A Ghostly Mortality
by Tonya Kappes

I appreciate watching the characters grow and their relationships develop.
~Laura’s Interests

I LOVE this series, and this book only serves to illustrate why…I couldn’t stop reading.
~Book Babble

A Ghostly Mortality: A Ghostly Southern Mystery
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Witness (February 28, 2017)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0062466976
E-Book ASIN: B01GONIFFI

Synopsis

That ghost sure looks . . . familiar

Only a handful of people know that Emma Lee Raines, proprietor of a small-town Kentucky funeral home, is a “Betweener.” She helps ghosts stuck between here and the ever-after—murdered ghosts. Once Emma Lee gets them justice they can cross over to the great beyond.

But Emma Lee’s own sister refuses to believe in her special ability. In fact, the Raines sisters have barely gotten along since Charlotte Rae left the family business for the competition. After a doozy of an argument, Emma Lee is relieved to see Charlotte Rae back home to make nice. Until she realizes her usually snorting, sarcastic, family-ditching sister is a . . . ghost.

Charlotte Rae has no earthly idea who murdered her or why. With her heart in tatters, Emma Lee relies more than ever on her sexy beau, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross…because this time, catching a killer means the Raines sisters will have to make peace with each other first.

About the Author

For years, USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes has been self-publishing her numerous mystery and romance titles with unprecedented success. She is famous not only for her hilarious plotlines and quirky characters, but her tremendous marketing efforts that have earned her thousands of followers and a devoted street team of fans. Be sure to check out Tonya’s website for upcoming events and news and to sign up for her newsletter! Tonyakappes.com

Also by Tonya Kappes

Kenni Lowry Mystery Series

Fixin’ To Die

Olivia Davis Paranormal Mystery Series

SPLITSVILLE.COM

COLOR ME LOVE (novella)

COLOR ME A CRIME

Magical Cures Mystery Series

A CHARMING CRIME

A CHARMING CURE

A CHARMING POTION (novella)

A CHARMING WISH

A CHARMING SPELL

A CHARMING MAGIC

A CHARMING SECRET

A CHARMING CHRISTMAS (novella)

A CHARMING FATALITY

A CHARMING DEATH

A CHARMING GHOST

A CHARMING VOODOO

Grandberry Falls Series

THE LADYBUG JINX

HAPPY NEW LIFE

A SUPERSTITIOUS CHRISTMAS (novella)

NEVER TELL YOUR DREAMS

A Laurel London Mystery Series

CHECKERED CRIME

CHECKERED PAST

CHECKERED THIEF

A Divorced Diva Beading Mystery Series

A BREAD OF DOUBT SHORT STORY

STRUNG OUT TO DIE

CRIMPED TO DEATH

Bluegrass Romance Series

GROOMING MR. RIGHT

TAMING MR. RIGHT

Women’s Fiction

CARPE BREAD ’EM

Young Adult

TAG YOU’RE IT

A Ghostly Southern Mystery Series

A GHOSTLY UNDERTAKING

A GHOSTLY GRAVE

A GHOSTLY DEMISE

A GHOSTLY MURDER

A GHOSTLY REUNION

A GHOSTLY MORTALITY

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EXCERPT: 

A GHOSTLY MORTALITY EXCERPT

Chapter 1

“Lawdy bee.” Granny scooted to the edge of the chair and lifted her arms in the air like she was worshiping in the Sunday morning service at Sleepy Hollow Baptist and the spirit just got put in her.

I sucked in a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever was going to come out of Zula Fae Raines Payne’s mouth, my granny. She was a ball of southern spitfire in her five-foot-four-inch frame topped off with bright red hair that I wasn’t sure was real or out of a L’Oréal bottle she’d gotten down at the Buy and Fly.

“Please, please, please,” she begged. “Let me die before anything happens to Emma Lee.” Her body slid down the fancy, high-back mahogany leather chair as she fell to her knees with her hands clasped together, bringing them back up in the air as she pleaded to the Big Guy in the sky. “I’m begging you.”

“Are you nuts?” My voice faded to a hushed stillness. I glanced back at the closed door of my sister’s new office, in fear she was going to walk in and see Granny acting up.

I sat in the other fancy, high-back mahogany leather chair next to Granny’s and grabbed her by the loose skin of her underarm. “Get back up on this chair before Charlotte Rae gets back in here and sees you acting like a fool.”

“What?” Granny quirked her eyebrows questioningly as if her behavior was normal.

My head dropped along with my jaw in the “are you kidding me” look.

“Well, I ain’t lying!” She spat, “I do hope and pray you are the granddaughter that will be doing my funeral, unless you get a flare up of the ‘Funeral Trauma.’” She sucked in a deep breath and got up off her knees. She ran her bony fingers down the front of her cream sweater to smooth out any wrinkles so she’d be presentable like a good southern woman, forgetting she was just on her knees begging for mercy.

“Flare up?” I sighed with exasperation. “It’s not like arthritis.”

The “Funeral Trauma.”

It was true. I was diagnosed with the “Funeral Trauma” after a decorative plastic Santa fell off the roof of Artie’s Meat and Deli, knocking me flat out cold and now I could see dead people.

