Dead to The Last Drop ( Killer Coffee 8) by Tonya Kappes [early review]

Hello to all,

                Lot is happening among which i'm searching for a kitten ( which has become really hard where i live) but i'm not forgetting my love of book so today i'm sharing with you an early review ( so you have time to preorder the book^^) of the new release of Tonya Kappes. Enjoy!

Happy Reading!

Publisher: Tonya Kappes

Publication: 2020

ASIN:  B07Z2C8GTD

Genre: southern cozy mystery, cozy mystery
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 16+

Source: earc

Description from goodreads :

 Welcome to the Bean Hive Coffeehouse where the coffee is as hot as the gossip!

“Fabulous fun and fantastic! Kappes nails small town mystery with another must-read hit. Don’t miss this one!”– Darynda Jones, New York Times Bestselling Author of Eighth Grave After Dark

Maxine Bloom has always wanted to try her hand at acting and when Loretta Bebe is desperate for someone to fill a role in the local play she's directing for the Honey Springs Theater Company, she asks Maxi to fill in and Roxy knows Aunt Maxi's head will grow like the gossip.

Aunt Maxi leaps at the chance for big theatrical debut in the charming play about a posh ‘60’s fur salon and the owner trying to run an honest business while his charming, yet caddish partner, Mr. Browning, is just trying to give a fur coat to his new mistress.

When the woman playing the mistress turns up dead the play comes to a complete halt until Sheriff Spencer Shepard lets Loretta reopen after the crime scene is fully swept.

In the meantime rumors are swirling like the snowflakes in Honey Springs and Roxy finds that she just can't stop from hearing the gossip and trying to figure out who killed the amateur actress..after all the show must go on!

My opinion:

          So  good! It's always a pleasure to read about Roxy and her gang of friends really . This is so funny to see how they can all get together to help and at the same bickering over little things.

This book made me smile really, the investigation is very well done  with false hints and everything , the romance is super sweet, the pets are too cute ( i would have loved to find a Mocha^^;;) .

This is really the kind of cozy read that bring you a sense of comfort  like a good cup of coffee ( or tea in my case) could.  You are immersed in the story but you feel at home with friends so it's easily read but a real page turner as well.

For once, Roxy is asked to snoop ^^ after a murder but she must stay discreet which doesn't seem easy in that area especially when she must try not to tell her protective lovers....and all that while thinking about new idea for her coffee and saying goodbye to a friend.....Roxy is for sure very busy!

The added recipes are always a wonderful bonus as well.

A great cozy mystery, can be read as stand alone ( but even better read in order). To recommend

Score:  4,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and i voluntary reviewed this book

Address for Murder ( A Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery 2) by Tonya Kappes

Hello to all!!


                    To start this new year , i've decided to try to read more but before i start on my tbr pile i have some new releases to share with you so there is no better time to begin  than now!
Today is teh latest release of Tonya Kappes that i'm sharing with you Address for Murder the second book in her latest series featuring a mail carrier.


Happy Reading!

Publisher: Tonya Kappes

Publication: 2019

Genre: cozy mystery, southern
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 16+

Description from goodreads :

  Discover the southern life of Bernadette Butler, along with the eccentric and lovable citizens, along with all the fur babies, who live in Sugar Creek Gap in this NEW southern cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes.

Mail Carrier Bernadette Butler makes sure she checks on all of her elderly customers on her mail carrier route during the colder months. It makes her feel good and lets face it, she's trying to keep her mind off the feelings she's having for her deceased husband's best friend, Mac Tabor. Which makes putting everyone before her is easy.

Until she notices one particular customer's dog is on the loose, Bernadette takes the dog back and something isn't right. The door is open. Bernadette goes in to check on her customer only to find him murdered!

Bernadette knows someone knows something about the murder in the small knit community. Now that she's help solve one murder, she can't resist to try her hand at it again...of course not without the help of the FRONT PORCH LADIES and Vince!

My opinion:

          An excellent intrigue, i really loved how the investigation was written with all the twists to make your doubt your first impressions and such. This series is becoming better with each book it seems so it was a real pleasure and i can't wait to see which adventure Bernadette will have next.

On element i love in this series are all the secondary characters  like the porch gals who are both funny and attentive but also Mac even if he can be a little  clumsy with his words he really love Bernadette and they act like people of their age which is great (after all you can be in love at every age not only when you are a teenager)  so it's another good point for this series.

