Through The Grinder (Coffeehouse Mysteries)

Rating:
Summary: fascinating mystery
Review: 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


Rating:
Summary: Perky!
Review: Cleo Coyle's 2nd "Coffeehouse Mystery" starts with the same steamed ambiance as the first - with an opaque glimpse of a murder. Who is killing Clare's Coffee Klatchers? This cozy little coffee house caper is darker and more robust than the first. Murder most frothe. It's a fun perk through the annals of coffee and Manhattan, crammed with caffeine curios and cream. /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: A roasting good read!
Review: I always enjoy finding a new author and Ms. Coyle is on my list her mystery while grounded in the genre is also new and refreshing. It does not take it self too seriously and is a fun read. I love the idea of a mystery set in a coffee shop, with the customers dying for a cup of Joe! I thought the mystery was hidden well enough with plenty of intreguing suspects. The dialoge is witty and pace breezy. If your looking for A good mystery check this one out.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the first...
Review: I really like Cleo Coyle's first Coffeehouse mystery, On What Grounds, so I had high expectations for the sequel. It started out extremely intriguing, with a creepy villain and Clare in her typical love-life mess.

Unfortunately, only a few chapters into the book, I stumbled onto a passage where Coyle gave the whole thing away! I like being able to figure out the mystery, but not so clearly and not so early in the story.

I haven't given up on the Village Blend. I'll be looking for the third in the series as soon as it comes out.

Rating:
Summary: A darker roast than the previous book
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Like the theme
Review: Ms. Coyle has written a thoroughly enjoyable mystery. I spend some time in coffee shops and while I was reading this story, I took a special interest in the cup before me. Characters are interesting and fun. I do think the first suspect should have been dear Clare since it was her coffee that was killing her customers.

Rating:
Summary: No Sophomore Slump Here
Review: 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

Rating:
Summary: Good Series
Review: This is a fun series to read, and the second installment didn't disappoint.

However, I wish the author would tone down a bit on the coffee trivia and history. It makes a good "gimmick" for the series, but there's such a thing as too much. I felt it was overdone in the first book and hoped it would be less in this book...but the worst part was that a lot of the stuff was repeated from the first book, which made it particularly boring and worthy of being skipped over. A gimmick should enhance the book, not overpower it.

I look forward to the next installment.