This is the sixth in the Coffeehouse Mystery series; I've read each of them from number one (in chronological order, of course, but each book could be read as a standalone.) For me this is the ultimate in cozy: a combination of crime and coffee, set in New York - what's not to love?! Coffee info and tips are dotted throughout the book and there are recipes at the end, so if you love your coffee as much as I do you may find these books interesting just for that.
A short summary: Clare Cosi and her estranged husband Matteo (because an uncomplicated relationship would be too easy, right?) run a coffee shop in New York's West Village. Their daughter Joy starts an internship at a top NY restaurant and also starts dating the much older, married head chef. In an attempt to keep a closer eye on her daughter, Clare makes a deal to supply the restaurant with coffee, but before she even has time to start replacing the current terrible offerings with something much better, murder is afoot. First it's one of Joy's intern friends and then it's Joy's beau, the head chef. Joy is, of course, the main suspect and it's down to Clare to prove her daughter's innocence and find who really 'dunnit'.
I enjoy this series (for the most part); as I said before, it's set in a coffee shop in New York and its a cozy, so for me it's the trifecta of brilliantness. The characters are being developed nicely as the series continues and I'm interested to see what will happen to them (particularly Clare and her policeman beau Mike) in the next book. Obviously it won't be to everyone's taste but if you're interested in reading a cozy crime series that isn't too cozy, perhaps this one's for you.
It sounds like a great book, I shall look out for it. Hope you're having a good week. It's always a treat to read a post from you. CJ xx
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