Five Star First Edition Mystery - Uncommon Grounds [Hardcover]

Sandra Balzo (Author)

Book Description

Series: Five Star First Edition Mystery | Publication Date: November 2, 2004

Patricia Harper is dead, killed by a hot-wired espresso machine, in Uncommon Grounds, her very own gourmet coffee store! Maggy Thorsen wants to know who killed one of her partners. Maggy needs the store to succeed. Starting over after her divorce, she's quit her PR job to open the coffee store. And if things aren't already tough enough, she begins to suspect one of her friends is responsible for Patricia's murder. Maggy joins forces with Sarah Kingstown, Patricia's closest friend, to investigate her killing. Together, they uncover unsavory small-town politics, bribes, kickbacks, and rampant infidelity. Before she's through, Maggy's sense of right and wrong will be shaken to its foundations. For once in her life, she is forced to draw her own line in the sand, and be prepared to defend it.

Sandra Balzo currently resides in Brookfield, Wisconsin. (20050201)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her delightful debut, Balzo puts a 21st-century spin on the traditional cozy, replacing tea with coffee as the comfort beverage of choice. Maggy Thorsen, a divorcée whose husband left her for his 24-year-old dental hygienist, and two women friends are eager to open a coffee shop, Uncommon Grounds, in the small Wisconsin town of Brookhills, whose inhabitants include such recognizable types as the local gossip and tennis moms. In a world where Starbuck's and other chains are ubiquitous, Maggy and her friends have their work cut out for them. The challenge becomes even greater when Maggy discovers the body of one of her partners, Patricia Harper, on the floor of their coffee shop. Determined to find out who killed Patricia and why, Maggy delves into the mystery with a sense of humor that would make Miss Marple smile. In her search for the truth, she works with, and sometimes against, the new and unpredictable county sheriff, Jake Pavlik—and uncovers at considerable personal risk the secrets of some of the town's most prominent citizens. Readers will want to curl up with this winner with a cappuccino or maybe even a Viennese cinnamon latte.
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Review

Readers will want to curl up with this winner with a cappuccino or maybe even a Viennese cinnamon latte. -- Publishers Weekly, October 18, 2004

The opening day of a new coffeeshop is the setting for death by espresso in this bright debut. -- Kirkus Reviews, 15 September 2004

This exciting new mystery...makes the perfect gift for any mystery lover this holiday season. -- Specialty Coffee Retailer, September 2004

...as wonderfully rich and sharply written as anything going. What moves Balzo's book high above other writers who try to cover the same territory is a sharp and often amusing skill that convinces us that this is real life, and that it matters. --Chicago Tribune

"...bright debut...Maggy's amusingly matter-of-fact delivery helps lift her above the legion of plucky small-town divorcees who start business ventures, find corpses, take a jaundiced second look at their neighbors, and seek true love in the arms of the law."
--Kirkus Review (September 2004) (Kirkus Review 20050101)

"Sandra Balzo has good grounds for an amusing, well-rounded amateur sleuth series built around a high-end coffeehouse. Balzo, whose first short story won an Edgar Award, shows off her storytelling skills and her ability to create believable characters in her debut novel, 'Uncommon Grounds'."
--Billings Gazette, February 2005 (Doody Enterprises 20041201)

"This debut novel by an award-winning short story writer is uncommonly good. Balzo?s writing is witty and slightly irreverent, and her dialogue is winning. The charming and intelligent Maggy is a well-developed character, as is the supporting cast, and there?s a surprise ending. We should be hearing more from Balzo in the future."
-- RT Bookclub (January 2005) (Doody Enterprises 20041101)

"Maggy herself is delightful, with a wonderful self-deprecating wit. Another pleasure is the chain-smoking Sarah, whom Maggy chooses to play Watson to her Sherlock."
-- Mystery Scene (December 2004) (Mystery Scene 20041101)

"...as wonderfully rich and sharply written as anything going...What moves Balzo's book high above other writers who try to cover the same territory is a sharp and often amusing skill that convinces us that this is real life, and that it matters."
--Chicago Tribune (November 2004) (Chicago Tribune 20041101)

"Balzo will be a strong contender for another award for her first novel...Characters are well drawn and recognizable; the puzzle is especially good; and the villain really surprised me. Grab a cup of your favorite brew and settle down with this great new title."
--Meritorious Mysteries (November 2004) (Meritorious Mysteries 20041101)

"Easygoing prose and small-town hubbub makes this debut mystery a good choice for most collections."
--Library Journal (November 2004) (Library Journal 20041101)

"Easygoing prose and small-town hubbub makes this debut mystery a good choice for most collections."
--Library Journal (November 2004) (Library Journal 20041018)

"Delightful debut...It?s a wonderful spin on the traditional 'cozy,' using coffee instead of tea and Wisconsin instead of the English village. Balzo is a new voice on the 'cozy' front. She is most definitely welcome."
--Green Bay Press-Gazette (November 2004) (Green Bay Press-Gazette 20040101)

"...delightful debut...Readers will want to curl up with this winner."
--Publisher's Weekly (October 2004) (Publisher's Weekly )

