Title: Mocha and Murder
Series: A Killer Coffee Murder
By: Tonya Kappes
ISBN: 1548054739 (ISBN13: 9781548054731)
Author’s Website: http://www.tonyakappes.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary: 
Roxy becomes entangled in another murder as she puts her sleuthing skills to work in order to prove that Louise Carlton didn’t kill Fred Hill over a pet adoption gone wrong. After all, if Louise goes to jail, who is going to find all the animals at Pet Palace a home. (Goodreads)
Review:
How can one go wrong when Mocha is in the title of a book? Mocha and Murder is the second book in the A Killer Coffee Murder. All I can say at this point in time is that I love this series. The characters are engaging, funny and all around attention getting. I love Honey Springs and would really love to visit.
As I continue getting to know Roxie through this second book in the series, I find that her family dynamics certainly played a big role in shaping the woman she is today. We are introduced to Roxie’s mother in this book, where we get more insight into her relationship with her mother, Aunt Maxi and her dad:
“Not that I really minded my mother being there, it was that she didn’t like Honey Springs. When I was a child and my dad would even start to talk about my annual summer trip, my mother would go off the rail on how Aunt Maxi was nothing but a loon and there was no sense in me staying with her. It was the only time I ever heard my parents fight. And it was always about Honey Springs.”
We also get to see the progression of Roxie’s relationship with her boyfriend, Patrick. I must say, it is refreshing to read about a relationship that is not evolving at warp speed. Nice to see the couple proceeding at a “I need to get to know the person you are today” speed.
Roxie’s good friend Louise Carlton is standing over the body of Fred Hill (orchard owner and supplier of apples used by Roxie in her baking at The Bean Hive) with a bloody knife in her hand but claims she is just trying to help Fred… she did NOT murder Fred. At the same time, Fred’s wife is claiming that Bertie, The Ayam Cemani chicken is missing from the chicken coup. This chicken was adopted from the Pet Palace (which is run by Louise). Apparently this chicken is a rare breed of chicken so one must wonder is the robbery of the chicken and Fred’s murder connected?
As can be expected, Roxie leaves no stone unturned in her efforts to find Fred’s killer….after all… the Pet Palace needs Louise and Roxie is adamant that her buddy Louise could not have done this heinous crime.
The plot thickens as we learn about how rare the chicken is. This of course brings in other possible suspects to the mix… many other suspects! The story engages my inner sleuth as I plow through Roxie’s investigating endeavours. I am truly thankful for Ms. Kappes writing skills as I did not guess “whodunit” until the very end. And I must say, that is the way I like my cozy mysteries.
Mocha and Murder if a truly delightful cozy mystery with great characters and a great “whodunit” mystery. While I have not read all of Ms. Kappes different series, but from what I have read to date, A Killer Coffee Murder series is my favourite. I can’t wait to sink my reading chops into the next installment, Freshly Ground Murder.
