Dead to the Last Drop

 

Coffeehouse Mystery, #15

 

Cleo Coyle

 

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Berkley
Date of Publication: December 1, 2015
Number of pages: 414
Cover Artist: Cathy Gendron

 

 

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Grind comes a new installment in the Coffeehouse Mystery series.

After the White House asks coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi to consult on the coffee service for a Rose Garden Wedding, she discovers a historic pot was used as a CIA “dead drop” decades before. Now long-simmering secrets boil over, scalding Clare and the people around her…

Clare’s visit to the nation’s capital is off to a graceful start. Her octogenarian employer is bunking with her in a charming Georgetown mansion, and she's invited to work with a respected curator on the Smithsonian's culinary salute to coffee in America.

Unfortunately, Clare’s new Village Blend DC is struggling to earn a profit—until its second floor jazz club attracts a high-profile fan, the college-age daughter of the U.S. President. Clare’s stock rises as the First Lady befriends her, but she soon learns a stark lesson: Washington can be murder.

First a stylish State Department employee suspiciously collapses in her coffeehouse. Then the President’s daughter goes missing. Is she a runaway bride or is something more sinister in play? After another deadly twist, Clare is on the run with her NYPD detective boyfriend. Branded an enemy of the state, she must piece together clues and uncover the truth before her life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness come to a bitter end.

Review: 

It's hard to believe that this series has reached 15 books. And although I was late to this series, not starting it until 2011, I quickly got wrapped up in the life of Clare Cosi, manager of a The Village Blend.

As the series suggest, the mysteries revolve around a coffee house, specifically The Village Blend, a coffeehouse in historic Greenwich Village. A coffeehouse that has been family owned and operated since it's inception in 1895. The series started with Clare once again taking over as manager for her former mother-in-law, Madame DuBois, once Clare's daughter Joy moved out to go to Culinary School. Clare's ex-husband and Madame's son, is a coffee buyer, combing the globe for coffee beans to be brought back to be roasted at the coffeehouse. We have followed Clare along her journey, finding murder and mystery along the way.

One of the great things about this series is that although there have been some very upper crust moments (I'm looking at you Billionaire Blend), most of the time, the stories have a more blue collar feel. After all, Clare may be the manager and master roaster at the coffeehouse, but she still works pulling espressos and serving customers there as well. And her boyfriend is a NYPD police detective.
There was a unique beginning to this story. Where normally the prologue takes us through the mind of the killer as he plans and/or executes the murder. This time, it was told through the eyes of the man rushing to protect her. It was awesome! Then to add to the unique opening, the story was told in flashback sequences as Clare talks out events with Mike. It's not something I want to see every book, but in this circumstance, it really just worked.

I had a crazy, happy coincidence happen while reading this book. Many, many years ago (okay, so like 25) I fell in love with the movie Highlander and that song "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Queen - enough so that I eventually hunted down the soundtrack. As these things happen, it eventually fell out of regular rotation. But I recently heard an awesome version of it, and dug out the CD to listen to in my car. So I was jamming out to on the way to work, and then at lunch, there I am reading about the song in the book. It totally blew my mind! Needless to say, this book will be one that will stick with me. :)

This was such a great book, I adored everything about it. For me, this was a 5 star read.

Thanks to Cleo Coyle and Great Escapes for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Giveaway: 

 

Author Bio:

CLEO COYLE is the pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. CLEO COYLE grew up in a small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After earning scholarships to study writing at Carnegie Mellon and American Universities, she began her career as a cub reporter for The New York Times. Now an author of popular fiction and New York Times bestselling media tie-in writer, Cleo lives and works in New York City, where she collaborates with her husband (also a bestselling author) to pen the Coffeehouse Mysteries for Penguin. Together Cleo and her husband also write the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries under the name Alice Kimberly. When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or rescuing stray cats, Cleo and Marc are bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, and MGM. In their spare time they cook like crazy and drink a lot of java. You can learn more about Cleo, her husband, and the books they write by visiting www.CoffeehouseMystery.com.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

