book with a middle aged female protagonist. Sassy is a survivor and she and her elderly mother have decided go forego anything resembling a normal retirement and buy a campground instead. In addition to all of the usual troubles associated with getting a campground in the woods up and running, Sassy and her mother also have to deal with a murder. Luckily, their new small town contains some useful new friends and neighbors.
It's great finding a decent book with a middle aged female protagonist. Sassy is a survivor and she and her elderly mother have decided go forego anything resembling a normal retirement and buy a campground instead. In addition to all of the usual troubles associated with getting a campground in the woods up and running, Sassy and her mother also have to deal with a murder. Luckily, their new small town contains some useful new friends and neighbors.
July 15, 2023
I can recognize what they mean by a ‘cozy’ mystery. The Handyman Homicide is a pleasant story with Sassy, her mom, and Sassy’s dog Elvis the blood hound buying a campground. It feels like most of the story is just setting up the characters and setting for future books. The murder is introduced in a fun way when Elvis gets out and Sassy’s Mom makes a comment –
“Hope he didn’t get into that dead body in cabin three.”
I don’t know all the criteria people use to rank a murder mystery, but seemed like for the mystery connoisseurs it could have been more laid out on a more crooked path. I loved the reason for the murder. Unfortunately for me as a ‘dog’ book reader, the dog did not have a major role but was along for the ride most of the time.
No great quotes to relate from the book except one passage when the neighbor mentions there is ‘… bridge every Thursday’ in town which prompted the bit I will leave in this review. I liked it because, although I was younger than High School at the time, I remember my parents having Bridge parties. I remember as a kid wanting to eat some of the food, but don’t think we had the little hot dogs, otherwise the remembering is like mine even down to the martinis.
‘I’d never played bridge, but mom and dad had when I was back in high school. I vaguely remembered coming home from the roller rink or football games and finding a dozen people in our living room, all seated at those fold-up card tables. I’d never been sure if my parents had truly loved the card game, or had just used it as an excuse to get together with friends, drink martinis, and eat those little hot dogs rolled up in Crescent rolls that Mom used to bake for parties.’
So overall enjoyable enough book, not a great ‘dog’ book though. This makes 17 books in my goal toward reading book one of the 53 mystery + dog series I have identified so far.
“Hope he didn’t get into that dead body in cabin three.”
I don’t know all the criteria people use to rank a murder mystery, but seemed like for the mystery connoisseurs it could have been more laid out on a more crooked path. I loved the reason for the murder. Unfortunately for me as a ‘dog’ book reader, the dog did not have a major role but was along for the ride most of the time.
No great quotes to relate from the book except one passage when the neighbor mentions there is ‘… bridge every Thursday’ in town which prompted the bit I will leave in this review. I liked it because, although I was younger than High School at the time, I remember my parents having Bridge parties. I remember as a kid wanting to eat some of the food, but don’t think we had the little hot dogs, otherwise the remembering is like mine even down to the martinis.
‘I’d never played bridge, but mom and dad had when I was back in high school. I vaguely remembered coming home from the roller rink or football games and finding a dozen people in our living room, all seated at those fold-up card tables. I’d never been sure if my parents had truly loved the card game, or had just used it as an excuse to get together with friends, drink martinis, and eat those little hot dogs rolled up in Crescent rolls that Mom used to bake for parties.’
So overall enjoyable enough book, not a great ‘dog’ book though. This makes 17 books in my goal toward reading book one of the 53 mystery + dog series I have identified so far.
March 26, 2022
The moment I read the first few pages in Libby Howard's new Reckless Camper Cozy Mysteries, I was hooked! Sassy Letouroux, her 85 year old mother Ellie Mae and their rescue hound dog named Elvis are the new owners of Reckless Camper Campground and the body of the camp handyman in cabin three!
Sassy (short for Sassafrass) is a mature woman who leaves her corporate job to find another life, after surviving a health crisis. She's relatable, practical and looks at life with a sense of humor. Crime solving doesn't come naturally to her but her curiosity makes her the perfect sleuth. Sassy is the type of character that you'd want for a friend and I felt like I was right there with her sleuthing. Ellie Mae is funny, sweet and tough as they come. There was the glimmer of a romance but this book was focused on getting to know the characters and the mystery. The supporting characters are quirky and well written.
