The Cornish Campsite Murder

Fiona Leitch’s latest cozy mystery in The Nosey Parker Mysteries series is The Cornish Campsite Murder. The author mixes a murder mystery with a police investigation in a twisty plot. This seventh book in the series is infused with excellent world-building, compelling characters, and a well-written story that kept me turning the pages.

Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker has moved back to her hometown of Penstowan in Cornwall after leaving the London metropolitan police force. She has retrained as a caterer. However, this weekend she and Detective Chief Inspector Nathan Withers are running a food truck at a music and surfing festival for a friend. Josie witnesses a heated discussion between members of a band and later that night, she, Nathan, and friend Debbie, find a body on the beach.

There are some books where it feels like readers are catching up with old friends. This is one of those series. Jodie’s sense of humor and warmth continues to shine in this story. She is a likeable and friendly character with a need to investigate that I continued to connect with. While she loves music and going to concerts, she doesn’t like some of the accommodations at festivals. The secondary characters continue to develop. In this case, we saw more growth in Nathan, mom Shirley, and daughter Daisy. The chemistry between Nathan and Jodie creates a fun dynamic. Their Pomeranian Germaine continues to add cuteness and stress relief at various times. Instead of only quaint characters, this cozy has several realistic characters that add to the depth of the story.

This well-plotted story draws readers in and doesn’t let go until the final word in the book. The small-town atmosphere of the series was expanded in this one with the festival being held near the town and bringing in several new characters. The story had several twists, a few red herrings, and a surprise near the end. However, the murderer was too predictable. As always, having a sleuth that isn’t an amateur continues to bring depth to the novel that can be lacking in some cozy mysteries

Overall, this is an entertaining story that quickly drew me into Jodie’s world. It was a fun, appealing, and delightful read with a solid mystery to unravel and humor sprinkled throughout. Themes include friendship, family relationships, family, murder, greed, trust, addiction, and much more. Relationships continue to play a major role in this series. A recipe is included at the end of the book.

I recommend the novel to those that enjoy the genre. It was a fun and relaxing read and I can’t wait for the next book featuring Jodie and her family and friends. For more enjoyment, the books are best read in order, but this can be read as a standalone.

HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Fiona Leitch provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for June 28, 2024.