Folly at the Fair Book Review

She never misses a target. But unless she can solve this murder, she’ll become one.

About Folley at the Fair

She never misses a target. But unless she can solve this murder, she’ll become one… Chicago World’s Fair, 1893. “Little Sure Shot” Annie Oakley is exhausted from her work with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. But when a fellow performer scuffles with a man who threatens her harm, she has to keep her eyes peeled. And when the heckler is found dead under the Ferris Wheel, Annie won’t rest until she proves her defender is innocent. Before she can rustle up any clues, an old friend asks Annie to protect her young daughter. And as more bodies turn up around the grounds, she’s going to need all her sharpshooting skills just to stay alive. Can Annie live up to her reputation and put a bullseye on the killer? Folly at the Fair is the third book in the Annie Oakley Mystery historical fiction series. If you like strong heroines, Wild West adventures, and suspenseful twists and turns, then you’ll love Kari Bovee’s fast-paced whodunit.

My Thoughts

Growing up I loved hearing about Annie Oakley and her sharpshooting skills. She was strong, independent and a great role model for young girls. I was so excited to dive into this novel and it did not disappoint.

Annie is exhausted from her schedule at the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show but when dead bodies start popping up, she knows she cannot sit by idly. The investigation becomes personal when she is in a scuffle and her friend and fellow performer comes to her rescue. This same man later turns up dead and Annie has to prove her friends innocence. Throw in a friend from her childhood, a child and a new act that may be interested in more than just the show and you have a wild, thrilling ride.

The plot was fast paced and exciting, I could not put the novel down. The plot is intricate with a piece of Annie’s past woven in but you never feel lost as the plot unravels at a good pace. I thought I knew who was behind the murders but I was quite surprised at the end (I love when this happens!). We also get a great look into Annie’s life on the road with the Wild West show, her exhaustion, stress but the exhilaration of performing. While Annie is the focus in the novel, we also learn a lot about her husband, her childhood friend, close friend and how this has made her into the person she is.

This is an exciting ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat as Annie both performs and works to solve a string of mysterious deaths. A definite must read novel – I can’t wait to read the other novels in this series.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

When she’s not on a horse, or walking along the beautiful cottonwood-laden acequias of Corrales, New Mexico; or basking on white sand beaches under the Big Island Hawaiian sun, Kari Bovee is escaping into the past—scheming murder and mayhem for her characters both real and imagined, and helping them to find order in the chaos of her action-packed novels. Empowered women in history, horses, unconventional characters, and real-life historical events fill the pages of Kari Bovée’s articles and historical mystery musings and manuscripts. An award-winning author, Bovée was honored with the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards Hillerman Award for Southwestern Fiction for her novel Girl with a Gun. The novel also received First Place in the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards in the Mystery/Crime category, and is a Finalist in the 2019 International Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards and the International Chanticleer Goethe Awards, as well as the Next Generation Indie Awards. Her novel Grace in the Wings is a Finalist for the 2019 International Chanticleer Chatelaine Awards and the International Chanticleer Goethe Awards. Her novel Peccadillo at the Palace is a Finalist in the 2019 International Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards and the 2019 International Goethe Awards, as well as a Finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards Historical Fiction category. Bovée has worked as a technical writer for a Fortune 500 Company, has written non-fiction for magazines and newsletters, and has worked in the education field as a teacher and educational consultant. She and her husband, Kevin, spend their time between their horse property in the beautiful Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, and their condo on the sunny shores of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.