Tara LushBesprekingen
Auteur van Grounds for Murder (A Coffee Lover's Mystery Book 1)
Besprekingen
I love how close the coffee shop staff are with one another and how well they work together to solve the mysteries.
Kae Marie Denino did a great job narrating this novel and I will definitely look for more books narrated by them in the future,
A Bean to Die For is the fourth book in author Tara Lush’s fabulous and fun cozy Coffee Lover’s Mystery series, and what a delightful return it is to the sand and sun of the close-knit Devil’s Beach, Florida community. With its engaging ensemble of recurring characters, suspicious death, and tantalizing Gulf Coast setting, this is a perfect bookish escape from the current wintry weather.
The main character, Lana Lewis, has a lot going on as usual, but life has somewhat settled down since the events of the previous books. Her relationship with Noah Garcia, Devil’s Beach’s chief of police, is progressing nicely and is about to take a big step forward. Noah’s mother and sister are arriving on the island at the end of the week, and he’s introducing them to Lana. However, Lana is stressing to impress as she plans to prepare her specialty, lasagna, for dinner at her home on Saturday night, especially when she finds herself, once again, embroiled in a murder case.
Lana is the first to discover the body of local activist Jack Daggitt, a man with plenty of people who have a bone to pick with him, and Noah doesn’t want her anywhere near this investigation. She’s more than ready and willing to comply until a regular customer becomes a prime suspect and asks for her help in proving her innocence. However, Lana’s desire to help wins out, and soon, she and Erica are hip-deep in suspects. I loved Erica and Peter’s enthusiasm for tackling this new case and how they tried to keep things on the hush-hush and Lana out of dutch with Noah. But Lana was really more twisted up over putting her best foot forward for Noah’s family, initially, than the potential danger involved in tracking down a killer. The three do a great job of identifying possible suspects and working to cross them off their list, yet the discovery of the perpetrator comes as a surprise after all. The author has an absolute gift for creating fresh and fun dialogue, making reading a joy. And while this is the fourth book in the series, newcomers shouldn’t have any trouble getting into and enjoying the story. The author also does a great job referring to past investigations without giving everything away, so readers who will want to read the previous books won’t have had those stories spoiled.
I recommend A BEAN TO DIE FOR to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy coffee, Florida settings, and fans of the previous novels.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.
My favorite Coffee Lovers book yet! I got a kick out of the hijinks of Lana and her pals as I laughed my way through the book at the most unexpected times. The mystery was engaging and well presented and I love how much the characters have grown over the four books. Well done!
Frida Kahlo’s quote is fitting for the eccentric beach town of Devil’s Beach and it’s inhabitants and I love it! It’s always a pleasure to take a trip into Lana’s world and this outing was delightful. Death by leaf blower...completely and utterly understandable!
This is a fun series featuring Lana Lewis, a reporter turned coffee shop owner in Florida. Great plot and great secondary characters, too.
I'm eager to read more from this author.
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Not really an unbiased review as I love the earlier ones in series with all of the wildly interesting characters, superfun locale, surprising plot twists, amazing red herrings, and endless laughs.
Lana is a former crime writer in Miami and returned to her hometown (after she divorced the scum) as the owner/operator of the coffee shop. The romantic interest is the local police chief.
This time Lana has been granted a plot in the community garden and finds a dead man in it! The guy is an octogenarian who is known to be contentious and more. And then it gets weird. And the long list of suspects is positively psychedelic! Loved it this one, too!
I requested and received an EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Looking forward to reading book #4 in the Coffee Lover's Mystery series.
Great fun to read and a great companion to other Florida-based cozies by Sherry Harris and Lucy Burdette.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for access to an arc on NetGalley.
This is the third in a series of cozy mysteries set in a small Florida beach town on the Bay of Mexico. It can be read as a standalone and there's sufficient backstory for those who have not read the rest of the series.
It's a cozy: no explicit violence, no bad language and no graphic sex. There's a dead-end story line from Lana's childhood about her then best friend who disappeared. It's not resolved in this episode, perhaps that's left for a future novel in the series.
