Customer Reviews

Roast Mortem (Coffee House Mystery)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first discovered this mystery series in early 2006 and at that point, three books had been published in the series so I read all of them in about two weeks. Since then, I have read each book as it becomes available and have yet to be disappointed. I read several other mystery series and only two come to mind as holding up much past book 7 - this one and the Tea Shop Series by Laura Childs. The others just seem to start out strong and then something happens. The author runs out of ideas or becomes bored and doesn't put forth the effort? Whatever the problem is, they start dropping in quality around that point and I either hang in there hoping for better (and being disappointed) or sadly give up and no longer invest the time and effort as new books are released. This series has beaten the odds in my estimation and the quality has remained at a level beyond my expectations, especially for a series that has now run nine books long.

This particular novel again features Clare Cosi, manager of The Village Blend, an independent coffee shop in the heart of Greenwich Village. This installment has a slightly different twist as the main focus of the mystery is that coffee shops around the city are being set on fire and people are being hurt or killed in the process. Clare happens to be in one of the cafes when the first fire starts so she is immediately caught up in trying to understand what is happening and trying to ensure nothing happens to her own, much-loved, Village Blend. Much of the story line revolves around the NYFD and when you read the afterward you will better understand why. While I miss the Village Blend and the baristas located there, they do make appearances which made me happy. Also, the characters of Mike Quinn and his cousin Michael Quinn are both further developed throughout the story.

A good mystery with a heavy emphasis on both fire-fighting and coffee brewing, this latest effort continues with snappy dialogue, humor, and a cast of characters that are evolving and developing over time. I think one of strengths of the novels is the setting of New York. It allows the author to continue to add fresh characters, an incredibly strong sense of place, and more "realistic" situations than many other books. Some of the stories will resonate more than others, based upon your interest and personal preferences, but the series is wonderful and this is another solid installment that the author should be proud of.

An interesting primer on coffee roasting is included in the back as well as recipes which will make your mouth water !

Roast Mortem I have to say, is my favorite book by Cleo so far. This book hit close to home for me as my dad is a retired Fire Chief after 48 years of service and I could totally relate to what was happening through out the book. Clare out does herself this time. It was nice to see more of Mike's Cousin Michael Quinn and the big secrets between the two. I also enjoyed Clare coming to Mike's rescue for a change. Clare does her best work when she is at the firehouse trying to teach a few of the guys how to use the Espresso machine. Matt also surprised me this go around. Each character is getting stronger and even more interesting as the time goes. There are a few hilarious parts in the book that make it all come together nicely. I look forward to the next book and so glad I got to read this one.

I have liked all of the books in this series and I was very happy with this latest installment. All of the New York details have always been an essential backdrop to all of the Coffee House stories, and this book is no exception. I loved that the author found a way to bring the FDNY into this story, as they are a key part of the New York landscape. We've had the NYPD represented with Clare's boyfriend Mike, and it was great to see the FDNY and Mike's cousin Michael play such a big part of the book. All of my favorite characters were well represented here, particularly Madame and Clare's ex-husband Matt. Thankfully Matt's wife Breanne was only mentioned in passing. I really do like the Clare and Matt scenes and Matt's wife tends to get in the way of that.

There were so many red herrings scattered throughout the book that the mystery really doesn't get unraveled until the end. You'll think (along with Clare) that you've got the mystery solved several times, but chances are you haven't. This was another great cozy to curl up with!

One Michael Quinn is wonderful. Two are definitely more than Clare wants to handle! But Mike's firefighter cousin makes another appearance in this book, and he's determined to heat things up for Clare--just when she's fighting the mystery of a fire that has threatened the lives of people Clare cares about.

In all of the books written by Cleo Coyle - a husband and wife who are each talented writers - there's a lot going on. There are lots of people to get to know, lots of places to go and see, and always delightfully tantalizing recipes and descriptions of food and coffee. This book, though, contains something special: an introduction and tribute to the New York Fire Department. Through these pages, we get to know impressive men who don't think there's anything impressive at all about their doing their job. The author's profound respect is infectious. I hope future Coffeehouse Mysteries revisit the NYFD. I can't wait for my next Cleo Coyle "fix"!

Another enjoyable Coffeehouse Mystery. Clare Cosi is at it again, this time trying to find an arsonist. Her affair with Mike (Cop) is on-going and Mateo is back in town (married). While Clare and Madame are visiting an old friend of Madame's (Enzo) at his coffeehouse, an explosion occurs and Enzo and Madame are trapped in the basement. Very suspenseful and fun.

I have read this series since it first started and I was absolutely not disappointed this time! I really enjoyed the old familiar characters like, Clare, Matt, Mike and Madame. I don't want to forget the coffee barrista's either-they were all there and in rare form! Some how they just make these books seem like a familiar old sweater you love. There was alot going on in this book: coffee houses burning down, murder, mayhem, the NYFD, NYPD, etc.! Thank goodness Matt's wife, Breanne was only mention in this book because I really don't like her! I know that is silly but she isn't like the other people in this book, she is annoying and selfish! I thought this book was a little different from Cleo's usual storyline, but it worked and I'm glad she did it!!

