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Divorced Divas Mystery #1
Strung Out to Die
**BONUS BEADED BRACELET PATTERN IN THE BOOK**Holly Harper's life is finally getting back on the right track after her divorce from "what's his name." She and a group of divorcees have formed a strong bond plotting creative ways to get back at their exes and created a self-help group known as The Divorced Divas where their meetings are held in Holly's bead store, The Beaded Dragonfly.It’s no secret that Holly’s ex husband, Sean Harper, and the wealthiest bachelor in Swanee, Doug Sloan, don’t get along because Sean is constantly fixing all of Doug’s shoddy handy man work. Plus all the Divas would love to get their claws in some of Doug’s money.When Doug ends up dead on the floor of The Beaded Dragonfly with a string of cat eye beads around his neck, it’s up to Holly to figure out whose framing her.
366 pages, Paperback
First published December 21, 2012
106 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
About the author
Tonya Kappes
456 books3,698 followersBeloved cozy mystery author Tonya Kappes is bringing her charming world to the screen!
The Hallmark Channel is thrilled to announce a television series in development based on Tonya’s wildly popular 40-book series, A Camper & Criminals Mystery.
A celebrated Amazon All-Star and USA Today bestselling author, Tonya has written over 180 southern cozy mysteries filled with heart, humor, and unforgettable small-town characters. Her novels, known for their southern charm and rich emotional storytelling, have been praised by readers and critics alike, earning her a coveted spot as a Woman's World Book Club Pick six times.
Writing full-time from her camper, Tonya crafts worlds where mystery, friendship, and a little mischief collide — and now, her stories will come to life for cozy mystery lovers everywhere.
Visit Tonya:
Facebook at Author Tonya Kappes,
https://www.facebook.com/authortonyak...
Webpage
tonyakappes.com
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Twitter
https://twitter.com/tonyakappes11
Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/tonyakappes/
For weekly updates and contests, sign up for Tonya's newsletter Kappes Krew Weekly via her website or Facebook.For years,
The Hallmark Channel is thrilled to announce a television series in development based on Tonya’s wildly popular 40-book series, A Camper & Criminals Mystery.
A celebrated Amazon All-Star and USA Today bestselling author, Tonya has written over 180 southern cozy mysteries filled with heart, humor, and unforgettable small-town characters. Her novels, known for their southern charm and rich emotional storytelling, have been praised by readers and critics alike, earning her a coveted spot as a Woman's World Book Club Pick six times.
Writing full-time from her camper, Tonya crafts worlds where mystery, friendship, and a little mischief collide — and now, her stories will come to life for cozy mystery lovers everywhere.
Visit Tonya:
Facebook at Author Tonya Kappes,
https://www.facebook.com/authortonyak...
Webpage
tonyakappes.com
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
https://twitter.com/tonyakappes11
https://www.pinterest.com/tonyakappes/
For weekly updates and contests, sign up for Tonya's newsletter Kappes Krew Weekly via her website or Facebook.For years,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
August 16, 2021
Fun, light mystery with some zany characters! If you enjoy beading crafts, this story is definitely one you’ll love. The pig is cute and comical because it has so many fears; but it does love his momma! Good mystery—I had a sneaking suspicion who was involved, and I was partly right! Happy reading!
January 19, 2013
Let me start with I'm a BIG Tonya Kappes fan. I love, love, love, her Magical Cure series. I typically love her quirky characters and small town settings. "Strung Out to Die" was cute, fluffy, and the series has a lot of potential. The town of Swanee is a typical small town that Ms. Kappes writes about and does a wonderful job painting a very accurate picture of. I love The Beaded Dragon Fly as one of the main settings. My favorite characters in the book were Noah Drake and Willow, Holly's pet pig.
Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of this particular book. I found many parts of the book repetitive and the editing issues were distracting (I have a hard time turning off the teacher with the red pen in me). I like stronger women characters. Holly seemed weak, down and out, and naive throughout most of the book. At the very end of "Strung Out To Die" Holly seemed to come into her own - smarter, more put together, and stronger. I had a hard time differentiating between all the the Divas and their individual stories. I'm not 100% sure if it was because there were so many Divas or if their stories were so similar.
I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series when it comes out. I hope Holly and the Divas have as much craziness happen in their small town of Swanee and that the ladies' characters are a little more developed. If I could give half stars this would be a 2.5 not a 2. I didn't hate the book, but it definitely was not my favorite Tonya Kappes story.
Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of this particular book. I found many parts of the book repetitive and the editing issues were distracting (I have a hard time turning off the teacher with the red pen in me). I like stronger women characters. Holly seemed weak, down and out, and naive throughout most of the book. At the very end of "Strung Out To Die" Holly seemed to come into her own - smarter, more put together, and stronger. I had a hard time differentiating between all the the Divas and their individual stories. I'm not 100% sure if it was because there were so many Divas or if their stories were so similar.
I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series when it comes out. I hope Holly and the Divas have as much craziness happen in their small town of Swanee and that the ladies' characters are a little more developed. If I could give half stars this would be a 2.5 not a 2. I didn't hate the book, but it definitely was not my favorite Tonya Kappes story.
December 29, 2012
This review is from: Strung Out To Die (A Divorced Diva Mystery) (Kindle Edition)
Being a huge fan of Tonya Kappes, I could not wait for her latest book to become available. Set in the small town this book with all the characters is just the place you would love to go visit. When there is a murder in Holly Harper's shop The Beaded Dragonfly, Holly is in a hurry to find out who the murderer is before she is arrested for the murder. With the help of her fellow Divorced Diva's all the clues are adding up to the wrong person.
I enjoyed this book so much, and with the twist at the end, I had no idea who was really to blame!!! GREAT JOB TONYA!!
If you enjoy cozy mysteries, this one should be at the top of your list!! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in this series.
Being a huge fan of Tonya Kappes, I could not wait for her latest book to become available. Set in the small town this book with all the characters is just the place you would love to go visit. When there is a murder in Holly Harper's shop The Beaded Dragonfly, Holly is in a hurry to find out who the murderer is before she is arrested for the murder. With the help of her fellow Divorced Diva's all the clues are adding up to the wrong person.
I enjoyed this book so much, and with the twist at the end, I had no idea who was really to blame!!! GREAT JOB TONYA!!
If you enjoy cozy mysteries, this one should be at the top of your list!! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in this series.
March 19, 2022
This is a great start to a new series. I loved it. I loved Holly and all the divorced Divas and I can't wait to see what they will get into in the next book. I couldn't believe who the murderer was and the story line was great. I really hope Holly picks the right guy and doesn't go back with her ex. A really fantastic read that I couldn't put down.
January 15, 2013
Holly Harper owns The Beaded Dragonfly, a bead shop in the small town of Swannee. She has a small pet pig, Willow, and lives alone after divorcing her cheating husband, Sean. Holly is trying to get her business off the ground and is hoping to land her first big client soon, and stop depending on alimony payments. But before that can happen, Doug Sloan is found murdered in the back room of The Beaded Dragonfly, strangled with a string of cat’s eye beads. Holly and her ex, Sean, are the prime suspects.
As the story develops, Holly channels her inner detective, and, with the help of her fellow divorced divas, she is determined to find out who killed Doug and is trying to frame her for it. There are many twists in the story, and I was surprised at the end!
I absolutely fell in love with Holly, the Divas, and Willow the pig. :) This was a perfect crafty, cozy mystery. The characters were great, and I was pulled into the mystery right from the start. When the killer was revealed, I was shocked. Tonya Kappes put together an awesome mystery. If you’re looking to cuddle up with a fun cozy, Strung Out to Die is it!
As the story develops, Holly channels her inner detective, and, with the help of her fellow divorced divas, she is determined to find out who killed Doug and is trying to frame her for it. There are many twists in the story, and I was surprised at the end!
I absolutely fell in love with Holly, the Divas, and Willow the pig. :) This was a perfect crafty, cozy mystery. The characters were great, and I was pulled into the mystery right from the start. When the killer was revealed, I was shocked. Tonya Kappes put together an awesome mystery. If you’re looking to cuddle up with a fun cozy, Strung Out to Die is it!
April 12, 2014
Loving this series! Strung Out To Die by Tonya Kappes was such a fun cozy mystery. So many laugh out loud moments and I absolutely love Willow, Holly's pet pig. I felt like I couldn't read it fast enough because I wanted to find out who the killer was. I was completely surprised ... had not guessed that at all. Can't wait to read the next in the series and see what is new in the lives of Holly and the Divorced Diva's.
January 6, 2013
AWESOME BOOK... LOVED IT.. TONYA TAKES YOU RIGHT INTO THE STORY... CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE IN THE SERIES..
June 5, 2013
Fun book! Perfect cozy read!
