Make sure you are wide awake when you read this one as Dead as a Doornail will keep your eyes glued to the pages. Tonya Kappes does a fabulous job of combining quirky small-town characters, romance, and a good mystery with a surprise ending.

In this fifth installment of the Kenni Lowry series, Kenni is juggling plans to visit her boyfriend’s family at Christmas, an unexpected role as maid of honor in a wedding, and working to solve a murder. That’s enough to make anyone’s head spin! Those who enjoy a touch of paranormal added to their books will love the spirit of Kenni’s father.

The characters were believable, the story fast-paced and engaging, and the romance sweet. ( )

This is the fifth book in the Kenni Lowry mystery series and just a lot of fun. There are a lot of laughs throughout this story. I love Kenni and Finn. It is also fun with the ghost. The mysteries are well done and the characters are all great. You just live the small town through these people. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

Kenni Lowry is sheriff in the small Kentucky town of Cottonwood. She's taken over where her grandfather, Poppa, left off after he died. Except he's not really dead, not to her: whenever there's a murder, he shows up to help her out.

Right now, Kenni has problems. When she's given a gift certificate to a day spa from her boyfriend, Deputy Finn Vincent, she expects to have a relaxing afternoon getting a manicure and pedicure. While it starts out that way, it sure doesn't end the same. While there, local Lucy Ellen Lowell shows up demanding that Tina, owner of the spa, give her a color, manicure, and anything else her little heart desires. Tina refuses, and her employee Cheree adds that Lucy keeps cancelling appointments, so they can't make time for her, especially since Polly Parker and her entire wedding party have shown up to get their nails done for a 'pre-wedding preview' of color.

Lucy isn't happy, and when she leaves she tells Tina she's going to write a review of her shop. It seems Lucy is well known for writing her bad reviews, and has cost businesses customers by them. In fact, it seems the only person who even likes Lucy is her husband Darnell. So when Lucy is found murdered by Darnell, Kenni has a whole stack of suspects to sift through.

But it's not going to be easy, nor is it going to be comfortable. It seems Kenni has been volunteered by her mother Vivian and best friend Tibbie to be the maid of honor in Polly's wedding after the original one backed out. And Kenny - reluctant as she is - has pretty much figured out why. It appears that Polly wants a Gone with the Wind-themed wedding, and the dress Kenni has to wear looks like the famous dark green curtain dress, and it is Ug-ly with a capital U.

So now Kenni is juggling a murder investigation along with trying to avoid her mama at all costs. Then things get even more heated when Finn asks her to come home to Chicago for Christmas, and she sure doesn't want to face her mama over that; and just when she thinks she has the murder all sewn up she knows it can't be right because Poppa hasn't left. Yes, Kenni's in a whole heap of trouble, and she'll need all the help she can get to figure this one out...

Once again Tonya Kappes has written another delightful Kenni Lowry mystery. This one is packed with plenty of action and Kenni wrestling with problems - like those mentioned above and also the fact that she knows she's going to have to come clean with Finn about her Poppa's ghost eventually. It leaves her very little down time, and a multitude of suspects who may or may not be telling her the entire truth.

It's a magnificent romp of a mystery that shows us Kenni has what it takes to be sheriff in this town full of looney characters, and one of the best books I've read this year. I can't say enough about this series except that while this can be read as a stand alone, I hope that you'll start at the beginning to get the full effect of Kenni and the eccentric people of Cottonwood. I loved every minute of it and look forward to the next installment. Highly recommended. ( )

Dead as a Doornail by Tonya Kappes is the fifth novel in A Kenni Lowry Mystery series. Kenni Lowry is the sheriff in Cottonwood, Kentucky. She is enjoying a spa day at Tiny Tina’s courtesy of her boyfriend, Finn Vincent with her best friend, Jolee. Then Lucy Ellen Lowell barges in demanding an appointment so her nails and hair will be beautiful for upcoming nuptials of Polly Parker and Mayor Chance Ryaland. After a lively disagreement, an unhappy Lucy Ellen leaves and comments that Tina will regret not accomodating her. Lucy Ellen is well-known for her disparaging articles on businesses posted in the Cottonwood Chronicle when she is unable to bully the owner to get her way. Kenni is looking forward to a quiet evening after the gossip of the salon when her mother barges in with Polly Parker and her mother, Paula. It seems that Kenni is Polly’s new maid-of-honor and gets the privledge to wear a large hunter green dress that is reminiscent of Scarlet’s curtain dress in Gone with the Wind (good grief). Kenni is awakened at 4 a.m. with a phone call from Darnell Lowell. He has arrived home and found his wife, Lucy Ellen dead. When Kenni arrives at the crime scene and sees Poppa, she knows that Lucy Ellen was murdered. Chance Ryland and Polly would prefer Kenni to put off her investigation until after their wedding (it is taking attention away from Polly). Kenni will need to work quickly to find Lucy Ellen’s killer before the wedding while handling her maid of honor duties. It is going to be a long week for Kenni Lowry.

Dead as a Doornail is the fifth book in the series, and I suggest reading the books in order. That way you will understand the background on Kenni, her family history, her romance with Finn, and Poppa. Dead as a Doornail contains good writing and has a nice quick pace which makes for an enjoyable read. I appreciate Tonya Kappes conversational writing style. Cottonwood is the quintessential small town where gossip runs rampant, doors are not locked, favors are a way of life and everyone has advice to give on your love life. As sheriff, Kenni finds herself in an unusual position. It will soon be time for re-election and she cannot alienate the voters which is how Kenni finds herself in awkward (and unwelcome) position of being Polly’s maid of honor. Kenni’s mother will having you laughing with her antics and how she manipulates Kenni. Cottonwood has several quirky characters that use charming Southern colloquialisms. The mystery is a nail biter. Dead as a Doornail is a lighthearted cozy mystery that will have readers chuckling frequently and puzzled by the killer’s identity. ( )