Murder Most Frothy (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 4)

I am loving this series! For this book Clare left NYC and was living a life of luxury in the Hampton’s! I thoroughly enjoy reading more and more about Clare, Matteo, and Madame and love all the intricate layers within these characters. This is the first in the series I’ve given a 4 star review to and that was because it seemed too easy to solve the whodunnit aspect. There was still mystery surrounding other aspects but it just seemed very predictable. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will continue the series!

In this latest escapade of Clare Cosi, the Village Blend co-owner, we find her this time not in New York but the Hamptons. She is helping a friend(from earlier novel) get his Hampton's restuarant off the ground. What a better way to spend the summer right? And then some one dies. And Clare is off to wild ways to try to help, I mean solve the murder. With new characters and old jealous ways, you are sure to love this latest installment in the Coffeehouse Series. Pick this one up and enjoy the light easy reading.....

These books are a fun read. Perfect for trips and travel. They don't take too long and they are so entertaining! I love the coffee and food recipes included. Get all four in the series. You won't be sorry!!!

This series is a lot of fun!!! I keep looking for the next book in the series, but it probably hasn't been written yet. I love, love, love the characters and the mysterious scenarios. Highly recommended to those who love mysteries AND fun while reading.

I have read all these books in order, and I think like most writers Ms. Coyle's writing has improved with each new story. She has created wonderful, likable characters and you just don't want to put the book down. Coyle uses sharp dialogue and strays from the typical mystery faire. I absolutely love coffee, and I must warn you, you're going to want a good cuppa while you read this book. It's a lot less coffee oriented than the rest of the stories, but Coyle still manages to educate her readers with a tidbit of coffee trivia she has not yet revealed. My only complaint is that Clare often thinks of Det. Quinn, and calls him once for his professional opinion. He promises to look into it and then he's sort of obliterated from the story. I also wish we had a bit more of Madame's character, she's one of my favorites. Other than that, I was sorry when the story ended. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long for the next one.

In the first two books in the Coffeehouse Mysteries, the action is set in cosmopolitan New York City. This story takes a summer break: Claire Cosi is helping a friend get his (coffee-centered!) restaurant started in the Hamptons, at the end of ritzy Long Island, and living in David's house (mansion, more like) along with her daughter and boss/ex-mother-in-law. During the Fourth of July party, one of the restaurant employees is shot to death... and Claire is certain David was the target. The police don't agree. Naturally, she feels compelled to find out the truth. That's a recipe for a standard cozy mystery, but this one does a particularly good job. First, Coyle makes Claire completely believeable. Other than the initial premise (*I* never had a customer offer me the opportunity to spend the summer in the Hamptons), the protagonist makes sensible deductions, and has normal reactions to stress (such as an ongoing spat with her daughter). The pacing is done well enough that I kept turning pages, and I gulped down the book in a few short days. Best of all, I really didn't know who the murderer was until it was revealed. The coffee recipes (including an 8-layer fancy coffee drink and espresso-boosted brownies) and coffee knowledge (a long essay on matching high end Brazillian coffee with almonds and figs) are well integrated into the story, too. You learn a lot, without feeling as though Claire stepped out of character and up to a podium. It's also more than "basics" in coffee knowledge; I did learn quite a bit (and I'm going to seek out that Brazillian coffee she mentioned). I got just what a wanted from a cozy mystery story: entertainment, escape, a not-too-easy puzzle to solve, and enough knowledge to make me feel that I'd learned something new. I enjoyed it. I think you will, too.