Book Description 

Rustic cabins. Lakefront bonfires. A painfully hot lifeguard. And a murder? Summer has never been this camp.

Mikey Hartford IV has coasted through his twenties in a distracted blur of yachts and sex and partying. But when his father discovers his latest million-dollar impulse buy and changes the terms of his trust, the party’s finally over. Now, unless Mikey can make a positive contribution to the world before his thirtieth birthday—one that doesn’t involve throwing cash at his problems—he’ll never see another yacht again. (Or even so much as a canoe.)

Enter: Camp Lore, a struggling summer camp in upstate New York where Mikey has to work as the oldest, least-qualified staffer to prove that he can “do good” alongside his twelve-year-old aunt. (Yes, aunt.) But Mikey isn’t sure he’ll be able to survive the camp’s ramshackle living conditions, let alone the gaggle of preteens who won’t leave his side. And when his campers become obsessed with a local legend set at an abandoned cabin on the grounds, Mikey’s chances of not making it through the summer become dangerously real—because it turns out there’s a murder hidden beneath Camp Lore. And someone there will stop at nothing to keep it that way.

Solving a decade-old cold case will surely be enough “good” for Mikey to earn his inheritance. He just has to stay alive long enough to do it…

My Review 

I’ve read some of DiDomizio’s other books, so I was excited to read this one— especially since I spent almost ten years of my life at sleepaway camp. 

Mikey has been banished to Camp Lore because he impulse bought a $5 million dollar Brooklyn brownstone for his friend Jamie to live rent free. 

Mikey is built for yachting and parties, not campfires and rustic cabins… but he does like scandals and intrigue, so when he and his campers stumble into a mysterious disappearance from the previous decade, they decide to make the case the subject of their documentary. 

This is one of the funniest books I’ve read so far this year. Mikey is, without a doubt, a spoiled trust fund brat, but he has such a big heart and a razor-sharp wit. The pop culture references and snappy one-liners flew around like balls flying past your face during gym class. 

Mikey would appreciate that Clueless reference.

The mystery element was very well done with plenty of false leads and unexpected twists. The whole thing was very well done and kept me guessing throughout. 

I would absolutely recommend A Murder Most Camp. First of all, can I say how much I love this clever title. I love that a summer spent solving a murder helps Mikey grow up and also acknowledge elements of his life he’s been avoiding for years. I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot, but I would love to have this book become a limited series on a streaming network. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more from DiDomizio in the future. 

I received a digital ARC of this book from Poisoned Pen/NetGalley.