Bean There, Done That (Maggy Thorsen) [Hardcover]

Sandra Balzo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008 | Series: Maggy Thorsen

Heres a tip: if your ex-husbands mistress-cum-missus asks for your help in proving that he cheated on her while he was married to you, just say no. And, whatever you do, dont invite her in . . . Coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen does just that when Rachel Slattery Thorsen comes knocking on her door. When the new Mrs Thorsen disappears that same evening, Maggy quickly finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation involving Rachels hotelier family Milwaukees answer to the Hiltons.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of Balzo's spirited third Maggy Thorsen mystery (after 2007's Grounds for Murder), Rachel Thorsen, the wife of Maggy's ex-husband, Ted, shows up at Maggy's Brookhills, Wis., coffeehouse, Uncommon Grounds, and confides she suspects Ted is cheating on her. When Rachel disappears and is later found murdered, Ted is the chief suspect. Since Maggy and Ted share a son, she feels compelled to help, despite her budding relationship with Sheriff Jake Pavlik. Convinced that Ted is the killer, the members of Rachel's wealthy family spare no expense in trying to prove him guilty. It's up to Maggie to find the truth, even if that means helping the man who dumped her. An engaging sleuth, Maggy puts her own humorous, breezy spin on everything, from coffee lore to the colorful locals, in a cozy that will leave readers guessing until the end. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Brash, sassy Maggy Thorsen, amateur sleuth and owner of a Milwaukee coffee shop, is back in another high-speed adventure. Her bitter divorce still rankles, even after all this time, so she is shocked when her ex-husband Ted’s new trophy wife, Rachel, drops by the coffee shop and asks Maggy to help her find evidence that Ted is cheating on her. With the phrase “some things never change” running through her head, Maggy reluctantly agrees. But that same evening, Rachel disappears. Her family is quick to point the finger of blame at Ted, and although Maggy wouldn’t mind seeing her ex brought down, she is too good-hearted to want him to take the blame for a crime he didn’t commit. Maggy is determined to find out what happened, even if it upsets her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Sheriff Jake Pavlik. Lively pacing, snappy dialogue, tongue-in-cheek humor, and a cast of attention-grabbing characters—not the least of whom is Maggy’s giant pooch, Frank—make for another successful entry in this agreeable series. --Emily Melton

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727866532
• ISBN-13: 978-0727866530
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,348,652 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I turned to mystery writing after twenty years in corporate public relations, event management, and publicity in Milwaukee.

My books are set in a gourmet coffee shop and feature Maggy Thorsen, a down-sized PR person. (Go figure.) In the first book, UNCOMMON GROUNDS, Maggy arrives at the store the morning of their grand opening only to find one of her partners dead in a pool of skim milk in front of the espresso machine. I'm told the books are funny. There are six more Maggy Thorsen mysteries out: GROUNDS FOR MURDER; BEAN THERE, DONE THAT; BREWED, CRUDE and TATTOOED; FROM THE GROUNDS UP; A CUP of JO; and TRIPLE SHOT.

RUNNING ON EMPTY, the first book in a second series (to alternate with the Maggy books), was released in April and is set in the popular vacation destination of North Carolina's High Country:

"It was the call every adult child dreads:
'AnnaLise? You should come home. Your mother Daisy went and drained all the blood out of poor Mrs Bradenham.'
Well, maybe not every adult child . . ."

The second book in the high country series, SOME ENDS ARE DEADER THAN OTHERS, will be out in 2012.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable series, April 14, 2010

By 

Cheryl A. Reynolds "Spuddie" (Minneapolis, MN, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bean There, Done That (Maggy Thorsen Mysteries) (Paperback)

#3 Maggy Thorsen coffee house mystery set in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookhills. Maggy is somewhat aghast when her ex-husband's new wife approaches her with allegations that Ted is cheating on her--and was even cheating on her when he was cheating on Maggy with Rachel! Although she knows she should hate the girl, for some reason she likes her and agrees to help her by checking her calendars from the years involved to see if Ted's whereabouts can be corroborated. However, when Rachel goes missing and then her body turns up in Lake Michigan a couple of days later, Ted goes to the top of the suspect list. Although Maggy could believe Rachel's story of him cheating on her, she doesn't see Ted as a killer, although her sort-of boyfriend Sheriff Jake Pavlik likes him for the deed. Thus, Maggy does some nosing around on her own to see if she can counter that theory, if only for the sake of their college-age son, Eric--and as usual, she ends up in a heap of trouble.

For some reason, I keep being surprised that I like this series. I'm not a cozy fan, but this isn't really cozy...there's a bit more of an edge to it, a bit more of the dark comedy that appeals to me. I like the author's easy-to-read writing style, and in this book I totally didn't see the plot twist coming, although I had an inkling about the baddie. Aside from the usual 'amateur sleuth curse' of needing to work almost against the police while investigating (and thus putting oneself in some really stupid, dangerous situations) I found this to be a very enjoyable, top-notch book and highly recommend it to those who like a lighter mystery with a bit of a dark side.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice mystery series, May 27, 2009

By 

Jennifer "Mystery Lover" (St. Louis, Missouri USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bean There, Done That (Maggy Thorsen Mysteries) (Paperback)

I have read all three of the Maggie Thorsen Mysteries and enjoyed them. Good writing, good character development, and not too much overkill on the coffee angle.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT SERIES, September 29, 2008

By 

ITZME "JEANNE" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bean There, Done That (Maggy Thorsen) (Hardcover)

I REALLY LIKE THE MAGGIE THORSEN BOOKS. THE CHARACTERS ARE VERY REAL AND LIKEABLE. LOOKING FORWARD TO READING MORE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES (SO FAR 3 HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AND I HAVE READ ALL THREE).