While not my type of mystery - it felt too serious and I tend to enjoy cozy mystery styles/themes- I can see an audience enjoying it and the writing was on par with others in the genre.

This was read & reviewed a long time ago. Never updated it here.

I love Kenni Lowry and all things Tonya Kappes! I eagerly await each new release.

This is the third book in the Kenni Lowry Mystery series, and each one is better than the last. In this installment, author Berlye Stone has died and put her estate up for auction. It turns out that part of that estate is one last manuscript. This is not just any manuscript, it's tell-all about Cottonwood filled with secrets that someone does not want revealed. When Beryle’s assistant turns up dead and the only witness to the crime is in a coma Kenni must find out who that someone is. Pick up a copy today & join Kenni & her Poppa as they trying to figure things out. I recommend picking up all three books in the series.

Ax To Grind by Tonya Kappes is a great Southern cozy from a great Southern author. The Sheriff Kenni Lowry series is my favorite Kappes series. This is one that is not to be missed. Recommended reading for a humorous cozy whodunnit.

This is the 3rd in the series, still set in Cottonwood, the town that never stops gossiping, and has many hidden secrets that form the basis of stories.
A well known author dies and it comes to light that she has written a book that identifies the true inhabitants of the town against her torrid stories. And people will kill not to permit the truth to come out - including jewelled cuffs worn during amorous adventures..
When I read book 1 I liked the town. This time I found it a bit tiresome, as the gossip and the antics of the Sherrif's mother were a bit OTT for me.
But if you like this style of novels, then I'm sure this one will appael, even if the ghost is less helpful.

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

I have read every book by Tonya Kappes and i have enjoyed them all, i look forward to the next books tonya releases, Tonya;s book give me the escape from everyday like that i need.

A wonderful story as always. Author Stone has died but not before there is still another book. What secrets will come out now. Enjoyable.

I enjoyed this third book in the Kenni Lowri series. I found this to be a fun and entertaining cozy and am looking forward to another book by this author!

Sheriff Kenni Lowry has an opponent for her sheriff's race, her former partner, Lonnie Lemar. When Beryle Stone, Cottonwood's most famous resident and best-selling romance author, is killed the whole town gets in on the act. Kenni's life is complicated by all the out-of-towners who have showed up for the auction of Beryle's estate, not to mention handsome Finn Vincent, her new deputy. Kenni's mother practically has the church booked for their wedding. All the henny-hens of Cottonwood have their theories about who benefits from Beryle's death, including anyone who might be mentioned in the tell-all book Beryle was supposedly writing when she died. A little too cute and cozy for my tastes, but for those who love their mysteries southern-fried, this will fill the bill.

When local author Beryle Stone dies, her home and all its contents are being put up for auction. When Beryle's assistant shows up in town, she demands that Sheriff Kenni Lowry put security around the house. Apparently, there is a tell all hidden somewhere and it needs to be found before it is stolen. With Poppa showing up, Kenny knows that there is going to be a murder, something she does not need with an election coming up in the next year. When the assistant is found dead in an alley with an axe in her back, and the wife of the man running against Kenni is wounded by the same axe and ends up in a coma, Kenni is at a loss as to what has happened. With the ghost of her Poppa helping her as well as handsome deputy Finn, Kenni knows she had better solve this case soon! While this is going on the election has divided the town between Kenni and her former deputy, Lonnie.

I love the characters that inhabit this fictional town. Kenni Lowry is a strong female lead, who just happens to be the sheriff of Cottonwood, Kentucky. She has a sexy, new deputy who is driving her crazy in a good way and is talking about buying a house and putting down permanent roots in Cottonwood. I love her dog, Duke who loves nothing more than belly rubs and dog treats. Poppa is a great character, even though he is a ghost. He used to be the sheriff of Cottonwood while she was growing up and even though he's been dead for several years he’s still pretty much in the know about the citizens of Cottonwood and has helped her solve a few crimes in past books. Kenni is the only one who can see or communicate with him and as long as she remembers not to talk to him while others are watching, all is well. Her mother is the typical southern belle, who has no boundaries at all when it comes to Kenni and her job as sheriff. There are also the “Henny-Hens” and their rumor mill along with all the business owners that round out the town. Tonya Kappes is one of my favorite cozy authors and she always tells a great story with plenty of suspense and twists in it. The story moved quickly with a great plot, some humour and a touch of romance. I always love a mystery when I don't figure out the culprit, and this one was a nice surprise, yet the motive and clues all fit by the end. I definitely recommend this book to all cozy mystery lovers, especially if you like a Southern Mystery.

This is the 3rd book in the Kenni Lowry Series. This proved to be another great addition to the series.

Good story and mystery, I love the eccentric characters and wish I could visit Cottonwood, Kentucky for real! The twists and surprises kept my interest throughout the book.

Everybody needs a little help now and again and Sheriff Kenni is no exception. The exceptional aspect of her help is that it comes in the form of her Poppa the former Sheriff. Former as in former member of the living. Cottonwood, Kentucky is your typical small, country town but it is known for having at least one celebrity, well known romance author Beryle Stone. An author who wrote a "tell-all" manuscript that has gone missing since her death. Her death was not unusual but her assistants is a different story. Now Kenni and her new deputy Finn are on the hunt for a killer and a killer manuscript which means Kenni will have to read the other books to piece together the clues. The only problem is that this town is full of more characters than a 100 piece puzzle and Deputy Vincent's good looks and friendly mannerism are more than a little distracting, not that Kenni's Mom has a problem with that. This plot had me embroiled and I thoroughly enjoyed the character development. A great read looking forward to the next one!

