Customer Reviews

Through the Grinder (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 2) (Coffeehouse Mystery)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

After divorcing her husband Matteo, Clare took their daughter to New Jersey where they went suburban for a decade until Joy accepts a school in Manhattan. Clare eagerly agrees to a job offer by her former mother- in-law in the family owned business The Village Blend so that she can be near Joy. She relocates to a duplex above the store while her daughter and her former mother-in-law hope that is the first step in binging Clare and her ex-husband Matt together.

Clare is more interested in monitoring Joy's men rather than meeting any males for herself. During a social gala hosted above the Village Blend, Clare meets and falls in love with Bruce Bowman; he reciprocates her feelings. Clare's friend Detective Mike Quinn warns her to avoid Bruce because he is the prime suspect in the murders of three women that he knew whose deaths were disguised as suicides. Clare refuses to believe Bruce is capable of homicide and with the help of Matt sets out to affirm her belief.

THROUGH THE GRINDER is a fascinating mystery mostly because readers see the killer's point of view as he strikes at the victims. Though the logic why Bruce is a lead suspect seems thin, Quinn's jealousy forces him to rationalize his opinion. Though the tale takes a little time to introduce the cast once Clare takes Manhattan, readers gain an engrossing amateur sleuth serial killer that stars a brave, quirky heroine.

Harriet Klausner

It may not be possible to read this book without a cup of coffee at hand. But make it a dark roast, as this book is slightly darker -- or at least deeper -- than the previous book. It still has moments of laughter, and this is inherently a fun mystery story; don't imagine that you need to be in a "serious" mood to enjoy it. For enjoy it you will: fun and believable characters, compelling recipes, and my guessing for "whodunnit" was wrong at least twice.

A lot of reviews I've read complained about the darkness of this book compared to the others. I really enjoyed this one, more than the last ones! I appreciate the darker tone Claire's life had taken. Of course, given that the woman gets to see more murder than most, one would think that the sinister edge in this book would have her screaming for NJ's 'burbs and the less exciting(read: boring)times(and I'm from Jersey and still live here proudly, so no whining from people who think I'm just bashing my great state).

I really loved the twists and turns this book took with the plots. Just when I thought I knew who was "The Genius", I was slapped down. Maybe that's what I loved about "Through the Grinder"; not only was Claire taken throught it(the grinder) with dating and worrying about Joy's safety with online dating, the picking off of her customers one by one, Claire's own taking a chance on love and hitting the dating scene, but the reader with the red herrings and plot twists Ms. Cosi threw out for her fans too. That's not even mentioning the obvious..all that delicious coffee grinding daily at the Village Blend!

My only gripe: NO recipe for that delicious dessert Claire made for Bruce for their first date! Lucky for me I'm a professionally trained pastry chef, so I can experiment to my heart's content. I already use the coffee trick with beef, except I use it to braise tough cuts of meats(like pot roast), but the other tips and recipes were wonderful and definitely worth making. I'm eagerly awaiting the next Claire Cosi mystery, but AUGUST? What am I going to read til then? I'm already reading Latte Trouble!!

I am a sucker for mystery serials. I love Block's Burgler and the Grafton's Alphabet mysteries so I am the right guy to get into a NYC / Coffee / food series. The characters are likable enough without being cartoons. The dialogue is well written and the people each speak in his or her own voice (think about it, most well written books all have that characteristic in common). The killer is a bad, bad guy and obviously nuts; I love that kind of evil doer. And when he sets his sights on a main character, I could feel the excitement build. The pages turned a little faster too. The action moves along and the author fills in enough local color to make a NYC junkie (like me) happy and it adds another level of interest. (They even took a trip to Queens, for heaven's sake - very unusual.) The way NY's coffee culture is woven into the story works very well for me. NYC used to be a place where weak, bitter coffee was common, even in good restaurants. Now, since the first Starbucks opened over here in the mid-1990's, bad coffee, while it still exists, is getting rare indeed. And local places, like the one described in this story, really exist. The best have taken the basic Starbucks idea and put a NYC spin on it. The author makes me want seek out a place like the one in the story and hang out with friends with a hot cup of coffee.

I look forward to future installments and will now go back and read her earlier books.

Thirty-nine-year-old Clare Cosi is terrified at the thought that her twenty-year-old daughter Joy is contemplating online dating. So, she decides to experience it for herself, and ends up finding someone absolutely perfect for her, Bruce Bowman. Unfortunately, the Village Blend - where Clare is the friendly manager - is having some trouble. Business is booming, as always, but many of Clare's customers are beginning to die, one by one. And, oddly enough, they all seem to die soon after drinking a cup of Clare's famous coffee blend. Soon Detective Quinn is on the case, and searching for suspects. Unfortunately, his prime suspect is Bruce Bowman, who happens to have connections to each of the dead women. Now Clare is planning on finding the murderer, and clearing Bruce's name, before anyone else dies. Namely her.

Cleo Coyle's writing just gets better and better. After reading her first COFFEEHOUSE MYSTERY, ON WHAT GROUNDS, I couldn't wait to delve into another mystery featuring everyone's favorite barista Clare Cosi. Coyle's wonderful descriptions of coffee-making techniques are extremely fun to read, and make the reader - coffee-frinker or not - want to rush out to the closest coffeehouse. Featuring a wonderful collection of coffee recipes in the back of the book, this is one mystery novel that can't be missed!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

After the events of On What Grounds, Clare and the staff of the Village Blend are back to normal. Matteo is off on a coffee buying trip. Joy has broken up with her boyfriend and is talking about using an on-line dating service, and Clare agrees to try it out also. Quinn and the police officers from the first book are now regulars at the Blend and are shocked to learn that one of the Blends customers has committed suicide. Quinn doesn't believe it is suicide but can't buck his superior. When the second Blend regular jumps from a roof it's too much for coincidence. Meanwhile, at the Cappuccino Connection run in the upper level of the Blend, Clare thinks she's found Mr. Right, Bruce Bowman. The murders appear to be related to the on-line dating service and now Joy may be in danger too.