I guess i was just sad about the victims because i really loved him in the first book so knowing he won't be there anymore i'm feeling a little sad. If you are a pet lover, this is also a series for you as you get to meet Rowena the cat and now a dog both having an important role in the book they are not just cited in passing.

This is a very good southern cozy mystery with a touch of romance, humour and good investigation , it also can be read as stand alone as Tonya Kappes gives enough info about book 1 so if you missed it no fear you can jump on this one first  and still love it!

to recommend!

Score:  5/5

Skin Deep ( Laura Blackstone 1) by Mark Del Franco

Happy New Year!!!!    

I wish you all the best for 2019!!

End of 2018 was hard on me so i'm kind of glad to start a new year and hope for the best!

At least on the reading part it seems promising with the first book i picked from my pile " Skin Deep" by Mark Del Marco which was a new author  for me. I won't say it was an easy read so i'm glad i read it on my day off^^ but i would definitively want more now that i have a better insight on the complex world the author created.

So let's start this year with the first book in the Laura Blackstone serie: "Skin Deep"


Happy reading!!!

Publisher: Ace

Publication: 2009

ISBN:  0441017436

Genre: Urban fantasy, mystery, paranormal suspense
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Description from goodreads :

  A THRILLING NEW URBAN FANTASY SERIES FROM THE AUTHOR OF UNFALLEN DEAD AND UNQUIET DREAMS.

She'll need to keep up appearances—if she wants to stay alive...

Being an undercover agent has its occupational hazards, but Laura Blackstone makes it look easy. As a spy for a fey intelligence agency, she uses her magical abilities to create disguises that are skin deep glamours that must never be compromised. But when Laura's worlds collide she'll have more to worry about than retiring an identity; she may just lose her life.

My opinion:

          Hard beginning for sure as we get introduced to many characters right at the beginning, some being the same one in fact, so this can lead to some confusion

However, the more you read the more you get immersed as the mystery and intrigue are really well woven and you can't stop reading to discover what lies behind all the events.

The rhythm is perfect , there are dark moments but perfectly balanced with the touch of humour and little bit of flirting from Sinclair , Saffin is a secondary character we come to really love and Terryn is one i want to learn more about ( like how he met Cress for example). We learn a lot about several kinds of fae.

It's definitively a series i want to continue reading but one that must be read at moment when interruptions are not likely to happen.

Score:  5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and i voluntary reviewed this book

A Magical Cure ( Magical Cure Mystery 1) by Tonya Kappes

Hello to all!


I'm really sorry time flew and i didn't realise it has been so long since i posted something. Taking care of someone very ill is really time demanding and you tend to get lost in time, sorry! - i will try to do better-


Today i'm sharing with you the first book in the Magical Cure Mystery serie by Tonya Kappes because the 10th book in this series released a few week ago so with book 1 free on most retailer it 's a great opportunity to try it.


Happy Reading!

Publisher: tonya Kappes

Publication: 2012

ISBN13:  9781476414157

Genre: paranormal mystery, cozy mystery
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 16+

Source: free offer
 

Short description from goodreads :

Bubble... Bubble...
June Heal has nothing to lose when she relocates her homeopathic cure shop, A Dose of Darla, from the flea market booth in her home town, to a quaint shop in the cozy but unusual little town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky. Or so it seems.

Cures and trouble...
Whispering Falls has a lot of secrets. From talking snow globes to whispering animals not to mention a few sprinkles of fairy dust, June realizes Whispering Falls is more magical than she thought. . .literally.

My opinion:

          I really enjoy Tonya Kappes' writing it's fluid and so entertaining after trying one of her series i had to get more so i jumped on this mystery series and it's fantastic! a lot more magical and paranormal than her Southern Mysteries at least that's the impression after reading the first book on each series however if the paranormal element is a  big factor in the series, the investigation isn't pushed aside at all and i do love this mix when so well balanced.

June lost her mother recently and decided to continue to make and sell herbal remedies...she does most of them by instinct changing recipe found and trying new ingredients. She is quite happy living like than with her cat mr Prince Charming if it wasn't for nightmares plaguing her since childhood; Suddenly, she is invited to join a small village not that far from her city and to open a shop there....a village very special with a magical feel to it. people there are strange to June also speaking by riddle or speaking of power, spirits etc.

Pushed by her childhood friend Oscar, June accept to go live there as one of the rules of Whispering Falls is that to work there you have to live in the village ( among a lot of other rules^^). June is taking over a shop that was owned by her mother Darla in the past, because surprisingly she came from said village even if June has no memories of it,  while Oscar becomes the police officer there.