It 's got good dialogue, with some comical corny cliches, for example: "what's shaking', bacon?"; "Holy Pup-Peroni", and other similar ones.
There's a solid set of characters: Lana, Erica, Lana's father Peter (an aging hippy), and her dog Stanley. The Town's police chief is Lana's boyfriend and romantic interest. Their relationship provides some tension with the amateur sleuthing. Lana is spunky - as a former reporter - she is a definite self-starter in the investigation.
Overall, while it follows the traditional cozy formula, it's got a sense of excitement and adventure that makes for an entertaining read.
I received a complementary advance reading copy of the book from the publisher Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley for my unsolicited review.
Lana is a former crime writer in Miami and returned to her hometown after she divorced the scum as the owner/operator of the coffee shop. The romantic interest is the local police chief. She didn't find the body this time nor is she at the top of the suspect list, but her bestie is. The dead guy is the obnoxious neighbor, and both bestie and Lana's dad had a row with him before his leaf blower exploded. Lots of interesting characters, plot twists, red herrings, and laughs. Loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Interesting plot. Great characters. The single most hilarious cozy mystery scene I've ever read (no spoilers from me as to what that might be).
Very enjoyable and it made me want to read more from this author.
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Everyone is into yoga. When the hot, latest yoga sensation Raina Rose Romero goes missing, it brings back memories to Lana of the disappearance of her friend Gisela when both were young teens. Gisela's case is still unsolved. Lana begins to investigate Raina's disappearance in the hopes of a better outcome.
Lana is asked by the local newspaper editor Mike to write a freelance story about the case. Lana jumps at the chance because she misses her former career. She begins investigating to find out that Raina had as many enemies as admirers. She and her live-in boyfriend Kai seemed to be having constant arguments. She was playing up to Shawn who was almost stalker-ish. Some of her clients called her "emotionally manipulative" while others thought she was the next best thing to sliced bread.
Raina's devotion to growing her brand led her to borrowing money from lots of people including some of her students, and making enemies among the other yoga teachers on the island.
While trying to investigate Raina's disappearance and later her murder, Lana also has to keep her coffee shop going. She's having some trouble with her new cold brew coffee creation that is causing customer complaints and baffling Lana. Lana is also busy with her newly adopted Shih Tzu puppy Stanley and trying to fit in Puppy Kindergarten classes with him.
Lana and the new Police Chief Noah Garcia are also trying to find time to date. But Raina's case and Lana's need to keep her business going while sleuthing make it hard for them to find time to spend together.
I enjoyed the Florida setting and loved Lana's character. She was nicely quirky, inquisitive, and opposed to sweating in the various yoga classes.
Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this story.
But with a new relationship beginning to bloom between her and the police chief, Noah Garcia, Lana has to be careful not to involve him in her own investigation. Which isn't going to be easy, but Lana is determined to ask as many questions as she needs to in order to find out what happened to the yogi. Unfortunately, it seems that someone doesn't want her probing too deep and is going to keep her out of the way, even if that means permanently...
This is the second book in the series, and I do like the fact that it picks up right where the first book left off. So little stories do that, with months going in between and an entire new story beginning. This was the first pleasant surprise.
I will tell you that if you don't love coffee (which I do) you might find the descriptions of Lana making her cold brew tedious, but I did not. I love coffee in all its forms, so this was of interest to me. Aside from that, the tale is entertaining right from the beginning, and we have Lana deciding that she's going to put little Stanley in puppy training, and work at the coffee house, determined to make a life for herself. But when this story comes her way, she can't resist. Goading her on is her barista Erica, who's just as interested, and Lana is off and running.
The suspects are plenty, from her boyfriend, an admirer, her instructors, and even students, it seems there is more to the yogi than anyone knew. As Lana probes deeper, she finds that the woman wasn't everything she appeared, and made more enemies than friends. But she knows that one of these people is a killer, if she can just figure out which one.
