Hello, Book Nerds! Welcome back to Reading Has Ruined My Life or welcome if you are new. As always, my name is Hannah and I am your captain on this journey into my bookcases.
Another Wednesday has arrived. It’s time for a new review filled with the insanity that spews from my mind. It’s time for me to either shit on a book for every little thing or sing its praises till the day I die. And what book is in the hot seat today?
Please give a warm welcome to Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper by Amy Lillard.
A bit of backstory before I get to the synopsis. I got this read through a Blind Date With a Book. I was on an overnight antiquing trip with my mom and aunt when I stumbled across a whole stack of Blind Date With a Book in one of the vendor booths. I sat there for a solid twenty minutes reading through every possible book I could choose from. Now I have a love-hate relationship with Blind Date With a Book. I’ve always loved the idea, but as an avid reader I’m scared I’ll pick up a book I already own or have read previously. That’s why I spent twenty minutes going through every option available before I decided on one. I was walking a very fine line between choosing something that sounded interesting to me and choosing something I definitely hadn’t read before. Then I stumbled across the following bullet point description:
Amish Mystery
Murder Mystery
Witty
Fun
4.09 on Goodreads
Well, I love a good murder mystery. And I’ve never once in my life read an Amish story let alone an Amish murder mystery. So this was a pretty obvious choice once I found this Blind Date With a Book.
So let’s crack in. As always, a spoiler alert is in order. If you’ve read any other review on this site then you know I love to spoil the entirety of the books I read. You’ve been warned. With that, let’s get to the synopsis.
Kathryn “Kappy” King is the black sheep of her Amish community. Thankfully she has a special skill that’s needed in the community. That being crafting the special kapps every woman in Blue Sky, Pennsylvania needs to cover their hair. That’s not what this story is about though. Nay, nay. This is a murder mystery.
Kappy’s neighbor, Ruth Peachey, is found dead! Maybe she simply fell and hit her head on concrete resulting in her untimely death. Or maybe her own son killed her! That’s what the English police believe occurred. But everyone in the Blue Sky community knows that’s incorrect. Jimmy Peachy would never hurt a fly! Then the police take Jimmy away in handcuffs on the day of his mother’s funeral. It’s at this point when Ruth’s excommunicated daughter Edie turns to Kappy for help clearing her brother’s name.
While the girlies are out investigating and hunting for Ruth’s killer, someone begins targeting the Peachey farm. All the animals are released from their pens, all the animal food is destroyed and strewn about, and threats are graffitied on the barn among many other things. Can these two find the killer and figure out who is targeting the Peachy farm? Find out in Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper.
First things first, this book involves a lot of dogs. I am very happy to report that no puppies are harmed in this novel. All the dogs are totally, completely fine. There is no doggy death in Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper. If there was I would be giving the book a one star review on Goodreads.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move onto the review proper. I do have to say the pacing is well done. Things never felt rushed nor did it feel like the story was being dragged out. While I don’t think the story itself was amazing, I do think the pacing was great.
Speaking of the story, I am indeed referring to the mystery aspect. Edie and Kappy have absolutely no skills. They are solving Ruth’s murder on sheer dumb luck and vibes; I kinda love them for it. A lot of the mystery solving is just the two of them talking to neighbors. While I don’t expect either of them to whip out a chemistry lab and begin performing DNA sequencing, all the talking they do does become boring at a certain point because it’s all they do. Nothing exciting happens till the end. While the overall story is fun, the main characters could have done more. Though I guess everything is as to be expected as this is an Amish cozy mystery. If there were crazy, action packed scenes I would probably complain about them being unrealistic.
I also do have to complain about the book’s culprit. The perpetrator is very guessable. There is a moment where the main characters go to talk to a suspect and said suspect reveals their motive in a throwaway line. I guess I shouldn’t say the culprit is guessable as they all but admit to the crime. I guess I should say there’s a premature villain reveal. It takes the joy of mystery solving out of two-thirds of the novel.
I don’t have anything else to say about Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper. It is everything that is to be expected of an Amish cozy mystery. You have the Pennsylvania Dutch language thrown into the middle of sentences, you have constant reminders that the main character is an Amish woman who is not like other girls, and there are adorable puppies as promised by the cover. Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper is a solid book. You know what you’re are getting when you pick it up. And I must admit, I read this book right after New Year’s. I did not want something thick that would make me do too much thinking. I wanted simplicity and that’s what I got so I can’t be mad.
With that, I must bid you all adieu. I shall see you all again next week with another great post. If you can’t wait that long then you can check out my podcast Nothing to See Hear. Me and two of my dearest friends talk everything from Scooby-Doo to Disney, awesome women of history to weirdos of history, and just about everything in between; there’s bound to be something you’ll find interesting.
Until next time, stay safe, wash your hands, and read some good books for me.
