Detection with a Ghost in “Fixin’ to Die”

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Fixin' to DieIn Fixin’ to Die by Tonya Kappes, Kendrick Lowry has been sheriff of Cottonwood, Kentucky for the two years since her Poppa passed away and vacated that position after many years serving as sheriff. The crime rate has been practically zero until one morning when Kenni gets a call that the locally beloved Doc Walton has been murdered. Arriving, Kenni learns that Doc has been stabbed numerous times, but beads of mercury from the old style thermometer that Doc has always used are embedded in his mustache and in his mouth. With no deputy, the town calls in the assistance of a State Reserve officer. Just as the pair get started investigating, they get a call that the local jewelry store has been robbed. And painted on the wall is the same symbol written in ink on Doc’s arm, indicating some connection between the two crimes. But something more startling happens soon. As soon as Kenni gets alone, a ghost pops up, the ghost of her Poppa!

Kenni learns that her Poppa has been helping her out all this time with her law enforcement by scaring off the criminals. And now he has failed, and two major crimes have taken place.  So he determines to help Kenni solve the case. The case takes some strange twists and turns, and Poppa helps all the way, randomly popping up here and there, creating difficulty for Kenni to keep focused, since only Kenni and her dog, Duke, can see her Poppa.

This book was a lot of fun, a nice twist on the theme of just one individual being able to see a ghost. The ghost character of Kenni’s Poppa was probably the most fun character in the book. He certainly was the most creatively drawn. I also appreciated the plot of the book and the conclusion. I usually do not enjoy books with ghosts or paranormal elements, but I did have fun with this book.

Hillary Huber narrates the audio edition of this book and makes it much more enjoyable than it likely would be if I read it in my own. Her voices are delightful and really suit the characters they speak for. With a voice that soothes at times and enervates at times, Huber does an excellent job.

I had a good time listening to Fixin’ to Die. This lighthearted story flowed at a welcome pace and kept me interested throughout. I give the book four stars.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book by the publisher, but that in no way influenced my review.

To purchase this book for yourself, click here on Amazon.

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