 

Once Upon a Grind


Coffeehouse Mystery, #14
Cleo Coyle


Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Date of Publication: December 2, 2014
Number of pages: 416
Cover Artist: Cathy Gendron

 

 

When coffeehouse manager turned amateur sleuth Clare Cosi roasts "magic” beans for Fairy Tale Week, she brews up a vision that leads to a sleeping beauty in Central Park; a big, bad wolf of Wall Street; and an East Side enclave with storybook secrets...

Fairy tale fever has descended on New York City. Broadway fans are flocking to Red Riding Hood: The Musical; museums are exhibiting art inspired by the Brothers Grimm; and Clare Cosi gives her coffee truck a "Jack and the Beanstalk” makeover for a Central Park festival.

Clare’s coffee hunter ex-husband contributes a bag of African beans with alleged magical properties. His octogenarian mother entertains customers with readings of the grinds, but Clare remains skeptical—until she receives a vision that helps her find a young model’s body in the park’s woods.

The police dismiss "sleeping beauty” as the victim of a drug overdose. Then Clare uncovers evidence that points to a roster of suspects, from a wolf of Wall Street to a New York Giant and a wicked witch of the West Side.

Now Clare is really in the woods—with a dangerous predator on her heels and an investigation that leads from a secret Prince Charming club right back to her own NYPD detective boyfriend. If she doesn’t solve this mystery, those magic beans predict an unhappy ending.

Review: 

I have been enjoying the Coffeehouse Mystery series for several years now. I actually started this series based on the recommendation from paperbackswap.com due to some other mystery series that I had read.  This series has always been one of my go to recommendations whenever someone asks me about cozy msyteries.

There is just some much good going on within the pages.  First of all, the maturity and growth of the characters is stellar.  These aren't stagnant characters, they are mature but ever changing. We have seen divorces and weddings, job changes and health issues. You really feel like you are a part of the characters lives, if only for a little bit.  Secondly, the descriptions of some of the food served is amazing and the best part, are the recipes included with each book. Third, the education of the world of coffee has completely expanded my repertoire of coffee knowledge and left me with a better understanding of this drink. I have to admit I still prefer hot tea, but I have come to really enjoy a good cup of coffee now.

If you haven't read this series, I strongly suggest starting with On What Grounds, the first book in the series.  You could probably start with this book, but there is so much history and nuance that you will be missing if you don't know the backstories of the characters.  If you are a fellow fan, be sure that you grab this one.  There is just a hint of a paranormal element, but what I truly enjoyed were the fairy tale stories and themes woven throughout.  Some were obvious, but many more were more subtle.  There is a big announcement at the conclusion of this book, and an exciting hint of things to come in the installment. A wonderful addition to the series and worth all 4 stars.

Guest Post: 

Coffee. It can get a girl killed. But can it also be magical? For over ten years now, Marc and I have been entertaining readers with our series of murder mysteries set in a landmark Greenwich Village coffeehouse. In our latest release, our amateur sleuth, coffeehouse manager Clare begins to have visions after she drinks a very rare coffee.

Readers may think this “magical” coffee is completely fictional. But the truth is—it’s based on an actual coffee from an area in Ethiopia called Lake Tana. This region has been considered sacred, and the coffee grown there is believed to possess mystical power.

Clare remains skeptical about such claims, especially when they come from her ex-husband—the shop’s globetrotting coffee hunter—but he’s not taking her visions lightly. There are clues inside that may help solve a terrible crime.

Join us in Once Upon a Grind for a storybook odyssey through New York City. You’ll open secret doors (uptown and down), face a Black Knight, confront a New York Giant, and follow crumbs that might just lead you to a stone cold killer.

To read the Prologue and First Chapter of ONCE UPON A GRIND, click here.

To see a real African coffee farm with actor Hugh Jackman, click here.

SECRET CODE: The 7th of the 9 words in Cleo’s Secret Code Contest is Someone (Learn how to enter Cleo’s Secret Code giveaway here.)

Thanks to Musings and Ramblings for hosting us here today. We have some exciting stops left on our blog tour—and a few special goodies for you. We’ll see you at the next stop, and…

May your holidays be bright!

~ Alice and Marc (Cleo Coyle)

Giveaways (2!): 

I have an Autographed Hardback to give away. US residents only.

Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Escape Tour Giveaway - Prize Package Includes... 
* An autographed copy of Cleo's brand new book, ONCE UPON A GRIND, in its beautiful first-edition hardcover format
* A complete set of all 13 Coffeehouse Mysteries published to date, each one personally inscribed by Cleo to the winner
* A durable, custom-designed Coffeehouse Mystery Tote Bag
* A freshly-roasted package of Billionaire’s Blend, a hand-crafted coffee created by One Good Woman Fine Coffees and Teas as a tribute to Cleo's recent bestseller BILLIONAIRE BLEND.
* A Coffeehouse Mystery cup, featuring a favorite saying of Madame's, the octogenarian owner of The Village Blend: “Survive everything. And do it with style.”

Author Bio:

CLEO COYLE is the pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. CLEO COYLE grew up in a small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After earning scholarships to study writing at Carnegie Mellon and American Universities, she began her career as a cub reporter for The New York Times. Now an author of popular fiction and New York Times bestselling media tie-in writer, Cleo lives and works in New York City, where she collaborates with her husband (also a bestselling author) to pen the Coffeehouse Mysteries for Penguin. Together Cleo and her husband also write the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries under the name Alice Kimberly. When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or rescuing stray cats, Cleo and Marc are bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, and MGM. In their spare time they cook like crazy and drink a lot of java. You can learn more about Cleo, her husband, and the books they write by visiting www.CoffeehouseMystery.com.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

This is the 12th book in the Coffeehouse Mystery Series by Cleo Coyle. I discovered this series a little over 3 years ago and have really enjoyed how all the characters have grown and evolved. All the stories in the series are set in New York City, specifically the West Village area at the Village Blend Coffeehouse.

Clare Cosi manages the coffeehouse, with her ex-husband, Matteo as their world wide coffee buyer and owned by his mother, Madame. Clare and Matteo have a grown daughter, Joy who is at culinary arts school in France and having a long distance relationship with a NYPD police detective, Emmanuel Franco. There is a great cast and crew at the Village Blend that brings art, drama and youth to the old building. Throughout the series we have seen Clare form first a friendship and then a relationship with NYPD Detective Lieutenant Mike Quinn. Mike is currently working for the US Attorney's anti-drug task force in DC. The entire series feels very much like great episodes from a long running tv drama. A great cast of characters, some romance, some drama, and enough mystery to keep you coming back for more.

The series involves Clare finding dead bodies and becoming drawn into the investigations to solve them. But there is so much information on coffee and the wonderful recipes that surround coffee and coffee drinks, that you can't help but want a try them out. Thankfully the author includes recipes for many of the wonderful creations that show up in the books.

This has been a wonderful series, and the characters keep me coming back for more. I love how the romance between Clare and Mike has spanned the entire series, how they went from acquaintances to friends to lovers, slowly and with great thought and care. This is a series where the relationships between the characters are as much a part of the storytelling as the actual plot itself.

This book gets 4 stars on Goodreads, because it is another solid book in the series that furthers the characters and continues to bring a fresh take on coffee, food & murder. I can't wait for the next one and to find out what is happening with the Village Blend gang. Tune in for the next episode!

This was a must if you read the series. But I could have dome with a lot more Mike.

This was another fun one. I like how everything always comes together in the end. I can never tell who the killer is and sometimes I don't care. This was a good book to curl up with a cup of coffee.