August 31, 2022
Strung Out to Die is the first book in the Divorced Divas mystery series by Tonya Kappes. Life for Holly Harper is slowly but surely getting back on track after her divorce. She has her craft story, The Beaded Dragonfly, and pet pig, Willow. She and fellow divorcees call themselves the Divorced Divas and gather together for food, wine and crafts. They also help each other discover new and creative ways to seek revenge against their ex-husbands. It’s no secret that Holly’s ex-husband, Sean Harper, and local wealthy bachelor, Doug Sloan, do not get along. When Doug is discovered dead inside The Beaded Dragonfly, Holly is determined to discover who killed him and is framing her in the process.
Strung Out to Die is a different mystery story from Tonya Kappes. It’s a more involved and deeper story. True to Tonya Kappes’ style, there are a lot of zany and colorful characters especially Ms. Agnes Pearl, a 80-something wealthy widow who is as eccentric as they come. At the beginning of the story, Holly is still deeply wounded and unsure of herself since her divorce but she is determined to make it on her own. By the end of the book, she is definitely stronger and more self-assured. The killer reveal was a bit of a shocker and one I didn’t see coming. Overall, I enjoyed Strung Out to Die and I’m looking forward to future books in this series.
Strung Out to Die is available in paperback and eBook
Strung Out to Die is a different mystery story from Tonya Kappes. It’s a more involved and deeper story. True to Tonya Kappes’ style, there are a lot of zany and colorful characters especially Ms. Agnes Pearl, a 80-something wealthy widow who is as eccentric as they come. At the beginning of the story, Holly is still deeply wounded and unsure of herself since her divorce but she is determined to make it on her own. By the end of the book, she is definitely stronger and more self-assured. The killer reveal was a bit of a shocker and one I didn’t see coming. Overall, I enjoyed Strung Out to Die and I’m looking forward to future books in this series.
Strung Out to Die is available in paperback and eBook
March 28, 2018
Easy Reading Mystery
Tonya Kappes has created a goofy group of women who call themselves Divorced Divas. Holly, owner of The Beaded Dragonfly, has been setup by an unknown murderer who left a dead body in her shop. Holly knows she can depend on her fellow Divas to help her discover who's trying to frame her for the murder.
Most people I know have pet dogs or cats. Holly has Willow a pet pig. Reading about Willow had me laughing and convinced me to never own a pig.
This is a clean mystery without graphic language, sex or violence. My overall impression of the book was positive. My one complaint is poor editing. There are words left out that had me rereading sentences to figure out what was being said. In other examples the wrong words are used, i.e. footprints being heard instead of footsteps.
Tonya Kappes has created a goofy group of women who call themselves Divorced Divas. Holly, owner of The Beaded Dragonfly, has been setup by an unknown murderer who left a dead body in her shop. Holly knows she can depend on her fellow Divas to help her discover who's trying to frame her for the murder.
Most people I know have pet dogs or cats. Holly has Willow a pet pig. Reading about Willow had me laughing and convinced me to never own a pig.
This is a clean mystery without graphic language, sex or violence. My overall impression of the book was positive. My one complaint is poor editing. There are words left out that had me rereading sentences to figure out what was being said. In other examples the wrong words are used, i.e. footprints being heard instead of footsteps.
July 19, 2018
Easy read, enjoyable. I was confused at first, had a hard time differentiating all of the players, who they are, who they are related to. Could have used more editing. Found so many things that needed to be corrected. In the beginning Holly was to meet Ginger for a drink but she didn't show up then towards the end of the book they were both having a drink and having a good time when Holly was watching video surveillance of the bar, just to name one. Will continue with next addition to this series because is kept my attention thru the end.
October 4, 2018
I enjoyed this book, but... A pet pig named Willow? It doesn't seem in character for a character like Holly to have a pig as a pet. How did her pig ownership come about? Where does one learn how to housetrain a pig? Pig ownership is unusual, especially for a single woman like Holly, should it should have been addressed in the story. Every time the pig was mentioned, I kept asking myself these questions and it took me outside the story.
January 30, 2025
Another great series! Enjoyed meeting the characters in this new series. Holly Harper is part of the Divorced Divas self-help group. The friends get together and help each other navigate their new worlds as divorcees. Things are going well until someone ends up dead in Holly’s new shop. All the evidence are pointing towards either Holly or her ex Sean. The group works together to piece together the clues. A nice read!
January 6, 2019
Divorced Divas
Holly Harper was finally getting her life back together after her divorce from Sean Harper. She opened a bead shop called the Beaded Dragonfly and started a group for divorced women called the Divorced Divas. Someone murdered her friends brother in the back room of her store using strung beads, now she and her friends need to find out who is setting her up.
