New Release: Holiday Grind

I'm usually a stickler for reading a series in order but when I saw Cleo Coyle's eighth Coffee House Mystery, Holiday Grind, listed for review, I thought it sounded like a fun read for the holidays. To my satisfaction, it was almost as pleasant as the many peppermint mochas I've already enjoyed.

Clare Cosi is the proprietor of Village Blend -- a coffeehouse in Greenwich Village. She is divorced and yet keeps a working relationship with her ex-husband who imports the coffee beans for the shop and is the father of her just-grown daughter. In what appears to be a common occurrence for Clare, she becomes entangled in a murder -- this time it's a local charity Santa whose daughter once worked as a barista at the shop. Clare feels the need to investigate the murder when the detectives assigned don't seem to believe that it wasn't a common mugging. With the help of her boyfriend, Detective Mike Quinn, she searches for clues in the murder and of course, finds her own danger.

This was a satisfying cozy mystery. When the story started, they were in the coffee shop about to begin a taste test of holiday drink flavors and I really didn't want the story to turn to murder! But of course it did and I got sucked in and enjoyed the ride. I wouldn't mind going back to read the other books in the series. Some things were hinted at that would be interesting to read about and I came to like some of the characters. The coffee details were especially interesting for a Seattle gal like me.

Hoping for a holiday full of caffeine and foam,
K


Support our site and buy Holiday Grind on Amazon or find it at your local library. We received a proof from the author through Library Thing.