Deserts, Driving, and Derelicts

A small-town cozy mystery with a quirky amateur sleuth, a murdered nanny, and a pampered show poodle at the center of the case—Normal, Kentucky has another problem on its hands.

Mae West is settling into her new life as the owner of Happy Trails Campground, where RV living, Southern hospitality, and gossip all travel fast. Normal should be quiet this time of late summer, but the town gets thrown into chaos when Mae takes a cleaning job at the mansion of heiress Tammy Jo Bentley. With the Kentucky Kennel Association's annual gathering about to descend on the estate, even the poodle has security.

Fifi Bentley—prized, pampered, insured, and treated like royalty—is set to charm every top breeder in the region. But when Fifi's devoted nanny, Camille Braun, is found murdered just days before the big event, Normal's newest scandal threatens both the kennel show and the town's reputation.

Tammy Jo begs Mae to help uncover the truth. After all, Mae has already proven she has a talent for solving small-town mysteries, much to the sheriff's frustration and the Laundry Club Ladies' delight. And with local tourism, business, and Happy Trails itself on the line, Mae refuses to let a killer ruin the town she's finally come to call home.

With the Laundry Club Ladies sleuthing at her side, Mae digs into a world of dog-show politics, jealous rivals, small-town secrets, and a victim who may have been hiding more than anyone realized.

In Normal, Kentucky, nothing is simple—unless you count murder. And Mae West is determined to sniff out the truth before another body turns up.

A warm, witty, Southern cozy mystery in development for a Hallmark Channel television adaptation, perfect for readers who love quirky characters, small-town secrets, and a dash of homicide with their hospitality.