Review: Murder Most Frothy by: Cleo Coyle

Title: Murder Most Frothy

Author: Cleo Coyle

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Format: Paperback  ( 247 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Clare Cosi’s new friend, millionaire David Mintzer, has an offer no New York barista could turn down: an all-expenses-paid summer away from the sticky city. At his Hamptons mansion, she’ll relax, soak up the sun, and, oh yes, train the staff of his new restaurant. So Clare packs up her daughter, her former mother-in-law, and her special recipe for iced coffee—for what she hopes will be one de-latte-ful summer…Soon, Clare tends the coffee bar at her first Hamptons gala. But the festivities come to a bitter end when an employee turns up dead in David’s bathroom—a botched attempt on the millionaire’s life. Thanks to the Fourth of July fireworks no one heard any gunshots, and the police are stuck in holiday traffic. Concerned for everyone’s safety, Clare begins to investigate. What she finds will keep her up at night—and it’s not the java jitters....

My Thoughts:

This book brings Clare, Joy, and Madame to the Hamptons for a summer away from the city, where they are assisting a friend of Clare's help teach his staff how to run a coffee shop.  What Clare didn't count on was someone trying to murder her friend David.  Who wants him out of the way and why?

Clare also didn't count on dealing with Joy and Madame and their summer flings.  Joy is still on the hot seat after her recent bust by her mother.  As Clare digs deeper into the life at the Hampton's the pressure is on to figure out what is going on and who has the most to lose?

I love this series it's like going back and seeing friends and finding out what they are up to now.  This one didn't disappoint in the least.

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Review: Lattee Trouble by: Cleo Coyle

Title: Latee Trouble

Author: Clleo Coyle

Pubisher: Berley Prime Crime

Series: Coffeehouse Mystery #3

Format: Paperback ( 243 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Greenwich Village coffee shop manager and amateur sleuth Clare Cosi is faced with her most perilous mystery yet in Latte Trouble, the third Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle (On What Grounds and Through the Grinder).

It's Fashion Week in New York City -- and Clare's shop, the historic Village Blend, is the location of a prestigious insider's party for loyal customer and iconic designer Lottie Harmon, who is about to launch a collection of coffee-inspired accessories aptly named Java Jewelry. But the event, which is attended by the city's most zealous fashionistas, goes terribly wrong when a customer is poisoned and dies from cyanide in his latte. A barista, who coincidentally was recently dumped by the victim, is arrested and charged with murder. But Clare knows in her heart that her employee is innocent and begins to investigate the people surrounding the enigmatic Lottie Harmon. When Clare uncovers a scheme to blackmail one of Lottie's business partners and then that partner suddenly turns up dead, she knows that there is trouble brewing

My Thoughts: 

Fashion Week has hit New York City and the Village Blend is hosting people for viewing coffee themed jewelry.  When someone gets poisoned and their local barista ends up in the hot seat Clare is determined to get to the bottom of it at all costs.  

This entails figuring out who was suppose to be poisoned, and why?  Also it entails Clare dealing with two rough cops who seem determined that Tucker the local barista is the culprit.  Prison is no place for someone like Tucker so Clare enlists the help of Madame to figure out what is going on.

When more people wind up sick or dead the pressure is on to figure out what is going on and why?  Which leads down a trip of memory lane to learn more about the history with some of the players attached to Lottie.   

This book was fabulous and totally addictive trying to figure it out,  reading how Clare gets to the bottom of it, and deals with her daughter who is hanging out with kids who do Cocaine.  What to do about her ex who seems to want to rekindle their relationship much to Clare dismay.  If you haven't read these books you are so missing out!  They are so much fun and make great stand alone to begin almost anywhere.

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Review: The Ghost and The Haunted Portrait by: Cleo Coyle

Title: The Ghost and The Haunted Portrait

Author: Cleo Coyle

Publisher: Berkley 

Series: Haunted Bookshop Mystery #7

Format: Paperback ( 336 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure and her gumshoe ghost team up to solve the stunning mystery at the heart of a madwoman's self-portrait in this all new installment from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

While gathering a collection of vintage book cover paintings for a special event in her quaint Rhode Island bookshop, Penelope discovers a spooky portrait of a beautiful woman, one who supposedly went mad, according to town gossip. Seymour, the local mailman, falls in love with the haunting image and buys the picture, refusing to part with it, even as fatal accidents befall those around it. Is the canvas cursed? Or is something more sinister at work?

For answers, Pen turns to an otherworldly source: Jack Shepard, PI. Back in the 1940s, Jack cracked a case of a killer cover artist, and (to Pen's relief) his spirit is willing to help her solve this mystery, even if he and his license did expire decades ago.

My Thoughts: 

This book follows Penelope Thornton-McClure and her friends who are traveling to someone selling alot of classic noir stuff.  Before you know it though the seller winds up dead, the pressure is on in Pen's case to figure out who killed the seller and why?  Seymour also finds himself in ownership of a classic painting of a past McClure.  Who killed and why?

This book has so much going on between traveling back and time with Jack to figure out more about the painting and why it's so mysterious.  Then there is the murder going on around town and whose to blame with it.  

It's a good read and keeps the reader well informed of the ins and outs of the mystery while adding history with Jack to the mix such a fantastic story!

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