DIGGIN' UP THE DIRT (KENNI LOWRY #7)

Sweet as honey, soured by murder! 

Everyone in Cottonwood loves the new bakery, Sweet Shop. Until a Cottonwood resident is found dead with a half-eaten donut in her hand. 

Sheriff Kenni Lowry has her hands full. With a new murder in town and a new deputy to train, she’s not sure if she’s ever gonna get this booger solved. 

Sheriff Elmer Sims comes to the rescue, stepping up as Kenni’s ghost deputy. As the ex-dead-now-ghost deputy and Kenni’s Poppa, there’s clues beyond the sprinkles in the donut that only he can see. 

Add to Kenni’s stress, Finn Vincent’s, Kenni’s hunky boyfriend and new sheriff of Clay’s Ferry, parents have come to town to meet Kenni and her parents. And Kenni’s mama ain’t too happy. As they say in the South, nobody’s happy if mama ain’t happy. 

With Poppa’s keen insight and Kenni’s determination, Kenni focuses all her attention on bringing the killer to justice before the yeast rises and another dead body turns up. 

Save room for dessert. You don’t want to miss this Southern mystery! 

Release Date: May 7, 2019

Henery Press

Kenni Lowry #7

Cozy Mystery

Review copy provided by publisher

Liza's Review:

Diggin' Up the Dirt is the latest installment in the Kenni Lowry series of books from Tonya Kappes. The Kenni Lowry series has been one of my favorites ever from Ms. Kappes, yet I found myself not being pulled in as I have been with the books in the past.

I love Kenni so much. She is a no-nonsense woman who loves her job protecting her home town. Her relationship with her boyfriend Finn has always seemed just about perfect to me, and I loved how well they worked together to keep Cottonwood safe. I also adore Kenni's time with her Poppa, even if I think it was past time for her to share the fact she sees him with Finn, and her time with her Mama just about cracks me up anytime they are together. 

However, I didn't feel the connection between Finn and Kenni in this book. They seemed to be at odds more than ever and I actually questioned if their personal and working relationship could survive it. Especially once the religious differences of their families came into play. I have to say that once Finn moved over to be the sheriff of Clay's Ferry, I actually felt better about them as a couple, and felt like Kenni was able to focus better on her job again. 

While I liked Diggin' Up the Dirt, it didn't have the same feel as the other books in the series. I still loved all the Southern charm of the locals and the banter between so many of the characters, but I just felt like something was missing with this book. I love Kenni Lowry and all the other characters from Cottonwood, and really hope to read future books with these characters.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (B-)