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77 of 78 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This series keeps getting better, August 9, 2006
In the first two books in the Coffeehouse Mysteries, the action is set in cosmopolitan New York City. This story takes a summer break: Claire Cosi is helping a friend get his (coffee-centered!) restaurant started in the Hamptons, at the end of ritzy Long Island, and living in David's house (mansion, more like) along with her daughter and boss/ex-mother-in-law. During the Fourth of July party, one of the restaurant employees is shot to death... and Claire is certain David was the target. The police don't agree. Naturally, she feels compelled to find out the truth.
That's a recipe for a standard cozy mystery, but this one does a particularly good job. First, Coyle makes Claire completely believeable. Other than the initial premise (*I* never had a customer offer me the opportunity to spend the summer in the Hamptons), the protagonist makes sensible deductions, and has normal reactions to stress (such as an ongoing spat with her daughter). The pacing is done well enough that I kept turning pages, and I gulped down the book in a few short days. Best of all, I really didn't know who the murderer was until it was revealed.
The coffee recipes (including an 8-layer fancy coffee drink and espresso-boosted brownies) and coffee knowledge (a long essay on matching high end Brazillian coffee with almonds and figs) are well integrated into the story, too. You learn a lot, without feeling as though Claire stepped out of character and up to a podium. It's also more than "basics" in coffee knowledge; I did learn quite a bit (and I'm going to seek out that Brazillian coffee she mentioned).
I got just what a wanted from a cozy mystery story: entertainment, escape, a not-too-easy puzzle to solve, and enough knowledge to make me feel that I'd learned something new. I enjoyed it. I think you will, too.
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34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best one yet, but I have no doubt the next one will be better, and so on..., August 9, 2006
I have read all these books in order, and I think like most writers Ms. Coyle's writing has improved with each new story. She has created wonderful, likable characters and you just don't want to put the book down. Coyle uses sharp dialogue and strays from the typical mystery faire. I absolutely love coffee, and I must warn you, you're going to want a good cuppa while you read this book. It's a lot less coffee oriented than the rest of the stories, but Coyle still manages to educate her readers with a tidbit of coffee trivia she has not yet revealed. My only complaint is that Clare often thinks of Det. Quinn, and calls him once for his professional opinion. He promises to look into it and then he's sort of obliterated from the story. I also wish we had a bit more of Madame's character, she's one of my favorites. Other than that, I was sorry when the story ended. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long for the next one.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another good one !, August 20, 2006
I discovered this series earlier this year, quickly read the first three books and anxiously awaited this fourth installment. I was not disappointed! As with any "cozy" mystery, you have to accept a certain amount of unrealistic situations, but this series is much more believable than many others. The action in this book takes place out on Long Island in the Hamptons during the summer "season". The main character, Clare, accepts a temporary job at a new restaurant as the managing barista to get the coffee bar/dessert selections established. This allows the author to introduce new characters and situations while the premise of why the main character is there makes sense .... it doesn't appear to be contrived to move the story.
The coffee references/eduation are still a lot of fun and very enjoyable for anyone who likes coffee.
While not great literature (and what cozies are? If you are looking for lasting literature, you're reading the wrong genre) the book was fun, light, interesting and a perfect read when in the mood for this type of reading. I am sorry to know I will probably have to wait another year for the next installment ! If you like mysteries, you can't go wrong with these.
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