Festival-set small-town cozy mystery with murder

Normal, Kentucky is celebrating the annual Climb the Cliffs Festival, drawing visitors to Happy Trails Campground and the rugged beauty of the Daniel Boone National Forest. Mae West is hoping for a peaceful weekend filled with festival fun and campground hospitality.

That hope ends when the festival’s star climber, James Rafferty, is found dead at the base of the Cascades.

What first appears to be a tragic accident quickly turns into murder. With the Laundry Club Ladies firmly at her side, Mae pulls out her sleuthing notebook and begins digging into a case tangled with cryptic coordinates, suspicious boot prints, and secrets hidden deep within Normal’s close-knit community.

As Mae follows the trail of clues, it becomes clear that someone is determined to keep the truth buried—no matter the cost. And with the killer growing more desperate, Mae soon discovers that some cliffs are far more dangerous than they look.

A Southern cozy mystery packed with festival intrigue, small-town gossip, and amateur sleuthing, perfect for readers who love community-driven whodunits, quirky characters, and clean mysteries with heart.