"Mammoth Drop - Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas" by R. J. Corgan is a unique blend of mystery, history, and a touch of humor. Set against the backdrop of a quirky, prehistoric-themed festival, the story follows a thrilling murder investigation that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

Corgan's strength lies in his ability to craft an intriguing plot with an unconventional setting. The idea of intertwining a murder mystery with mammoths and mimosas is certainly original, providing a refreshing break from more traditional whodunits. The festival atmosphere is vividly described, and the historical tidbits about mammoths add an educational element that history buffs will appreciate.

However, the novel does have its drawbacks. Character development feels somewhat lacking, with many characters fitting into predictable archetypes without much depth. This makes it challenging to form a strong connection with them, which can lessen the emotional impact of the story. Additionally, while the plot is engaging, it occasionally feels disjointed, with some subplots not fully fleshed out or resolved.

The pacing of the novel is another mixed bag. There are moments of genuine suspense and excitement, but they are interspersed with slower sections that might test the patience of some readers. The humor, while present, sometimes falls flat, not always integrating seamlessly with the darker themes of murder and mystery.

Despite these issues, "Mammoth Drop - Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas" is an enjoyable read for those looking for something different in the mystery genre. Its originality and the whimsical festival setting make it worth a read, even if it doesn't fully deliver on all fronts.

In conclusion, R. J. Corgan's novel is a solid three-star book. It offers a fun and unusual premise with enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages, though it might leave some desiring more in terms of character development and narrative cohesion. If you’re in the mood for a light-hearted mystery with a prehistoric twist, give "Mammoth Drop" a try.

Honestly, the cover by itself was my initial draw to this book. And the summary only cemented my interest.

Another Kea Wright mystery. This time, her friend Harry is murdered after showing off the dig where he and his team are unearthing mammoth skeletons. When Kea learns she has been left the dig, the questions only get more complicated from there.

And this ended up being just as delightful as the cover promised. The book is full of quirky and fun characters, from Marnie the drag queen to Kea's fan club.

There were a lot of red herrings, so I did end up being surprised by the final culprit. But I also feel that not enough information was presented along the way for there to be a possibility of the reader solving it before the characters. I also really enjoyed the locale of the mammoth dig. Everything sounded so interesting, and I kept wanting Kea to focus on learning more about her new inheritance.

The ending resolved enough for me to be satisfied, but also left a fun little teaser for the next mystery. Although, the ending did make me want a lot more of the mammoths more than the next mystery, but I will definitely be keeping an eye on this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Independant for this arc.

3.5
Quirky, laugh out loud moments, as colorful inside as the cover.
I had a lot of fun with this one. It does feel a bit niche, but I do believe that this is a little gem for the right readers.

Mammoth Drop - Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas is a totally unique and slightly chaotic cozy mystery. Full of murder, mayhem, scientific discovery, betrayal, drag shows and an unhinged villain - this book will keep you entertained and guessing until the last page. While it was a bit of a slow start for me the story really picked up! I am really interested to see where the series goes from here!

Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I've never read another mystery like this and I loved every second of it. It was eccentric and the perfect amount of odd. It was so much fun and with a cast of characters that we need more of in this genre. Each of Kea's expeditions seems to bring her to unique places while also bringing her directly into the clutches of a killer. The writing style is humorous with very colorful descriptions such as comparing Harry's eyebrows to dancing caterpillars and Marine's fluttering lashes that nearly sent tumbleweeds flying. Everything about this story is unique, right down to the murder weapon - a mammoth's tusk. You have a campground full of amazing characters (that double as suspects), secrets that lead to a unique find, and plenty of places for Kea to snoop around. I highly recommend reading the whole series.

At the beginning of Mammoth Drop: Murder, Mammoths and Mimosa by R.J. Corgan, Dr. Kea Wright has just arrived in Rapid City, South Dakota. She was invited by her mentor, Harry, to see his discovery at Mammoth Drop Caverns. There is a gigantic cavern filled with at least 30 species of woolly mammoths.

Kea is a geologist who specializes in the study of glaciers and volcanoes. In the previous books in the Kea Wright mysteries, she helped to solve a murder or two. She met Carter during The Meerkat Murders. He has been helping Harry at the Mammoth Drop and convinced Kea to visit. Harry wants her to help with maintaining the excavating process even when he is too old.

