Fourth of July Forgery (Holiday Cozy Mystery 6), by Tonya Kappes

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The Holiday Cozy Mystery series, by Tonya Kappes, is one I've been following from book 1, Four Leaf Felony. I started following the series last year and I've been reading or listening to each installment in order as the related holiday approaches. So this month, it was time for Fourth of July Forgery.

Journalist turned amateur sleuth, Violet Rinehammer and her beau are enjoying a Fourth of July celebration in the festive town of Holiday Junction. When someone is murdered, Violet taps into her journalistic instincts to uncover the truth.

I once again enjoyed this installment in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series. The narrator for the audiobook, Christina Sagnimeni, really brings all of the characters to life. Her narration did take a little getting used to, but it wasn't long before I was all in. I'm at the point in the series now where I feel right at home when I listen to her narrations. We spend time with familiar friends, whose relationships are evolving in a natural way, but in Fourth of July Forgery, we are also introduced to more characters. Too many characters in a book or series can feel overwhelming to me, but that was not the case here. I'm so familiar with the usual cast that when the new ones were introduced I was ready to meet them. I'm curious to see what their role will be in future installments.

As always, the setting was thoroughly enjoyable. Holiday Junction is one of my favorite cozy mystery settings. I'd love to live in a town where all of the residents come together to celebrate every holiday. It has that strong sense of community I love in cozies. I enjoyed hearing the descriptions of the 4th of July decor and apparel. These descriptions never distracted from the flow of the story. On the contrary, they drew me in.

The mystery in Fourth of July Forgery was strong. It happened fairly early, with most of the book focused on sleuthing and trying to solve the whodunnit. All the while, subplots were seamlessly woven in. I did not figure it out, but it made sense in the end. 

I am very much looking forward to continuing this series in the fall with Thanksgiving Treachery. This is one of the few cozy mysteries I know of that is centered around one of my favorite holidays. Of course, each book in the series can be enjoyed any time of the year, too. 

As with most cozy mysteries, this is a self-contained mystery that is solved at the end of the book, but to follow the subplots and character development, I recommend beginning with Four Leaf Felony and reading them in order. Please note that this is a spin-off series from Camper and Criminals, also by Tonya Kappes. However, it is not necessary to read the Camper and Criminals series in order to enjoy this one. (I do think you'll enjoy Camper and Criminals, too, though!) If you enjoy holiday cozy mysteries, I'm confident you'll love this Holiday Cozy Mystery series.