Okay, straight up, R.J. Corgan's Mammoth Drop - Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas is one of my most enjoyable books of 2022.

Clever, droll, and very funny, this cozy mystery has it all. These kooky characters are so very likable, there's a creative and exciting mystery, and as for the setting? Well, I want to visit this gay trailer park like right the heck now!!!

I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like this, and I'm urging everyone to read Mammoth Drop. I promise, you will not be disappointed! I'm eagerly looking forward to more of Kea's adventures.

This book sounded rather perfect to me, but in reality, it was far from it. Although I enjoyed some of the side talk between the characters, the entire resolution just didn't really work for me. Still, the author clearly has talent, which is why I've chosen to give this book 3 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Thank you #netgalley for the Advance Reader's Copy of this book. (Kindle version.) The number one reason I requested this book was the cover. Yep. I judged it by it's cover. It looked fun and interesting. And it was. For the most part. However, I did not realize it was the 3rd book in a series. I more often than not, read a series out of order. Not recommending it with this one. In the beginning, there was some brief description of history between Kea and Carter, the two main characters that the narrative switches between. More was revealed in the book but not enough for me. I just could not connect with the characters. I was also a bit surprised when it was revealed that so many of the supporting characters where from this small town and had a long history together. Without it bluntly spelled out, I never would have guessed. And as far as the story and the murder, none of the locals would even consider linking the crime to their history? Not even covering it up, just bluntly stating that there's no reason they're connected even though clues show they are. Again, just a feeling of disconnect. Which is a bummer cause I really have enjoyed R.J.Corgan's writing. Corgan does not have many books under their belt, but I would be interested in reading more by them. But not in this series. I give this book 2.5 stars. If you've kept up with the series, I think it will be more entertaining. As I read it as a standalone, the scenery, science, parties at the camp ground, & the enormous amount of drinking was entertaining. Connecting with and caring about the main characters, not so much. Additional observations: LGBTQ with characterization and setting. (The campground is a hoot to read about. The amount of drinking though definitely does not make it family friendly camping. Unless the family is all over 21.) I don't recall any swearing (totally not necessary for the narrative, so glad of that). Some graphic content as far as the descriptions of the murder goes but no worse than most cozy mysteries, May make someone sensitive feel squeamish but easy to gloss over.

I want to thank the author/publisher for the opportunity to read a review copy of R.J. Corgan's <i>Mammoth Drop: Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas</i>. Although I am thankful for the opportunity to read this book, my review of this book is not impacted by the author's generosity.

First, this is the third book in Corgan's series The Kea Wright mysteries. I wanted to say this from the beginning because just looking at the book cover, you wouldn't know this was a series at all. I was not familiar with Corgan's previous work, so I jumped right into the third book in the series with relative ease. I could tell there were characters that the the main character, Kea Wright, was coming into contact with during the first couple of chapters that I should have known. Honestly, it wasn't until the confusion I ran into as for why some of the backstory seemed awkward that I realized I was in the middle of the third book of a series. With that said, I didn't have a problem quickly picking up the pieces and figuring out what was going on.

The story centers on Kea Wright who has been invited by her friend Harry to come see his new tourist cave system. Immediately, Harry shows Kea an exciting archeological find, which will set this park up from others. Of course, hours later, Harry is dead and Kea finds out Harry has given her his stock shares in the new venture.

To make things slightly more entertaining, the park is adjacent to a giant gay campground, Woolly Hole. As with most cozy mysteries, Woolly Hole is filled with all kinds of entertaining (and over-the-top) characters. Heck, Kea even finds out she has a fan club.

The bulk of the book is centered on finding Harry's killer.

So, this technically falls into the cozy mystery area. However, I almost worry that the author is teetering too close to the line one doesn't cross when it comes to some of the darker sides of humanity for a cozy mystery. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but while the main murder happens off stage, there are others that are definitely more graphic and violent that are depicted within the text itself. Furthermore, there are some personal issues that Kea has to address in her personal life that may be a bit more graphic than the average cozy mystery reader is used to reading.

Another critique that I have for the author is a handful of language choices used in the book. First, as a fiction writer and academic, I get that we have large vocabularies and we often don't realize that some of the words we use are not common. There are a few cases where I thought a few of Corgan's language choices were more complex than necessary for the reader level these books tends to target. That's not to say I'm against using big words (I love them), but this is not generally a genre where they are seen.

So, did I enjoy it? Yes, yes I did. It's a fun mystery that will keep you guessing. The pacing is pretty good and it keeps the book moving. Some of the reveals toward the end of the book were really well set up. I would definitely recommend readers who enjoy slightly dark cozy mysteries give this one a good read.

Mammoth drop is the fourth book in Kea Wright series. I haven't read the other books from this series yet but I absolutely loved this book it was really fun and mysterious at the same time. The beginning of the story was moving slowly and then after reading some chapters I got really hooked.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this e-ARC.

