MOTHER’S DAY MURDER BY TONYA KAPPES

Sometimes Mama doesn't know best!

It's Mother's Day in Holiday Junction and Violet Rhinehammer is covering all the Mother's Day events in the holiday town and not alone! Her mother, Millie Kay Rhinehammer, drops in for a visit unannounced to see exactly why her daughter decide to stay in the small town instead of coming home to Kentucky to their beloved Daniel Boone National Park.

Millie Kay is easily charmed by Mother's Day Festival, but her sweet southern charm doesn't go over well with everyone. While Violet is running all over Holiday Junction to report for the Junction Journal, Millie Kay is joining in on the festival activities.

Millie Kay and local Sally Westin get into a public fight over a dessert Millie Kay says she won fair and square in the cake walk.
And when Sally Westin is murdered, everyone is pointing the finger to the non-local in town, Millie Kay Rhinehammer.
Everyone but Violet.

Holiday Cozy Mystery Series is your one stop read for cozy mysteries set during the holidays. Some of them will be released before the intended holiday but most won't because Tonya writes these exclusively for her Patreon group and releases them as she sees fit. If you'd like more information on the Patreon group you can go to Tonya's website in her Amazon bio to check it out.

Tonya Kappes has written more than 175 southern cozy mysteries, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and Woman's World Book Club pick twice . Best known for stories charged with southern charm, emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband in northern Kentucky. Now that her four boys have flown out of the nest, Tonya writes full-time in her camper! 

You can find her all over social media and at Tonyakappes.com. 

For weekly updates and contests, sign up for Tonya's newsletter Kappes Krew Weekly via her website or Facebook.

 MY REVIEW

I love this series and it seems like every book gets better as the series continues. The cover is very eye catching and draws readers to the book. I wonder what adventure we will find in this book?  The author has a funny southern  charm that makes me laugh throughout the book. I will tell you that you should read these books in order so you know the characters better. There are some great ones that I can’t help but like. I like that the author mentions characters from her other series in this book and helps me remember what they are up. 

 Violet hadn’t quite settled into the  town yet but her job as a reporter keeps her busy. She has an ear for news and follows it even when it may get her into trouble. The gossips are in overload in this story as a rumor has the town in an uproar. The  talk is that there is a spring that has healing powers in the water.  Violet needs an interview with the owner and maybe some water samples to check out the rumors. She isn’t very well received but it isn’t really  her fault. The whole town is trying to get their share of water and has no problem with trespassing. 

This next part I have been waiting to talk about.  Violet tries to avoid her mother’s phone calls and thinks she is safe since her mom is in another town. Do you hear a knock on the door? Let’s follow Violet as he opens the door to find her mother Millie Kay standing there. I adored this character and how she catches everyone’s attention with her charm. Can you see Violet rolling her eyes as she finds out why  her mom is there? The comedy is just starting as a cake walk finds Millie Kay and Sally fighting over a cake. It makes for a great scene as these two shove each other trying  to get to the chair first. 

Millie Kay has just begun her reign of attention getting when she surprises Violet with a decision that catches her off guard. I remember when I was in high school that I would try to avoid my mom all the time. Oh she says she was just watching out for me, but I think she was being nosey. Do you think Millie Kay is there to look after her daughter’s well-being? Sally becomes a thorn in Millie Kay’s side as they attend another function. This time I think it got a little heated. I was ready for anything as these two become frustrated with each other. Someone may have to leave town to keep the peace. 

I don’t want to give anything away but guess who turns up dead? Well to make matters worse, guess who is accused of murder? The author pulls out all the stops in this cozy mystery filled  with a charming town, characters that are simply over the top interesting and a story that keeps readers entertained. The author completely fooled me when the murderer is exposed. Get ready for another adventure in the town that celebrates holidays with festivals, fun and murder. 

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