{"id":3993,"date":"2025-09-04T11:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T11:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=3993"},"modified":"2025-09-04T11:21:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T11:21:00","slug":"book-review-camping-canine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=3993","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Camping Canine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Camping Canine<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

by Alice Kanaka<\/p>\n

Genre:<\/strong> Mystery, Thriller & Suspense \/ Cozy<\/p>\n

ISBN: <\/strong>9798989425792<\/p>\n

Print Length:<\/strong> 212 pages<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Reviewed by Warren Maxwell<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>A Texas campground mystery filled with switchbacks, betrayals, and the warm camaraderie of friends<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cFollowing the map, Lizzy led Holly deeper into the woods, in the general direction of the lake. Mavis chased butterflies and barked at shadows.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In the wake of disasters back home, famous writer Elizabeth Hornwhistle\u2014Lizzy\u2014and her best friend Holly are going on an RV round trip to warm weather in Texas.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Lizzy is preparing to step back into the literary spotlight she\u2019s been hiding from in her small South Dakota town. Yet, their trip is barely underway when they become embroiled in a case of blackmail, murder, and even deeper secrets rocking Serenity, Texas.<\/p>\n

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What should have been a short stay in a campsite is extended indefinitely when they find themselves at the center of an investigation into the murder of Salamander, Sal\u2014the bullied son of the local police chief who had dreamed of becoming a paparazzi. Taking the wrong photo at the wrong time seals his fate and it falls to Lizzy, Holly, and her tiny dachshund Mavis to navigate local corruptions and secrets, all while staying safe themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cA motor home pulled up at the check-in gate and the driver descended from the cab. Sal\u2019s pulse quickened as she rounded the front. Can it be? His research had finally paid off. A real-life celebrity: one who disappeared three months ago. He was almost afraid to believe his good luck. Yet there she was, Elizabeth Hornwhistle, her unmistakable waist-length brown hair blowing in the light breeze.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As the novel begins, shifting perspectives weave the story of Lizzy and Holly with that of Sal, who\u2019s making ends meet by working at the Serenity campground while waiting for a big break to launch his paparazzi career, This drums up tension and drama in the plot. Each move between characters generates a growing sense of danger as nuggets of information are alluded to, yet stay hidden in the gaps between perspectives.<\/p>\n

An attempted break-in is mysteriously averted by Sal\u2019s shadowy presence in the woods, ever on the lookout for a good photo. A peaceful scene of relaxation\u2014Lizzy and Holly enjoying themselves in a woodland pool\u2014is tainted by the hint of someone watching in the woods. As the novel progresses, the woods themselves that surround the campsite become a symbol for the way beauty and tranquility are often inseparable from danger. There is nowhere easier to hide than in plain sight.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Why do you keep finding bodies?\u2019
\u201c\u2018Just lucky I guess.’\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Plot-wise, Camping Canine<\/em> stands alone, yet as the third installment in a series, pieces of background information and history from the preceding books can prove confusing. Likewise, the trauma that spurs Holly to join Lizzy on her roadtrip\u2014an arsonist burning down her animal clinic\u2014appears off the page and prevents a certain level of emotional depth and connection from being established.<\/p>\n

That said, the bond between Lizzy and Holly, and, above all, their mutual dedication to Mavis, comes across beautifully on the page. It\u2019s an organic friendship you can step into at any moment and feel their connection immediately.<\/p>\n

One of the joys of this book is the way it slowly accumulates and integrates new characters into the plot. There are love triangles, bereaved family members, local heroes, turncoats, and ambiguous characters who balance on the thin line between culpability and innocence. Each of them\u2014from the unhelpful police officers Garcia and Corporal Quirk to the mysterious Helene who knows more than she says\u2014are integrated into the world of this story so resolutely that it feels like building a small, life-like community from scratch. These hometown elements are masterfully created.<\/p>\n

The book largely relies on narration and introspection, entering the minds of characters to push the story forward, while the dialogue can sometimes feel rote and obligatory.<\/p>\n

A heartening exploration of relationships, small communities, and the sudden revelations that shake them to their core, Camping Canine<\/em> follows a reclusive writer, her best friend, and her preternaturally talented dog as they overcome ruts in their lives and help Serenity, Texas get to the bottom of a curious murder investigation.<\/p>\n

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Thank you for reading Warren Maxwell\u2019s book review of Camping Canine <\/em>by Alice Kanaka! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.<\/p>\n

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The post Book Review: Camping Canine<\/a> appeared first on Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Camping Canine by Alice Kanaka Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense \/ Cozy ISBN: 9798989425792 Print Length: 212 pages Amazon Bookshop Reviewed by Warren Maxwell A Texas campground mystery filled with switchbacks, betrayals, and the warm camaraderie of friends \u201cFollowing the map, Lizzy led Holly deeper into the woods, in the general direction of the lake. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3994,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3993"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}