Mammoth Drop - Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas is a genuinely funny campy murder mystery by Dr. R. J. Corgan and is the third book in the Kea Wright series. Released 6th June 2022, it's 180 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, the previous books in the series are currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

Even though it's thoroughly silly, and punny, and campy, the author doesn't use that as an excuse for crafting a shoddy subpar story. This is well crafted and well plotted fiction. The characters are likeable and relatable. The dialogue is silly but it's never clunky. The story and world building are cohesive and believable within the given framework of the story. It's set around an archaeological dig in a sinkhole with the dig scientists and volunteers housed in a digsite RV campground which is also a very gay friendly vacation spot (like Fire Island with glamping).

The plotting is tight and well paced and I absolutely never found myself skimming or skipping ahead. Fair warning to readers, the book is also liberally sprinkled with really interesting paleontology, anthropology, geology, and science-y tidbits.The mystery, climax, denouement, and resolution were fair play and satisfying.

Four and a half stars. Pure fun and highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

During Kea’s visit to the Black Hills, one of the scientists in Mammoth Drop Caverns is brutally murdered. Determined to unmask the killer, Kea soon finds herself in their sights.

This would be a great read for any cosy mystery lovers. It's quite short and an easy read, definitely worth picking up if you enjoy a classic murder mystery with a modern twist. For my personal tastes, based on the wonderful cover, I was hoping for something a bit more wildly queer and wacky. At the time of requesting, this book was shelved in the LGBTQ+ section of NetGalley, although I see it is no longer shelved under this category, so I think I should count this as an instance of my personal hopes/expectations not being met in the book, as opposed to anything being 'wrong' with the book itself.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Mammoth Drop. These opinions are my own.

Mammoth Drop – Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas by R.J. Corgan is a fun mystery that takes place on a unique archeological site. After somebody is found murdered, Dr. Kea Wright takes it upon herself to do a little “digging” to find out who did it. Along the way we come to know some of the volunteers on the site who live on a surrounding gay campground called, Woolly Hole. Smartly written and well-paced, the author does a good job of introducing this entertaining cast of characters while also presenting an interesting mystery that had me guessing until the end. I would read other books in this series just to hang out with these characters again, I recommend.

When a friend invites Kea to join their Woolly Mammoth dig, Kea and Carter head off to Woolly Hole campground to join the crew…and some camping drag queens. When her friend is found impaled by the tooth of the Woolly Mammoth, gloves come off and Kea and Carter being a different type of dig…for information and clues. Now they have to solve the murder before they become the next bodies discovered by the crew.

I just love quirkiness! This book was written for me to read! I’ll be checking out other books in this series while I wait for the next one to drop.. Though the first book I have read in this series, it read fine as a standalone. C’mon, where else are you going to spend time at a campground named “Woolly Hole” with drag queens while solving a murder? I HIGHLY recommend this book if you like quirkiness and humor.

Paleontogy, cave systems, female natural scientist, drag queens, quozy, pet ferret,. Where do I begin?

Kea is a flawed, real, messy gal with trauma and adventures behind her. She's a Survivor though, and perseveres as she has nothung left to lose. Her time visiting friend Harry at the Mammoth Drop in South Dakota gets interrupted when Harry gets murdered. She stays on to find his killer, helped by Leo and Carter - who also have a messy relationship, and staying at the Woolly Hole, a gay campground.

I came for the mimosas and stayed for the science. I'd never read any of the books in the Kea Wright series before, but I'm going to find the other three ASAP.

3.9/5

3.5
This is a good little cozy mystery. Lots of humor and fun characters. I haven’t read any of this authors other books, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this one.

I received an advanced reader copy of Mammoth Drop: Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas by RJ Corgan in exchange for an honest review.

I am an avid mystery reader, it is by far my favorite genre, but one prevalent issue I’ve noticed in my years of reading mysteries is that the genre is hyper-heteronormative. Very few series have a queer main character, and even fewer center queer narratives. With this in mind, when I first heard about Mammoth Drop by RJ Corgan, a mystery set on a gay camp ground with gays galore, and even a drag queen, I was ecstatic!

Is this an own voices novel? I’m not sure. I couldn’t find any confirmation one way or the other. I also haven’t read any of the previous books in the series, so I don’t know if the author’s casts are usually queer or if this was a one-off situation. Regardless, this amount of queer rep in a cozy mystery was delightful!

Mammoth Drop is about these caves where they dig up fossilized mammoths in the permafrost. They’re also working on making at least part of the cave system open to the public in the form of tours. One of the spots on the tour is the titular Mammoth Drop, where in the roof of the cave there’s an opening onto the surface, and below this hole there is a mountain of mammoth skeletons. This book did something I love, which is when the murder happens in the first chapter, and it was AWESOME!!! The victim was pushed through the hole at the top of the Mammoth Drop, and was IMPALED on a tusk below! DAMN that’s such a gruesome and vivid image, and much more creative than your basic stabbings, shootings, or poisons. I was really impressed by this.

I loved the scenes on the gay camp grounds. There were all sorts of colorful queer characters everywhere! Even one of the police is gay and flirting with one of the suspects. The drag queen, Marine Layer, was wonderful. I enjoyed watching Marine interact with patrons and residents and particularly our protagonist, Kea. Marine provides lots of witty banter and comic relief. I also really appreciated Corgan’s allusion to legendary drag queen Tandi Man Dupree, who is known for entering the stage from the rafters, dropping into the splits.

