BLOG TOUR: A Ghostly Demise/A Ghostly Murder (Ghostly Southern Mysteries 3 and 4) by Tonya Kappes

A Ghostly Demise:

A Ghostly Southern Mystery 

Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Witness (August 25, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-0062374912

E-Book ASIN: B00PQRWLRC

Synopsis: The prodigal father returns—but this ghost is no holy spirit

When she runs into her friend’s deadbeat dad at the local deli, undertaker Emma Lee Raines can’t wait to tell Mary Anna Hardy that he’s back in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky, after five long years. Cephus Hardy may have been the town drunk, but he didn’t disappear on an epic bender like everyone thought: He was murdered. And he’s heard that Emma Lee’s been helping lost souls move on to that great big party in the sky.

Why do ghosts always bother Emma Lee at the worst times? Her granny’s mayoral campaign is in high gear, a carnival is taking over the town square, and her hunky boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, is stuck wrestling runaway goats. Besides, Cephus has no clue whodunit…unless it was one of Mrs. Hardy’s not-so-secret admirers. All roads lead Emma Lee to that carnival—and a killer who isn’t clowning around.

Review: Another great story from Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky! Poor Emma Lee has yet another ghost following her around, needing her help to solve his murder. Considering that Cephus was the town drunk, it should come as no surprise that the first thing he wants from Emma Lee is an ice cold Stroh's. That conversation definitely sets the tone for the rest of their interaction throughout the book.

Granny is up to her usual crazy antics, even while trying to win a mayoral race against O'Dell Burns (of Burns Funeral Home).  I loved the scene of her driving her moped through town, being chased by Sheriff Ross. In my head, at least, it was like the Keystone Kops!

Speaking of the sheriff, he still can't make up his mind whether he believes Emma Lee sees ghosts and can talk to them, or if she's more than just a little bit crazy. That tends to put a strain on their relationship and makes it difficult for Emma Lee to go to him with information that she gets from the spirits.

As usual, Emma Lee nearly gets herself killed before she manages to wrap up the mystery. But everything is explained in the end, and life in Sleepy Hollow goes back to normal--at least until the next book.


Rating: Five stars

A Ghostly Murder:
A Ghostly Southern Mystery 
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Witness (September 29, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0062374936
E-Book ASIN: B00RTMCOPQ

Synopsis: Emma Lee Raines knows there’s only one cure for a bad case of murder.

I told you I was sick, reads the headstone above Mamie Sue Preston’s grave. She was the richest woman in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky, and also the biggest hypochondriac. Ironic, considering someone killed her—and covered it up perfectly. And how does Emma Lee, proprietor of the Eternal Slumber Funeral Home, know all this? Because Mamie Sue’s ghost told her, that’s how. And she’s offering big bucks to find the perp.

The catch is, Mamie Sue was buried by the Raines family’s archrival, Burns Funeral Home. Would the Burns family stoop to framing Emma Lee’s granny? With an enterprising maid, a penny-pinching pastor, and a slimy Lexington lawyer all making a killing off Mamie Sue’s estate, Emma Lee needs a teammate—like her dreamboat boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross. Because with millions at stake, snooping around is definitely bad for Emma Lee’s health.

Review: Tonya wows us yet again with the antics of Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky!  I love this series more with each book she writes.  Number four gives us the ghost of Mamie Sue Preston, hypochondriac, in need of Emma Lee's help to prove that she was murdered.  Mamie Sue is not as willing to provide information as some other spirits have been, however, which makes things a bit trickier for Emma Lee.

It's not that there is a lack of suspects for the murder. Mamie Sue was a very wealthy woman, and any of the folks who benefitted upon her death might have wanted to hasten it along.  And, as usual, Emma Lee will need to solve the case before she becomes a murder victim herself.

There is plenty of humor to be found in this story, along with plot twists that throw you for a loop just when you think you have the mystery all figured out. I'm already on pins and needles waiting for the next book in the series.

Rating: Five stars

About the author

Tonya Kappes is a USA Today Bestselling Author.

I write fun humorous fiction, some with romance and some with a little mystery.

More than anything I love to connect with readers! I’m a huge fan of them and LOVE getting to know them. Making readers smile, and remembering not to take life too seriously is how I like to write. I’m addicted to coffee, McDonald’s Diet Coke, and Red Hots Candy to keep me going!

When I’m not writing about quirky characters and even quirkier situations, I’m busy being the princess, queen and jester of my domain which includes my BFF husband,  three teenage boys, two dogs and one ornery cat.

And be sure to stalk me on Facebook,  Twitter, TSU, Instagram!