While she is in town, Harry made arrangements for Kea to stay at the Woolly Hole, a Gay campground complete with a lake, a restaurant and a drag queen named Ms. Marine Layer. The Woolly Hole sounds like Heaven on Earth. I’m not a fan of primitive camping but this sounds more like glamping which is more than acceptable.

None of them knew that Kea and Carter would be reuniting to solve Harry’s murder. I won’t tell you who did it. However, I can tell you that I enjoyed reading about Kea and Carter digging around to find the killer.

Mammoth Drop Recommendation
If you are a fan of geology and murder mysteries, then Mammoth Drop should be added to your TBR.

If you have something against science, drag queens or mimosas, then you’re missing out on a really interesting mystery.

I received this ebook from NetGalley. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

I had no idea when I requested this book that it was part of a series, the third part in fact. I was a little leery to read it at that point because I was worried I had missed crucial elements in understanding, but this didn’t seem to be the case. This was a fun and and light mystery, akin to The Thursday Murder Club or Finlay Donovan series’s. I enjoyed this but feel like I would have enjoyed it better had I read the first two books in the series first.

This book wasn't for me. It was too much. It was trying too hard to be funny but I found it boring and was shaking my head at the main character too many times!

I have not yet been able to finish this book. I keep trying but there are so many characters and I'm not quite certain where the plot is going. I will keep trying because it seems like it will be a good read once I'm able to dig in, but its not a book that draws you in.

In Mammoth Drop: Murder, Mammoths & Mimosas we follow Kea Wright, a geologist who has been invited to a dig site in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Her old friend and mentor Harry is running the dig and he has invited Kea out to see it and the work they are doing excavating mammoths & fossils. Throw in a gay campground, an awesome drag queen named Marine Layer, and a fun cast of characters and you've got yourself a fun and quick read that isn't too bogged down by the science behind the paleontology. When one of the team members is murdered, this turns into a mystery.

Initially I was not aware that this was book three of a four book series. When I realized that, I was worried that I may not understand or be able to follow everything. My worry was for nothing, this book is 98% able to be read as a standalone novel. Things from past books are mentioned, but you don't need to know the details of the books in order to enjoy this one. It does make me want to go back and read the rest of the series though.

Kea and her companions are such fun characters, her friend Carter is also in the other books, (I'm not sure if he is in all of the other books or not) and he is a very interesting multi-layered character that I would love to find out more about. Kea is a character that you can't help but love. She's smart, accomplished, witty, and has a sharp tongue. She's also carrying around a sadness that I can relate to. All around, her character is what makes me want to read the other books, I'd love to hear more about Kea's adventures.

When the book opens there is a lot going on, and I attribute that to it being the third in a series. At first I almost felt like there was too much going on, but then I got into the story and that didn't bother me as much. I also think I would have appreciated at least a rough map of the cave system. It's not absolutely necessary, but the caves are described in a great amount of detail in some places and I'm one of those people that likes to look at a map.

I would recommend this to people who enjoy a light-hearted mystery, this is definitely not what I would consider a thriller even though we are looking for a murderer.

A huge thanks to the author and publisher for providing a e-ARC for my review purposes. This did not influence my review in any way.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing to read an ARC of this book
This was my first adventure with Kea, a character that I've grown quite fond of already, she has made me interested in reading the rest of the series.
My main issue was with the plethra of side characters/suspects. They got so muddled that by the reveal of the killer I was struggling to remember the characters' motivations

Thank you for the ARC. I didn't realize this was part of a series until I was a few chapters in. I think in this case it made it more fun. I loved Carter and Kea. They are so flawed and so fabulous.
Every single scenario was interesting and most were funny. I love humor in my books.
I had a blast reading this wholesome little book with places called "the Wholly Hole."

I will absolutely read more from this author.

Immediately after seeing the cover I knew I was in for a ride. I write and read a lot of cozy and so going into this review was really a fun read for me. I love the cover artwork, I love the characters and the world building. I felt the quirks were not overdone and at the end I wanted another book. Well done.