The tale is entertaining enough for me to have read it in one sitting. It has enough action to want you to keep reading, and the characters are beginning to grow on me. I do like Lana, Erica, and Noah; and I'm even liking Lana's father a bit more, since he isn't high all the time. (Sorry, but as I stated before, I'm biased as to the fact of what a wonderful father I had, who was an adult and became both parents after my mother's passing, but I really didn't allow this to color my review if you notice by the rating). At any rate, he's more likable in this book and seems more human. Just my opinion.
I enjoyed the narrative quite a bit, getting involved with the story line and following it through to the ending. The clues to the murderer were all there, but even though I figured it out before Lana (I read a lot of mysteries), it was still quite pleasant to read to the end. The climax was especially engaging, as I didn't expect it at all.
Of course, there was the romantic aspect interspersed throughout the book, and while some might think it was over the top, it worked in this book, although it might not in another. In the end, everything came together nicely, and gives us something to look forward to in the next book, which I also am awaiting eagerly. Recommended.
The next day, Fab doesn't show up for work. When the local police chief, Noah Garcia, tells Lana he saw him working at a rival coffee house, she confronts Fab in front of a crowd. But then she leaves for Miami for an awards ceremony, hoping it will calm her down. When she returns the next morning she parks her car in her lot, only to find Fab's body. Shaken, she calls Noah and when the examination is completed, everyone thinks it was suicide. But Lana isn't sure. She doesn't believe that someone with a larger-than-life personality like Fab would kill himself. With the help of Erica and Lana's hippie father, she's going to find a murderer...hopefully, the killer doesn't want to kill again, with her as the next target...
This is the first book in the series, and I really thought it started slow, so it took awhile to gain and hold my attention. But I stuck with it (I hate to not finish books) and I was pleased by the end. We have Lana, who's despondent over losing her job and depressed over her marriage ending, and she's sworn off older men like her husband. But Chief Noah is interesting to her, and she to him. So maybe she's rethinking that while trying not to.
She's also trying to run her business but isn't sure about her frothing skills. Fab was her key to getting everything right, and now he's gone. And with everyone shouting suicide except her -- and his distraught girlfriend Paige who tells people Lana killed him -- she has her own self-interest in finding the truth. She's also inherited his puppy Stanley, and the little guy is starting to grow on her.
I do like Lana, Noah, Erica, and most of the other characters although the jury is still out on her father. I'm not truly fond of a middle-aged man who's living like a hippie, but that's my own opinion (probably brought on because I had an awesome Dad myself, whom I bonded with and spent time with every day until I lost him. Still miss him; he was a rock to me).
The mystery is well-written and the main characters are given time to develop, which I do like. Their personalities fit their actions well, and that's part of the charm of a good book to read. This one was easy enough to read in one sitting, and became more intriguing as the story went on. There were plenty of suspects, a ton of red herrings; but I will say that I knew who the killer was the minute they stepped onto the page; and only because I read so many mysteries did I figure it out early. The clues are there, but you have to look for them.
In the end, when all was revealed and the killer discovered, everything came together nicely. We do learn a little bit about what may happen in the next book, and that's a good thing. The book was indeed satisfying to read, and I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.
After working the crime beat for a paper in Miami, Lana got laid off (like too many journalists) and came home to the family businesses in Devil's Beach, Florida, especially the Perkatory Cafe and free-lancing for the local rag. She also carries the baggage of a slimy ex-husband, but is tenatively beginning a new venture with the new town police chief. One of the tenants in the family's building is a very unusual yoga instructor who is about the same age, but goes missing (just like Lana's friend in high school). But this time the missing woman is found dead in the swamp. Add in some shady suspects, politicians, multiple law enforcement agencies, red herrings, a puppy in need of schooling, and some really interesting plot twists, and you have this high caffeine cozy! Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
But when Lana returns to Devil’s Beach after a night back in Miami for an awards dinner will she have the opportunity to write for the local paper about the murder victim she knew or will she be the prime suspect with another reporter writing this week’s police log?
