Cozy mysteries often rely on tiny idyllic towns and tightly-knit communities for their charm, but rarely do they feel as isolated as Mary Angela’s Open for Murder.

In the first book in the Happy Camper Mystery series, Zo Jones runs a gift shop plopped in the middle of Black Hills National Forest. Angela’s sweeping descriptions of the local canyon and broader park could make even the most travel-weary of folks ready to grab a rucksack and charge into the great outdoors. However, a sudden murder at a local hotel’s grand reopening event might give pause. No worries, though. It’s a cozy mystery after all, and Zo, our quirky proprietor-turned-sleuth, is quickly on the case.

The mystery itself is solid, and Zo’s antics as she attempts to investigate a somewhat closed-off community heading into the tourist season are genuinely amusing. But it’s really the setting that pulls everything together. A land where nature rules more than the local denizens, where something could be lurking behind every tree—maybe even a murderer. There’s danger in all that beauty.

Ultimately, while the mass expanse of Black Hills National Forest might feel secluded, Open for Murder is packed with character—hills and all.

This is the first book in the Happy Camper series that has 3 books. I loved the setting of South Dakota and the festival the story centers around is wonderfully described. I enjoyed this book so much and it would make a perfect summer vacation read.

A very good start to a new series. I like how the relationships are starting to form. I think the town is really great and I think the Happy Camper gift shop is adorable!!

Great world building, fun characters, and a lot of potential for a really wonderful series. I definitely recommend.

Zo Jones has lived in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota for most of her life. She owns a shop called Happy Camper, which is on the first floor of a house that she lives in. She sells outdoor equipment, gifts, and rents outdoor equipment and gives hiking tours around the area, which is close to Lead and the Mount Rushmore monument. After being shuffled from foster home to foster home, her life is content, and she's in a good place. It's also about to become happier since her childhood friend Beth is moving back to Spirit Mountain -- she and her family have taken over the Spirit Canyon Lodge that was once owned by Beth's Aunt Lilly, and left to her.

But soon enough Beth's newfound happiness is clouded when a guest at the grand opening is found dead on her property. The dead woman was the owner of a rival resort, and made an offer to Beth to buyout the lodge -- once that Beth very vocally refused. With that argument as ammunition, the local sheriff, Brady Merriman, has Beth in his sight as the logical killer. The motive? $20,000 that was in Enid's possession before she was killed. Now Zo is tapped by Beth and her mother Vi to find out who the murderer is before Beth loses everything she's just put forth. Zo's unlikely ally is Forest Ranger Max Harrington, whom Zo has always been cool to, but is now decidedly warming up. Together, they plan to find out the truth. At least if Zo can stay away from Enid's killer herself...

This is the first in the series, and I wanted to give it a try. I will tell you that at first I wasn't sure, since it seemed to start out slow. So slow that I put it down several times, which isn't like me; usually I will read a book in one or two sittings. But I tired of all the descriptions of Mount Rushmore's surrounding areas and those of Spirit Canyon; I wanted to get to the heart of the matter: the mystery. (I will say that since I grew up in Minnesota, I have visited the famous monument and its surrounding area, and even though I was a preteen, I still remember the beauty. But those winters are not something I ever want to experience again! Brrr!).

Once the book got started for me, I found it interesting enough to finish quickly. There were plenty of subjects, and I even had my own ideas of who the killer was. The guests were definitely on the shady side a bit, and it seemed everyone had no problem pointing the finger at Beth. One thing I didn't care for was Brady Merriman. I was hoping he wouldn't be the 'evil nemesis,' since I so tire of those; and I even found that $100 for eight miles over the speed limit ridiculous. You wouldn't even get a ticket for that, maybe not even a warning. Plus, saying something he learned of as stolen property wouldn't hold up in a court of law, although I am not going to say what it was...

