#review Flower Power Trip, by James J. Cudney (Braxton Campus Mystery’s Book 3) #5stars #CreativiaPub #NextChapterPub

My Review, 5 stars:

Possibly my favorite Braxton Campus mystery so far!!! Flower Power Trip is the third installment of Kellan Airwick’s tale. Each book can be a stand alone, but I strongly suggest reading them all, in order. The first book gives an excellent introduction to many of the characters and their family dynamic, and each book from there only grows in development. They line up seamlessly, each story complementing one another and focusing on several different character angles. I especially love the growth and development with Kellen’s daughter. She’s adorable, and the father daughter relationship is lovely, it’s absolutely on point. My favorite character in Flower Power Trip (as well as the others) is hands down Nana D!!  She’s just as snarky and sarcastic as always. Best. Grandma. Ever.! Talk about some spunk.

There is a lot going on here… a stocker, a murderer, and TUNS of buried family secrets. There’s so much to keep straight and to uncover, yet Kellan is the master of multi-tasking as well as meticulous integration of details. He might be a teacher, but he very clearly has some natural detective vein pumping mystery solving skills throughout his body! Perhaps he and April, the Wharton County sheriff, will work out some sort of side job in the future *hint hint*… I mean, as much work as Kellan puts into his crime solving skills, it’s kind of a shame that he hasn’t been paid for it… yet lol.

I think my very favorite part of this book is the masquerade ball. The scene is painted so very flawlessly, and Kellan is dressed up as none other than the crime solving guru himself, Sirlock Holms. It’s a perfect fit, to the complex setting and buildup to the rest of the book. I love everything about the Braxton Campus books, especially how real it all feels. There’s very little a reader like me enjoys more than an emotional connection to the characters, kind of like feeling at home, and James J. Cudney has provided us with that feeling yet again. Kudos on another success Mr. Cudney!  I’ll be reading book 4 very very soon! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next in Wharton County!

Description:

At a masquerade ball to raise money for renovations to Memorial Library, Kellan finds a dead body dressed in a Dr. Evil costume.

Did one of Maggie’s sisters kill the annoying guest who’d been staying at the Roarke and Daughters Inn, or does the victim have a closer connection to someone else at Braxton College?

As Kellan helps school president Ursula bury a secret from her past and discover the identity of her stalker, he unexpectedly encounters a missing member of his family. Everything seems to trace back to the Stoddards: a new family who recently moved in.

Between the murder, a special flower exhibit and strange postcards arriving each week, Kellan can’t decide which mystery in his life should take priority. But unfortunately, the biggest one of all has yet to be exposed – and when it is, Kellan won’t know what hit him.