Author: Tonya Kappes

Sophia Rose Review: A Ghostly Reunion by Tonya Kappes, narrated by Tiffany Morgan

Posted May 15, 2020 by Lily B in Reviews / 36 Comments

Sophia Rose Review: A Ghostly Reunion by Tonya Kappes, narrated by Tiffany MorganA Ghostly Reunion by Tonya Kappes
Narrator: Tiffany Morgan
Length: 5 hours 55 minutes
Series: Ghostly Southern Mysteries #5
Published by Tantor Audio on December 27, 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Cozy Mystery
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Rating:4 Stars

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Emma Lee Raines sees dead people
Proprietor of the Eternal Slumber Funeral Home, Emma Lee can see, hear, and talk to ghosts of murdered folks. And when her high school nemesis is found dead, Jade Lee Peel is the same old mean girl—trying to come between Emma Lee and her hot boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, all over again.
There’s only one way for Emma Lee to be free of the trash-talking ghost—solve the murder so the former prom queen can cross over.
But the last thing Jade Lee wants is to leave the town where she had her glory days. And the more Emma Lee investigates on her own, the more complicated Miss Popularity turns out to be. Now Emma Lee will have to work extra closely with her hunky lawman to get to the twisty truth.

Reluctantly chairing the high school reunion, Emma Lee encounters the high school mean girl who becomes her latest ghost client, her granny gets a taste for being a reality TV star, her sister works for a rival funeral home now, and her newspaper pal is framed for the murder. Life in Sleepy Hollow, KY isn’t dull.

A Ghostly Reunion is the fifth installment in this hilarious paranormal cozy mystery series featuring a heroine who runs a funeral home and sees ghosts who have been murdered and need help crossing to the other side.

The Ghostly Southern Mysteries invite the listener to give the over the top, light-weight murder mysteries a chance. Emma Lee is an amusing amateur detective who fumbles and bumbles her way through her ghostly cases with the help of town sheriff and boyfriend, Jack Henry.

Each book provides a good murder mystery, but it is paired with lots of quirky small town, family antics, and a sweet, slow burn romance. In this latest, Emma Lee has to face the desertion of her sister to a posh funeral home and the arrival of a high school mean girl who used to rule the school, date Jack Henry, and make Emma’s life a misery. It’s not so much who would kill her as who didn’t have a reason to murder her.

Tiffany Morgan is a delightful narrator for the series and does a fab job of southern drawl and charm, comedic timing, and a variety of vocal inflections for the large cast of characters. I get lost in her storytelling quite easily.

All in all, I had a great time listening in and find the light and fun quality perfect when I want easy entertainment and a good mystery to puzzle over. It is a good match for those who enjoy paranormal cozy mysteries.

My thanks to Tantor Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

About Sophia Rose

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

 

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Guest Review: Dead As a Doornail by Tonya Kappes

Posted May 3, 2018 by Lily B in Guest Post, Reviews / 10 Comments

Guest Review: Dead As a Doornail by Tonya KappesDead As A Doornail by Tonya Kappes
Series: A Kenni Lowry Mystery #5
Published by Henery Press on May 15th 2018
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Pages: 177
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Rating:3.5 Stars

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Beauty is skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone. And doesn’t our Sheriff Kenni Lowry know that? Well, she knows a lot of things.
Lucy Lowell takes great pride in writing negative reviews in the local newspaper for anything that does not go her way. When Lucy is found dead, it appears to be from natural causes.
But Sheriff Kenni Lowry knows there is more to it because the ghost of her grandfather, the ex-sheriff, is standing over the body.
His presence can only mean one thing: Murder!
Since Kenni’s relationship with Deputy Finn Vincent has heated up, Kenni is having trouble conducting the investigation without Finn questioning her every move.
Can Kenni unravel the mystery on her own or will she have to tell Finn the real reason she knows it was murder—the ghost of her poppa?
It’s blowin’ up a storm and only Kenni knows how it’ll end.
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DEAD AS A DOORNAIL by Tonya Kappes | A Henery Press mystery

Sophia Rose’s Review…

Small town antics, a wedding nightmare, and an inexplicable murder are Kenni’s challenge in this latest series installment.

Dead As A Doornail is book five in the quirky and light Kenni Lowry paranormal cozy mystery series. The series does flow in a chain when it comes to Kenni getting used to her deceased grandpa’s ghost helping her solve murders along with her growing love interest with Finn. However, the mysteries are all standalone and I had no trouble jumping in at book three and continuing on. Need to go back for the first two at some point.

So, the latest…

Kenni gets set up by, who else, her mother to be a maid of honor in the Mayor’s wedding when she doesn’t really like the mayor or his bride. She also finds herself investigating a death that, at first, only she knows is murder b/c her poppa’s ghost tells her. With each book, she draws closer to Finn and also the growing dilemma of knowing she needs to tell him about Poppa’s ghost. I have no idea how that will go over and it’s an added layer of tension in an otherwise mystery comedy.

These books are over the top and unapologetic about that. Fun and fast reads, but still offer a twisting mystery through all the other small town antics usually led by Kenni’s mother. Oddly, I find this kind of story relaxing and I look forward to each new installment in the series.

If you’re looking for sheer light entertainment in a fast-read mystery then look no further.

