Betting Off Dead By Tonya Kappes: Review/Giveaway

Sep 10, 2016 | 2016 Articles, Cynthia Chow, Fantasy & Fangs, Mysteryrat's Maze

by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a signed copy of Betting Off Dead & Tonya Kappes Loves Her Readers bracelet. We also have a link to order it from Amazon.

Maggie Park is thrilled that she has finally experienced her Witchy Hour and discovered her life’s journey. It means that at the age of twenty-eight, she can finally stop working in her family’s Louisville, Kentucky, diner. It’s not that she doesn’t love her Mother Nature-esque witch mother or her plant-magical Aunt Meme, but Maggie truly wished to find her own goal and path in life. Since that seems to be working with Interpol’s Secret Keepers of the Universal Laws, Maggie has had to keep her realization on the down-low from her very opinionated relatives. Part of that deception has been pretending that SKUL spy Mick Jasper is her boyfriend and not her coworker, which is not exactly a hardship on her part.book

Mick returns to ask her assistance in another investigation, this time allegations of horse doping at Churchill Downs. Protecting the integrity of the Kentucky Derby is paramount to those who depend on it for their businesses, and Mick’s usual partner would be known to several of the suspects. To Maggie’s delight, and in spite of Mick’s misgivings, Maggie is being asked to go undercover as his wife and infiltrate the world of horse auctions and racing.

What Maggie lacks in spy training and experience, she more than makes up for with her magical ability to cast spells. Although forbidden from using magic arbitrarily and risk discovery, Maggie doesn’t see a problem with spells that make her investigation a little easier or suspects more welcoming. Another secret weapon is her familiar Vinnie, in the not-so-familiar form of a 1965 AC Cobra muscle car. Wearing a pendant connects Maggie to Vinnie and his on-board dashboard computer, which would be more helpful if he wasn’t always taking very judgmental actions again Mick.

This light-hearted mix of magic and mystery takes full advantage of the ostentatious lifestyle of horse racing owners and bettors. Considering the vast sums of money involved both in wages and in the maintenance of horses, many are willing to kill for what’s at stake. Just as integral to the plot is watching Maggie mature as a woman and as a witch, and both involve separating herself from her very loving but overprotective family. With a motto of “Coven, family, thyself,” finally taking a stand is not easy, especially when her aunt is always at the ready to call in a Spell Circle of her more unique friends. Humor and romance are the highlights of this second of the Spies and Spells series that is at its best when it shines a light on the South, competitive horse racing, and magic.

To enter to win a signed copy of Betting Off Dead & the bracelet, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “betting,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 17, 2016. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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

You can use this link to purchase the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

44 Comments

  1. Sounds kinda goofy….a laugh here and there is what we all need from time to time.
    cactuspare(at)cox(dot)net

    Reply
  2. Loved this book….a fun read!

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  3. Great review! I love Tonya and her books ?

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  4. Sounds awesome! On my tbr, can’t wait to read! Loved the first book! Thanks for the chance!
    angelhwk68@yahoo.com

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  5. I love Tonya Kappes books. She is a phenomenal author. Thank you for this chance! areewekidding@yahoo.com

    Reply
  6. Loved this book! And I absolutely love Tonya! Her words are magical! Making me feel as if I’m inside the book with the characters!

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  7. This is an awesome series by Tonya! Love her books! fuades3@yahoo(dot)com

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  8. This is a very enjoyable read. Love Maggie and her family

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  9. Love her charming cure series. Have to check this one out too. Sounds awesome!

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  10. Love this book. Congrats Tonya!!

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  11. Full of fun and laughter! Great read.

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  12. I truly enjoyed reading this book. An easy fun read.

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  13. This sounds like I’d enjoy it
    I was raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin.

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  14. This sounds like I’d enjoy it
    I was raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin.. I can laugh and relate to horse scent.

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  15. It’s on my TBR list, but I love the bracelet!

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  16. Love this lady and her books great to light up life

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  17. Thanks for the great review!! Can’t wait to read it!

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  18. This sounds so good! Thanks for the giveaway!
    booklady2007(at)gmail(dot)com

    Thanks,
    Stormi

    Reply
  19. Sounds like another great read. Zeta(at)iwon(dot)com

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  20. Love Tonya’s books!!!

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  21. I can’t wait to read this. Loving all your books!!!

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  22. would love to win a copy & the bracelet! love Tonya’s books; so much fun!
    sparkle40175(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Reply
  23. Sounds like an amusing read! Maggie Parks sounds like quite a character. Can’t wait to read.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  24. Sounds amusing. And these days, light is about all I can deal with.

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  25. I need this book! It sounds like fun! I love horses. Magic is always interesting.

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  26. Great article love Tonya kappes and love to read her books.

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  27. Awesome! Sounds like a great book!

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  28. A touch of suspended belief should be good for one occasionally. So reading about Maggie & her familiar (a car no less) should do me some good — laughter, relaxation, and solving a mystery, what could be better?…

    donna (dot) durnell (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

    Reply
  29. I love the Spies and Spells series!!

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  30. I thoroughly enjoyed your review and Betting Off Dead#

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  31. I love Tonya Kappes books and would love to share this with my book club. And of course, the bracelet is fab. Kh38668 at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  32. I live Tonya Kappes’s books. Sounds like another awesome read.

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  33. Tonya Kappes books are just so funny and good love them. This is a great giveaway as it is a print book plus the bracelet. ptclayton2@aol.com

    Reply
  34. Absolutely love this book! Tonya has a ‘magical’ way with words that make me feel as if I’m standing with the characters watching their exchanges! jamie_witko at Yahoo dot com

    Reply
  35. Sounds like a fun and entertaining book

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  36. love to laugh. Adding to my TBR.

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  37. What a terrific cover. I read this genre occasionally, so it is nice to have a heads up about a new to me author.

    karen 94066 at aol dot com

    Reply
  38. We used to live near the Washington PA Race Track (The Meadows) and I heard many stories about the betting, but none about killing!!!
    kce 1976 at hotmail dot com

    Reply
  39. Sounds like another great book of Tonya’s

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  40. I’d love to win a paperback! My email is somesmartcookle @ aol dot com. it’s cookle with an L, not an I. Thanks!

    Reply

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