This story has charming features that will delight all cozy mystery readers and especially all of us who love our coffee, hot or iced or both (like me!). For all who appreciate rescue stories, there’s an adorable Shih Tsu named Stanley that wiggles his way into everyone’s heart but especially for Lana. Creative store names always add to the fun and began with the coffee shop named by Lana's mother of "Perkatory." There’s also the neighborhood stores of "Whim So Doodle" (craft store), "Culture Waves" (island-themed knick-knacks and housewares store), the local bar of the "Dirty Dolphin" and without any further ado needed "Beach Books." Let’s not forget the introduction of the old and new love interests. There's never a dull moment especially as everybody knows Lana’s Dad. Just wait until you learn why!
I added this cozy series to my tbr list in February of this year but I don’t remember how I learned about it. It moved up on the priority list thanks to a May challenge by one of the cozy mystery Facebook groups. I’m so glad I didn’t wait another month to begin this series! Just wish I could visit "Perkatory" in person! Oh well, I will vicariously reading Book 2. :)
(p. 23). CROOKED LANE BOOKS. Kindle Edition.
Grounds for Murder is a mystery/romance taking place in contemporary times in a fictional Florida town called Devil’s Beach, three hours west of Miami on the Gulf of Mexico. It is written well for an author’s first novel, and for me, it was a welcome relief from some of the heavier literary stories I have been reading lately. Every time I read a “youngish” author, I learn something new about our culture. In this book, it was about competitive latte art. Baristas compete with each other for the best blended and decorative lattes. In this story, Lana Lewis, owner of the Perkatory coffee shop, plans to enter a latte competition with her employee, Fabrizio Bellucci (Fab), an Italian barista and “Instagramer.” She is happily running her late mother’s cafe after getting divorced and losing her job as a journalist. Fab has excellent barista skills, lives upstairs from the shop, and Lana is doing her best to befriend him while tolerating his reputation as a womanizer.
Lana attends an event in Miami, and when she returns to open Perkatory at 6:00 am, she finds Fab’s dead body as she parks her car. The police, headed by small-town chief Noah Garcia, whom Lana falls in love with, want to rule Fab’s death a suicide, but Lana can’t help but use her journalism skills to begin investigating the death as a murder. During her investigation and the story’s development, there are interesting Florida characters, including an alligator poacher and a mermaid tail maker. There are mafia connections among Lana’s potential suspects, and Lana also makes a new friend as she is forced to make business decisions. Additionally, Lana grows assertive when confronting her ex-husband and then the girl who bullied her in high school. So, there is much going on, and nothing is too deep or intense. It’s a good story and a quick read.
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This was a fun, well-written cozy mystery set in the fictional tourist town of Devil's Beach, a small Florida island. Lots of coffee drinks, a hunky police chief, and a barista championship contest set the stage for an inquisitive ex-newspaper reporter who is determined to solve the murder of her former barista who was also a notorious ladies man.
I especially liked Lana, the feisty reporter and owner of Perkatory Café, as well as the chief's primary murder suspect. This entertaining novel offers several promising suspects, some quirky characters, a cute little dog named Stanley, and a solid plot. This was a satisfying cozy and I hope there will soon be more mysteries for Lana to solve (and me to read).
Lana begins to wonder how Fab died. Was he drunk, did he fall, did he commit suicide or was he murdered? She had had a terrible argument with him the day of his death because he had quit without notice and had left her in the lurch. Her journalist instinct drives her to investigate his death, and she and the local police chief cross paths. He is an eligible bachelor, and although she seems disinterested, not wanting to start another relationship after her marriage failed so miserably, their friendship blossoms. Lana is an old-fashioned girl. Her husband was her first lover. She had helped him polish his style and approach to the public, and he had become a well-known television journalist. He, on the other hand, had demolished her confidence with his infidelity and their divorce.
