Mammoth Drop - Murder, Mammoths, and Mimosas

I want another book by R. J. Corgan right away, it has been a long time since I enjoyed a book so much. With quirky characters and an interesting locale, Mammoth Drop is a book to savor and then pass on to as many people as possible.

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.

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!!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.”

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.

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!

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

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)

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.

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.

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.