ONCE UPON A GRIND by Cleo Coyle 

MURDER SHE WROTE: DEATH OF A BLUE BLOOD 

by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

ONCE UPON A GRIND

Book 14 in the Coffeehouse Mystery series 

by Cleo Coyle

From the New York Times bestselling author of Billionaire Blend comes an enchanting new entry in the "satisfyingly rich" Coffeehouse Mystery series.

 

Includes wicked good recipes. When coffeehouse manager turned amateur sleuth Clare Cosi serves "magic" beans for a Fairy Tale Fall event, she brews up a vision that leads to a sleeping beauty in Central Park; a big, bad wolf of Wall Street; and an East Side enclave with storybook secrets...

Fairy tale fever has descended on New York City. Broadway fans are flocking to Red Riding Hood: The Musical; museums are exhibiting art inspired by the Brothers Grimm; and Clare Cosi and her merry band of baristas give their coffee truck a "Jack and the Beanstalk" makeover for a Central Park festival. Clare's coffee hunter ex-husband contributes a bag of African beans with alleged magical properties. His octogenarian mother entertains customers with readings of the grinds, but Clare remains skeptical--until she receives a vision that helps her find a young model's body in the park's woods.

 

The police dismiss "sleeping beauty" as the victim of a drug overdose. Then Clare uncovers evidence that points to a list of suspects--from a New York Giant to quite a few wicked witches--and a cold case murder that reaches back to the Cold War. Now Clare is really in the woods with a dangerous predator on her heels and an investigation that leads from a secret Prince Charming Club right back to her own NYPD detective boyfriend. If she doesn't solve this mystery, those magic beans predict an unhappy ending.

MY REVIEW

I must admit here and now that this is the first book I have read in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. Not for lack of wanting to. I just have a huge TBR (to be read) and I didn’t want to add a series with so many books already in it to catch up on. Oh boy, have I ever been cheating myself out of some wonderful reading time! This book is not as good as my sister has told me the series is, it’s ten times better!

By the end of chapter one of ONCE UPON A GRIND, I knew I was hooked worse than one gets on the wonderful caffeine this series is about. I felt an instant affection right away with the story’s characters. Series lead Clare Cosi is someone I would like to know. And while I don’t normally care for cozies set in big cities, NYC is about as big as they get, this book had a very cozy, small town feel and I greatly enjoyed it.

The fairy tale theme in the story was very well done. Author Cleo Coyle perfectly blended real life and the fairy tale aspects to create a spectacular mystery that left me breathless. I was on the edge of my seat through the twists and turns of this book. And with its brilliant conclusion, I was finally able to take a deep breath. I am now a mega Cleo Coyle fan. Good thing my sister has the whole series!

So, grab a cup of your favorite brew and be prepared to enjoy this awesome book.

Make sure to check out the back of the book for tons of tips and recipes!

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MURDER SHE WROTE

DEATH OF A BLUE BLOOD

Book 43 in the Murder She Wrote Mystery series 

by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

In the latest mystery in the USA Today bestselling series, Jessica Fletcher rings in the New Year with British aristocracy, but someone’s about to end the life of the party.…

A VERY PROPER MURDER

Jessica Fletcher and her friend Scotland Yard detective inspector George Sutherland are invited to attend a New Year’s Eve Ball at Castorbrook Castle, thanks to her British publisher. Shortly after arriving in the idyllic English countryside, Jessica discovers the body of a lady’s maid in the garden.

While their host, Lord Norrance, his family, and party guests squabble over the tragic death in perfectly mannered, thoroughly British style, family relations are strained as old wounds are reopened and cutting remarks are freely handed out.

As midnight beckons at the ball, the merriment crashes to a halt when Norrance falls ill and dies, apparently poisoned—and the number of suspects with a grudge against the lord of the manor sprouts like English ivy. Now it’s up to Jessica and George to find the killer—or killers—before another corpse welcomes in the New Year....

MY REVIEW

At forty-three books and counting, what can I say about a book in the Murder She Wrote series that hasn’t already been said?

Author Donald Bain along with his collaborator Jessica Fletcher, have a real flare for storytelling and have done a remarkable job of continuing the adventures of Ms. Fletcher. When you read a book in this series, it’s like sitting in front of the television and watching an episode of the show the books are based on. You can hear the characters voices via the actors of from the show.

As with past installments in this series, DEATH OF A BLUE BLOOD was extremely well written with an entertaining plot. It’s always fun having Jessica team up with Scotland Yard detective inspector George Sutherland. They make an excellent pair. While they investigate one murder another apparent murder happens. With more suspects than a few, Mr. Bain gave my brain a real work out while trying to solve this mystery.

If you’re a fan of the Murder She Wrote Mystery series, you’re going to love this installment. Haven’t read any of the books but loved the show? No worries. Reading DEATH OF A BLUE BLOOD is like watching a lost episode.

Make sure to check out the back of the book for an excerpt from book 44, THE GHOST AND MRS. FLETCHER.

Both of these great titles release on 

Tuesday, September 1! 

Pre-order your copies today!

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