"Sandra Balzo has good grounds for an amusing, well-rounded amateur sleuth series built around a high-end coffeehouse. Characters also sweeten Uncommon Grounds. Maggie is well rounded and likeable and the first to admit she can sometimes be too full of herself. We hope she is pouring out mochas and handing out pastries for some time. As Uncommon Grounds' plot percolates, don't be surprised if you find yourself craving a latte."
--South Florida Sentinel, January 2004 (South Florida Sun-Sentinel )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Five Star; 1 edition (November 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594141959
• ISBN-13: 978-1594141959
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,598,836 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

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Caffeinated Delight, November 11, 2004

By 

Charlotte R. Dixon "novelist and freelance wr... (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Star First Edition Mystery - Uncommon Grounds (Hardcover)

When former PR executive and new espresso shop owner Maggy Thorsen investigates the death of one of her partners--electrocuted by the espresso machine on opening morning--she also turns up the seamy underside of her leafy suburb. Brookhills, Wisconsin, boasts tennis Moms driving expensive SUVs, subdivisions full of mansion-like houses, and snooty residents to match. Recently divorced Maggy tootles around town trying to uncover the murderer in order to clear her own name. The cast of characters includes Kate McNamara, the annoying newspaper reporter, Gary Donovan, chief of police and former head of security for the local bank, and a distractingly handsome yet irritating new sheriff, Jake Pavlik. Maggy finds a sidekick in Sarah Kingston, a blunt-talking, chain-smoking real estate agent with a secret soft spot for children, and between the two of them they manage to take the murderer down. Amateur sleuth Maggy is good company, with her snappy phrases, funny one-liners, and wry observations. Describing the police chief, for instance, she says: "Gary had been an Eagle Scout, for God's sake. Or still was. I think that's like being an alcoholic, you never completely recover." Details of operating a gourmet coffee business give this mystery a contemporary and unique spin and make the reader long for a smooth creamy latte.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun and addicting read, October 21, 2005

By 

Bookreporter (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Star First Edition Mystery - Uncommon Grounds (Hardcover)

On its surface UNCOMMON GROUNDS contains all the elements required for the traditional cozy --- small town, mysterious death, amateur sleuth --- while keeping the level of requisite suspension of disbelief to a minimum. The small town in this case is Brookhills, Wisconsin, where the grand opening of Uncommon Grounds, a gourmet coffee store, will be celebrated. A pall is cast upon the event, however, when Patricia Harper, one of three partners in the new business, is found face up and stone cold dead in front of the espresso machine on the morning of the grand opening. It appears that Harper electrocuted herself while brewing her daily, eye-opening latte. But we then learn that the newly installed espresso machine had been tampered with, resulting in Harper's sudden demise.

The immediate suspects are Caron Egan and Maggy Thorsen (who is the book's narrator), the remaining partners in the coffee shop venture, as well as Harper's husband David. The police scrutiny places Thorsen in contact with newly-minted county sheriff Jacob Pavlik, which of course causes sparks of all sorts to fly, especially when Thorsen, dissatisfied with the investigation into her friend's death, starts kicking over investigative rocks on her own, much to Pavlik's consternation. Thorsen finds that her investigation is uncovering more suspects than she can eliminate. She also discovers, to her dismay, that her deceased friend and business partner had a secret that she never shared with Thorsen and that might have resulted in her death. Thorsen, already dealing with the pressures of opening a new business and a pending divorce, soon finds that she is placing herself in danger as well, until salvation --- and more --- come from some unexpected sources.

UNCOMMON GROUNDS is a fun, addicting read, with Balzo striking a nice balance between the everyday and (occasionally) extraordinary. Her narration and plotting is extremely strong and confident throughout. She is careful not to fall into some of the traps that novels of this genre can create. As a result, Thorsen's dog is cute, but not too much so; Pavlik is a ready, but imperfect, love interest; and Thorsen's soon-to-be ex, a despicable cad who has left her for a twentysomething dental hygienist, never even makes an appearance.

Sandra Balzo's first short story, "The Grass Is Always Greener," won the Robert L. Fish Award and was nominated for a Macavity Award. UNCOMMON GROUNDS, won nominations in the "Best First Novel" category from a number of organizations.

It is evident from UNCOMMON GROUNDS that Balzo's talent runs strong and deep. We will see more manifestations of it, and soon.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars She Perks, November 4, 2004

By 

J. Jordan "Editor of Crimespree Magazine" (milwaukee, wi United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Star First Edition Mystery - Uncommon Grounds (Hardcover)

UNCOMMON GROUNDS opens as newly single Maggy Thorsen opens the door to a new business. Uncommon Grounds is going to be a place for people in the town of Brookhills to get a break from the McDonald's coffee down the road. A fresh start for Maggy and her two partners. Unfortunately, partner Patricia has been grounded. That's right, folks, she's gotten a jolt from the Espresso machine like none before and lies in a pool of spilt milk.

The laughter will continue as you read this cozy "nouveau". The character of Maggy is a suburban ex with a Mike Hammer attitude. Balzo's other talents give the book a refreshing substance. The plotting is fast and well done. Small town coincidences don't seem forced. Motive, means and opportunity will keep you turning the pages. Best of all, when you're done, you'll want a second visit with the town and its people. Balzo knows the place she's writing. And, from the local preacher to the moving guy, she has the skill to give all her characters life.

Are you a fan of Stephanie? Do you enjoy Joan Hess? Balzo adds another voice to the argument that cozies aren't just for teacups anymore.