by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of First Class Killer, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Make Mine First-Class!
Bernadette “Bernie” Butler has been delivering mail and packages to residents of the tiny mountain town of Sugar Creek Gap, Kentucky, for over a decade. She had returned to the job soon after her husband was killed in a tragic automobile accident since she had a young son to support and raise. Now, Grady, her son, is an adult, married, and six months ago, gave Bernie her first grandchild…Clara. There’s also some romance for Bernie. Although the relationship has had some ups and downs, ons and offs, she has opened her heart to Mac Tabor. Mac had been her husband’s best friend, and after the accident, took it upon himself to keep in close contact, provide emotional support, and act as a male role model for Grady. She explores hobbies, enjoys gossiping with the “Front Porch Ladies,” keeps close to her parents at the family-owned restaurant The Wallflower Diner, and loves her loyal “fur” companions Buster and Rowena. Iris Peabody is her long, long-time BFF whose “I’ve got a bad feeling” revelations usually mean trouble…what trouble is always the question since details and specifics are often obscure. But despite Iris’s “feelings” being hard to decode, Bernie still seems to make a “wrong place/wrong time” discovery.

First-Class Killer earns 5/5 Bookstore Bargains…Entertaining Fun!
A bookstore has finally come to Sugar Creek Gap. The Old Mill Book Store is set to open in, of course, the old mill building, and everyone is all agog about its premier event…a book signing with a new author who has burst onto the literary scene with an exciting, and steamy, romance novel. Twenty-three-year-old Stella Jane Clark grew up in Sugar Creek Gap, and as a high school student, she found her literary voice, inspired and fostered, she says, by her high school English teacher, Grady Butler. Yes. Now Grady, and Bernie as his mother, is receiving a lot of buzz, too. Of course, Grady is surprised and a bit confused about the young author’s comments and dedication of her book, and when Iris’s “feeling” pops up, Bernadette isn’t her usual dismissive self—“If this has to do with Grady, I want to know what the feeling is.” But, when the manager of the bookstore is introduced, Iris is shocked to see Piddy Linn Satterly, the “other woman” in her divorce and joint recipient of the infamous “pie in the face.” Worse yet…the incident, along with other best “swept-under-the-rug secrets,” plays prominently in Stella Jane’s book. Iris makes an ill-fated threat that could shine law enforcement on her when a dead body is found.

First-Class Story! Tonya Kappes has delivered another engaging drama with an entertaining drama that centers in Bernie’s inner circle. The dead body pops up later in the story than I prefer, and I was delightfully thrown off when it wasn’t the victim I’d pick. However the final reveal, marked with some peril, was surprising and satisfying. Kappes’s story is more driven by the fascinating characters than the murder giving fans, like me, an opportunity to make literary friends, enjoy realistic reactions, relish the mountain setting, and with the “I” perspective, feel involved. The private incidents of many of Sugar Creek Gap’s residents have become fodder in the fiction/nonfiction book, and the question how the young woman obtained such details has tongues wagging. Gossip and those who wield it for personal gain may rue the day. Thank you, Karma!

Southern Bonus! You can always count on Tonya incorporating some southern favorites into her stories. Enjoy easy-to-follow recipes for these treats direct from the menus of Bernie’s parents restaurant The Wallflower Dinner and Iris’s Pie in the Face Bakery: Kentucky Handmade Apple Pie, The Wallflower Dinner Wilted Lettuce, and Kentucky’s Fall treat Transparent Pie,

Be a Big Tonya Kappes Fan!
USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes is also one of my Top Ten favorite authors. With this, three-book Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery, she has a nine-book Camper & Criminals Cozy series along with exciting ghostly-, magical-, and caffeinated-themed series. For ghosts, she has the popular eight-book Ghostly Southern Mystery and seven-book Kenni Lowry series. Add some magic with the twelve-book Magical Cures Mystery and three-book Spies and Spells series. And finally, get a little caffeinated with her eight-book Killer Coffee Mystery. She also has an enjoyable online presence and various EVENTS enticing fans to gather to talk, share, and partake in the fun!

Facebook – Author Tonya Kappes
Join the “Cozy Krew”
Become a Member at the Website – Tonya Kappes

To enter to win an ebook of First Class Killer, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “first class,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 14, 2020. US only, and must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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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 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 year 2 of retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband of 26+ years.

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.