"Ranch and Red Herrings" is what happens when you toss a city girl into a Kentucky murder plot, hand her a pair of workboots, and hope for the best. Georgia “Cussy” Hollingsworth shows up for her uncle’s funeral and leaves with a cattle ranch, a murder to solve, and about fourteen people giving her side-eye in the local bar. I wanted chaos. I got...slow-burn cowpoke drama where the murder mystery is kind of lounging in the background like a tired bloodhound.

Cussy’s supposed to be wrapping up her uncle’s affairs, but surprise. The man was poisoned, not heart-attacked, and now she’s in the middle of a suspiciously hostile ranch staff, the world's most obviously shady cousins, and a sheriff who might be the slowest, if not hottest, investigator in Kentucky. Her bestie Rowan shows up halfway through with blue hair, zero patience, and the much-needed energy of someone who has definitely sent more than one strongly worded Yelp review.

Now let’s talk Colt. He’s the ranch manager and also a walking Hallmark trope with a fiancée who shows up more often than a nosy neighbor in a ‘90s sitcom. The man smolders, sure, but he’s also engaged and not in a “we’re on a break” kind of way. More like “actively planning a wedding while making eyes at the new boss.” Cussy catches feelings, catches him shirtless, and somehow still keeps convincing herself this is fine. Girl. No. Focus on the potential murderers and not the emotionally unavailable farmhand with the jawline of sin.

The mystery itself is...serviceable. Suspicious characters appear, drop vague threats or clutch pearls dramatically, then vanish for twenty chapters. There's ketamine, gossip, secret meetings, and an inheritance plot that feels one twist short of compelling. When the killer is revealed, it’s not shocking so much as “Oh right, I forgot they were even in the book.” It’s less a red herring and more of a red suggestion.

There’s definitely heart here though. The ranch feels cozy. The town has that sticky, everyone-knows-your-business charm that works really well in cozies. Including an adorable mayor. And Cussy’s journey, grieving, adapting, slowly bonding with the land, is sweet in an “eat your feelings with pie” kind of way. It just needs more bite. More urgency. Less back-and-forth about whether she should keep the ranch and more actual sleuthing.

Also? Editing. It needs it. Characters teleport in and out of scenes, timelines bend like a pretzel, and dialogue sometimes reads like it was written by a committee that never met in person. It’s not unreadable, but it pulls you out of the story just when things are starting to get juicy. If this was a dish, it would be under-seasoned and over-stirred.

Still. I didn’t DNF. And I want more Rowan, more town secrets, and more actual ranch drama that doesn’t revolve around Colt’s romantic limbo. Book two has potential. If the series can lean harder into the chaos and clean up the mechanics, it might just find its rhythm.

Also, the cover? Perfection. It’s giving vintage pulp, late-night sleaze, and ranch girl noir all in one beautifully illustrated package. I saw it and immediately said “I don’t know what this is, but I’m reading it.” So mission accomplished. Three stars. A little dusty, a little uneven, but I’ll give the series another ride.

Whodunity Award: For Giving Me Forty Suspects and Zero Urgency

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC and for letting me dramatically shout “poison!” in my living room like it was a stage play.

Georgia “Cussy” Hollingsworth is back in Kentucky for her uncle's funeral. When the will is read she is inheriting the ranch and also her uncle was murdered. Now she has to find out what happened to her uncle. Colt the manager of the ranch and he is trying to help her; but his fiancé keeps finding them together and is not happy about the two of them. I loved the story line in this book and can't wait to read more about the ranch and town.

I was excited to read this one because of the murder mystery angle but while the story isn't bad per say, it's extremely slow. In my experience mysteries tend to be a lot faster and keep you guessing at every turn. This one simply falls flat there. Everything happens in the last 20% of the book, which I found quite boring.

Something was missing.

I have never read Kappes before, but knowing I love cowboy novels and mystery, the idea had me hooked and I was so excited to have received this ARC. I enjoyed Cussy and Rowans friendship but everything else was hit or miss. This mightve been more enjoyable for me as an audiobook

Cowboy murder mystery? Yes please!

I was so excited for this one, this was such a cute and cozy mystery. I love a small town/ cowboy setting in a book, add in some mystery and I’m sold. Set on a charming ranch, this is the perfect blend of small town and mystery. I enjoyed these characters, especially the friendship between Cussy and Rowan 💖

Thank you Tonya for the ARC!

I couldn't get past 15% of this. she finds out her uncle is murdered and isn't at all skeptical or fearful of the ranchhands who probably murdered him?? it was just unrealistic for me

I loved this book at first. A cowboy murder mystery? Yes please! Sign me up. I loved the writing and the characters so much.
But around the 50% mark, it felt like the book wasn't really going anywhere. It felt more focused on small town drama and was beginning to get repetitive and boring. I understand this was an ARC, but there were alot of mistakes within the editing.
I wish I could have loved this, but I ended up DNF around the 70% mark. I just no longer cared about who did it and solving the murder mystery.

Ranch and Red Herrings has a wonderful country charm and whimsy suitable for a southern small-town setting, but unfortunately this felt more like a draft than a ready for publication novel. I am not familiar with Tonya Kappes' other cosy mysteries, so not entirely sure what the standard she holds is.
The editing, or lack of, was a serious distraction and had me wanting to DNF the entire way through. Events seemed jumbled, character names were mixed up, and there were continuity issues throughout that pulled me out of the story. It felt like scenes were out of order, or written without a clear sense of what had already happened. I almost wonder if a draft copy was uploaded instead of the final edition? If you're someone who values smooth storytelling and consistency in details, this will be a frustrating read.
The mystery itself was serviceable, but not especially gripping. I kept wondering why Cussy, who has no history in police work or what have you, was even investigating when the townspeople seemed more than willing to give the same information they no doubt had already told the investigating sheriff of the town. Her role in the investigation didn't feel particularly necessary, or unique.
The characters are flat, some come in and out for a matter of paragraphs that leave you wondering why they were even introduced in the first place, and the conversations throughout felt unnatural.
Romance wise, the subplot was underwhelming and felt entirely tacked on to tick a box. It had no atmosphere and a weird complication. It did not add depth to the characters or the story in the slightest.

That said, the book does succeed as a kind of love letter to country living. The setting is warm, cozy and full of charm - the kind of backdrop that makes you want to sit on a front porch with a slice of pecan pie. As a light, no-stakes vacation read, it could succeed: easy to dip in and out of without having to focus on details. But it just doesn't hit any higher marks.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tonya Kappes and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC.

Ranch and Red Herrings by Tanya Kappes is a romantic suspense about Georgia (Cussy), who returns to her uncles ranch after his death and finds out that she is inheriting it. She plans on settling his affairs, selling the ranch, and getting back to her city life. However, those plans fall by the wayside when she finds out his death wasn’t natural. Instead, she find herself at the center of both a murder investigation and the town gossip chain.

I loved the ranch, small-town setting of this story. A small town with lovable characters will always draw me in. I also love when a girl discovers she’s loves something completely different than she thought she would, much like Cussy discovered when she came to the ranch.

However, that’s where my love for this story stopped. I went into this thinking it was a murder mystery. But the farther into the story I got, the more it ended up being about the town drama than it did about solving the murder. I understand that we have to get to know the town and it’s people to build background knowledge and be able to identify suspects but when the 50% mark rolled around and we were still focused on Colt, Libby, and other side characters, I just realized it wasn’t the kind of mystery I enjoy. And that’s ok. I enjoyed parts of it but not enough to give this higher than a 2.

I have read and loved other books by this author so I still would encourage you to give this one a try and see if you like it! Especially if you love a small town setting and a lot of drama between characters. I hope that you love this book!

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I have loved Tanya’s past series, but this one fell flat. The pacing felt off and the mystery seemed to take a backseat to the rest of the story.

This was such a cute cozy mystery! I loved Cussy and the other characters so much. I enjoy a cowboy/ranch setting, so this book was perfect for me. I loved the twists and turns in this book and found myself guessing who did it until the very end. As a girl who loves Nancy Drew, this book gave off the best detective sleuth vibes. I wished there a little more romance but the plot kept me hooked enough that I didn't mind too much by the end. I hope we see more of Cussy and Colt in future books.

Ranch & Red Herrings is a fun, lighthearted cozy mystery that kicks off Tonya Kappes’ Bluegrass Ridge Ranch series. Set on a charming Kentucky ranch, the story blends small-town charm with a dash of humor, a sprinkle of mystery, and a satisfying amount of Southern hospitality.

A cowboy murder mystery sign me up.

There was a lot of good elements to this book. I did enjoy the main characters and the friendship between Cussy and Rowan. It was super cute how they had each other’s backs.

The town the story was set in was well developed with several good side characters. I enjoyed the world building and would love to be able to take a trip, sad it’s fictional.

I also enjoyed how the mystery was the center of the story and not the romance.

With the above said I did feel at times the pacing was off which pulled me from the storyline. There was also some timeline confusion that threw me off.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy.

Firstly I adore the cover of this book. It immediately drew me to want to read it.

I struggled with this one a bit. The story just felt a bit disconnected to me, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and felt like the story jumped around a little, like there would be a scene then randomly they were somewhere else. I had to keep going back and re-reading to see what I missed. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the main characters, sadly it just wasn’t there.

