Tonya Kappes Killer Coffee Mystery Series: A Review by E. B. Davis

 

 

Murder, gossip, and freshly brewed suspense await in this charming small-town cozy mystery!

 

Welcome to The Bean Hive Coffeehouse in Honey Springs, Kentucky, where the coffee is hot, the pastries are fresh, and the gossip could make the strongest espresso seem weak. Roxanne Bloom, a spunky lawyer-turned-barista, has swapped legal briefs for brewing beans, opening the town’s first coffeehouse on the newly revamped boardwalk. Life feels perfect as she reconnects with her quirky Aunt Maxi, old friends, and even a spark from her teenage years.

 

But when Roxy finds Alexis Roarke—the beloved bookstore owner—dead among the stacks, a dark shadow falls over Honey Springs. With Aunt Maxi at the top of the suspect list and whispers of betrayal brewing in every corner, Roxy sets out to unravel the mystery before it ruins not just her aunt's reputation, but her new life in the town she’s come to love.

 

With a cast of lovable, quirky characters, small-town charm, and twists that will keep you guessing until the last sip, Scene of the Grind is the perfect read for fans of Laura Childs, Joanne Fluke, and M.C. Beaton.

Amazon.com

 

While I’ve been ever so patiently waiting for my hip replacement operation, I’ve not been able to read anything at all dark. Which has left me with lots of cozies to read. No hardship there! One author in particular, Tonya Kappes, has several series that I’ve liked, but I never read her Killer Coffee mystery series. The series is now on Kindle Unlimited and much to my delight has seventeen books—perhaps she’ll write more. 

 

As a reader, I like the series. The books are quick reads. There are great characters. The investigation doesn’t stagnate, and the case is satisfactorily solved. As a writer, I’m amazed by the series. Why? Tonya checks off all the right “stuff” in a writer’s box and an agent’s/publisher’s successful-series bag. Almost obnoxiously so, and yet—the books don’t cloy. So, the checkmark items: smart main character (MC) with multiple talents, weird backstory, a setting from childhood remembered happily, the old beau who never stopped loving her, the old quirky ladies around town who support the MC, the pets from the rescue shelter, the MC’s emotional connections, etc. Yes, if only all of us could put together all of those cozy mystery series elements—oh did I mention the MC owns a coffee bar with baked goods and there are recipes provided at the back of the books?

 

But why do they work? Just when the old boyfriend wants to immediately get married, the MC says—but wait, it’s been twelve years. We need to get reacquainted—so let’s not rush. If these books were in the romance genre, the books would be half the lengths because the MC would cathartically swoon and then cut to the wedding. But, these are mystery books, in which the MC may own a coffee bar, but she is also a former lawyer. Ha—good one Tonya. Not just a pretty face, and she can get the attention of the police and they aren’t condescending, just a bit respectful while trying to work the investigation a step or two behind the MC.

The MC’s dog is a schnauzer. Little, but easily vexed. No, the dog seems friendly enough and isn’t big enough to fight the MC’s battles, but he isn’t a cloyingly sweet pet. He’s got just enough cajónes to snap at the bad guys and cuddle with the girls. Of course, since the MC rescues a shelter dog, the boyfriend is easily convinced to do the same. He ends up with a Standard Poodle, not exactly a guy’s dog, but in a weird way the dogs end up with the opposite sex match that seems copasetic. 

 

Oh, and then estranged Mother comes to stay in the same town she professed to hate with a grudge against the MC’s beloved aunt. And dang if Mom has the best confession that changes everything.

 

It’s a good thing that MC serves coffee all day because she needs the caffeine to keep up with her life. Her day starts at 4:30 am all the while baking, serving customers, popping out with the help covering the store for her so she can solve mysteries, keeping the romance with the boyfriend brewing, adopting a dog, serving on committees, and volunteering at the rescue shelter.

 

It's a great series to lose yourself while your patience wears as thin.