A great mystery with intrigue after an author dies. Her manuscript is full of dangerous secrets that at least one person is willing to kill to stop them being revealed. It is an interesting trail of clues and trying to solve the mystery is fun.

Southern flair to mysteries is what is in store for readers with the latest from Kenni Lowry. Kenni is a delightful character and I couldn't imagine not having her in the mystery world. I love that each character in the book is relatable.

thi bookhas all , a murder, a ghost, a beginning romance, funt to read

Kenni Lowry is the sheriff of Cottonwood, Kentucky running for re-election against Lonnie Lemar. She is quite an unconventional sheriff, with the ghost of her grandfather; ex-sheriff of Cottonwood; and a hound dog, Duke, as her deputies along with her human deputy, Finn Vincent, from Chicago. Cottonwood is a small southern town with not much crime but plenty of colourful characters and many gossipy women – the “Henny-hens”. But the estate of Cottonwood’s most famous resident, the author Beryle Stone, is being auctioned and the town is filled with strangers and evil lurks in the dark.
Kenni has to contend with house calls to get rid of imaginary ‘critters’, her mother trying to set her up with the town’s most eligible bachelor, Lonnie running against her for re-election, a missing manuscript and to top it all off a murder most foul.
I found the characters in this book entertaining and delightful and the descriptions of the town and surroundings are so vivid I could picture myself accompanying Kenni wherever she went. I was initially a bit taken aback by the idea of a ghost deputy but the paranormal activity makes the book even more entertaining and makes me wish I could communicate with my grandfather in this manner. The fact that Duke can see him, whereas humans cannot, reinforces my idea that animals are much more perceptive than us! This is a book well worth reading and I will definitely read the others in the series.
Saphira
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Review published on NightsAndWeekends.com (http://www.nightsandweekends.com/articles/17/NW1700123.php) and also aired on Shelf Discovery (ShelfDiscovery.org).

Kenni Lowry, Sheriff of Cottonwood, Kentucky, has her hands full. On top of her attraction to her deputy, Finn Vincent, her ex-deputy Lonnie Lemar is running against her. Cottonwood's most famous citizen, Beryle Stone, has died and left her estate to various charities - with her cousin Ruby Smith as executor - which is causing an influx of tourists and problems among the locals.

Beryle had an assistant, Cecily, who's insisting there's a missing manuscript that needs to go to the publisher and not be part of the estate to be auctioned off. It seems the manuscript is possibly a 'tell all' about people in the town. Beryle, a famous writer, based her books on the people of Cottonwood; even though she changed names and altered details, someone doesn't want the truth known - enough to kill.

So late one night Beryle's assistant Cecily is found dead in an alley, and Lonnie's wife Paige injured inside Ruby's antique shop, sending Lonnie into a frenzy and Kenni up to her ears in suspects. What she discovers along the way is that Beryle's mentally disabled sister, thought long dead, is still alive and being cared for at a local inn - and Kenni (and the town) have known her for years under another name. Then there's also the little thing about an unpublished manuscript that Beryle left...the one everyone seems to be after, and Cecily was probably killed for. But no one knows where it is, and with the help of her Poppa's ghost, Kenni learns that nothing good can occur when buried secrets are unearthed, and she needs to find a killer before they have a chance to permanently write her off...

Cottonwood, Kentucky is a small town with an eccentric population. Kenni followed in her grandfather's footsteps to become sheriff and nearly sent her mother into an apoplectic fit. But since she's running for re-election, her mother is her staunchest supporter. Her mother is a hoot and the purest form of Southern lady I've ever known. The interaction between these two is alone worth reading the book.

But it's the ghost of her grandfather 'Poppa' that gives life to the story (see what I did there?) as he helps her solve the crimes. In this book, Kenni has figured out a key fact about her Poppa being there that neither of them knew, and her relationship with Finn is undergoing some major changes along the way.

This is the third book in the series, and it keeps getting better as it progresses. Kenni is capable, smart, stubborn and attractive to boot; and Finn seems to have settled into Cottonwood quite nicely after moving from Chicago. The mystery is written well and plenty of curve balls along the way to keep it going. Once we learn about Beryle's sister being alive, it's interesting to watch all the pieces come together slowly, until it's almost too late.

When the murderer is revealed, it comes as a complete surprise. While the clues were there (and I figured out those pretty quickly since I read a lot of mysteries) the identity of the killer was still a little staggering. What seems to be the truth isn't, and what seems hidden is sometimes right out in the open. The reason for the murder was a little sad; it all seemed so senseless in the end.

All in all, an excellent mystery with believable and convincing characters. Ms. Kappes has written another tale that is suspenseful and enjoyable. The books just keep getting better and I hope this series stays around for a long time. I look forward to reading the next in the series. Highly recommended.

Kenni Lowry is a lady small town sheriff in the town of Cottonwood where she grew up. Her grandfather, known as Poppa was previously the sheriff. Everyone in Cottonwood seems to know everyone else’s business. When the asssistant of a famous hometown author ends up dead shortly after the author dies, and another person from town receives a serious head injury at the same location and time, Kenni must solve the crime. The death seems to be linked to a tell all book containing secrets about some townsfolk that was soon to be published. Certain citizens of the town didn’t want their secrets to come to light so many of the townsfolk were possible suspects. Throw in a sexy deputy named Finn whom Kenni is strongly attracted to and a crime-solving ghost (Kenni’s Poppa) and all sorts of fun ensues. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would love to read others in the series.