As luck would have it, prior to Fab’s death, another barista had applied for a job. Erica was now hired. She is a wonderful complement to the insecure Lana, because Erica is overly confident, cheerful and eternally positive. Between this free-spirited woman and Lana’s dad, who is into yoga and medical marijuana, Lana begins to recover from her disappointments in life. So, dear reader, you see that these are not goody-two shoes types of characters, but real, interesting characters, with personalities that will grow on the reader because while not perfectly wholesome, they are not the opposite either.
The characters are so charming, and even likeable when they are heavily flawed, that even with the murder mystery hanging over the story, it is really easy on the eyes. There are no scenes that are over the top. Even the revelation of a life with hints of BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, Dominance and Sadism), a practice sometimes described as "sadomasochism", the novel is easy on the palate. The author uses a light hand at all times so that tension is created without the usual heavy hand of other authors. Like a smooth cup of coffee, every scene goes down with ease. This is the kind of book I used to read, when I was younger, and it is really nice to discover that there are still books being written that are reminiscent of a much simpler, kinder time and place.
The reader will want to find a place just like Lana’s mom’s Perkatory. A place where one can simply relax, can just sit and chat while sharing the local gossip, without worrying about anyone being disturbed as they are banging away on their computer. The book is about a time when romance was easy, conversation was fun and not threatening, and everyone wasn’t in the business of being macho. This book is about life without the foul language and over the top eroticism so often inserted into books today, merely for effect. It isn’t about race or rampant crime. It is about how life used to be. The characters accept each other, regardless of background or successful career. The characters are simply human, as we all used to think we were. This coffee shop’s owners and employees enjoy their work and their camaraderie with the customers. They are family. This is a coffee shop the reader will want to visit again and again. Hopefully, there are more coffee shop novels to come.
Like a comfortable pair of shoes or a toothbrush that needs to be replaced, but you can’t bring yourself to do so because it has become a faithful companion, if there are more books like this, they will become your buddies, your comfortable friends. This book was a pleasure to read. The time is before masks, before political firestorms, and it is in a place that is not super sophisticated with technology wherever one turns or super CEO’s and the rich and famous. It is, in short, a place that feels good, feels normal, the way life used to be. It is a nice place to visit and hang around awhile, maybe even to live. I yearn for a place like Devil’s Island, a place to sit and relax without the angst that is present today everywhere one looks.
I believe that every reader will set out to find a Perkatory. after reading this book. Is there such a place? I sure hope so. It won’t be a Starbucks with its hype and noise. Put this book on your nightstand, on your desk, next to your most comfortable chair and begin to read it. You will not be disappointed. The pages will fly by as it contains a little bit of romance, a little bit of humor, a little bit of danger and a little bit of suspense, and even when the plot becomes obvious, and the reader may figure out the mystery, the book will not lose its magnetic pull on you. The book is about a place we would all like to visit, a place where life seems less complicated and relationships less fraught, a place where, in the end, the people seem to genuinely want to like and be kind to each other. It is a place that is not quite nirvana, but it will do quite well.
I received this from Meryl Moss Media, and I was glad I did.
Along with Lana as a likeable main character there are several fun secondary characters - her stoned, hippie dad, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, and a new, curious barista who looks like a punk rocker and becomes an important friend. Plus there is the handsome and interesting chief of police who may become more than a friend.
I know that a lot of people enjoy cozy mysteries but I haven't read any until Grounds for Murder. I admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read book 2 in the series.
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Maggie and Vera Andrews are in their mid-twenties, not identical but they are twins and have made major changes in their lives since their father died a short time ago. Maggie has taken over her father's gator trapping business after leaving her job as a zoo employee in Boston and ditching the boring boyfriend. Vera gave up her position as librarian and is about to fulfill her dream of opening a bookstore and is sure that she has found her forever boyfriend. Then a town bully is murdered with Vera's gun, there's a new chief detective in town, and a criminology professor has taken a six-month lease on a cabin on Vera's land. Let the madness begin! Great start to a fun new series!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#CrittersAndCriminalsBk1
Pub Date 26 Mar 2024