Below is the complete list of Tonya Kappes books in order. For each series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Publication Order of Blossom Bay Shorts Books
Publication Order of Bluegrass Ridge Ranch Mysteries Books
Publication Order of Bluegrass Romance Books
Publication Order of Boone’s Book Nook Bookstore Mysteries Books
Publication Order of Camper & Criminals Cozy Books
- Paddlers, Promises & Poison (2021)
Paddlers, Promises & Poison was published in 2021 and is listed as book #16 in the Camper & Criminals Cozy series. - Rangers, RVs, & Revenge (2022)
Rangers, RVs, & Revenge was first published in 2022; within the Camper & Criminals Cozy series, it is listed as book #25.
Publication Order of Divorced Divas Mystery Books
Publication Order of Ghostly Southern Mysteries Books
Publication Order of Grandberry Falls Books
Publication Order of Holiday Cozy Mystery Books
Publication Order of Hudson Hollow Books
Publication Order of Kenni Lowry Books
Publication Order of Killer Coffee Books
- Scene of the Grind (2017)
Scene of the Grind was published in 2017 and is listed as book #1 in the Killer Coffee series.
Publication Order of Laurel London Mysteries Books
Publication Order of Magical Cures Mysteries Books
Publication Order of Mail Carrier Cozy Mysteries Books
- Red Letter Slay (2021)
Red Letter Slay is a 2021 release and appears as book #8 in the Mail Carrier Cozy Mysteries series.
Publication Order of Maisie Doss Mysteries Books
Publication Order of Olivia Davis Paranormal Mysteries Books
Publication Order of Small Town Romance Short Stories/Novellas Books
Publication Order of Southern Magical Bakery Books
Publication Order of Spies and Spells Books
Publication Order of Standalone Books
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
Publication Order of The Wishing Tree Books
Publication Order of A Southern Cake Baker Mystery Books
as Maymee Bell
About Tonya Kappes
Tonya Kappes is an American bestselling author known for her Southern cozy mysteries, eccentric small-town characters, and stories that combine murder investigations with humour, friendship, and regional charm. Her extensive bibliography includes the Camper & Criminals, Killer Coffee, Magical Cures, and Ghostly Southern mystery series. With more than 180 cozy mysteries to her name, she has built a devoted readership through entertaining stories featuring resourceful amateur detectives, close-knit communities, and secrets that rarely remain hidden for long.
Raised in a small rural Kentucky town, Kappes grew up surrounded by the distinctive traditions, expressions, and personalities of Southern life. Surprisingly, she was not an enthusiastic reader during childhood. She has spoken openly about avoiding books while growing up and only discovering a genuine passion for reading during her thirties after becoming involved with a book club.
That experience eventually inspired her to begin writing fiction. She completed her first manuscript while sitting beneath an oak tree, waiting for her son to finish youth football practice. What began as a personal creative pursuit developed into a professional writing career.
Kappes graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in elementary education and subsequently became certified as a child therapist. She continued working in that profession while establishing herself as a novelist, eventually leaving her job in 2017 to concentrate on writing full-time.
Her early fiction included romantic comedies, women’s fiction, and paranormal mysteries. Works associated with Grandberry Falls and the Olivia Davis mysteries demonstrated her interest in combining humour with unconventional characters and unexpected complications.
The Magical Cures Mystery series, beginning with A Charming Crime (2012), became one of her important early cozy mystery achievements. Set in the magical Kentucky village of Whispering Falls, the novels follow June Heal, a woman whose developing supernatural abilities draw her into investigations involving witchcraft, unusual remedies, and suspicious deaths.
Kappes subsequently created the Ghostly Southern Mysteries, beginning with A Ghostly Undertaking (2014). The series introduces Emma Lee Raines, a Kentucky funeral director who unexpectedly acquires the ability to communicate with the dead. Her supernatural encounters repeatedly lead her toward murders that the deceased are determined to see solved.
The novel received the Best Fiction Award at Cincinnati’s Books by the Banks festival in 2019, reflecting the popularity of Kappes’s mixture of paranormal elements and traditional detective fiction.
Another major success is the Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery series, launched with Beaches, Bungalows, & Burglaries (2018). Its protagonist, Mae West, is a former New York socialite whose luxurious existence collapses after her husband’s involvement in a financial scandal. Forced to rebuild her life, she takes over a campground in Normal, Kentucky, where her new responsibilities become complicated by murder investigations.
The series draws upon Kappes’s enthusiasm for camping and her familiarity with rural Kentucky communities. Its campground setting allows her to introduce an evolving cast of visitors, neighbours, and local personalities while maintaining a distinctive atmosphere.
Her Killer Coffee Mysteries similarly combine an inviting everyday setting with criminal investigations. Beginning with Scene of the Grind, the series follows Roxanne Bloom and the activities surrounding the Bean Hive Coffee Shop, where local gossip frequently proves useful in uncovering suspicious circumstances.
Kappes has also developed the Kenni Lowry, Mail Carrier, Holiday Cozy Mystery, and Boone’s Book Nook Bookstore series, demonstrating her ability to create different investigative environments without abandoning her characteristic Southern humour.
Her achievements include appearances on the USA Today bestseller list, multiple book club selections, and recognition as the 2017 Penned Con Suspense Author of the Year.
Kappes lives in northern Kentucky with her husband and has four sons. She frequently writes from her camper and maintains close connections with readers through literary events, including her annual Two Dames on a Mystery Train gathering.
Her fiction is distinguished by conversational dialogue, humorous misunderstandings, determined female protagonists, and communities whose residents possess both generous hearts and carefully guarded secrets. Rather than relying on graphic violence, her mysteries emphasise character relationships, clever investigations, and the social complications surrounding unexpected crimes.
Across her many series, Kappes has established a recognisable style that combines Southern hospitality with murder, mischief, and affectionate humour. Her stories reflect her belief in reading as an enjoyable escape, offering mysteries in which familiar settings and memorable personalities remain just as important as identifying the killer.



























































































































































