I did like that Zo's sleuthing didn't end up doing something illegal and then having to figure a way to lie herself out of the situation. She seemed smart, to an extent, but having George as an outdoor cat didn't make any sense since she stated that she got him at a shelter (which meant he had been indoors in a cage and wasn't feral); it was also cruel, as outdoor cats have a shorter life span than those kept indoors, especially in the area she lives in. I hope that she figures out a way to keep him indoors completely. I am rabid about this subject, and I won't apologize for it.

Other than that, I did like this book quite a bit. The author is obviously talented and can relate a story that has clues in it, but not overtly. They were there, and the conversations between the characters seemed relaxed and realistic.

Although I figured it out who the murderer was before Zo, I still wanted to know the reason why, and I thought it rather sad and a bit twisted, to say the least. The climax was worth reading, and a bit surprising in one part. However, the book was very good and I will continue to read this series. Recommended.

DNF at 59%

I couldn't connect with the characters and the writing was flat. Skipped to the end to find the murderer and that was enough for me.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a good mystery with memorable characters.

Loved this cozy mystery! A scenic little tourist town, some badass female entrepreneurs and friends with the best connections. I couldn't ask for more.

This is a cozy mystery, and this is the first book in A Happy Camper Mystery series. At first I was enjoying this book then I found myself not caring what I was reading. I was reading and then I stop reading, but I could not remember anything I read. I thought maybe it was me, so I started over. The same thing happen. I think this book was just not for me. Sometimes a book cannot pull you in and keep you, and that is what happen for me in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Lyrical Press) or author (Mary Angela) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

A truly engaging story in a fun series. I love the characters and the mystery will keep you guessing.

Open for Murder by Mary Angela is the first book in the new cozy A Happy Camper Mystery series while Midnight Spells Murder is the second. Each of these books in the series could be read as a standalone as they each contain their own mystery that was fully solved inside. There is however character development that is and will carry over from book to book of the series for those that follow from the beginning.

The A Happy Camper Mystery series introduced readers to Zo Jones who had studied to be a journalist but decided that wasn’t where she wanted to go with her life. Zo chose to return to Spirit Canyon, South Dakota where she opened up her shop, Happy Camper. The Happy Camper is a gift shop where Zo sells a little bit of everything and even rents out bikes to the tourists.

Open for Murder takes place over Memorial Day weekend in Spirit Canyon and it’s busy season for Zo in her shop. Zo’s best friend, Beth, has returned to the tiny town to reopen her family’s hotel, Spirit Canyon Lodge. Unfortunately for Zo and Beth the festivities of the opening don’t go as planned when a dead body is found and Beth is a suspect in the murder.

Midnight Spells Murder brings Halloween to Spirit Canyon and Zo is excited to host an author in her gift shop, the Happy Camper, who claims to be a witch. Marianne Morgan isn’t about spooky spells but more female empowerment and Zo is excited to have her. However, after Marianne gives her talk Zo stumbles upon her body outside of her shop obviously murdered and posed in a witch hat so Zo vows to find the killer before she becomes suspect number one.

Being someone that is always drawn into many different cozy series by their cute covers I found myself immediately attracted to the A Happy Camper Mystery series. When reading this series though I found it hard to find anything that I really connected to that would make it stand out from the many that I read. Zo was an alright character and those that surrounded her were too but I’m always looking for that spark that makes me fall in love with the characters and setting, usually something quirky and fun and this one didn’t have that wow factor to me. The second book did pick up a slight bit to three and a half stars with getting to know the characters a bit better but I still wasn’t finding anything unique that I loved. There were still solid mysteries involved in both however with so many out there to read I’m unsure I’ll continue on with the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a well-crafted mystery with plenty of twists and turns. The characters are interesting. As this is the first in the series the characters have a lot of room to grow. I love forward to reading more of this series.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

Zo is so excited that her childhood best friend, Beth, is back in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota. Beth is in town to revamp the Spirit Canyon Lodge and Memorial Day weekend is opening weekend. When disaster strikes during opening weekend, the local detective is determined to take Beth to jail. Zo has to work hard to find out who the murderer is and clear Beth's name.