I had told Doc Clyde I was having some sort of hallucinations and seeing dead people, but he insisted I had been in the funeral business a little too long and seeing corpses all of my life had brought on the trauma.

Truthfully, the Santa had given me a gift. Not a gift you’d expect Santa to give you, but it was the gift of seeing clients of Eternal Slumber, my family’s funeral home business where I was the undertaker. Some family business.

Anyway, a psychic told me I was now a Betweener. I helped people who were stuck between here and the ever after. The Great Beyond. The Big Guy in the sky. One catch . . . the dead people I saw were murdered and they needed me to help them solve their murder before they could cross over.

“I’m fine,” I huffed and took the pamphlet off of Charlotte Rae’s desk, keeping my gift to myself. The only people who knew were me, the psychic and Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, my hot, hunky and sexy boyfriend. He was as handy as a pocket on a shirt when it came time for me to find a killer when a ghost was following me around. “We are here to get her to sign my papers and talk about this sideboard issue once and for all.”

Granny stared at me. My head slid forward like a turtle and I popped my eyes open.

“I’m fine,” I said through closed teeth.

“You are not fine.” Granny rolled her eyes so big, I swear she probably hurt herself. “People are still going around talking about how you talk to yourself.” She shook her finger at me. “If you don’t watch it, you are going to be committed. Surrounded by padded walls. Then—” She jabbed her finger on my arm. I swatted her away with the pamphlet. “Charlotte Rae will have full control over my dead body and I don’t want someone celebrating a wedding while I lay corpse in the next room. Lawdy bee,” Granny griped.

I opened the pamphlet and tried to ignore Granny as best I could.

“Do you hear me, Emma Lee?” Granny asked. I could feel her beady eyes boring into me. “Don’t you be disrespecting your elders. I asked you a question,” she warned when I didn’t immediately answer her question.

“Granny.” I placed the brochure in my lap and reminded myself to remain calm. Something I did often when it came to my granny. “I hear you. Don’t you worry about a thing. By the time you get ready to die, they will have you in the nuthouse alongside me,” I joked, knowing it would get her goat.

The door flung open and the click of Charlotte Rae’s high-dollar heels tapped the hardwood floor as she sashayed her way back into her office. The soft linen green suit complemented Charlotte’s sparkly green eyes and the chocolate scarf that was neatly tied around her neck. It was the perfect shade of brown to go with her long red hair and pale skin.

“I’m so sorry about that.” She stopped next to our chairs and looked between me and Granny. She shook the long, loose curls over her shoulders. “What? What is wrong, now?”

“Granny is all worried I’m going to get sent away to the nuthouse and you are going to lay her out here.” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. Or did my subconscious take over my mouth? It was always a competition between me and Charlotte, only it was one-sided. Mine.

It's another big hit for  this very talented author as A Ghostly Mortality brings us laughs, heartwarming moments and a mystery that is sure to intrigue you. I love the authors quirky southern sayings throughout the book. It is fun to read a book that has great characters that come to life. The story is a look at the mortuary business  and the shenanigans that take place there.

Emma is a great character that has  her hands full keeping up with her grandmother and sassy sister. It seems that the two sisters are in a bit of a disagreement since they work for different mortuaries. Why would Charlotte go work for the other company when her family owns their own funeral business? It certainly doesn't set well with Emma . I loved the bickering between the two sisters.  The sibling rivalry was well written and I loved how others seem to pick sides at times.

Charlotte is so sure she made the right decision when she took the new job that she loves to try to take business away from Emma. There are some very loud arguments that cause hurt feelings between the two and Emma seems to have had enough of her sister . That all changes when Emma sees her sister and realizes that she is a ghost. Did I mention that Emma helps people cross over? Emma is shocked to realize her sister is dead . I would not want to be able to talk to ghosts or see them. Poor Emma must be beside herself now that her own sister needs her help. Not only is Charlotte dead but someone murdered her .

I loved the back and forth talking between the sisters when it looked like Emma was talking to herself.  I must mention the grandmother because she was one mad woman when she found out about Charlotte. She does go a bit crazy wanting answers to her granddaughter 's death. The author does a brilliant job showing how a grandmother is willing to give up anything to catch the killer .

I had my list of suspects in my head but I did not guess who the killer was. In fact I was quite surprised who it was and more importantly why Charlotte was killed. The creativity of the author really shines in this book as the mystery takes a turn I never saw coming. You don't want to miss this outstanding book written by an author who always delivers a story that is intriguing , full of laughs and characters that are unforgettable.

I received a copy of this book from Great Escape Book Tours. The review is my own opinion.

GIVEAWAY

The author is giving away a free audio book on each blog spot. Please leave comment to be entered. The author will choose from previous released books. 

Tour Participants

February 27 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW, EXCERPT

February 27 – Books, Dreams, Life – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

February 28 – Queen of All She Reads – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

February 28 – Book Babble – REVIEW

March 1 – Readsalot – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

March 2 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

March 3 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW, EXCERPT

March 3 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

March 4 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 5 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

March 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

March 6 – deal sharing aunt – INTERVIEW

March 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 8 – fuonlyknew – REVIEW

March 9 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW  

March 10 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

March 11 – T’s Stuff – REVIEW, EXCERPT

March 12 – Curling Up by the Fire – REVIEW