The Black Horse Campground Mystery series by Amy M. Bennett has served as my introduction to cozy mysteries! I’ll admit to being a book (or two) behind in the series (darn you, to-be-read pile!), but I’m eager to get caught up so that I can enjoy A Summer to Remember.
I love the campground setting, which lends itself to a cast of quirky characters, incorporating both locals and more transient types. The main characters are well-drawn, and discovering who they are is half the fun. The other half is trying to out-solve the sleuths by guessing whodunit before them.
If you haven’t visited the Black Horse Campground yet, now’s the time! These five volumes are perfect summertime reading. In fact, I foresee kicking back at a campsite on a warm summer evening to read them.
About the Book:
It’s been a memorable year at the Black Horse Campground. But someone wants certain things forgotten . . .
After Bonney Police detective J.D. Wilder wraps up three cold-case murders, believing that the murderer was his former partner, he tries to focus on his personal life in his new hometown and his budding relationship with Corrie Black, owner of the Black Horse Campground.
When he receives information that proves his former partner wasn’t the murderer, the case is reopened with the knowledge and urgency that the killer is poised to strike again. But who held a grudge against the three cold-case victims . . . and who is that person’s next target? With the help of Bonney County Sheriff Rick Sutton, J.D. probes the memories of several Bonney residents who knew the victims and begins to make connections.
Then another death occurs and while J.D. and Rick are investigating, Corrie is attacked. The attacker and the cold-case murderer could be the same person, but Corrie’s condition is critical and she’s lost her memories of the entire previous year… including the identity of her attacker and even having met J.D. Will she survive long enough to remember what happened? Or will she end up as a memory and the murderer gets away once again?
If you haven't visited the Black Horse Campground yet, now's the time! #cozymystery Share on XAuthor Interview:
Five books into the series, have your characters surprised you in taking any unexpected turns or are Corrie, Rick, and J.D. on a path you set out for them from the beginning?
I’ve always considered myself a “pantser” rather than a “plotter” when it comes to my books. I always have the end in sight, much like someone who plans a trip to a certain location, but I take a road trip to get there rather than a plane because I’d like to see what there is along the way and perhaps incorporate it. As you know, experiences can change people and my characters are no different. Even if the changes are subtle, even if the path is heading in the general direction, I see that Corrie, Rick, and J.D. are taking turns I didn’t expect. That might not be evident yet, but I know my characters will end up doing things that surprise a lot of readers . . . and the writer!
What is it about murder mysteries that have such eternal appeal and draw such devoted followers?
I think it’s the natural human desire to seek justice for wrongdoings. The news is filled with real-life stories of injustices, including murder, that go unpunished and we humans, naturally, feel outraged and helpless when this happens. Rarely does this happen in fiction. Three hundred pages and the heroes find the villain and bring him to justice and the reader feels a sense of closure and satisfaction… something they hardly ever get from the news.
About the Author, Amy M. Bennett:
I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, so that automatically makes me a native Texan . . . but then I’ve spent most of my life in New Mexico, so I can claim dual citizenship!
End of the Road is the first book in the Black Horse Campground series. The Black Horse and Bonney County exist in my imagination, for the most part, but visit the Ruidoso/Lincoln County region of New Mexico and you’ll see how I happened to find it! As for Corrie Black and her friends, I hope you enjoy reading about their adventures as much as I enjoyed writing about them . . . and I hope there are many more to come!
When I’m not writing, I’m a cake decorator at Walmart in Alamogordo, NM; slinging vino at Noisy Water Winery in mid-town Ruidoso; and being a wife to Paul (since 1988) and mom to Paul Michael (since 1994) as well as enjoying life in general in Bent, NM.
Links:
Website: https://www.amymbennettbooks.com
Blog: http://amymbennettbooks.blogspot.com
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