This was such a great start to a new cozy mystery series. I loved getting to know Spirit Canyon and all of the characters. I was completely surprised by the ending! I loved that I was kept guessing the whole book. I loved Zo's relationship with Beth and her relationship with her neighbor. I adored her relationship with her cat! I cannot wait to read more from this series!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Summer means tourists in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota. For Zo Jones and her friend Beth it means business. Zo is excited about Beth reopening the family’s hotel and can’t wait to attend the grand opening. But there is one person who wants Beth to fail and the person is found dead in her room at the hotel the morning after the grand opening event. The deceased is Beth’s competition so she is pegged as the prime suspect in the suspicious death. Zo is not a Happy Camper, she knows Beth is innocent and she is going to prove it unless the killer ends Zo’s summer early.

After a somewhat slow start Open for Murder takes off as we meet several characters including the victim. With her crotchety disposition, you just knew she was not going to be around long so her death wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise was the number of suspects. I enjoyed the way Zo delved into the investigation and that she enlisted Forest Ranger Max Harrington to help her. I found the chief of police very offputting and lackadaisical about the entire situation. While some suspect’s motives were minor there were some that definitely should have been higher on the list than Beth. I loved that Beth kept going with her plans even with the murder being held over her head. The core characters of Beth, Zo, and Max were very likable but I want to know them better. The author has left plenty of room for them to grow and develop. I did find that Zo’s cat just tolerated her made me laugh. It is above and beyond the usual independence of a cat.

The mystery was very well-plotted. I had my own shortlist and was pleased that I followed the clues correctly and solved the mystery just before the characters. The reveal was great!

As with the author’s previous series, this series is set in South Dakota and she does a fantastic job bringing the area to life. It has been several years since I have traveled to the state and her descriptions invoked some nice memories and make me want to plan a return trip soon.

Open for Murder has set this series off to a grand start. As I said these characters have so much room to grow. I can’t wait to see where the author takes them in the future. I am excited about the continuation of this series.

I really enjoyed this book. The main character was well rounded and I liked the way she handled herself throughout the whole book. I really enjoyed Max as a side character, he was great. I really loved the banter between him and Zo. And Cunningham was also a really good character. I just loved the quirkiness of it.

The plot was very well paced and well done. I had no idea who the murderer was until Zo did. The one thing I didn't like as much was the police officer, Brady. He was so annoying with the way he wouldn't listen to anyone and believed he was right about everything.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next installment in this series.

Festivities marking the grand re-opening of Beth Everett's Spirit Canyon Lodge near Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota are interrupted by a sudden downpour. The cowboy "chuck wagon" is moved indoors and the guests mingle, where there's an unpleasant confrontation involving Enid, the owner of one of Beth's competitor hotels, and several of Beth's other guests as well as Beth herself. The next morning Enid's body is found in her hotel room and $20,000 in cash is missing. At first it looks as if she suffered a heart attack and died, but the post mortem finds that she was poisoned. The local police chief ("who looked like a cowboy from a bad western") suspects Beth is the thief and killer. Beth's childhood friend and local merchant, Zo Jones steps in to investigate in order to keep Beth out of jail. Using her skills as a former journalist and aided by a local forest ranger, she tracks down the real killer.

This is a play on the traditional closed circle murder mystery. The pool of potential suspects includes several hotel guests and other locals who had reason to harm Enid. There's an atmospheric feel to the Black Hills wilderness setting and the small town of Spirit Canyon. A diverse cast of characters plays against a "small town" background.

"Open for Murder" is an intelligent soft-boiled private detective story. It's also the debut of a new series, Happy Camper Mysteries and gets the series off to a good start.

My thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for providing me with a complementary advanced reader's copy of the eBook "Open for Murder" for an independent review. The comments about it are my own.

