Once upon a Grind

I love, love, love the Coffeehouse mysteries and this one is no exception. The protagonist, Claire Cosi, is just as feisty as ever. I have learned so much about coffee from these books! In this book, Matteo Allegro, Claires ex-husband and business partner, has bought a small, rare coffee in Ethiopia. This coffee is claimed to induce visions and it does! This story has a fairytale element that causes an intriguing difference between the other books she has written. I like cosy mysteries, but I dont think these can be classified as true cozies. They have an element of grittiness that makes them stand out from the others. In this book, Claire has a difficult decision to make. Will she leave her beloved Village Blend in New York to join her love interest, Mike Quinn, in Washington DC, or will she stay? As an aside, as Ive read these books and the characters have developed, Im finding Matteo Allegro much more interesting than Mike Quinn. He is more present in the books, and despite his past faults and foibles, Im finding myself wishing he and Claire would get back together and she would say goodbye to Quinn! All in all, this was a great book In a series that just keeps getting better and better!

As a long-time fan of this series, I always eagerly look forward to the next installment. I started with the first one

On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 1) (A Coffeehouse Mystery)

many years ago and just kept reading. While some I enjoyed more than others, often based on the over-arching theme, there is not a bad one in the bunch. Every book has been somewhere between good and great.

I picked this one up blindly since I felt no need to investigate the story-line ahead of time as I was going to read it regardless of what it was. When I began reading and discovered the fairy tale theme, I was a bit apprehensive as I have never been a big fan of fairy tales. As always, I shouldn’t have worried since the author does a wonderful job of weaving in the theme without it taking over the book. This installment was every bit as good as the others I have enjoyed previously and ranks toward the top of my list of favorites.

The primary character is Clare Cosi, the manager of The Village Blend Coffeehouse located in Greenwich Village. Her ex-husband sources the coffee beans for the coffeehouse and he brings “magic beans” from Ethiopia for her to try. They give Clare some wild and crazy visions, which involve friends and family in peril. As these visions are tied in with actual events and people, she wonders if any of the things she sees will help to discover the culprit stalking New York’s first Storybook Kingdom festival taking place at Central Park. I will leave it at that to let you experience the rest of the story yourself without spoiling it for you.

The mystery is fresh and interesting with some twists and turns that surprise the reader. When I finished the book last night, my final thought was “I didn’t see that one coming!”. Over time, most cozy mystery series seem to lose something. The books either become a re-tread of previous ones or the author seems to take the books in a crazy direction just to keep them new. Cleo Coyle has managed to avoid this trap entirely as she keeps it fresh while staying true to the characters and their relationships. The books are as much about the characters populating them as the mystery itself. NYC gives her room to move around the city exploring different themes and she takes full advantage of that. Well written, entertaining, and interesting are all words I would use to describe the series as a whole as well as this particular installment. (A quick aside: it is refreshing to have to use a dictionary occasionally when reading a cozy).

While it would be optimal to read the books starting from the beginning, this is one series where they do stand alone.

I love the series and I loved this book. Waiting for a new one next year!

At this point we’re retreading a fair amount of storyline here – inevitable, perhaps, when it’s Book #14. This time coffee takes a back seat to an actual undercover spy story going back to Cold War days. As has become thematic for the more recent books in the series, many potential suspects and red herrings are thrown in to keep readers guessing.

The road to romance doesn’t run smoothly for anyone this time, making for an overly complicated number of subplots. It’s nice to have Boris sum up Life and Love so lyrically, however, providing a good ending note. Clare’s life is going to change dramatically; so the next books should be very interesting.

Coyle continues to weave a good story. The action starts on the first page and doesn’t let up. The subplots are good and nicely woven together. However, she continues to throw in multiple wrinkles until over halfway through the book, which is disconcerting. This would make a good place to stop the series, but it continues with a change of scenery. I am looking foward to the next book(s), but the series has been going on a while, and I’m not sure how much longer she can sustain it.

My favorite book so far in Cleo Coyle’s coffee house mystery series. If you are already a reader of this series you know that is saying a lot. If you are looking for a cozy mystery series that offers both the light side of cozy reading and the thought provoking aspect of a good mystery then this series is sure to please. I highly recommend starting with the first book in the series “On What Grounds”. Also visit their site coffeehousemystery.com for an extensive view into the world of Clare Cosi, coffee house manager and Matteo Allegro, ex husband and business partner of The Village Blend (name of the coffeehouse). You will not be disappointed with this mystery series, the characters become familiar old friends and the setting in New York brings a little bit of The Big Apple to your day. Lastly, be prepared to learn more about coffee then you imagined possible…..the knowledge and recipes shared are like the pot at the end of the rainbow. So grab a cup of your favorite blend, and get acquainted with Clare and her world.

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