The second Cozy Caravan Mystery is light and fun and friendly, with just a touch of mystery — though not of the dead body variety — to make this a pleasant read. It’s fluff, even for a cozy mystery, but what separates this series is a very likable main protagonist in Georgie, and the deliberate effort of the author to keep this at novella length. Most cozy mysteries go on far too long, and if you’re just reading them as a breather from darker or more substantial fiction, as I do on occasion, it’s easy to become bored. Marg McAlister seems to have found just the right length and just the right atmosphere to prevent that from happening.

In the second entry, the sixth sense that Georgie has inherited from her great-grandmother which allows her to use her crystal ball to help people in trouble — where the mystery always comes into play — draws her and her gypsy caravan toward Los Angeles. Having formed CBI — Crystal Ball Investigations — with her friends help, she quickly becomes involved in a case while attending the retro caravan rally. While her real job hawking retro caravans is ongoing, hidden motives and a few more serious issues cloud the crystal ball when a case concerning who traded business secrets turns into something more.

Scott is around, as is Georgie’s annoying brother Jerry, and his delightful girlfriend, Tammy. The gypsy caravan angle, Georgie’s competition with her brother, the self-deprecating CBI stuff, and a light mystery offer a fun if brief respite from heavier stuff, making this a nice cozy. ( )