I think this series has potential to be great with some more editing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I wanted to like this book, because it has everything I usually like: a mystery, cute guy, and a badass female main character trying to figure everything out. The writing was really clunky, and the book currently is not ready to be released. It feels like all the characters move one step forward and then 25 steps backwards. The author seems to forget what she is doing with her characters, because they'll be in a scene just to be told that they're actually just walking in. None of the characters seem well-fleshed out, besides Uncle Amos, who was murdered.

I think this book has a lot of potential, once it goes through a more rigorous editing and more characters are fleshed out. Was not a fan of the "will they, won't they" when one of them is literally engaged to someone else.

This new series has a lot of potential, and I hope to be able to continue reading it if it gets better!

This felt like Nancy Drew meets Yellowstone, well sort of. This book is about a girl who comes back to her family ranch to take over after the sudden. passing of her uncle. Not only is this novel about a Kentucky Cattle Ranch, with a handsome and tough ranch hand but it’s also a small town full of secrets and unforgettable characters. It also gave me a mystery that had me at the edge of my seat. From the beginning of the story until the end Tonya kept me on my toes. I was shocked to find out who the murder was and it was something I would have never figured out if it wasn’t told to us. I found the novel to be enjoyable and I was really hoping to have seen more of Cussy and Colt but there will be more books. It was a lot more mystery than romance but I can’t complain when the plot is just that good. I found this read to be cozy and fun up until the very end. The only thing I found were a few plot errors but it could just be because it’s an ARC but overall it didn’t mess with how much I enjoyed the book. I would 10/10 recommend for anyone looking to read a cozy, cowboy mystery.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to get the Arc for an early read.

Tonya Kappes kicks off her new Bluegrass Ridge Ranch Mystery series with a delightful and suspenseful debut, Ranch and Red Herrings. This cozy mystery pulls readers into a world of secrets, small-town charm, and slow-burning romance.

At the heart of the story is Georgia "Cussy" Hollingsworth, a big-city woman abruptly uprooted from her New York City life after inheriting her late uncle’s ranch under suspicious circumstances. Kappes wastes no time immersing readers in intrigue: Was her uncle’s death really an accident—or something more sinister? As Cussy adjusts to rural life, her reluctant return to Bluegrass country becomes a compelling journey of self-discovery, with more than a few twists and turns along the way.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths lies in its sense of place. From the description of Southern comfort food to the bustling small-town square, Kappes paints a vivid and nostalgic portrait of the South. As someone who grew up there, I found these details not only accurate but deeply resonant.

The mystery kept me guessing throughout, with just enough red herrings to throw me off track. Equally captivating was the simmering tension between Cussy and Colt, the ruggedly dependable ranch manager. Their dynamic added a romantic thread that enriched the narrative without overpowering the central whodunit.

Perfect for a rainy day read, Ranch and Red Herrings is a satisfying blend of mystery, heart, and hometown flavor. With its quirky characters and engaging plot, this is a strong start to a series that promises many more adventures (and perhaps a few more romantic sparks) to come.

This was the first book I read by Tonya Kappes. Cussy Hollingsworth is back in her little southern hometown after her uncle died of a heart attack. She's stunned to learn that he left her the ranch, bypassing his two children. When the toxicology report comes back that her uncle Amos has been poisoned with ketamine Cussy along with her feisty roommate Rowan start following the breadcrumbs of town gossip to try to uncover the murderer. Everyone is a suspect- her cousins, uncle Amos's second in command Cole, his fiancee... Cussy must work against time to solce the murder and save the failing ranch.

I've been dipping my toes into cozy mystery lately and this seemed like a fun one. I ended up I really enjoyed this.

The characters are great, especially Cussy (a unique name I won't be forgetting anytime soon lol). The side characters added a lot to the story too. They helped in providing that small town feel.

The mystery here had so many twists and turns, I was constantly guessing. I was very satisfied with the ending.

The ranch and small town were the perfect setting for this book too. I liked how we got to see Cussy enter a whole new world and fall in love with it.

Cannot wait for book two!

I was excited to read this book. The premise seemed promising.

The cover was enticing. I know I know never judge a book by its cover.

However while for the most part the story kept me going there seems to be a few times where something in the timeline didn’t make sense or there was person mentioned but wasn’t even in the scene & unfortunately those things kinda threw me off.

It felt a little too quick of a story for being a murder mystery but maybe that’s just me. Things wrapped up to easy. I’m not even sure how to explain it I just would’ve expected a bit more scenes around the ending.

The twist I didn’t figure out so I’d say that was a pro for this story. I’d also say that I would still continue reading the rest of this series. However this a three star read for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the arc opportunity.