STAMPED OUT by TONYA KAPPES

Welcome to a new series by a very talented author. I love how she uses small town settings which come to life with her descriptions. I absolutely loved that the author used delivering mail as the main character's job. Today we don’t see many mail carriers going house to house delivering mail. Most subdivisions have gone to a collection of mail boxes grouped together near the front of the community. I loved how Bernadette loved her job and was welcomed by everyone. What a nice treat to stop and visit with neighbors as you enjoy  a glass of iced tea.

Bernadette lost her husband to a tragic accident which left her raising a son on her own. She doesn’t lack for well meaning neighbors trying to set her up with dates. One of the things I liked about this story was that it centered around older mature people who loved their town.

The vivid tour the author takes us on around town was fun. I loved the little shops and the quirky names they chose like The Wildflower Diner. I would love to visit this town and sit with the ladies and listen to their opinions about the townspeople. There is a big uproar when rumors spread that the country club is being sold. Smack dab in the middle of the gossip is Mac. Mac is a wonderful character and has been Bernadette and her son’s guardian angel since the death of her husband. When Bernadette finds a body, the gossip grows to a thunder as Mac becomes the number one suspect. Who knew that wanting  to buy the country club would cause people to protest and have a dead body pop up? I bet this is the most excitement this town has ever seen.

I loved who Bernadette teamed up with to help clear Mac’s name. The mystery is sure to have readers trying to figure out who the killer is in this exciting new series. There are plenty of suspects but I was very surprised who the  guilty person was. I must mention the cameo appearance of Bernadette’s beloved cat. The author has a knack for putting pets in her stories and highlighting the need for foster homes for animals. The series is off to a great start in this small town filled with secrets, lies and a mystery that will surprise the town.

I received an arc copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.