Home :: Books :: Mystery & Thrillers  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers

Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
On What Grounds

On What Grounds

List Price: $5.99
Your Price: $5.39
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a good series
Review: i liked the insight into the coffee world i liked the recipes and the the story line keeps you guessing

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Ultra-Caffeinated Cozy
Review: "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons."
T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
With that apt quote begins Cleo Coyle's first in what appears will be a series of cute & cozy little coffee house capers. Murder most frothe. It's a fun perk through the annals of coffee and Greenwich Village, crammed with caffeine curios and cream. /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: At least I know what those people are ordering
Review: at those coffeehouses - would have enjoyed this book more if the author or editor or proofreader knew the differing between balling and bawling.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Book reviewer--and fan of cosies
Review: Clare Cosi is ready for a change. As a single divorced mother, her daughter is finally grown and off to chef's school. So she agrees to take on her old position as full-time manager of the historic Village Blend coffeehouse. Unfortunately, her very attractive ex-husband is the importer responsible for buying coffee for the shop, and she must work hard to undo the damage caused by a manager who has almost ruined the reputation of this century old coffee house (practicaly an institution). But Clare is upbeat. To her, a good cup of coffee can cure an awful lot of problems -- but her optimism is about to be tested. When she and her cat, Java, arrive, the shop is locked, the baked goods cases are empty, there's no coffee ready...and the assistant manager who was supposed to be opening the shop and handling the morning rush is sprawled at the bottom of the basement stairs, critically injured. The police want to write it all off as a tragic accident, but Clare sees grounds that points to one conclusion--this was no accident. Coffee lovers like me will really enjoy Clare's tips on roasting, grinding, storing, and preparing the perfect cup of coffee (and she expains how you can use the grounds to tell fortunes, too). And her yummy recipes for coffee drinks and espresso cheesecake and the interesting stories about the history of coffee add a fascinating layer to the rich blend of characters and plot that make On What Grounds such a satisfying mystery. I also enjoyed the tension between the attractive NY homocide detective (who obviously likes Clare) and her ex-husband (who obviously wants to win her back). Very entertaining--as was the mother-in-law's scheming to get her son and Clare back together again. The characters are multi-dimensional and you really feel for them. The mystery itself is solid and had me guessing. This new series is very well written and off to a fantastic start, and the second book, "Through the Grinder," which is described in a teaser at the end of this one looks like the author has a wonderful second one brewing! A keeper for me. Bravo!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A clever, witty and light-hearted cozy
Review: Clare Cosi loved her time managing the Village Blend Coffee house but was sick and tired of her husband cheating on her; she divorced him and moved with her daughter to the New Jersey suburbs. Now that Bay is grown, the owner of the village Blend, who happens to be her ex-mother-in law, wants her to manage the coffee house for a percentage of the profits. On the day she moves she finds the body of the assistant manager unconscious at the bottom of the basement stairs.

After she is rushed to the hospital, the police take a look around the premises and believe Anabelle had an accident. Clare thinks she met with foul play based on the fact that the garbage can is out of place and coffee grinds are on the floor. She starts making inquiries of people close to Anabelle and ends up finding herself almost ground to death on the wrong end of a gun.

This is the first coffeehouse mystery and it is a clever, witty and light-hearted cozy. Clare's mother-in-law is playing matchmaker giving her beloved ex-daughter-in law and her son shares of the building and joint tenancy of the suite above the business. The two-ex-spouses are at the mercy of a woman they both love and it makes for some truly hilarious moments. Cleo Coyle is a bright new light in the mystery horizon.

Harriet Klausner

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Warm and cozy
Review: Cleo Coyle's first book in the Coffeehouse Mystery Series is a charming read. Not only does she create memorable characters and a nice, cozy mystery, she also provides a host of information on coffee, including tips at the end of the book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Clare- My "Cup of Coffee"
Review: From the start of this book, the reader is cheering Clare on as she stumbles into a life that she left a decade before. She is intelligent and has the interesting situation of having to decide between two men- her exhusband Matt or Dect. Quinn.

Not only is this a mystery that keeps you guessing, it has profound passages and reflections about life, September 11th, and living in New York.

If you like coffee, make yourself a pot because this book will keep you up late reading.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Been there....
Review: Gotta say, I live in Greenwich Village and used to work at St. Vincent's Hospital (where the victim in the book is sent) and I l-o-v-e-d this book. I could really relate to the details, although I can't yet figure out if/where the coffee shop is modeled after here in NY. I don't even know if we have any such places anymore now the Starbucks is here, too.

Personally, I loved the coffee-trivia even though some other reviewers complained; I like cosies where you learn something.
The plot was good, many different possibilities as the killer and some good "relationship" issues going on.

The only problem is, I've been yearning for a GOOD cuppa since I finished the book (in a day -quick read)!!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The coffee manifesto
Review: I am keeping this book-if only to remind me to avoid theme mysteries in the future. This had a great premise. Clare Cosi returns to a previous job as manager of a coffee house. The owner is her former mother in-law, the buyer is her ex-husband, and a newly promoted assistant manager is in a coma. There is the potential for tension (Mom wants Clare and her ex to share the rent free apartment as part of the benefit package; her ex doesn't like the detective's interest in Clare, there is a slimy former manager as a shadow figure), but there are way too many pages detailing the best way to make the perfect cup.

Clare runs around Manhattan accusing pretty much anybody with a connection to her employee of the assault. Is it any wonder that she ends up being attacked? I am a fan of cosies, but the coffee details turn into distractions at point plots which would be better served by story details than brew details.

All in all, some of the characters are engaging, but that isn't enough to carry a whole story.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good New Series
Review: I enjoyed this first installment and look forward to future ones.

However, like so many other reviewers, I was really put off by the coffee obsession. It seemed like 2/3 of the book was coffee filler -- how to make it, how to roast it, how to store it. Enough already. Stick to the story, throw in a few trivia facts for fun, but let's not overdo it again.



<< 1 2 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates