A quick fun read, great for an emergency book . ( )

This is the first offering in what is turning into a very nice little series by author Cleo Coyle. The actual plot of this story has been quite well addressed by a vast number of reviewers here, so I will not linger on that aspect overly long. The setting for this cozy mystery is a historical coffee house in Greenwich Village, NYC. Our heroine has returned after a ten year absence to manage this establishment. She is given part ownership by the owner, a very colorful elderly lady, and more or less free reign. Her apartment is located over the store and is completely free. Since her daughter has left home and moved to New York, she will now be closer to her. There is a catch though. Her benefactress, who is also her ex mother-in-law, has made more or less the same arrangements with her son in an attempt to get the two back together again. Sharing an apartment and a business with an ex philandering husband adds odd wrinkles to the story line. Of course there is a slight case of murder thrown in along with a handsome police detective and a cast of rather colorful and interesting characters.
I suppose the big appeal for me with this series is that they are extremely relaxing to read. Also there is the coffee angle, which is the theme tying this story and the next novels together. I happen to be a coffee lover extreme! Having been drinking the stuff for over 50 years now, I thought I knew a bit about the subject. Not so! I have to admit that for page after page I found all kinds of different little gems concerning my favorite drink. Coffee beans, blends, techniques for making the stuff, techniques for serving, history and the list goes on. This book is like a mini-course for coffee lovers and coffee makers. I was absolutely amazed at what I did not know. Least the reader be skeptical, I did actually check on quite a number of facts and statements the author has made in this book and have yet to catch her in error. That is nice.

This story is well written, logical and fun. As with most good works in this genre, the author has developed key characters quite well, but has (thank goodness) not lingered on minor characters and has used them as furniture and décor to keep the story moving. And the story does move. Ms. Coyle is obviously a natural story teller and her writing shows. Please don’t get me wrong; we are not talking Jane Austin or William Shakespeare here. That is not the intent of this book. This is one of those works that is supposed to entertain and do so without a great amount of effort of the reader’s part. This is good. This is what I look for in a good cozy mystery. To my way of thinking, the author has done her job and done it well.

There were aspects of the book which I at first found annoying. Some of the character flaws the author has given her people sort of grate. The ex-husband certainly has a strong sleazy aspect, i.e. he is and was a chronic ladies man and quite unfaithful to his wife. The main character is a bit too forgiving as to her ex-husbands womanizing, the only daughter strikes me as sort of a mindless little thing and all the cat seems to be able to do is yowl and eat. On the other hand, when you think about it, who of us is perfect and without fault? I suppose the author was quite justified in not making her characters perfect. I certainly know I have a few flaws which can be extensively examined by talking to my wife. (Womanizing is not one of them by the way as attested to by the fact that I am one, still alive and two, still married.)

This is a nice read and a fast read and it was absolutely enjoyable. I will certainly be reading the other books in the series and when I catch up, am sure I will be anxiously awaiting the next offering. ( )

The prose gets in the way of the story.

http://thenovelworld.com/2009/02/04/o... ( )

ON WHAT GROUNDS by Cleo Coyle
This book is the first in the coffeehouse mystery series. The characters are setup well with their interaction and motivations well-defined. At the same time the murder and subsequent investigation are cleverly interwoven with the coffeehouse daily routine.
The author has also interjected numerous coffee techniques and tidbits of coffee history.
However, I do feel that the character's motivations need to be a little more individualized - less of the standard "I'll force them to work and live together to get them back together" type thing. In future books I hope that the "love triangle" is a little better defined instead of just a vague feeling.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't say that it was great. I look forward to seeing improvements in the future and possibly might even try some "good" coffee. ( )