Cold Brew Corpse: A Coffee Lover's Mystery

Let me start by saying that I am not enough of an aficionado of coffee to understand the vast majority of conversations about the beverage in this book. But that’s okay, because coffee is part of the setting and not an integral part of the mystery itself. So, simply being able to accept that Lana’s other love is coffee is enough. I loved this book even more than the one before it. The Keystone Cops frenetic-ness was toned down and it all felt like it was following a logical plan. At no point while reading this was I able to point to a character and say” “that’s the villain!” and I consider that essential to my enjoyment of a good mystery. The author keeps ratcheting up the romantic tension between Lana and Chief Noah and I adored every second of it. It also provides lots of opportunities to mine for comedy gold. I’m not sure what Lana’s next adventure will be, but I want to go on it with her and her quirky band of sidekicks. I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.

journalist, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery, family, Florida, friendship, island-life, coffee, small-business, small-town, pets, romantic, relationships***** 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!