About Sophia Rose

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

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Guest Review: Six Feet Under by Tonya Kappes

Posted March 16, 2018 by Lily B in Guest Post, Reviews / 26 Comments

Welcome back everybody! Sophia Rose on the blog today with Six Feet Under by Tonya Kappes. Have you read this southern cozy yet? Read what Sophia Rose thinks below. Kappes writes fun cozies with great characters and ghosts with humor and lots of southern charm.

Guest Review: Six Feet Under by Tonya KappesSix Feet Under by Tonya Kappes
Series: Kenni Lowry #4
Published by Henery Press on March 13th 2018
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 268
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Rating:4 Stars

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth. And let me tell you, this broth is in trouble. Get ready for a Southern showdown.
The residents of Cottonwood, Kentucky are sent into a tizzy when the Culinary Channel comes to town to film an episode of Southern Home Cookin’ with celebrity chef Frank Von Lee.
Especially Sheriff Kenni Lowry.
Her mama’s award-winning chicken pot pie is what brought Frank to town, and they don’t make hair in the South bigger than her mama’s ego after the news.
When Frank Von Lee is found dead from food poisoning and the most likely culprit is Mama’s chicken pot pie, Kenni’s poppa, the former sheriff, comes back from the Great Beyond to assist in the investigation.
But nothing’s prepared Kenni for such a personal tie to a case, and she finds herself pushing the limits of the laws she’s sworn to protect.
This book’s so delicious it’ll make your mouth water and leave you hankerin’ for more.
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SIX FEET UNDER by Tonya Kappes | A Henery Press mystery

Poppa’s ghost is back and that means someone’s gonna die! But, this time, the suspect is none other than Sheriff Kenni Lowry’s mama with the motive, means, and opportunity.

Six Feet Under is the fourth book in this engaging cozy mystery series with paranormal elements set in small town Kentucky. It’s fun and quirky and delivers an engaging mystery while it’s at it. I find each book works alright standalone, but there are ongoing series elements like Kenni’s romance with Finn and a few other mild relationship and character mentions.

The story focuses on a cooking celebrity coming to town to critique mama’s chicken pot pie only to die of food poisoning when he samples some of the said pie and prepared to deliver a less than flattering review. Others might have a horse in the race, but it’s Kenni’s mother who seems to be suspect number one. Kenni is reeling from the implications and from being too connected to the case to be allowed to work it. Will the fledgling romance with Finn survive him seeing her wrestle with temptation about the evidence and him being placed in the lead investigative role.

There’s not as much angst as one might suspect with such a situation and there is plenty of Mama Lowry’s over the top antics. And, the murder isn’t the only crime going on in town- illegal botox parties, fake handicap hangers, and citizens ready to disturb each other’s peace.

And through it all, Kenni wonders if now is a good time to tell Finn that she is aided in her law work by her deceased poppa’s ghost.

I enjoy these for the sheer entertainment value and I like these quirky, at times crazy people who are also salt of the earth as it comes. The mysteries aren’t terribly complex, but there is a little challenge. So, altogether, I anticipate each new installment in the series and heartily recommend them to those looking for a new small town, slightly paranormal cozy mystery series to try.

I rec’d this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.

About Sophia Rose

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

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Review: Southern Fried by Tonya Kappes

Posted September 22, 2017 by Lily B in Reviews / 17 Comments

Review:  Southern Fried by Tonya KappesSouthern Fried by Tonya Kappes
Series: Kenni Lowry Mystery #2
Published by Henery Press on April 4th 2017
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Pages: 300
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Rating:4 Stars

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In the South, it’s better when the food is fried and the secrets kept buried…
After the dead body of a beloved Cottonwood resident is found tangled up in an electric fence, Sheriff Kenni Lowry has a hunch that somethin’ ain’t right. Her investigation heats up with a fierce cook-off competition, a euchre game where the intel is sweeter than the brownies, and a decades old family recipe that may just be the proof in the pudding.
The icing on the cake: Kenni is fighting an attraction to her recently sworn-in deputy sheriff, and election season is hot on her tail. When the killer comes after who she holds most dear, even her poppa’s ghostly guidance might not be enough to keep her and her own out of the frying pan.

Owen Godfrey is dead and his murder might revolve around a certain family cookbook that everyone is just dying to get their hands on because of a secret okra recipe. When Sheriff Kenni is forced to investigate another murder of a local Cottonwood resident, she and her new deputy Finn, her Poppa and trusted pooch Duke must uncover the secrets behind the cookbook that were worth killing over.

This was such a great read. I never read a Kappes book, but it definitely won’t be my last. Kenni has a lot on her plate, she is still trying to prove that she is fit to be the town sheriff, meanwhile with the re-election coming up the retired sheriff decides to throw his name in the hat, so Kenni must solve this new murder as quickly as possible.

I loved Kenni and I loved Duke and Finn. This book has a lot of Southern charm, wit and humor along with meddling mothers and busy body neighbors, if you like books set in the south you will enjoy this gem.

I found the writing to be fun and fast paced, I found myself just flying and enjoying this book. There is a bit of romance and a ghost of Kenni’s grandfather who was an ex-sherrif who still lingers in order to help Kenni protect the town. There is a lovable pooch named Duke that just melts your heart and a wonderful cast of characters.

If you like cozy mysteries but have not read this one I recommend it. It’s engaging, has a lot going on, and never a dull moment. I just kept flipping through the pages. It was nice to get lost in the town of Cottonwood and I cannot wait to go back.

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