I thought it sounded like a fun read for the holidays. To my satisfaction, it was almost as pleasant as the many peppermint mochas I've already enjoyed.

Clare Cosi is the proprietor of Village Blend -- a coffeehouse in Greenwich Village. She is divorced and yet keeps a working relationship with her ex-husband who imports the coffee beans for the shop and is the father of her just-grown daughter. In what appears to be a common occurrence for Clare, she becomes entangled in a murder -- this time it's a local charity Santa whose daughter once worked as a barista at the shop. Clare feels the need to investigate the murder when the detectives assigned don't seem to believe that it wasn't a common mugging. With the help of her boyfriend, Detective Mike Quinn, she searches for clues in the murder and of course, finds her own danger.

This was a satisfying cozy mystery. When the story started, they were in the coffee shop about to begin a taste test of holiday drink flavors and I really didn't want the story to turn to murder! But of course it did and I got sucked in and enjoyed the ride. I wouldn't mind going back to read the other books in the series. Some things were hinted at that would be interesting to read about and I came to like some of the characters. The coffee details were especially interesting for a Seattle gal like me.

http://webereading.com/2009/12/new-re... ( )

Holiday Grind is the latest in the Coffee House Mystery Series by Cleo Coyle. Despite this, it is not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this offering.

It is the holiday season, and Clare Cosi is intent on having her coffee shop, the Village Blend, offer a variety of creative and flavorful drinks that evoke holiday memories and traditions. On the night that her staff is working to create the most memorable of these drinks, Clare goes looking for their Santa, Alfred Glockner, a friend of hers who was supposed to be playing the jolly old man at their party. Unfortunately, she stumbles across his corpse, and she is once again drawn into a murder investigation when the police investigating reach a conclusion about Alf's death that she does not agree with.

When her investigation leads to an attempt on her own life, Clare is more determined than ever to find the truth behind Alf's death.

Holiday Grind is an engaging mystery that offers a great deal of extra information about the world of coffee making. The book also includes a number of recipes for food mentioned throughout the novel. This is an enjoyable read that is perfect for curling up with a hot cup of your favorite beverage.

Holiday Grind
A Coffeehouse Mystery
By Cleo Coyle
Berkley Prime Crime
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
ISBN: 978-0-425-23005-3
Hardcover, 384 pages, $23.95
Scheduled for publication - Nov. 3

As the temperatures get cooler, our thoughts turn toward fall and the upcoming holidays. With that in mind, be sure to give yourself an early present by pre-ordering a copy of Holiday Grind: A Coffeehouse Mystery scheduled to be released in November.

The slow economy has touched Village Blend, the coffeehouse operated by Clare Cosi. She tries to find new coffee drinks to entice the shoppers inside, but instead finds her staff with less than a “Merry Christmas” spirit. Hoping to lift their mood, Clare goes looking for Alfred Glockner, the “Traveling Santa” that frequents the Blend and suggested the “Fl-la-la-la Lattes.”

Clare soon finds Alf in an alley not far from the Blend, but it’s not a cheery sight. Alf’s been killed. Clare finds his body near a dumpster and things look amiss to her. She phones the police, but before they arrive she decides to do a little snooping on her - besides the snow is covering the footprints and she needs to know where they lead to tell the police, right?

The police arrive, determine Alf’s the victim of a random mugging. Clare doesn’t see it that way and goes head to head with the lead detective - a “do-rag“ wearing brute named Sgt. Emmanuel Franco.

In the following days, the more Clare learns about Alf and his killing, the less she knows. Not able to help herself, she agrees to look into Alf’s killing for his daughter, a former employee of the Blend. Clare begins her search after enlisting the help of her ex-husband and current partner in the Blend, Matteo, and his elderly mother (owner of the Blend) Madame Dreyfuss Allegro Dubois. She also has help from her boyfriend, Detective Mike Quinn, but feels things are on slippery ground where their relationship is concerned.

Author Cleo Coyle takes readers on a whirlwind ride of ups and downs, ins and outs as Clare finds clues and suspects only to discover more unanswered questions.

Clare’s undertakings leads her around the city and into danger more than once. Just when you think you know her next move, she’ll surprise you. Just when you figure out who the killer is, a new clue will prove you wrong.

“Holiday Grind” will keep you spellbound from beginning to end. Along the way you will laugh, cry, reminisce about Christmas’ past, and stay on the edge of your seat waiting to find out who the killer really is.

As an added bonus, the latter part of the book is really a second book. Author Cleo Coyle and Clare Cosi provide a mini-book of coffeehouse terms, recipes and coffee-making tips from the Village Blend. Readers can make their own “Fa-la-la-la Lattes.”

Holiday Grind is the eighth installment in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. If you’re thinking, I can’t read a book at the end of a series because you won‘t know what‘s going on. You can and you can’t.

You can because Holiday Grind is a stand-alone book. There’s no missing elements you need to know from a previous book to keep up with Clare and her antics.

You can’t because once you read “Holiday Grind” you’ll want to know Clare’s history and find out what other madcap adventures she’s been on. Each of the previous Coffeehouse books also offers some recipes and tips at the end.

Whether you’re a coffee drinker or not, Holiday Grind will be a mystery you can’t put down except long enough to sip your hot chocolate or latte.

For more on the Coffeehouse Mystery series, as well as lots of other tidbits and the Haunted Bookshop novels by author Cleo Coyle, go online to www.CoffeehouseMystery.com, also check out author Cleo Coyle at www.MysteryLoversKitchen.com ( )