I'm looking forward to another visit with Sassy, Ellie Mae and Elvis!
Sassy (short for Sassafrass) is a mature woman who leaves her corporate job to find another life, after surviving a health crisis. She's relatable, practical and looks at life with a sense of humor. Crime solving doesn't come naturally to her but her curiosity makes her the perfect sleuth. Sassy is the type of character that you'd want for a friend and I felt like I was right there with her sleuthing. Ellie Mae is funny, sweet and tough as they come. There was the glimmer of a romance but this book was focused on getting to know the characters and the mystery. The supporting characters are quirky and well written.
I'm looking forward to another visit with Sassy, Ellie Mae and Elvis!
January 15, 2022
New series has promise
Interesting concept with interesting mix of characters. This first in series was definitely a scene setter with a murder mystery thrown in along with some humour.
Interesting concept with interesting mix of characters. This first in series was definitely a scene setter with a murder mystery thrown in along with some humour.
March 21, 2022
You seldom find books about women who aren't 20 something and fit as a fiddle. These characters have life experience and their relationships are wonderful. It is great to see women supporting women! It is also inspiring to see people start new careers later in their lives. What a fun read.
July 30, 2022
I love a good mystery set in a community
There were a few typos but nothing that distracted from the reading. The story itself is very engaging - especially the characters and the community of Reckless. I've already started reading the second book.
There were a few typos but nothing that distracted from the reading. The story itself is very engaging - especially the characters and the community of Reckless. I've already started reading the second book.
January 20, 2022
A fun loving cozy mystery.
August 10, 2022
This was the first book in the
"Reckless Camper"
series. Thus was a pretty good read. Sassy Letouroux bought a campground that held a lot of memories of her childhood. She arrives with her mother who is 85 years old and her bloodhound Elvis. This book had some funny scenes in it. The secondary characters were great. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
August 19, 2022
Delightful read and characters who are real.
March 30, 2022
This book was not bad, 3.5 and rounded it up. Worth the read. Short kinda funny murder mystery that is very light hearted for the subject at hand.
March 15, 2022
This is a short, fast read about the new owner of campground, where a dead body is found. The bulk of the book covers the preparations for the campground opening after the protagonist moves to a new town with her Mom & dog. The mystery is a not a major part of the story, until the end. The writing is a little repetitive at times. Overall, this is a lite, entertaining story with likeable characters… a pleasant diversion.
Thank you to the author and publisher for a complimentary copy of this book; my review is an honest one.
Thank you to the author and publisher for a complimentary copy of this book; my review is an honest one.
March 17, 2022
I truly enjoyed this book. The ending was predictable but it was still a fun read. I like the characters and the getting the camp ground up and running. Looking forward to more books from this author.
January 15, 2022
When the campground of her childhood memories comes up for sale, Sassy Letouroux decides it's time to give up her corporate job, follow a dream and take a chance. She buys the place sight unseen - though she did have some video and pics from the realtor. Fifty-something Sassy and her 85 year old mother pack up their belongings and move to Reckless with bloodhound Elvis in tow. The campground has definitely seen better days but Sassy believes they can make a go of it once they do some cleaning and sprucing up. A neighbour soon arrives to welcome them but Sassy's mother waits till after the woman leaves to inform Sassy that she'd come across a dead body in cabin 3! That wasn't in the plans and Sassy already had a list a mile long of things to do before guests started arriving in a few days. Sassy wants to believe that the police will find the killer quickly but things get complicated and Sassy gets a bit more than she bargained for - with the campground and the murder.
My thoughts? This was a fun quick read. It's nice to have a main character in her late 50's, but who names their daughter Sassafras? Glad she goes by Sassy. Naming a hound-dog Elvis seems a bit cliché but it does sort of suit him. The neighbour Lottie is an interesting character and the sometimes deputy Jake is a welcome addition. As Sassy hasn't been to the area in over 30 years, she really didn't know the people in town, so for the most part had to go by what Lottie and Jake told her. Granted, she does meet a few people in town but the known suspect pool for the murder seemed rather small and to me it was rather evident who did it and the motive behind it well before the ending. Even so, It was a good book and I will be reading the next in the series when it comes out in late Feb 2022
My thoughts? This was a fun quick read. It's nice to have a main character in her late 50's, but who names their daughter Sassafras? Glad she goes by Sassy. Naming a hound-dog Elvis seems a bit cliché but it does sort of suit him. The neighbour Lottie is an interesting character and the sometimes deputy Jake is a welcome addition. As Sassy hasn't been to the area in over 30 years, she really didn't know the people in town, so for the most part had to go by what Lottie and Jake told her. Granted, she does meet a few people in town but the known suspect pool for the murder seemed rather small and to me it was rather evident who did it and the motive behind it well before the ending. Even so, It was a good book and I will be reading the next in the series when it comes out in late Feb 2022
February 19, 2022
a nice cozy mystery
It is a well written escape book. I had part of it figured out quite early but still just enough questions to keep it interesting.
It is a well written escape book. I had part of it figured out quite early but still just enough questions to keep it interesting.
March 18, 2022
Who killed Daryl Butts and why AND where is the book ??? Running a campground really takes a lot of effort, doesn’t it??? I enjoyed the story and am glad that the movers finally got here from Wichita AND I recommend the book.
January 29, 2022
Fun mystery
Most of the book is the main finding her new life as the owner of a somewhat run down campground. But there is a mystery. The characters are great and on the whole a fun read.
Most of the book is the main finding her new life as the owner of a somewhat run down campground. But there is a mystery. The characters are great and on the whole a fun read.
January 12, 2022
Fun book to read
This book was really fun to read it had interesting characters and moved along quickly I enjoyed it very much
This book was really fun to read it had interesting characters and moved along quickly I enjoyed it very much
January 18, 2022
Loved it
I really enjoyed this book.It kept me interested from the first page to the last. A good clean cozy mystery
I really enjoyed this book.It kept me interested from the first page to the last. A good clean cozy mystery
January 19, 2022
Entertaining
Love the characters and their real life troubles, with a lot of humor thrown in. Can't wait for the next book.
Love the characters and their real life troubles, with a lot of humor thrown in. Can't wait for the next book.
August 3, 2022
Definitely enjoyed this one! Sassy and her mom buy a campground in need of some repair, sight unseen, and end up finding the body of the handyman on their first day there. We get introduced to a quirky neighbor, Lottie, a sometimes-deputy, Jake, a handful of other residents in town, and of course, Elvis, as the story unfolds. I pretty much knew the 'why' of the story about half way through, and had a good idea of the 'who' shortly after, but it was still a fun read and I enjoyed how everything unfolded in the end. I was pleasantly surprised to read a cozy that didn't have the protagonist running all over town getting in everyone's business. Not everything was rushed in this one, including the romantic interest, which I also appreciated. There are more books in the series so plenty of time for all that. I will definitely pick up Book 2!
August 9, 2022
Reckless
The lead character, Sassy - well-defined, well-developed, except for one phrase that had me grinding my teeth, "I had confrontation." Why that was included more than once, I don't know because it did not add to the story.
The camp ground recreation story was much more interesting than the story of the murder. I would have read the book just for that story. Sassy's mother's character - enthralling, the idea of an eighty + year old woman being super confident around computers was different, different, but good. It did not require much insight to figure that the books would work out to be a major part of the story. Only problem is that there were no reasons given for the thousand well inventoried books.
Promises of mysteries to come are included but the book is nice enough on its own.
The lead character, Sassy - well-defined, well-developed, except for one phrase that had me grinding my teeth, "I had confrontation." Why that was included more than once, I don't know because it did not add to the story.
The camp ground recreation story was much more interesting than the story of the murder. I would have read the book just for that story. Sassy's mother's character - enthralling, the idea of an eighty + year old woman being super confident around computers was different, different, but good. It did not require much insight to figure that the books would work out to be a major part of the story. Only problem is that there were no reasons given for the thousand well inventoried books.
Promises of mysteries to come are included but the book is nice enough on its own.
May 23, 2022
The Handyman Homicide is a great beginning for the new Reckless Camper Cozy Mysteries by well-known author, Libby Howard.
Recent cancer survivor Sassy Latouroux makes a life-changing decision to walk away from the corporate world and buy a campground that she enjoyed as a child and as a parent to a child. Investing everything into the project with the support of her 85-year-young mother, Sassy faces even more challenges than she expected, but new friends make the load just a little bit lighter. On the other hand, that body in cabin 5 doesn't exactly make for great PR. Intelligence, organizational skills, a willingness to work, and that wonderful mother may not be enough to overcome all the challenges, but there is no going back now.