June needs to adapt to the changes and starts a quest to learn more about herself, her past and her parents'  however that will get a lot more complicated when after not even one day a murder is committed in the village and June is the suspect number one as the corpse had her bracelet. Suddenly clearing her name becomes the priority even if it means admitting the strange magical elements and events as real.

I loved June, she is so fresh. She has power but she isn't overconfident, she jump on Ding Dong at the first difficulty but most importantly she has a good soul. I also loved her relationship with Oscar who is a little like a brother to her and Prince Charming is  impossible not to love^^, he made smile a lot and suspect a lot of things.

The folks from Whispering Falls are intriguing to say the least and some of their powers are terribly tempting but most importantly for the most of part they made me smile.

The investigation is well written, the plot is believable and all together is a series i do plan to continue and that i recommend to lovers of this genre

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

            

A Ghostly Undertaking (Ghostly Southern Mysteries 1) by Tonya Kappes

Hello to all,


               I know i usually don't post on Monday but since i will have medical appointment later this week i though better to be careful and take some advance also i was so happy with my latest reading that i couldn't wait to share it with you.

This weekend, when i was obligated to stay put and not move, i decided to start a  book that was on my radar and in my pile for quite a moment..
to be honest i was reminded of it because of a  guestpost Lexi george wrote lately for a newest release and after that i was in the mood for some adventure in the Southern area...after that i couldn't resist any longer and i picked A Ghostly Undertaking by Tonya Kappes.

Happy Reading

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication: 2015

ISBN:  0373277210

Genre: urban fantasy, cosy mystery, paranormal mystery
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: won

Short description from goodreads :

A funeral, a ghost, a murder…it’s all in a day’s work for Emma Lee Raines…

Bopped on the head from a falling plastic Santa, local undertaker Emma Lee Raines is told she’s suffering from “funeral trauma.” It’s trauma all right, because the not so dearly departed keep talking to her. Take Ruthie Sue Payne--innkeeper, gossip queen, and arch-nemesis of Emma Lee’s granny—she’s adamant that she didn’t just fall down those stairs. She was pushed.

Ruthie has no idea who wanted her pushing up daisies. All she knows is that she can’t cross over until the matter is laid to eternal rest. In the land of the living, Emma Lee’s high-school crush, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, isn’t ready to rule out foul play. Granny Raines, the widow of Ruthie’s ex-husband and co-owner of the Sleepy Hollow Inn, is the prime suspect. Now Emma Lee is stuck playing detective or risk being haunted forever.

My opinion:

          This is my first attempt at a paranormal mystery i think and i really, really enjoyed it.  I was attracted to it because of it's setting....after having read Lexi George's books Southern regions picked my interest and from what i know of it ( which is very little) i felt that Tonya Kappes recreated the perfect ambience for the setting of this story.

Emma is a character i can relate to, she is a little apart and never really felt like she belonged with the rest of her age...she doesn't take time to take care of herself bent to help other and she is loyal. She didn't always had her gift either or perhaps she had and it wasn't active anyway she suddenly sees ghosts even doesn't believe it at first thinking it's only a trauma from her line of work.

However when a woman her family isn't friend with is found dead and her spirit comes banging at her door and interferes in her life she must help her to clear her grandmother's name yes but also to find her tranquillity back. I loved how Emma step in and just don't let thing happen. She was sure lucky to have Jack so understanding and open minded ( and in the right line of work when murders are the topic^^).

The investigation is well written and even if i did guess the culprit its motives were surprising and simply the way Emma  works to solve it was very entertaining and i didn't want to stop before i finished  the book.

It's definitively a series i want to continue ( happy to have the next book ready^^) as it promises a lot of humour and a touch of suspense  while Emma is already a reason enough to  keep enjoying these adventures. If you want a paranormal mystery i definitively recommend this one or if you simply want more of the setting.

Score:  5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenge:

Wildfire by Mina Khan

Hello to all!

                    The sun is making his appearance here but not for long as spring isn't there yet. Still some sun and life seems easier, poeple friendlier andwe can only hope it will last.

Today i'm sharing with you my opinion on Wildfire by Mina Khan, as soon as the book released i was interested it has dragons and somehow  i was intriged by the cover that lead me to a false presumption of the genre of this book...paranormal mystery genre is a novelty for me but i found myself quite enjoying it and would like to discover more so sometimes mistakes are great^^ and it's the blurb that caught my interest the most anyway.