Another 2 star book for me. To be fair,this is the third book of a four book series and I haven't read any of the other ones. Kea is a geologist who visits her friend in the Black Hills. Of course he is found dead soon after and she MUST INVESTIGATE. There is a gay campground nearby called, of course, Woolly Hole. The murderer is quickly apparent and we have another heroine wandering around doing dumb things for 2/3 of the book. You are a highly educated person-why are you so stupid, Kea? The dialogue tries to be sparkling, witty, zany, quirky, and fun but it tries too hard and becomes awkward to read. All the angst is tiresome and this book sucked the life out of me as I waded through to the end. It was a freebie for a review from #NetGalley so I tried to like it but just couldn't. There are a ton of four and five star reviews out there for this book and the entire series so maybe it's just me. A book for every reader and I'm not the one this time.

A book centering around Kea, a geologist visiting the Mammoth Drop Cavern excavation site, as a fellow scientist/owner of the site is found dead and potentially murdered.

A whole lot of zany twists and turns ensue, from theme nights and a grand draq queen named Marine Layer as the scientists all stay in the trailers at the local Wooly Hole gay campground to serious investigations as everyone starts to look like a suspect.

However, in the midst of all the fun and sleuthing, you also learn a lot about geology, mammoths, caverns, etc. I always appreciate a good book that also gives me some educational material in the midst of a good story.

The epilogue was a bit loony, but that fits the theme to a T!

(Thank you to NetGalley and R.J. Corgan for a copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest feedback)

This is a book you CAN judge by it's cover by about 75%. While the cover shows lots of fun and the book delivered on that, we also get murders and a few other issues poking their heads out a bit and we as readers can choose to embrace the issues or just pass over and enjoy the entertainment.

While Mammoth Drop is not the first in the series it isn't necessary to have read any of the previous ones to enjoy. The author let's us know what we need to about a few of the characters previous history. It seemed well plotted and the overall mystery was slowly unveiled and not rushed.

Overall a very enjoyable read.

Ohhhh and I'd love to visit the campground on Steampunk or Harry Potter night!!!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#MammothDrop #NetGalley

situational-humor, friendship, inheritance, verbal-humor, campground, LGBT, South-Dakota, fossils, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, museum, paleontology, caves, geology, archeological-dig, archaeologist*****

Too much fun!
Puns, giggles, real characters, interesting scientific tidbits, red herrings, plot twists, and more laughs make this a great read!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from the author/independently published via NetGalley. Thank you!

Geologist Kea is invited by Harry her friend, mentor, and owner to Mammoth Drop, a cave system discovered to contain the fossils of dozens of mammoths. When Harry is found murdered, Kea sets out to solve the murder with the aid of friends from the gay campground situated next to the cave system.

Ok, I should say right off the bat that I am a sucker for mysteries that concern Paleontology so how could I not love Mammoth Drop - Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas. It is a fun read with plenty of quirky characters, pop references. and a nice touch of humour. But, don't get me wrong - this did not overshadow the mystery which was full of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and guessing. This is the first book I have read by R.J. Corgan but will definitely not be my last. I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Delightfully Entertaining:

The subtitle of “Mammoth Drop: Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas” by R. J. Corgan foreshadows the fun in this zany story. The book is the third in the Kea Wight Mystery series. It stands on its own, so you don't have to read the other books.

A few of the characters have a previous history, I assume from the other books, but I didn’t feel I had to know the background to enjoy this mystery.

What I Liked:

This story is fun from beginning to end, well except for the murder and a dangerous murderer. The antics at the Whoolly Hole gay campgrounds often made me chuckle.

A parade of quirky characters populate the book. Some are entertaining, some grouchy, and some suspicious and dangerous.

I get impatient with cozy mysteries that are short on mystery and suspects. “Mammoth Drop” doesn’t have that problem. Plus, there is a delightful surprise at the end.

I don’t want to make this book sound like it’s all fun and game. There are serious problems and issues addressed within the story, which balance out the lighter aspects.

My Recommendation:

I usually have a “What I Wasn’t Crazy About” section in my reviews, but I’m skipping that because “Mammoth Drop” is one of those books that I found completely entertaining, and I don’t have any complaints.

If you like cozy mysteries, you’ll probably enjoy this one. The mystery is complex enough to keep you guessing. The author balances humor with serious situations.

I enjoyed the ending twist. I’ll definitely read the other two books in the series.

A special thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of “Mammoth Drop: Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas.”

I had a lot of fun in reading this humorous mystery. It's fast paced, full of humor and quirky characters.
The solid mystery kept me guessing and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine