by Kathleen Costa
& Tonya Kappes

This week we have a review of Tonya Kappes book Freshly Ground Murder, and then a fun guest post by her about pets and Christmas, which includes a pet treat recipe. Also everyone can get a free ebook copy of another of Tonya’s books, A Charming Christmas, by clicking here. At the end of this post you can find a link to purchase Freshly Ground Murder from Amazon.

Freshly Ground Murder: A Killer Coffee Mystery by Tonya Kappes
Review by Kathleen Costa

Tonya Kappes has penned one of my favorite series ‘percolating’ lots of fun. The Killer Coffee Mystery follows Roxanne ‘Roxie’ Bloom who, after a not-so-amicable divorce, has moved back to Honey Springs, Kentucky, to open up The Bean Hive, the town’s first coffeehouse. First published in January 2017, Scene of the Grind has Roxie being adopted by her new Schnauzer Pepper and rekindling her relationship with former summer sweetheart Patrick Cane. Unfortunately she is also introduced to murder with her Aunt Maxine the ‘person of interest.’ In June 2017, Mocha and Murder puts Roxie, with Patrick at her side (mostly), in the middle of another murder trying to clear the name of her friend when a local farmer is murdered over a pet adoption gone wrong. To finish the year, Freshly Ground Murder was released in October to get all of Roxie’s fans ready for the Christmas holidays along with Ho, Ho, Ho——Homicide!

Are you ready for Christmas in Honey Springs? The holidays have arrived with the boardwalk decked out and a snow slurry or two adding to ‘White Christmas’ hopes, but it also brings the delicious aroma of Christmas Harvest Blend brewing and Santa Kiss Cookies fresh out of the oven wafting from Roxie’s coffeehouse The Bean Hive. She is very excited about spending her first Christmas in Honey Springs with her mother, her aunt, new friends, and her handsome fiancé Patrick Cane, ready to join the community with all the festivities including the annual tree lighting ceremony. But, a murderous ‘Grinch’ has put the holiday cheer on hold when Otis Peavler, owner of the tattoo parlor Odd Ink, is found dead, sticking out from under the holiday tree, and wrapped in lights. He was Roxie’s neighbor and friend and finding out who is responsible is something she can’t leave to someone else, although the local law enforcement is not so eager to see her at crime scenes or visiting witnesses and persons of interest.

Delightful Fun! Tonya has penned another clever mystery with twists and turns, lots of suspects with motives, secrets needing to be uncovered, and a “Wow!” ending, but the myriad of fun characters, the family dynamics, and romantic entanglements is where this series really shines. I greatly enjoy the excellent descriptions that make the town, the sights, the smells all come alive with the type of dialog that seems like I am more of an ‘eavesdropper.’ Fans, like me, are thrilled with our continued journey, and if you are a newbie, you need not shy away since there are enough references to background and character connections to keep you turning the page.

Tonya also makes sure that fans enjoy their experience beyond just reading an entertaining tale. In this third book, she included recipes from Roxie’s kitchen at The Bean Hive and favorites submitted by her readers: Christmas Harvest Blend Coffee, Soul Harvest Soup, Praline Liqueur Cake, Christmas Coffee Bean, Christmas Coffee Punch, and Pumpkin Cookies aka Santa Kiss Cookies. But on her website, she expands the enjoyment by bringing her setting and characters to life with pdf versions of the Honey Springs boardwalk map, character backgrounds, and additional recipes. It is an all-round marvelous experience!

Freshly Ground Murder earns 5/5 Secret Santa Surprises!

