Laying Down the Latte

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Torte’s star barista, Andy, is heading off on an adventure with his boss, Jules Capshaw, and her husband, Carlos, to visit their friend Valentina at her coffee farm in Costa Rica. The plan is for a very immersive experience and a tasting tour because they have big plans for expansion when they return to Ashland. Jules was hoping for a tropical vacation full of inspiration and relaxation. But the holiday away takes a deadly turn when one of Valentina’s top employees is tragically killed. Was it an accident? Or was it murder? Soon things get up close and personal, giving Jules no choice but to get involved, but she has to remember it’s no longer just her life that could be in jeopardy.

Ms. Alexander takes both show more her readers and her characters on an extraordinary adventure to Costa Rica, with its coffee culture and passion for high-quality brews. From the open-air markets and local cafés to the pros and cons of running a coffee farm and the pressure exerted by huge companies wanting to take over farms that have been in family ownership for generations. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the homes, the fields, and the production areas, high in the mountains where the best beans are grown. The farm, Finca las Nubes, translates to The Cloud Farm, and the virtual visit was a wonderful experience.

It was great to see Jules and Carlos in a different setting. Just because they were away from home didn’t mean they stayed out of the kitchen. Baking helps Jules center herself and think things through. Carlos is always ready to show love through his cooking, and both made themselves right at home in Valentina’s kitchen. Andy’s joy in all he took in was palpable. Andy tried his best to document every moment. They did keep in touch with the people in Ashland, but Torte was running like a well-oiled machine.

A murder in a foreign land surrounded Jules with people she didn’t know, so it was hard to know who to trust. She made the best of every situation to ask questions and understand every person’s position on the farm and beyond. Environmental issues facing coffee farms were woven into the tapestry of Finca las Nubes, and it gave Jules a different focus. Ms. Alexander plotted this story with precision, which introduced each person/suspect while dropping clues to move the mystery along at a perfect pace. I enjoyed and could feel Lance’s anguish at not being able to sleuth alongside Jules, but she and Carlos were rock stars.

Laying Down the Latte is another marvelous addition to this long-running series. It’s always entertaining when our favorite characters travel to interesting locales without their normal co-horts to help them solve the mysteries. I am excited for fall in Ashland. The Whisking Hour is set to be released on February 24, 2026. Who knows what Jules and her friends and family will get into next? Will it be a Perfect Crime? show less

I absolutely love Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop series but I have to say that this is one of the better installments in this long-running series. Besides the usual great plot and outstanding primary and secondary characters, this mystery was quite interest.

Usually, they're set in Oregon but here, Juliet, her husband, Carlos, and Torte's young coffee guru, Andy, venture off for a few days at a Costa Rican coffee farm, much to the delight of Andy.

Unfortunately, Andy witnesses a murder on the farm and the threesome gets involved in trying to figure out whodunit.

Very interesting look at Costa Rica, its food and its coffee. I especially love mysteries, like this one, where I learn a lot.

Absolutely loved it!! Highly recommended!!

(I received a show more copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) show less

Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander has Jules and Carlos as well as their Torte barista, Andy traveling to a friend’s coffee farm in Costa Rica. It was nice to see Jules and Carolos in a different setting. I enjoyed the descriptions of Costa Rica and the farm. The mystery was straightforward. I wish the suspects had been more fleshed out. The guilty party stood out like a woman in red in a sea of ladies in black dresses. Learning about how coffee goes from bean to cup was fascinating. The cooking and baking, though, felt like filler. Jules did hear from Lance while in Costa Rica. Lance has numerous ideas regarding his and Arlo’s wedding and he texts them all to Jules. Jules knows her life is going to change dramatically in the show more upcoming months. She needs to learn how to delegate because the twins will keep her hopping once they are born. Laying Down the Latte is the twenty-first A Bakeshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series because all the background information needed is provided. Laying Down the Latte is coffee centric cozy with a Costa Rican getaway, decaffeinated java, a land quarrel, a disruptive death, twin tiredness, and a new undertaking for Torte. show less

Jules Capshaw, her husband Carlos, and barista Andy travel to Costa Rica to spend a long weekend with friend Valentina. They bring Andy because Valentina owns and lives on a coffee plantation. They expect a quiet weekend of reconnecting with old friends and learning more about coffee production but find themselves involved in solving a murder when Valentina's cousin and co-owner of the plantation is killed while operating some machinery.

There are all kinds of things going on. Miguel had decided to sell his half of the plantation to a huge corporation which displeased and angered everyone else on the plantation from his cousin to his workers to the man who buys most of the coffee for his coffee shops. When the farm manager is arrested, show more Jules, Carlos and Andy get involved in finding the real killer since none of them believe the manager is guilty.

Lots of information about coffee growing and production and lots of recipes fill this culinary cozy. It is also rife with possible suspects who, in Jules's mind are more probable, than the young farm manager. Engaging story with interesting characters and a great setting. show less

I loved this newest Bakeshop mystery. I could almost smell the coffee and the treats as they were being described. I love Jules, Carlos, Andy and Valentina. I enjoyed getting a tour of an organic coffee farm. I love how Jules figures out the mystery. I loved the twists and turns. I received a copy of the book and gave an honest opinion.