Six Feet Under: A Kenni Lowry Mystery

Happy Monday!  The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton will be out tomorrow.  It is a new paranormal novel.   Leslye Walton is the author of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender.  Fixin' to Die by Tonya Kappes is the first book in A Kenni Lowry Mystery series and is currently $.99 on Amazon (ends Thursday).

Six Feet Under by Tonya Kappes is the fourth A Kenni Lowry Mystery.  Kendrick “Kenni” Lowry is the sheriff in Cottonwood, Kentucky.  Kenni’s mother, Vivian is in a tizzy because the host of the Culinary Channel’s Southern Home Cookin’, Frank Von Lee is coming to town.  Frank, a chef and food critic known for his critical food appraisals, is going to pick between Viv’s pot pie or the barbecue joint in nearby Clay’s Ferry. Only one of them will be featured on the show. Viv has beautified herself for her meeting with Frank and has now roped Kenni into checking out the competition.  The day after her meet and greet with Frank, he is found dead in his hotel room with a partially eaten poisoned pot pie on his desk.   A poor review of the pot pie is on the desk as well which puts Vivian at the top of the suspect list.  Mayor Chance Ryland has his doubts about Kenni’s impartiality (with good reason) and removes her from the case.  Deputy Finn Vincent (and Kenni’s boyfriend) is put in charge of the murder investigation.  That does not stop Kenni and the ghost of her grandfather, Poppa from nosing around.  Kenni is determined to clear her mother’s name off the suspect list. 

Six Feet Under may be the fourth book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone.  Six Feet Under is a light-hearted, humorous cozy mystery with emphasis on small town dynamics (gossip, greasy and deep-fried food, nosy neighbors, secrets).  I found the book nicely written with a good pace.  The mystery is simple, and the killer easily identified.  There is some misdirection, but the suspect list is limited.  Vivian Lowry is an over-the-top, zany character who does not nutty antic after another (Botox, illegal handicap placard, dragging Kenni into her schemes, etc.).  If I was Kenni and lived in this town, I would have an out-of-town locksmith change all the locks in my home, install a high-end security system with lights and cameras just to keep the mother out of my home.  Kenni does not follow proper police procedures (I believe the only reason she is sheriff is because of her Poppa’s history) or the law in some cases.  She lets her mother run roughshod over her (I hope Kenni starts developing a backbone soon).  Readers who enjoy humorous Southern cozy mysteries, will enjoy reading Six Feet Under. The next book in A Kenni Lowry Mystery series is Dead as a Doornail which will be released on May 15.

Six Feet Under will be available on March 13.  Thank you for visiting today.  I will be featuring Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown tomorrow.  I hope you have a day full of happiness and love.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader

St. Patrick's Day will be here soon!