On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 1)
by Cleo Coyle
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Book Reviews of On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 1)
Book Review: A Trash Can Clue, Coffee Grounds Trail, Final Step Halted
Summary: 5 Stars
She dances in the light; a shadow stalks in the dark.
A chillingly choreographed contrast between a stalker and a dancer was used as a mesmerizing opening in this novel; the resulting effect was artistic in ambiance, rich with symbolism, and ridden with angst. That essential difference between an approaching murderer, harboring cold-blooded intent, and an unsuspecting victim, flowng through innocent routines in oblivious abandon... the contrast was heart-stopping.
From the bone-freezing effect of this short prologue, which is truly a hard act to follow, the evenly-plotted story and sensually-fleshed-out characters move beyond the eerie mood. The concluding whole is one of the best culinary mystery pilots on the market.
Ironically, coffee, in some ways for many of us, is an ultimate "food" and Coyle's Coffee how-to's are a great bonus, interspersed with just the right touch, just enough detail within the action machinations.
The novel was exquisitely executed, and within that excellence, on pages 90 - 92 of the mass market paperback lies a hidden gem of a deeply touching segment woven into a few of the facts exposing NYC citizenry's backbone of grit, and shared generosity in response to the 9/11 attack on their city.
Indeed, the spirit of this novel was like that hidden gem of tribute, rich & balsamic, yet lightened through simple strength; sensitive to depth, yet uplifting through humor's lifeline, a necessity in the worst of times.
I've setup a Listmania on this Coffee House series (including a bonus novel from a new culinary author, Claire Johnson, a pastry chef from San Francisco). I look forward to reading every novel in this series. May it perk long and prosper out of the pot.
I'm wanting to say more on this excellent novel, and to quote some of its awesome passages of prose, but possibly it's best if I leave that to lucky readers who have yet to pick up the pilot to this series.
Linda Shelnutt
Book Review: As delectable as an espresso at a European cafe...
Summary: 4 Stars
"On What Grounds" is an entertaining mystery set in a novel location: New York City's Village Blend, a hundred-year-old coffeehouse run by Clare Cosi.
One of Clare's employees is discovered unconscious at the bottom of a service staircase. The police are quick to write it off as an accident, but Clare's gut feeling is that someone pushed Anabelle, in part because of the mysterious location of one of the shop's trash cans. She digs deeper into possible suspects: Anabelle's fellow dancers at Studio 10, her money-grasping stepmother, and her socialite boyfriend Richard (nicknamed "The Dick" by Esther, Anabelle's snide roommate).
For those of you who are addicted to Starbucks, Second Cup, Beaners, or another chain of choice, "On What Grounds" practically reads like coffee porn, with its sensuous descriptions of brewing ("That way the espresso oozes out of the portafilter like warm honey," "next came the steamed milk, splashing into the dark liquid like a white tsunami"), bean choice ("The sensual, sweet, full-bodied aroma of the [Jamaican Blue Mountain] coffee flowed over me"), and all things coffee (choice of brewing methods, roasting, storage tips). In addition, there are several intriguing recipes, coffee and otherwise, including Cappuccino Walnut Cheesecake (made with espresso), raspberry-mocha bocci, and the wickedly decadent coffee cocktail Screaming Orgasm (Kahlua, Amaretto, vodka and heavy cream).
The book does suffer from stilted writing and unrealistic dialogue at times, but the steamy tension between Clare and ex-hubbie Matteo (son of the Village Blend's French owner) and Detective Quinn, along with several memorable escapades to charity auctions, dance studios and New York's gay district Christopher Street, makes this a unique, decadent read that coffee lovers will drain to the very last drop.
Book Review: I would have liked to have been the editor on this book....
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is very well plotted and engaged my attention very well from the very start -- it was a book that may not have kept me up until 3 in the morning, but I did look forward to getting back to it and read it rather quickly. Clair Cosi, part-owner of a landmark coffee house in Greenwich Village who is this book's amateur detective, is likeable, and her reason for getting so involved in solving the mystery is credible (unlike other mysteries I've read). The story begins when Clair finds the crumpled but still living body of an assistant manager in the coffee shop's basement, at the bottom of the stairs. The police investigate and believe it's an accident (the woman is unconscious at this point and in intensive care). Clair finds that hard to believe, and motivated by fears of a disasterous lawsuit as well as affection for the employee, she begins to poke around to see if she can convince the police that this is no accident but a crime scene. There are a number of characters with several possible motives to consider.
WHat I didn't like about the book is the epicurean obsession with coffee. I like a good cup of coffee, but got tired fairly quickly of the tedious descriptions of how to make the perfect cup of espresso, etc. I began to wonder if Martha Stewart had ghost-written this book, particularly with a certain snobbishness present in the descriptions. I really didn't need to hear how Clair is wearing a Valentino while her ex mother in law is wearing an Oscar de la Renta. Her husband's expensive wristwatch by a relatively obscure maker is equally irrelevant, as are the hints of where to get these items the next time you're in New York. That's why I would have liked to edit this book. I hope the real editor of her next book will spare us all the instructions on coffee-making. I intend to read the next in this series to find out.
Book Review: Mmmm. Coffee
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read several authors asking whether blog tours and internet presence really translate into sales, so I suppose this book review is proof for me that they do. I "met" Cleo Coyle in a blog interview where she was promoting her latest book, Holiday Grind, and the concept of coffee and mystery intrigued me sufficiently--plus her name was easily remembered--that I looked up her books on my next visit to a bookstore. There I found and promptly bought book one of her series, On What Grounds. The cover features a tipped over coffee cup, splashed dregs, and a comfortable looking room subtly overwritten with different coffee blends--mmm. Just my kind of thing.
Not that I'm going to start making super coffee, buying and grinding the best beans, or baking the excellent recipes the author includes. But just knowing what some of those fancy names mean is satisfaction on its own. And the mystery? That was satisfying too. And the relationships... and the intriguingly savvy coffee-house owner, Madame.
Empty-nester Clare Cosi makes a fun heroine--independent, clever, confident but not overly so. Her daughter's left home, as has her former spouse, so she moves back into town, with cat, to run the Village Blend, only to find an unexpectedly absent assistant and unwelcome guest. The assistant's absence is easily explained by the fact that she's lying unconscious at the foot of the stairs, but nothing else is so simple--not even the daughter.
Add a policeman learning to savor real coffee, the unemptied trash, and a sign that mysteriously appears and disappears, and you have the ingredients for a fascinating mystery to accompany that cup of coffee. Add Clare's coffee tips and you'll wish you could sit in the Village Blend to drink it. Book two coming soon, I hope, to a bookshelf near me.
Book Review: A promising start
Summary: 3 Stars
I would agree with a previous reviewer that the novel is about three and a half stars (not quite four, and definitely not five). The mystery is interesting enough, but there are too many digressions about brewing coffee. The author could not seem to decide whether she was writing a mystery or writing a manual on brewing coffee. She also departs into historical notes, some of which may be interesting, but have little to do with the story. The main character is drawn into an investigation of an apparent accident on the premises of the Village Blend coffeehouse. The case develops as information is revealed. That part of the novel is well written, and some background on the main characters is appropriate.
You do get a lot of information on grinding, storing, and brewing coffee. At the end of the novel, there are bonus recipes for Caffe Cannella (orange slice, dark roasted coffee, cinnamon, and sweetened whipped cream), Raspberry-Mocha Bocci (chocolate syrup, raspberry syrup, expresso, steamed milk, whipped cream, ground cocoa, chocolate curls, and raspberries), Cappuccino Walnut Cheesecake (which includes expresso in both the cheesecake and topping), Black Russians (vodka and Kahlua), and a Screming Orgasm (Kahlua, amaretto, vodka, and heavy cream).
I would note that I love the aroma of coffee, but can not drink it. Something in its chemical composition makes me ill. As I have become older, I have been able to tolerate some things like tiramisu, but drink tea (as do some of the characters in the novel). The British drink tea with cream (which I consider gross). I prefer tea with fresh squeezed lemon juice (no sugar). Instant tea is detestable. I cannot imagine why anyone would drink something decaffeinated, unless they are drinking some form of herbal tea.