Decaffeinated Corpse

Another great mystery from Cleo Coyle! My favorite part of this series is how involved Clare Cosi is with everyone. She knows her family, her friends, and her customers. The introduction of a new (old) friend to Matt, Clare’s ex-husband, was a great addition to the series. I look forward seeing what progresses with Joy in the next book.

I've been following this coffeehouse mystery series since the beginning, and I have absolutely enjoyed every one. The author manages to get me to suspend disbelief, and buy into a manager of a Greenwich Village coffeehouse who would be nosy enough to get involved in crime investigations. The characters behave like real people (even the minor players, such as the coffeehouse's barristas, have their own goals and storylines), and they're very appealing. The setting is fun; I grew up in New York, and I appreciate how well Coyle integrates city life into the story, without getting heavy handed about it. And the mystery... well, okay, I _did_ correctly guess the whodunnit before the end, but I didn't mind. The story doesn't rely completely on body count and investigations, since there are so many character changes going on. Bottom line: I grabbed this book as my companion for a plane flight, and it was exactly what I had hoped for. I spent a few hours in another world, and I was thoroughly entertained while I was there. Can you start with this book, out of order from the rest of the series? Probably. There's no plot elements that require you to know everything what went before. But I'd recommend you do start at the beginning, because you'll get the most from the people-relationships, such as Clare's feeling about her ex-husband and why she's so close to her ex-mother-in-law. Obviously, this series appeals to people who are serious about coffee. I'm not a coffee geek, but I do roast my own beans (see IRoast2) and own a high-end Solis espresso maker. The author does drop a lot of coffee knowledge, and (even though I'm a long way from ignorant about the subject), I learned quite a bit. If you enjoy coffee and mystery novels, you'll definitely enjoy this book and this series. But you wouldn't have to like coffee to enjoy this book. It's just a fun, cozy mystery... good entertainment.

I have read all of Cleo Coyle's Coffee House mysteries, and this one had to be my favorite thus far. One of the best aspects of these books, is, that in addition to a great mystery, the author really gives you quite an education regarding coffee. I had no idea that there were different ways to decaffeinate coffee beans! Also, for those who are familiar with New York, her visual descriptions of life in the Village, and other boroughs is very good, throughout the book, I feel as if I am inside the Village Blend, a fly on the wall, watching this story unfold. Quite fascinating and a hard book to put down.

Since May 2007, I've become addicted to the Coffeehouse Mystery series by Cleo Coyle. (Incidentally, "Cleo Coyle" is really the husband and wife writing team of Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini. They are also "Alice Kimberly", who writes the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.) I savored the first book, On What Grounds, and also enjoyed Through the Grinder (although it was suprisingly sad and dark at the end). I've recently finished Book 3 Latte Trouble (my least favorite of the series), as well as the fourth book Murder Most Frothy (you can see my reviews of those books at their product page). I'm pleased to report that Decaffeinated Corpse is one of the best in the Coffeehouse Mystery series--almost on par with the first (and best) book! In the fifth book of this series, one of Matteo's friends, Ric, has cultivated a naturally decaffeinated plant. Because decaf is in high-demand (and because the Village Blend's expansion into kiosks placed at high end boutiques has caused a financial strain), both Clare and Matteo jump at the chance to get exclusive rights to distribute the Gostwick Estate Reserve. However, when Ric is assaulted in the alley behind the Village Blend, Clare begins to suspect that something shady might be going on...and that the assault was, in fact, attempted murder. I love the evolution of the characters (Clare, her ex-husband Matteo, ex-mother-in-law Madame, floppy-haired barista Tucker and even the icy Breanne Summour)--as well as the realistic complexities of relationships...including Clare's relationship with her coke-snorting culinary daughter, Joy, and her attraction to the rumpled cop, Mike Quinn (which is now creeping towards a bona fide romance). I keep rooting for Clare to get back with Matteo--and the authors make him a very likable rogue! As always, there are FASCINATING coffee growing/brewing tips in Decaffeinated Corpse, especially in terms of decaffeination. And, there are GREAT recipes at the back, too. I can't wait to try Clare's Cappuccino Muffins! I'm looking forward to the sixth installment, French Pressed, set to debut in March 2008!

Reading all the reviews before me, I decided to defend the author a little bit. I have enjoyed all the mysteries in the series with no exception. I love the coffee facts and the history thread in Cleo Coyle's books. For me it was not too much at all. It fit the whole plot just right and I enjoyed learning facts about coffee. I was very happy about the development in the main character's romance with the police officer and I can't wait for the next book.

I own all of the coffeehouse mysteries and this one did not disappoint. Cleo Coyle has created believable characters and added coffee trivia to boot. I love that no matter how minor a role the character has, Coyle always seems to give a great deal of thought and detail to this person, even if they are only in the book for a minute number of pages. I have noticed that the plots improve with every novel, as do the recipes. Coyle's whodunits are not so obvious as some other mystery writers and she often keeps me guessing right until the end. I agree with another reviewer who said that she provides her readers with coffee tidbits and trivia, but she does not get bogged down and I never feel like the book stalls at these times. She never uses a term that might not be familiar to all without explaining it (Rita Mae Brown did this in her last novel) and her dialogue is funny, witty and easy to read.