This book is a very light read. The main cozy mystery points were there - business owner with a pet, unlikable murder victim, minor love interest, and heroine's friend accused of murder. First books in a series can be a bit light and weak in character development. I liked the camper setting and George the cat so I will give book two a try

Open for Murder by Mary Angela is the first book in a new cozy series - and it was wonderful! I haven't ever traveled to South Dakota, so I was delighted for the opportunity to do so through the pages of this book.

Former journalist Zo Jones runs the Happy Camper gift shop in the picturesque, touristy town of Spirit Canyon, South Dakota. It's memorial weekend, and Zo is celebrating her friend Beth's return to Spirit Canyon to reopen her family's lodge. Zo can't wait to reconnect with her friend and celebrate the lodge's grand reopening. But the festivities are cut short when a dead body is discovered in the hotel, and Beth soon becomes the prime suspect. Zo knows her friend is innocent, and thankfully she finds an (unlikely) ally in local Forest Ranger (and hunk) Max Harrington. Though the two may spar from time to time, they agree on this, at least...and are determined to find out who the real murderer is!

This series debut was SO much fun! I loved the setting, and the characters are all so quirky and entertaining. I love the introduction to a potential love match between Zo and Max. A very tight mystery, too! I can't wait for more in this adorable series!

Open for Murder is a great start to a new series by Mary Angela. The story takes place in the Black Hills of South Dakota in a small town called Spirit Springs over the Memorial Day holiday. Zo Jones, the owner of the Happy Camper gift shop, is looking forward to the return to town of her childhood friend Beth. Beth and her family are moving back to Spirit Springs to re-open her Aunt's lodge, Spirit Canyon Lodge, where she and Zo spent many summers. A "cast of characters" are present at the grand opening of the lodge, including four sorority sisters there for a reunion, Enid Barret, her son Griffin and his fiance Robyn, The festivities of the grand opening are dampened by a storm and subsequent power outage. The next morning Enid is discovered murdered and $20,000, which she was using to try to get Beth to close the loge, is missing. Beth is the prime suspect in the murder as the victim is Beth's competitor in business. Zo, a former newspaper journalist, quickly joins forces with local forest ranger Max to determine who the real murderer and thief is, as the sheriff is quickly building a case against Beth.

The story is fast-paced, characters are well-developed and described, and the reader is kept guessing till the end. The author does drop a few clues that allows the reader to suspect who the murderer is, but the why is not revealed until the end of the story. The intermingled stories and relationships Zo has developed with others in the town, such as her neighbor Cunningham, librarian Hattie, employee Harley, and many others add unique elements to the story and make you want to read more about them. The relationship Zo has with her cat George is also a fun addition to the story. Ms. Angela also does an excellent job describing the unique setting and the addition of the history of the area as well as some fun facts adds to what is already a great book.

There are so many possibilities for future stories involving the characters introduced in book 1 that I am very much looking forward to book 2, and hopefully many more in the series!

Open for Murder is a strong start to a cozy series from author Mary Angela. I think one of my favorite aspects of the story was getting to spend time in South Dakota. Zo was a great main character. She was smart and capable. The mystery kept me interested throughout and I enjoyed following Zo and the clues.

This is a cosy mystery, and the first book in A Happy Camper Mystery series. As a debut in the series, I was expecting the pacing to be a tad slow - the first in a series always comes with a lot of character background and introductions. However, I soon realised this book was not for me. Although I managed to complete the book and did not DNF, I will not be carrying on with the series.

For me the best thing about the book was the setting. I LOVED it, but I had an issue with the overall plot. I got over halfway through and really nothing that interesting had happened. By this point Zo had only investigated one clue and it didn't lead anywhere. Maybe my expectations are skewed as I haven't read anything from this subgenre before, but I feel like by this point the book should have read more like a mystery. I also had an issue with the characters. Zo is a pretty good protagonist, with a well-defined personality and clear motivations, but I found the rest of the characters uninteresting and two dimensional.

Overall this was certainly a disappointing read for me, however the beautiful setting pulled my rating up to a 2 star.