Recent cancer survivor Sassy Latouroux makes a life-changing decision to walk away from the corporate world and buy a campground that she enjoyed as a child and as a parent to a child. Investing everything into the project with the support of her 85-year-young mother, Sassy faces even more challenges than she expected, but new friends make the load just a little bit lighter. On the other hand, that body in cabin 5 doesn't exactly make for great PR. Intelligence, organizational skills, a willingness to work, and that wonderful mother may not be enough to overcome all the challenges, but there is no going back now.
June 7, 2024
What really impressed me about this book was two-fold. First, the author made me care about the protagonist, Sassy, and her goal of setting up the camp-site they just bought —which I credit purely to good writing. Second, and more importantly, were how Sassy's reactions to finding a murder victim were handled. In so many mystery stories, the protagonist instantly jumps into Scooby Doo sleuthing mode even though it makes less than no sense for that to be the case. Sassy, on the other hand, had way too many real-world problems to deal with, and while the mystery unfolded around her, it wasn't because she kept unrealistically snooping around, and instead, let the police actually do their jobs.
August 21, 2022
This book was pretty good. It had some funny places in it. It was about a woman and her mother bought a camping ground for families that camp. They found a man murdered in one of the camp houses. The murder investigation was going really slow but the author was really right on with purchases, snacks, worms to fish with, and fun games for the kids. The murderer was caught when he just wandered back in the camp house looking for a book that was supposed to be worth a lot of money. The book wasn't fantastic but was ok.
September 3, 2022
free ebook
she and her mom got a campground at a lake, they have a hound dog
they found the handy man murdered in one of the cabins
she had to get the place ready for the people to come camp
the man next door was a sometimes cop and he came to help her
she liked the lady next door who would come over with food and help, but they never saw her husband
they thought they had a valuable book, which is why the handyman got murdered, but it turned out it wasnt
they didnt get the moving truck with the right furniture till the end of the book
she and her mom got a campground at a lake, they have a hound dog
they found the handy man murdered in one of the cabins
she had to get the place ready for the people to come camp
the man next door was a sometimes cop and he came to help her
she liked the lady next door who would come over with food and help, but they never saw her husband
they thought they had a valuable book, which is why the handyman got murdered, but it turned out it wasnt
they didnt get the moving truck with the right furniture till the end of the book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2022
This is the first in the series. The main characters are Sassy and her mom. Sassy and her mom buy a campground and move to the campground to get it ready for the camping season. The first day there, they find a tree through a roof and a dead body. They are trying to get everything ready to open but someone is still searching the cabins and somehow the moving company has lost their belongings. They are trying to get everything ready before opening day, but someone seems to beout to get them. Can they figure out and get everything ready before it's too late ?
October 31, 2023
This was a good cozy mystery. I liked Sassy and her mother as main characters. I thought the plot of Sassy buying a campground and trying to get it ready for customers was interesting. Although I do think at times the author spent too much time on the minutiae of getting the camp up and running. I would have liked a more in-depth mystery where Sassy spent more time trying to solve who killed her handyman. Of course, Elvis the bloodhound was my favorite part for sure. All in all, it was good, but I don't see myself continuing in the series.
February 18, 2024
The perfect COVID cozy!
What do you get when you are home with COVID, and love dogs, camping and cozy mysteries? You read book 1 in the Reckless Camper Cozy Mysteries series by Libby Howard.
With just the right mix of hometown fellowship and adventure tension, The Handy Homicide is the perfect entree into the characters in Reckless. It was just complex enough to keep me interested, but straightforward enough that my flu-addled brain could follow.
I will be downloading the rest of the series!!
What do you get when you are home with COVID, and love dogs, camping and cozy mysteries? You read book 1 in the Reckless Camper Cozy Mysteries series by Libby Howard.
With just the right mix of hometown fellowship and adventure tension, The Handy Homicide is the perfect entree into the characters in Reckless. It was just complex enough to keep me interested, but straightforward enough that my flu-addled brain could follow.
I will be downloading the rest of the series!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews