About the Book
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Stone’s Throw State Park Ranger Maudy Lorso spends her days playing cards and sipping drinks with her millennial gal pals, hiking steep sand dunes with her scruffy dog, Martin Short, and trying to ignore the pain of a recent, devastating breakup. After building a quiet life in the Lake Michigan coastal village of Stone’s Throw, Maudy’s emotional safety net is turned inside out when her boss informs her of looming budget cuts that threaten to permanently close the park—and eliminate her job. Determined to prove the park’s value, Maudy throws herself into organizing a successful campground opening weekend, just one week away. But when the body of a missing tourist is discovered in the park, her hope of saving Stone’s Throw State Park quickly begins to fade. In order to save her dream job and maintain her quirky, quiet life, Maudy jumps in to solve the murder of the dead man.
My Review
Maudy Lorso is trying to get over a bad relationship. She gets a job as a park ranger at Stone’s Throw State Park, and she loves every minute of it. She’s happy to have the companionship of her dog, Martin Short “Marty”. Then, things get a bit crazy when a tourist goes missing in the park and Marty discovers the dead body. The park is closed until the case is solved. Now, the future of the park is in jeopardy and so is Maudy’s job.
Maudy is determined to find out what happened and who is responsible for the murder. She quickly discovers there are many people who didn’t like the guy. She vows to find out which one is the culprit so she can re-open the park.
The book started off slow for me, but then the story really took off. I liked the nature setting as well as the small-town atmosphere. The characters are well-written, even Marty is a fun character. Maudy has much to learn to be an amateur sleuth but she’s getting there.
The storyline is an intriguing adventure. This is a mystery with a touch of romance thrown in. It felt like Maudy was putting a jigsaw puzzle together. The author did a great job throwing me off track with that ending. I was really surprised by it. It’s a good lead for a sequel. The series is off to a solid start. I’ll be looking for the next book.
For reading challenges:
What An Animal Reading Challenge 2025
Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge 2025
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from BookSirens and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
That looks good.
ReplyDeleteA good series for those who love reading and the great outdoors, it sounds like.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed this one. So many cozy mysteries that I haven't heard of before.
ReplyDelete