Honey Springs Comes to Life
Killer Coffee Mystery Series
Meet Roxy Bloom & Recipe for Christmas Harvest Blend Coffee (pdf)

Like, Visit, Join, and Follow…Oh, my!
Facebook – Author Tonya Kappes
Website – Tonya Kappes Small Town Southern Mysteries
YouTube – Tonya Kappes Style

Be a Big Tonya Kappes Fan!
Tonya Kappes is a USA Today best selling author who along with Killer Coffee Mystery series she writes some of my favorite series with a clever paranormal twist. First published in 2012 and my introduction to all things Tonya Kappes is her twelve-book Magical Cures Mystery series with psychic June Heal working to solve mysteries with a magical touch. Then published in 2015 my all-time favorite series is the seven-book Ghostly Southern Mystery following Emma Lee Raines, funeral director who ‘sees dead people,’ solving their murder and helping the spirit move ‘into the light.’ Starting in 2016 we have the soon-to-be four-books in the Kenni Lowry Mysteries with Sheriff Kenni Lowry partnering with her grandfather, former sheriff and now a ghost, to keep Cottonwood, Kentucky, safe, and finally the three-book Spies and Spells Mystery series adds spies to the magical horizon with Maggie Park, a special agent in SKUL. Yes, with Tonya Kappes, one is never enough!

Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.

Decorated trees in the house are very confusing…
Through the Eyes of Pepper the Schnauzer

There’s so much excitement in the air in Honey Springs, Kentucky, right now. My favorite human, Roxy Bloom, is really excited. She’s been so busy in the kitchen making me a special treat, Gingerbread Mischiefs. Plus, she and her favorite human, Patrick Cane, have put trees in the house! TREES!

Okay…so they aren’t the trees that I’m allowed to go wee-wee on. Trust me. I tried and got the “NO PEPPER!” When Roxy says that in that alarming voice, I know she means that I’m going to be in trouble.

But it’s okay for that darn cat Roxy has taken in from Pet Palace. Roxy has this crazy agreement with Louise Carlton. Roxy believes that animals that are having a hard time getting adopted just haven’t been seen in their true environment. She got this grand idea to bring those animals to the Bean Hive Coffeehouse, her coffee shop, and let the animal live there for the week. Granted…it’s worked, but this week she’s taken in this cat…Felix. When he climbed up into the tree, she thought it was cute! When I got near the tree, I got the NO PEPPER!

Then she put this crazy sweater on me with TREES on it and made me walk around the town square with other animals in the CHRISTMAS PAWRADE. It would’ve been fun, but the evening ended with legs sticking out from under the community tree just as they flipped the switch at the annual tree lighting ceremony. The legs belonged to a guy who was MURDERED!

If that wasn’t enough to tame down the excitement in Honey Springs, the tree Roxy and Patrick put in our cabin, burnt down. From what I could understand when the humans in the blue outfits and guns were saying, someone actually came into my cabin and set it on fire. Something about Roxy being nosey.

Seriously rethinking the whole tree thing. Maybe it’s not a good idea to put trees in the house…

Enjoy this fun recipe you can make for your furry friends or even enjoy yourself!

Gingerbread Mischiefs Animal Treats

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together molasses, water, and oil. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix liquid ingredients into the flour mixture, stirring until well-combined.
4. Roll dough out to 1/4-inch thick and cut out shapes, gathering dough and re-rolling as necessary. I use a cute gingerbread cutter.
5. Bake for 20 minutes and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet.

There are many more recipes in all of the Killer Coffee Mystery Series books! Check out tonyakappes.com for details and a tab full of southern recipes for you to download and enjoy!

SPEND THE HOLIDAYS IN HONEY SPRINGS, KENTUCKY, where the gossip is as hot as the coffee!

Check out Pepper the Schnauzer and all the people who live in Honey Springs here!

If you’ve never been to Honey Springs….Check out the first book in the series for only $0.99 for a limited time!

Visit Tonya:

I want to invite everyone to join the Cozy Krew group page. If you are not already a group member you can join at facebook.com/groups/208579765929709. Join the Mailbox Love where I send snail mail and birthday cards! Click here or tonyakappes.com/kappes-krew-birthday-club.

If you like to cook and have recipes that you’d like to share, please share them here. Be sure to check out my web page for up to date information on all my books as well as a complete list of books in order at tonyakappes.com. Follow me on Twitter – twitter.com/tonyakappes11.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & short stories in our mystery section.

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Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.