Espresso Shot

August 11, 2008
The pseudonymous Coyle (a husband-wife team) makes the jump to hardcover with this enjoyable coffeehouse mystery, the seventh in the series to star Clare Cosi, the crime-solving barista of Village Blend (French Pressed
, etc.). Breanne Summour, the “disdainer-in-chief” of Manhattan fashion magazine Trend
, is engaged to be married to Matteo Allegro, Clare’s ex-husband. Sharing a grown daughter, Clare and Matt remain friends and business partners. When a 22-year-old dancer who looks like Breanne is shot after performing at Matt’s bachelor party, a frantic Matt believes Breanne was the intended target. Clare agrees to protect Breanne until the posh wedding at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but after the murder of Breanne’s former assistant, Clare’s life is in jeopardy, too. This mellow-paced cozy includes some surprises for both bride and groom, who must deal with the bitter fruits of their past actions. Recipes and coffee tips are a bonus.

Starred review from September 1, 2008
In this hardcover debut of the popular "Coffeehouse Mystery" series ("French Pressed; Decaffeinated Corpse"), New York City coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi's ex-husband and business partner is marrying the editor of a scandal magazine. But someone has decided to kill the obnoxious Breanne Summour before the wedding. Having been hired to create a gourmet coffee and dessert bar for the nuptials at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Clare is dragged into protecting the bridezilla. Coyle's "Coffeehouse" books are superb examples of the cozy genre because of their intelligent cast of characters, their subtle wit, and their knowledge of the coffee industry used to add depth and flavor to the stories. Recipes and coffee-making tips are nice pluses. Coyle, a pen name for a married writing team who grew up in Pittsburgh with Italian parents, brings to the series a love of New York City. Highly recommended for all mystery collections.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.