Buy this book today-you won't be disappointed!

Although she is love with NYPD Detective Mike Quinn and long divorced from Matt Allegro, Clare Cosi remains manager and barista of the historic Village Blend Coffeehouse. When the owner, her former mother-in-law, dies, she and Matt will inherit half shares of the cafe. Claire and Madame (her former mother-in-law) visit her friend Enzo Testa at his Queens Caffe Lucia. Claire leaves Madame and Enzo in the basement to let her barrister Dante Silva inro the closed café..

An explosion in front of the café sends the building into an inferno. Clare manages to get Dante out of the blaze. Ladder Company 199 rescues Madame and Enzo who were trapped inside by a fire door. When two more coffeehouses are torched and the Village Blend threatened, Clare investigates with the unofficial approval of the Fire Marshal. She considers several suspects, but while sleuthing meets Fire Captain Mike Quinn, cousin to her Mike Quinn who are bitter enemies. She tries to avoid him because he keeps telling lies about her love and keeps mailing passes at her. In an ironic twist, he is her best source for information.

This high octane amateur sleuth is an explosive whodunit. Clare is a dedicated loyal person whose inquiry places her in deadly scenarios. Besides the strong arsonist investigation, there is also a romantic subplot, but Cleo Coyle serves her latest specialty blend (see Holiday Grind) around the mystery.

Harriet Klausner

This latest coffee house mystery doesn't, for the most part, take place in the coffee house. The FDNY is the main focus of the mystery and we're taken inside the workings of these heroes. It was interesting to get an inside look at the fire dept. and different boroughs in NY. Part of the story centers on faulty equipment and that adds to the mystery; how did this happen? Who's to blame? There's more than one mystery addressed in the book; torching of coffee shops, deaths, and it keeps you guessing as to whether or not they're all related. The Mike Quinn/Michael Quinn animosity is further explored and we're given insight into their past and what happened to get them where they are. I wonder if firefighters are so obsessed with espresso that they'd have Claire come and give them detailed instructions on using an espresso machine, but I realize she had to get into the firehouse for the sake of the story. I've read all the books in the series and love all of them. (The writing style seems to have changed a bit in this one and I wonder if the balance of input is shifting between the husband and wife authors.) I look forward to the next installment and hope it's back in the colorful Village.

As usual from this excellent writer, Roast Mortem continues Coyle's tradition of writing a very readable and interesting mystery, with sharply drawn, easily identifiable characters, while also serving up a deeper and richer underpinning.

Plus, also as usual, recipes for drinks and desserts and other foodstuffs that made me glad that I do not yet seem to gain weight just from reading about them.

And, she kept me guessing again, presenting so many red herrings in solving the crime that I lost count. Every time I thought that I knew the who and why of it, that possibility would be openly stated and rejected.

There are actually a limited number of plots and ways to commit a crime and cover it up as well as only a few motives for said crimes, but Coyle manages to blend two classics in a way to keep the reader guessing.

The crime in this book is Arson, which gives Coyle the opportunity to present the inner workings of an FDNY station and its personalities, and while in action the firemen are the heroes we all imagine, in person there are the usual human frailties, including a depressing amount of male chauvinism.

There is a nice blend of familiar characters, certainly head sleuth and barista Clare Cosi, and her family, friends, and staff, with some wonderful additional characters who are probably for this book only.

There are also touching details of the small ways in which people relate to and support each other that make this book so much more than a standard mystery.

I was especially moved by the story of the mural, destroyed and then recreated.

The only problem I had with the book, and it is MY problem, is that I so strongly dislike guest character Fire Captain Michael Quinn, cousin of Police Detective and Clare's boyfriend Mike Quinn, and I cannot understand how any woman could stand to be within ten feet of him let alone have a romantic or sexual relationship with him.

Which makes this very real life, as there are always people we simply do not like.

I also learned that coffee is a fruit, technically the seeds inside the fruit, and should be harvested, roasted, ground according to when it is ready to pick/prepare. Who knew?

Cleo Coyle pays tribute to the FDNY in this latest book in her best-selling Coffee House Mystery series. Roast Mortem takes Clare Cosi from Greenwich Village to Queens and Brooklyn in search of an arsonist who is torching coffee houses, and The Village Blend could be next if she doesn't find the culprit. Clare doesn't believe the theory held by law enforcement that the arsonist is an eco-terrorist making a statement against coffee production, instead, she thinks that the culprit lives closer to home and that the fires may be a foil for something more sinister. When New York's bravest start dying, and it looks like her beloved Mike Quinn is going to take the fall for the killings, Clare digs in to find the real murderer or murderers, but not without placing her life, and that of her ex-husband Matt (Matteo) in danger. Will Clare solve the mystery before it is too late?

Coyle's Coffee House Mysteries just keep getting better, and this is one of my favorites in the series! I can't wait to read the next one. If you love Laura Childs, Sheila Connolly and Krista Davis, you will love Cleo Coyle!