There are three protagonists in this book. Kea Wright is the primary protagonist, who studies glaciers and volcanoes, and has solved a handful of murder cases before. She’s convinced to to visit the drop by the owner, Harry, as well as the other two protagonists, gay couple Carter and Leo. Carter is one of Kea’s best friends. He’s absurdly wealthy, and can afford to live a life of pursuing one doctorate after another. His lover is Leo, an ex-military guy who now volunteers at Mammoth Drop. The two of them work together to look for clues, until they begin to develop suspicions of each other…

I pride myself in my ability to solve mystery novels. Mammoth Drop, however, managed to stump me. All of my suspicions fell onto a single character, but the red herring caught me hook, line, and sinker. Then when the whodunnit was revealed, it still made perfect sense with the story.

This was a very cozy mystery, but then the big finale got pretty dark, much darker than you would expect from a cozy. I didn’t mind it though, and the intensity wasn’t drawn out excessively.

Overall I thought Mammoth Drop by RJ Corgan was an excellent, well-paced mystery novel. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series as it comes out! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

What's harm to visit Mammoth Drop, a paleontological site for ancient fossil? Nothing, until a murder mystery is happening. This was my first book from author and I am still adjusting to the writing style. The beginning kinda confusing and take time to follow the plotline. With all the up and turn, it is actually a good, fun and fast read.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with this book.

During Kea’s visit to the Black Hills, her friend who is one of the scientists and owners of Mammoth Drop Caverns is brutally murdered. Determined to unmask the killer, Kea, along with Carter and Leo, takes up residence in nearby Woolly Hole, a gay campground filled with boozing drag queens and bottomless mimosas. Knee-deep in mammoth bones and potential suspects, Kea soon finds herself in the killer’s sights.

This is the fourth Kea Wright book. It was noted that it wasn't necessary to read this series in order, but I think I would have gotten more out of it if I had met Kea in previous books. The setting is interesting, but the scenes at the campground slow down the plot.
Mostly enjoyable mystery although the end was completely over the top.

The next book in a cozy series that follows a geologist, Kea, and her friend Carter. Kea goes to help her friend Harry out at his mammoth dig. However, he soon ends up dead, impaled on a mammoth tusk. Kea and Carter must find out who did it before they’re next.

I hadn’t read any of the previous books in this series but I enjoyed it a lot! I look forward to more in this series.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A quick fun read with characters that are a delight. A little different from my normal reading but still a delightful fun story! Thanks #netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

3,5/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC.

Okay so I mainly wanted to read this book because of the cover and because the premise sounded like a super chaotic and fun murder mystery. And that was kind of true, but it wasn’t quite as funny as I’d hoped for. I also didn’t realize that this book was part of a series, so in the first few chapters, I was just a little confused.

Apart from that, it was a very fast-paced and interesting read. I also really enjoyed the setting and all the talk about mammoths. So if you’re looking for a quick little murder mystery that can easily be read in one sitting and will provide some fun facts about mammoths, I’d recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book immensely! I am here for Geology professors doing their science stuff and being amateur sleuths on the side.
I love Kea as an MC but getting more of Carter in this book was wonderful. It was great seeing both of them try to solve the murder from different angles-kept me guessing the whole time.
If archaeological dig sites next to gay campgrounds called The Woolly Hole full of drag queens with themed nights, great pop culture references and murder are what you are looking for this book is for you. I know I am definitely the target audience for this book!!

Mammoth Drop was a a fast paced, entertaining read! A light hearted murder mystery with primarily LGBTQ+ characters turned out to be just what I needed. I loved the the parallels drawn between mammoths becoming extinct and the existential dread of modern humanity cycling itself out due to environmental irresponsibility. Not knowing how or when the human race will eventually meet the same end as preceding species is often the source of my own anxiety. This same fear acknowledged by Kea morphed into an optimistic ending for mammoths, which in turn left me feeling hopeful for our own global situation. Excited to read the sequel!

I will be honest: the only reason I downloaded this book from NetGalley was because the description promised a gay campground called Woolly Hole. I laughed out loud when I saw that. I am still chuckling over it.

Mammoth Drop is a mystery set in Mammoth Drop- a cave system that houses many, many mammoth fossils. Geologist Kea Wright has come to Mammoth Drop at the behest of the owner, he old friend Harry. One thing leads to another and Harry gets murdered. Now Kea, her friend Carter, a drag queen named Marine Layer, and various other characters have to figure out who done the deed.

The book starts out on a shaky foot. The set-up jumps a bit and there are some holes in the exposition, but once the story gets going it's a solid yarn. I found the whole premise of the series- Kea is really bad at solving mysteries and basically accuses everyone until she stumbles upon the culprit- amusing and there were quite a few moments of genuine laughter. And good lord, so much drinking. I think Kea spends most of the book drunk.

Like I said, this is a good yarn. There's some science, some shenanigans, some red herrings, some mammoths...it really has it all. A very fun read.