by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win either an ebook or print copy of Holiday Roast Mortem, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Home is at the Heart of Honey Springs!
Roxanne “Roxy” Bloom had left behind her ex and a law career, attended barista school and cooking classes, and opened up Honey Spring’s first coffeehouse. As a teenager, she spent many wonderful summers there visiting her Aunt Maxine Bloom, and falling for the local cutie Patrick Cane, so it seemed a no-brainer to move there when her aunt told her about a great business opportunity…The Bean Hive is now her pride and joy. Reuniting with her summer fling didn’t happen immediately, but it was inevitable that marriage was on the horizon. However, Roxy didn’t foresee her mother Polly Bloom relocating and often reigniting conflicts with her former sister-in-law Maxi. Life isn’t without some more serious issues since Roxy has somehow found herself in the middle of too many suspicious deaths.

Holiday Roast Mortem earns 5/5 Jingle Bell Blends…Engaging Entertainment!
Roxy and Patrick Cane have been blissfully married for a year, and have finally arranged to put aside their very busy schedule for a romantic date night. The Bean Hive has been on holiday overdrive, and Patrick’s construction company has been booming, so some quiet, delicious food, and melting in each other’s eyes was just the prescription for their weariness. However, the couple sitting next to them was not having the same experience. Snapping at the waiter’s accidental spill and glaring at his wife’s rebuke, Ryan Moore’s evening was fraught with snide remarks escalating to threats of divorce from his wife Yvonne and his “over my dead body” retort. On the way home, the weather turning cold and the roads threatening icy conditions, Patrick and Roxy recognized Moore’s truck ahead of them…then a swerve, another, veering off the road, crashing over the bank and into the lake. Patrick’s quick rescue mode sends him into the freezing lake pulling both passengers to shore, and Roxy dialing 9-1-1 brings the paramedics. Yvonne is alive, but Ryan succumbed to his injuries. Authorities request an autopsy to determine why the accident occurred, and when it is determined poison and murder, the wife is suspect number one. Roxy accepts Yvonne’s plea for her sleuthing and lawyerly assistance, but then her ex shows up representing the step-daughter. This isn’t a cut and dry case!

Wonderful! I am always eager to read this eight-book Killer Coffee Mystery series with its small town southernness of which Tonya has first-hand knowledge, quirky characters that inspire or frustrate, coffee and treats that send me off to Starbuck’s, and murder, of course…It’s a cozy! My interest was immediately grabbed with the conflict and accident turned murder occurring right off making me suspect the wife, too, but as more clues are revealed, I had a couple other suspects to consider. However, I was tricked with some misdirection, and…WOW! Loved the end! For sure Roxy is a great amateur sleuth, but her law degree adds a great piece to the investigation…and bringing in her “low life” ex gave me more than a few cringes and thoughts of a double murder scenario. Tonya’s writing style is always entertaining with descriptive language and dialogue that provides a clear picture of setting and characters along with emotions and personality. All in all, the story, the characters, and Tonya’s southern sense makes this a big favorite!

Newbies can start here. There are enough references to backstory and character connections to keep a newbie in the loop, but Roxy’s journey from the beginning to now is very entertaining and shouldn’t be missed.

Bonus! We can always count on some easy-to-follow Recipes Featured at The Bean Hive Coffee Shop: Burnt Sugar Cake “…a long-time family recipe that included a lot of sugar, flour, butter, and cream, all the things that screamed comfort in a delicious piece of cake,” Gingerbread Softies, Twinkie Cake, and Rich Potato Chowder just in time for the winter weather!

Be a Big Fan!
USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes has so many fan favorite series. With the soon-to-be two-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 this six-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

Wake Up! It’s Christmas!
From Tonya’s 12/23/18 Blog, she has a great Christmas Breakfast Casserole recipe perfect for Christmas morning brunch. Snuggled in one’s new pajamas with wrapping paper strewn all over and children’s face glowing serve up this great breakfast treat. Add your own holiday blend coffee to make it a festive morning.

To enter to win either an ebook or print copy of Holiday Roast Mortem, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “roast,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 21, 2019. US only, and must be 18 or older to enter. AND BE SURE TO STATE IF YOU WANT PRINT OR EBOOK. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. A new episode went up last week featuring a Christmas mystery short story by Donna Andrews!

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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.