When Mina offered me the opportunity to read and review her book i was really delighted and now i do hope to read more of her but first let stay with today agenda and learn more about Wildfire.

 Happy Reading!

Publisher: Rashda Khan

Publication: 2013

ISBN:  0373277210

Genre: paranormal mystery, fantasy, romance
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: mild ( attempted rape)
Public: 16+

Source: received in exchange for an honest review

Description from goodreads :

 Lynn Hana Alexander is a 25-year-old Japanese American shape-shifter haunted by guilt. She’s been questioning herself and her dragon abilities ever since she failed to save her grandmother.

When her best friend is threatened by mysterious fires burning up acres of West Texas, Lynn rushes to the rescue determined not to fail again. However, with a tempting firefighter, a flirty city developer and dragon pheromones distracting her, how is she going to find the arsonist?

And worse: is her primary suspect a malicious rogue dragon or the love of her life?


*** Author's Note: Wildfire is a paranormal mystery with romantic elements. It is not a traditional romance. I hope y'all enjoy the read!

My opinion:

          A enthralling reads!  I was really curious about the book as soon as I saw the blurb about dragon and cowboy and I’m lucky to be able to say that this was even better that what I expected and at the same time different ( somehow I thought it would be a little dystopian or steampunk I can’t explain^^;;)

It’s a fantasy mystery so for those new to that genre it means a world largely similar to us with a large dose of fantasy as well and the plot focus on a  mystery, a investigation more than on the romance but don’t fear romance there is^^. I really loved the story and the mystery because even when I guessed the motivation the culprit was not too evident, the romance was a superb bonus.

The characters were well built. Lynn is shapeshifter, a dragon one, from a Japanese line which means that she is a guardian. I really loved to discover the legend behind her race of dragons. However since she failed to save her grandmother, shapeshifter like her, she is filled with guilt and she is not in complete acceptance of her dragon part.
When she has vision of another dragon and feels her best friend in danger instinct kick in and she is flying to the rescues, not really expecting what she will discover in this small village. Her senses are in overdrive, scenting dragon everywhere, fires are starting again and again; and 2 males Jack the fireman which her best friend Jen see as a perfect big brother and Henri who was to be developing the land…. Using her job as a journalist to investigate she discover that both have troubled past and could be the arsonist/ rogue dragon she has come to fight  which trouble her  a lot.

When you look closely all characters have something to hide which off course deepen the mystery and make it even better to read about. Jack Callaghan comes from a very old family, one with a bad reputation in the countryside after several generations of bad behaviours (  illegal affair, arrogance, etc) but Jack isn’t like his ancestor at all. He loves history and working with his hand, he loves his lands and he is a protector in his own way being a fireman and a secret donator when needed. However old grudge die hard and the city isn’t really kind to him or giving him a chance which hurt him deeply. When Lynn appears he is attracted and the fact that she doesn’t know him is even better and he start to hope until she starts accusing him.

I loved Jack up to a point….he is loyal kind but obtuse and hurtful when Lynn confess he really act badly and in that way he disappointment me but courageous as he can be the end isn’t there.

Henri is a deeper mystery as he doesn’t come from the city like Jack so Lynn must discover via other way and while he seems charming with her his determination to buy the lands has her suspicious.

 One of the character that I loved the most is Tavistock … I’m sure that man knows more than he let on and his love for Elsie was so true and deep that it was moving. In fact he is probably one of the last one really knowing the history of the lands, the secret one included.

Now, I do have a little small regret; we don’t learn enough about the dragons! I appreciated the insight given via the history of Lynn’s grandmother, the explanations from Lynn’s mother also helped but it was not enough. There is a mention of the council for example but his role and who are his members (how you become part of it etc) isn’t developed enough .  I would love  to see more story I  this universe to learn more but  I think this book is a stand alone so I will perhaps have to forget this idea.

Really this is a fabulous adventure for dragon lover and fan of mystery and investigation with some sweet touch of romance as bones. To recommend without a doubt

Score:  4,5/5

Disclaimer: Source: a copy in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was received. All opinions are my own .

Challenges:

 If you want this book you can buy it on  amazon or on  Bookdepository 

You can find more informations on Mina and her books on her Blog

Have you read anything by Mina yet? Would you be more interested by her book with dragon or her series about the Djinn?