Clare Cosi used to manage the historic Village Blend coffeehouse … until she opted for quieter pastures and a more suburban life. But after ten years and a little friendly cajoling from the owner (a fresh pot of Jamaican Blue Mountain was all it took), she's back to the grind. With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the Village Blend, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of coffeehouse redecorating ideas, Clare is thrilled to return to work. Until she discovers the assistant manager unconscious in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere. Police arrive on the scene to investigate. But when they find no sign of forced entry or foul play, they deem it an accident. Case closed. But Clare is not convinced. And after the police leave, there are a few things she just can't get out of her mind. Why was the trash bin in the wrong place? If this wasn't an accident, is Clare in danger? And … are all detectives this handsome?
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"Ok... this light hearted "Who done it" is very entertaining and if you enjoy coffee as much as I do you will love the little descriptions on how to prepare different coffee drinks. I even learned the best way to store coffee beans while reading about how this village coffee house manager gets to the bottom of the barister found at the bottom of the coffee house stairs! Now... how many times did I say coffee?????? Probably not as often as it was said in the book! :)"
— GoldenjoyBazyll (4 out of 5 stars)
" It should be no surprise this book is enjoyable, after all, it's the story of a woman who runs a coffee shop with her ex-husband...hmmmmmmm. In addition to that, it's a fun and easy read, and while I usually steer clear of murder mysteries, this book had me intriqued without being completely grossed out. Lots of great coffee tips, recipes..really, a fun little series of books. "
— Julie, 2/15/2014" Not bad...... "
— Donna, 2/6/2014" This is the first book of Cleo Coyle's (funny name for a husband and wife writing team) that I have read and I loved it. There was just something about this book that reminded me of a leasurly day at my favorite bistro sipping a foamy latte and reading a cozy mystery next to a warm fireplace. The book doesn't disappoint. It is a page-turner. Kept me interested to the very end. "
— Holly, 2/6/2014" A light entertaining start to a series - just what I needed to "cleanse my palate" after reading Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre back to back. Lots of coffee facts, which had me craving a latte or expresso! I'll be continuing this series. "
— JanB, 2/2/2014" Love my coffee house mysteries. Good character development for a first book. "
— Deb, 1/22/2014" I just discovered this mystery series set in a coffeehouse in NYC. It has good characters + pace, and is fun to read. It's amazing how many ways the authors (a husband/wife team writing under the name Cleo Coyle) can work coffee into the plot, dialog, descriptions etc. The central character must not need much sleep because with the amount of espresso she drinks in a day, including the evening, I can't imagine how she COULD sleep! There are some recipes at the end that look pretty good too. "
— Kathy, 1/17/2014" A series I am enjoying. Easy but interesting read. "
— Cathy, 1/13/2014" Too much info dumping and relationship angst. "
— Julialw, 1/11/2014" A "lite" mystery to pass the time. If you LOVE coffee you'll enjoy learning everything there is to know about how to make espresso. I'm a basic medium roast, black coffee, nothing fancy thank you person. "
— Carol, 1/8/2014" it's a groaner. totally obvious but fun to read. "
— Lori, 1/6/2014" love the coffeehouse mystery series. "
— Barbara, 12/10/2013" A fluffy, light read to mark the end of summer. Now on to headier pursuits. "
— Karen, 12/3/2013" what's better than a book...good coffee and murderer...& some great coffee recopied included in the back of the book. "
— Victoria, 11/24/2013" I liked the book. It has cool recipes to try in the back. Quick and easy, fun read. "
— Mary, 11/20/2013" Very fun mystery series. I love coffee and cozy mysteries, so this book hits the mark. "
— Jen, 11/18/2013" Fun read. Sufficiently so to hit up #2 "
— Bettynz, 8/3/2013" Nice start to what looks to be a good series. Mystery gave a nice background to Clare Cosi , her mother-inlaw,daughter, ex-husband and the detective in her life, Quinn. Looking forward to reading the subsequent books in this series. "
— Livia, 7/1/2013" This was a very quick read. It was entertaining enough, though a bit over the top and pretentious regarding coffee sometimes! I did learn a few things about the proper way to brew an espresso though! ;) "
— Maria, 6/12/2013" I love that there is coffee trivia through out the series! These books are really cute and fast reads. "
— Susanna, 5/17/2013" This series is fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone who likes cozy mysteries. Witty, fun with a good plot. "
— Gail, 4/5/2013" really easy read, but I loves it! "
— Luckyclarkie, 10/22/2012" If you want to learn about coffee drinks this is a good mystery to read and learn. "
— Scottlmoritz, 8/26/2012" I enjoyed this book. I just started the next in the series and I find she repeats herself almost verbatim, regarding the coffee instructions and how the espresso has to "ooze"....yeah, ok, um, you already told us that. On with the story. LOL "
— Kathy, 6/14/2012" The first book in the coffeehouse series by Cleo Coyle featuring Clare Cosi. A nice easy read. Maybe a little too much coffee talk for me, but then again, I don't touch the stuff, so that could've been it. All in all a good read if you want something light and quick. "
— Glenda, 6/6/2012" Loved it!!! So much coffee lore. "
— Missy, 4/29/2012" Jumpimg on the sleuth in a shop niche, this series is multidimensional and well-written. I will have to read more to see if it can stay fresh in a genre that is laden with copy-cats, but I am intrigued enough to read more. "
— Jody, 4/18/2012" It was a fun, quick read, learned about the different coffee beans, how espresso, cappuccino and other things are made and gave me a new appreciation for REAL coffee. "
— Denise, 12/3/2011" Very fun and interesting read! "
— Shelley, 11/29/2011" The first was my favorite (I've read 1-4); fun cozy mystery! "
— ara133photography, 10/7/2011" VERY light summer mystery read. I like that this series centers around a coffee house, the manager and lead barista, and her sexy Italian, ex-husband. Also love the coffee recipes included at the end of each book. This series is my guilty little pleasure.... "
— Abbey, 6/25/2011" I'm no coffee drinker, but loved these books. I never knew that there was so much one could learn about coffee. "
— S., 6/21/2011" These books have two of my favorite things...coffee and murder!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!! The only thing about this book is that there are some sexual things...not grapic or detailed...just a little awkward...but only a little...it's very good...:) "
— Briana, 6/7/2011" Cute story, but I didn't finish before book club and I don't feel compelled to go back and do so on my own. "
— Maritt, 5/18/2011" I found this book slightly boring. The coffee talk was blah. It's not that the book is bad, just very uninteresting to me. "
— Sarah, 4/8/2011" A fun cozy based in a coffee shop in NYC Greenwich Village. Truly enjoyed this quick read. Learned a lot about coffee and how to make different types. Would read this series again. "
— Deborah, 3/18/2011" I really loved this book. The ending was great. The characters were great. The only thing that I think was a bit much was the descriptions of coffee and the processes could be a little long at times. "
— Andrea, 2/27/2011" I thought this might be a great series set in an interesting place but it was boring. I didn't like any of the characters and got annoyed with the constant and sometimes repetitive coffee information. "
— Chris, 2/23/2011Cleo Coyle is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating over ten years in print. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, including the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. Learn more about them at their online home: www.CoffeehouseMystery.com.
Rebecca Gibel is an award-winning stage, television, and voice actress. The narrator of over fifty audiobooks, Rebecca is facile in a wide variety of genres. Rebecca has worked across the country at theaters such as Trinity Rep, Cleveland Play House, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Intiman Theatre, and the Arden Theatre Company. She holds a BA from the College of William & Mary and an MFA in acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep.