Shot in the Dark

Thanks, FirsttoRead, for my complimentary review copy.

Although this is the seventeenth installment in the series, it is the first one I have read. Ideally, I would have preferred to start with the first book, but I didn’t feel lost because the authors(Cleo Coyle is a pseudonym for the husband/wife writing team of Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini) do an excellent job of referencing past events and characters.

This cozy mystery series, all with clever coffee-themed puns as titles and beautiful covers, is set in a coffee shop, Village Blend. The plot is centered around the trendy topic of dating apps and is brimming with references to social media and its jargon. The charms of these modern ways of communication are lost on Clare Cosi, show more narrator and manager of Village Blend. She’s old-fashioned, favoring real human interaction and connection.

The descriptions of everything are so vivid, whether it be the settings, the quirky characters, or the delicious food(recipes are provided!). Also, it was informative in a very entertaining way. Being that Clare’s ex, Matteo sources coffee from remote locations all over the world, there were numerous and diverse cultural tidbits. And the humor -- one scene in the gym was laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Overall, I enjoyed my first taste of Coyle’s Coffee Shop mystery series. It had everything : 1) intriguing plot, 2) likable characters, 3) humor, 4) satisfying ending, and, last but not least, 5) mouth-watering food. It goes without saying that this should not be read when hungry. It could lead to cravings and copious consumption. show less

Shot in the Dark is Cleo Coyle's 17th coffeehouse mystery. It is classified as a cozy mystery series but it is a modern cozy mystery as there are hints about sex and a bit more information about the violent demise of the deceased.

Shot in the Dark opens with the sound of a gun going off at the Village Blend, where couples who met on an online dating site Cinder are meeting in person. A woman who was dumped by a man after a one night stand is holding a gun at him and taunting him to stop him from abusing other women. Clare Cosi, co-owner of the Blend with her ex-husband Matt Allegro, calls the police and the woman is arrested before anyone gets hurt. Later that night while Clare is picking up her former mother-in-law from a bad date, she show more sees a body floating in a river. The body turns out to be a former Cinder employee who is working on starting a fitness app. Phone videos of the event at the Blend go viral and business for both the Blend and Cinder slump. Clare decides to lure back who she believes is the murderer by hosting an event with Cinder at the Blend but only after setting up her own fake Cinder profile to attract his attention.

Online dating apps form the background for this story. If you are unfamiliar with them as I am, you will learn how they function as well as how they affect people emotionally. I now know how to set up a fake name with a prepaid credit card and its always a good idea to register under both sexes to see what comments are being made about you. Always read the terms and conditions to be sure the app employees are not paid to read or write comments. I though this was an interesting topic for the author to address. I haven't read any other authors who have used this topic and Coyle may be the first to write about it.

A subplot about the latest designer street drug Styx is intertwined with the murder to include Mike Quinn. Quinn is Clare's finance and is a police detective with the NYPD. He has been a character in the series from the beginning.

As usual with this series there is a lot of coffeehouse and coffee bean lore that you will learn and there are recipes at the end of the story for some of the drinks and pastries mentioned in the book.

Shot in the Dark is a great addition to the series. The characters are funny as hell in this one, particularly the younger ones who staff the Village Blend and advise Clare about online dating. I highly recommend this book. If you haven't read any of the earlier books in the series, you should not have any problems following the story. Coyle does a good job writing in the backstory with as little words as possible so that it does not detract from the current story. show less

I enjoy this series. It's on my list of go-to cozy mystery series when I want a cozy with a good story, well developed background theme and great writing. Set in a fictional NYC coffee house, Village Blend, the mysteries center around shop manager Clare Cosi. The supporting characters -- her detective fiance, coffee shop employees, her ex-husband and his mother who owns the company -- all have their own personalities and add to the richness of the plots. This series is like a coffee shop that serves a fabulous cup of java .... I will keep coming back!

Shot in the Dark is the 17th Coffeehouse Mystery. It seems everyone in the Village is using dating apps. Casual meet-ups seem to be causing all sorts of problems, and Clare is not show more comfortable with some behaviors she seems becoming commonplace. Then a woman brandishes a gun on the second floor of Village Blend, threatening a man she hooked up with using a dating app. A video of the incident at the coffee shop goes viral online quickly. Things go downhill from there, and the next day Clare discovers a body floating in the river. She recognizes the woman as a customer at Village Blend. The dead girl has a memory stick in her belongings. A video of the incident at Village Blend is saved on the memory stick. Are the two events related? Turns out there's a lot going on besides casual hook-ups.

The mystery is fast-paced and suspenseful, with lots of suspects and twists. The coffee house background theme is wonderful as usual. And all the characters just make these books enjoyable every time! As usual, at the end of the story there are recipes (my husband will LOVE the Italian Sub Quesadillas!), great info on the different types of coffee drinks and instructions on how to use a moka express pot.

The cover art for this book is perfect. Very eye-catching and ties in with the plot of the book. I love the look on the barista's face....she's like...WTF? lol

Cleo Coyle is the pen name for writer duo Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini. They also write the Haunted Bookshop cozy series under the name Alice Kimberly.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Penguin via First to Read. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. And I'll take a venti skinny sugar free peppermint mocha with two shots. Cinnamon on top. No whipped creme. :)** show less

It seems like it was only a matter of time before dating apps became the stuff of murder mysteries. From jilted matches to tech secrets, the story takes off immediately. Clare Cosi’s coffee shop, Village blend, has become a hot spot for meet ups with a new app called Cinder. Naturally Clare’s ex and business partner Matt is all about the new app. As he explains it to her, the pace heats up as a successful man )who is more a creepy prowler than looking for love), gets his comeuppance in the coffee shop from a former match. After it makes the social media rounds, Village Blend takes a hit as well, with customers staying away from the site. The mystery has a couple dead bodies, well-spaced through the story, so we have time to read show more along and learn new information with Clare. I’ve only read a couple of these books, but they are a smart and edgier version regular cozy fare. show less

I love reading series because the characters get to feel like family. Some series get to be stale by the 13th or so book, but this is probably one of my favorites in this series. I am not tired of this series and I am still wanting more.
Claire's coffee shop has been rated the hottest place for singles to meet using this new dating app until a lady goes crazy and starts waving a gun at a scuzzball man. Of course Claire has to get involved saving her business' reputation. And the plot thickens with deaths, a new street drug and Claire getting kidnapped and thrown into the Hudson

I love this series. This one deals with the new dating apps and how people use them for bad instead of good. It also deals with how casual some people are about hook ups etc. I really enjoyed this story as I could totally sympathize with Claire as to being totally clueless about all of this newfangled technology! LOL! I really liked all of the different viewpoints on dating and dating apps. And the coffeehouse is always a great setting for these mysteries.

Great cozy mystery with several murders centered around a dating app. Many of the main characters work/own a coffee house in Greenwich Villiage. I loved the main character and her sweetheart policeman. Good story. Recipes at the end of the book! Added to the stars because of the recipes!