Holly Harper was finally getting her life back together after her divorce from Sean Harper. She opened a bead shop called the Beaded Dragonfly and started a group for divorced women called the Divorced Divas. Someone murdered her friends brother in the back room of her store using strung beads, now she and her friends need to find out who is setting her up.
May 21, 2021
What a disappointment from Tonya Kappes. I enjoy her Mae West series but this was so not good. It's hard to imagine that a book could have so many typos and missing words etc. She needs to hire a proof reader for this book. I won't be reading any more of this series. Also the pet pig and the main characters were not real likeable.
October 17, 2023
STRUNG OUT TO DIE
One of the most fun Series from Tonya Mapped yet! Holly owns the Beaded Dragonfly! There is a murder & the body is put in the backroom of her Shop. She has her own group of ladies who help solve mysteries with her, the Divorced Divas. She also has a pet pig named Willow! You will love this Mini-Mystery!
One of the most fun Series from Tonya Mapped yet! Holly owns the Beaded Dragonfly! There is a murder & the body is put in the backroom of her Shop. She has her own group of ladies who help solve mysteries with her, the Divorced Divas. She also has a pet pig named Willow! You will love this Mini-Mystery!
January 1, 2025
This book is going to stick in my memory for three reasons:
(1) The pet pig Willow.
(2) Referring to all those spaces where things get stuck as The Under. This is going to be part of my vocab now.
(3) The accurate beading terminology. Shortly after reading this, my brother taught me how to bead, and I recognized half the words from this book. So well done there, Ms Kappes.
(1) The pet pig Willow.
(2) Referring to all those spaces where things get stuck as The Under. This is going to be part of my vocab now.
(3) The accurate beading terminology. Shortly after reading this, my brother taught me how to bead, and I recognized half the words from this book. So well done there, Ms Kappes.
December 12, 2017
Another win
This is another great book by Tonya. I always look toward to her new books. You are going to love all the new people you meet. Story has nice flow and only took a day to read
This is another great book by Tonya. I always look toward to her new books. You are going to love all the new people you meet. Story has nice flow and only took a day to read
August 21, 2020
I really like this book!! It had twists in it and things I was not expecting. What an elaborate set up, took me by surprise, and I love it!! I think Ms Kappes has a great imagination and I love reading her books!!
January 29, 2025
Delightfully entertaining
Really interesting characters and a lot of twists and turns keeps this tale moving. Love the bead shop setting and the divorced divas gives the book humor not to mention the pig. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Really interesting characters and a lot of twists and turns keeps this tale moving. Love the bead shop setting and the divorced divas gives the book humor not to mention the pig. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
May 22, 2025
A fun fast paced read
What a fun group of women brought together from divorce. I thought the bead shop was a fun idea for Holly's job and the get together s for their group meetings. The mystery was well written and had some fun twists. Not to mention a,cute pig.
What a fun group of women brought together from divorce. I thought the bead shop was a fun idea for Holly's job and the get together s for their group meetings. The mystery was well written and had some fun twists. Not to mention a,cute pig.
January 10, 2017
Great read
If you haven't read Tonya Kappes books yet you should just found this one and now going to the next
If you haven't read Tonya Kappes books yet you should just found this one and now going to the next
February 2, 2019
Good Book
It started pretty slow, but picked up as the went along. I wasn't into the details of making a bracelet - kind of lost me there. Quirky characters. Surprise ending.
It started pretty slow, but picked up as the went along. I wasn't into the details of making a bracelet - kind of lost me there. Quirky characters. Surprise ending.
August 6, 2019
Loved the "Divorced Divas" group of women. Even a pet pig in the mix. Will have to get the next book to find out what happens to Holly and the women of the group next. A good mystery read.
October 28, 2019
Not good at all
I had to stop reading halfway through because of all the typos, grammar errors, and mistakes such as characters ' names being wrong.
I had to stop reading halfway through because of all the typos, grammar errors, and mistakes such as characters ' names being wrong.
June 28, 2020
Beads and mayhem!
An interesting and funny read, in spite of the typos! A crazy cozy that you will never guess the ending of. There’s even a beading project at the end.
An interesting and funny read, in spite of the typos! A crazy cozy that you will never guess the ending of. There’s even a beading project at the end.
July 4, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. Kept me guessing on who done it to the end.
February 15, 2022
The Divorced Divas are learning to make jewelry, but a dead body shows up in the storage room.
March 31, 2022
Very enjoyable cozy mystery, complete with murder, divas and larger than life characters.
June 3, 2022
Interesting first mystery in a new series. Faulty grammar ruined full enjoyment. If this author gets a good editor, I think she'll have an interesting and enjoyable series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews