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: Great contemporary women's mystery
Summary: 5 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in a series and look forward to reading the others. Living in a very rural area it took me awhile to get used to the NYC references, but I began to feel at home in that city as I got absorbed in the wonderful characters of this book. Clare Cosi, the main character, is strong and funny and believable. The author's subtle sense of humor in giving each male character a musical tempo last name added an appropriate sense of irony to the story line. I am not a coffee drinker (and at times wished for a set of tea mysteries I could relate to more readily), but it was fun learning so much about a beverage I have never consumed, and I understand better now why others love this drink, and why instant coffee can be so offensive! Some of the dialog is a little stilted and too stereotypical at first, but the characters grow on you and I didn't notice this after a few chapters. This story has a fine sense of mystery and intrigue with a minimum of violence and heart wrenching scare tactics. In fact I loved the ending, where the villain gets (his/her) just deserts. A very enjoyable, fast paced read, highly recommended.Book Review: Quaff Your Thirst for a Good Cozy Mystery
Summary: 4 Stars
Apparently the authors of On What Grounds, a couple using the pseudonym Cleo Coyle, have a lot or arcane knowledge about coffee and set out to write a series of theme-related, recipe-laden cozy mysteries centered around the proprietress of a coffee house. (My Italian friend tells me that the "s" in the main character's name, "Cosi," would be soft, so the word sounds like "cozy.")
Unlike some authors of similar series, "Ms. Coyle" has a credible writing style; the dialog, development, and motivation of the characters are plausible. The writing is transparent and pretty much free of little quirks that distract a reader from the story--unless, perhaps, the constant asides regarding the history and culture of coffee are a bit overdone.
This book is enough to send coffee drinkers out in search of the perfect brew and to make converts of the uninitiated. True to the genre, it's kind of silly but fun. Like a little caffeine, it's likely to make you feel good without doing much harm. I've already snagged the next two books in the series to keep on hand for those evenings when I feel like a little brain candy.
Book Review: Light and frothy start to a cozy coffee mystery series
Summary: 4 Stars
Clare, a single mom whose daughter has headed off to culinary school in New York City, decides to uproot herself from the suburbs and return to the city herself. She takes back her old job of manager for a coffee house that is a neighborhood institution and is owned by her mother-in-law, and will live in the apartment over the store. She goes to open and finds the store dark and her reliable employee unconscious in the back at the bottom of the stairs. While she initially thinks this is an accident, certain things don't add up and Clare begins to investigate. Complicating things are her ex-husband, a coffee buyer, and the handsome Detective Quinn, who Clare feels obliged to educate in the delights of real coffee. Add to that, the situation her mother-in-law has plotted with both she and her ex becoming partners in the business and the apartment. Was it the boyfriend, the protective socialite mother of the young man, the former manager, or someone else? This is a fun cosy mystery and the author clearly loves and appreciates coffee. It is a decent start to the series and I hope the characters continue to develop in the series.Book Review: The Author's Other Series is A Better Bet
Summary: 1 Stars
Having read and really enjoyed the first few books in another series by this author - The Haunted Bookshop series, which is written under the name Alice Kimberly and begins with The Ghost & Mrs. McClure - I was excited to find out that she had another mystery series.
That excitement, which included buying the first 4 books in the series right away, lasted until I actually read On What Grounds. Wow, what a letdown!
Not only did I not like or care about these people, I found myself actively DISliking the protagonist which is highly unusual for me. The clunky writing was intensified by awkward insertions of back story and constant interruptions in the narrative to explain how one kind of coffee or another is best made. Even for people who love their coffee more than their spouse, this information could have been presented in a better manner (recipes and directions at the back of the book, maybe?).
I forced myself to slog through this, just in case it got better. It didn't. I gave this and the other three books in the series I had purchased away.
Book Review: When the going gets tough...the tough drink coffee!
Summary: 5 Stars
"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons..."
--T.S. Eliot
So quotes the author in the beginning of this fun read. If you love a cup of good coffee with your mystery reading, this is the series for you. It's funny, suspenseful, entertaining and packed with coffee trivia. I enjoyed this book to the last drop!
The plotline is covered to death in other reviews, so I'll just talk about why I like it. The people that populate the Village Blend coffeehouse are well-drawn and a lot of fun.
I liked Clare and her situation of what to do with a daughter who's left your sphere (Clare herself is 39 and counting and wondering what to do with the rest of her life now that she's a single mom).
I thought the mystery was intriguing. I was sure I'd solved it and figured out the motive (twice) and was wrong (twice) which is what I like in a mystery (no cheap tricks but just good solid misdirection and plotting).
I've read another book in the series and I will continue to read them all. The bean's the best. A fun summer read.