The plot is tightly woven. There are short segments from the killer's diary but it is so well written that you can't be sure who that killer is even with the diary entries to help you out. In fact, I changed my mind about four times while reading only to find out I had it right in the first place. I do so love books that keep me guessing even when they appear to be so cut and dried -- sort of a bait and switch not on the part of the author.

For a second book in a series it upholds the integrity of the first story and the initial characters and just adds to the depth and interest. There's also more information about the use and history of coffee along with the recipes in the back of the book. I'm looking forward to trying the coffee marinated steak (sounds good).

Clare, you are my cuppa coffee! All hail the goddess caffina. Yep, the coffeehouse is open and the mystery is piping hot. This mystery series takes place in an historic Greenwich Village coffeehouse and I love the eclectic coffeehouse atmosphere created by the author. You really feel for the characters in this installment (this is the 2nd in the series). Clare Cosi has come back to managing the coffeehouse after many years away from the job, raising her daughter. When her female customers start to die, she starts to investigate. The murderer is someone you love to hate. (The author gives you a glimpse into the murderer's mind as each murder is planned and executed to make the victims appear as suicides.) Even Joy, her daughter, and Clare herself are in danger by the end. A real page-turner laced with plenty of humor and lots of great coffee trivia and suggestions for making and enjoying the perfect cup. Better have some coffee nearby when you read this. Or better yet read it IN a coffeehouse because the author's descriptions of drinking coffee make you yearn for that perfect cup yourself!

Through the Grinder (book #2 in the coffee house mystery seires) refers not only to the process of preparing coffee, but to the trials and tribulations of e-dating (on-line dating) and the singles scene.

Both Claire Cosi (manager and part owner of The Village Blend coffeehouse in NYC) and her daughter, Joy, have enrolled in an e-dating service. They are even trying out the singles connection nights are held every so often in The Village Blend.

A serial killer seems to be preying on women who are trying to make a love connection. And there's a link that leads police right back to The Village Blend and the new guy in Claire's life.

Through the Grinder is a good mystery that is packed with information about coffee, New York City neighborhoods, and the business of being single. A satisfying second cup in good series.

Although normally a reader of heavier tomes, history - current events,and the like, this reader thoroughly enjoys the quick and clever writings of Cleo Coyle. Like Laura Childs and Rhys Bowen, she has a knack for providing pure fun entertainment for a few hours. Her knowledge of coffee consumption is fascinating. Her characterizations are unique, trendy and certainly New Yorkish. I have enjoyed both her books and presently reading her Latte Troubles. Hopefully, her new work will come out sooner rather than later. What a great way to spend an evening - just relax and read Cleo Coyle.

(Five stars--four if you have no interest in coffee or coffeehouses.) I enjoy Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse series. I am also in agreement with the reviewers who have selected this book as their favorite thus far. It has the very best puzzle and is quite clever in its construction, giving the reader a glimpse of the killer's point-of-view yet still keeping the identity of the killer a secret. This could not have been easy to accomplish, yet Ms. Coyle did so quite adeptly.

Overall, I find Ms. Coyle's writing clever, entertaining, and perfectly suited to the cozy mystery genre in which it is written. It is not "literary" in the sense that it is straightforward storytelling, in keeping with much of Christie, and I find absolutely nothing wrong with that. I have no problem with the humor, either, which at times approaches satire--Janet Evanovich often pushes the envelope with Stephanie Plum, as well, and if you like her, you'll have no problem with Cleo Coyle.

The mystery in Through the Grinder is quite strong and the clues fairly and cleverly placed. I found it a challenge to guess whodunit and why before the last page was turned. Another reviewer has sited the work as "silly," (hmmm...) I think that's the wrong word. The middle-aged heroine's journey through the perils of modern dating (including online and speed dating) was hilarious to me (not silly) and clearly meant to be satirical. The theme of marriages gone wrong was actually sad and poignant, and the journey through some fascinating parts of New York intriguing and well written. Here's a descriptive passage I enjoyed later in the novel, which I found charming (certainly this author knows her setting)...

"An hour after sunset, autumn changed to winter in the Village, giving me my first New York snowfall in ten years....They say time slows for people in this part of the city. The pace is more leisurely, the objectives more mannered than midtown's lean, reaching towers of commercial sport. On a quiet evening like this, with a thick white blanket muting sounds of car traffic, ambulance sirens and cell phones, time didn't just slow, it stopped altogether. I was no longer in twenty-first century Manhattan. With the low ghostly clouds erasing the tops of skyscrapers, I'd entered the pages of Henry James and Edith Wharton...."

I believe a work should be judged not by a few lifted phrases, grammatical anomalies, or typos, but as a whole. (There's a famous quotation by Evelyn Waugh, who called this "the badger digging of literary blood sports.") In my opinion, Through the Grinder's characters, setting, story, and the entire series it belongs to have been (thus far anyway) entertaining to me, and I will certainly continue to read Ms. Coyle's future books.