Caught on Camera

Caught on Camera

Caught on Camera is super cozy with a believable amateur sleuth and a compelling mystery.

• Series: A Camera Club Mystery (Book One)

• Written by: Kara Lacey

• Published by: Level Best Books

• Publication date: September 24, 2024

• Mystery type: Cozy mystery

Bobbie Brooks is in her mid-40s and starting a brand new life in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Mystery ensues when she finds a fellow member of her new camera club near the local covered bridge. With the police on the wrong path, it’s up to Bobbie and the club to use clues and the photos on the victim’s camera to catch the culprit.

Caught on Camera is the first book in the Camera Club Mysteries, a new cozy mystery series from author Kara Lacey. The book's protagonist is a photographer and relatively recent widow who fled Boston and her grief to live in the Green Mountains of Vermont. She settled in Stonebridge, a pretty small town where she can hang out with her sister (Alicia) and her best friend (Rose).

Bobbie loves taking photos, so she started a new camera club (the delightfully named Keep It Snappy Shutter Club). The club's first outing is a photo shoot at the local covered bridge. But the outing doesn't go well. Bobbie ends up finding the body of one of the club's members.

In true cozy mystery fashion, Bobbie quickly goes from witness to suspect and finds herself trying to solve a mystery to clear her name. Fortunately, she is in a great position to do so. She has superb observation skills and photos found on the victim’s camera. With the help of other club members, she starts investigating and quickly turns up a bevy of suspects.

Thanks to Kara Lacey's deft writing, the mystery is quite compelling. She does a great job of balancing small-town cozy vibes with suspense and finds a way to use the photography hook to support the mystery's resolution. This makes the idea of an amateur sleuth bringing a criminal to justice more believable.

In cozies, characters matter. They must be the type of people you want to spend time with or at least read about. This is particularly important for the sleuth, and Kara Lacey also nails that. Bobbie is believable, likable, and relatable. The rest of the camera club, especially Rose, are also enjoyable and provide good support throughout.

I initially wanted to read Caught on Camera because I liked the covered bridge on the cover (it's beautiful), the hook (I love photography), and the setting (New England is always a lovely spot for a cozy mystery). Every aspect worked for me while reading this book.

I loved Caught on Camera. It is a stand-out cozy mystery with a fun hook and great writing. I look forward to continuing with the series and eagerly await book two.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced reading copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.