Coming Soon: Chapter & Hearse by Lorna Barrett

 

My next review will be of Chapter & Hearse  by Lorna Barrett.
This book is now on shelves! 

Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle

I normally review books in order, but I would like to make an exception for a very special title that hits shelves today.

I would also like to thank Alice Alfonsi, "Cleo Coyle" for sending me a review copy of this book.  I can't express how excited I was to get a special sneak peek!

Click here to read my review of the first book in the series, On What Grounds.

Roast Mortem is the ninth book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series.

Things have been going well for Clare Cosi, manager of the Village Blend.  She and her ex-husband, Matteo have become close friends who always have one another's backs.  Their daughter is grown-up and maturing too.  And to top it all off, Clare has a boyfriend, Detective Mike Quinn.

It looks like all is going smooth, until Clare and her ex-mother-in-law, Madame go to visit a friend in Queens.  

Everyone is in the basement of Enzo Testa's Caffee Lucia when Clare goes upstairs to let in employee, Dante Silva.  While she's gone the building bursts into flames.

Clare manages to get herself and Dante to safety, and fire fighters are able to rescue Madame and Enzo.  

Madame seems to be fine after the ordeal, but her friend is in ICU.  Madame feels guilty because Enzo saved her by moving her to an air vent, leaving himself vulnerable to the hot fumes.  And as if that weren't enough to weigh on her conscience, she feels that none of them would have been in the building during the fire if she hadn't arrived an hour late.

Before the smoke clears Clare is already starting to suspect foul play.  She believes the blaze was started by a bomb, and even wonders if  Enzo himself could be responsible.

Clare continues to hunt for clues without the full permission of the Fire Marshal.  In the process she meets Michael Quinn, Fire Captain and cousin to her boyfriend, Mike.

The two Quinn cousins don't like each other, and things only heat up more when Michael starts to flirt with Clare.  She tries to avoid her boyfriend's cousin when he starts to tell stories about Mike, but Michael is Clare's best source of information.

It isn't long until several cafes around the city go up in flames, and fire fighters begin to die.  Clare puts herself in the hot seat again as she goes on the hunt for clues.

Roast Mortem is the best Coffeehouse Mystery yet!  I love how the characters become fuller as we learn more about them, especially Matteo.  They become more real with each book.

Cleo's sleuthing kept me on the edge of my seat, and new information kept my list of suspects changing chapter after chapter.

Click here to buy this book.

A New Look

As you've probably noticed, my layout has changed.  The provider of my layout changed their code, altering my layout and misplacing image files.  I am using this layout as a temporary solution, until I can fix everything.  I am also missing my banners and counters.  I will try and fix this somehow.

- Angeline

Murder Uncorked By Michele Scott

Murder Uncorked is the first book in the Wine Lover's Mystery series. 

Nikki Sands is a struggling actress, and a less than talented one too, but Nikki seems to have found her niche in the wine business.  The only problem is, she is at the lower end of the business... serving it.

Miss Sands is having a rough day at work.  She manages to get into an altercation with a handsome customer's date and looses her job.

Things don't look like they can get much worse for Nikki.  She decides she would rather stop and have a little wine before heading home.  After all, nothing pares worse with misery than loneliness. 

To Nikki's surprise, she is followed by the handsome customer, and this time his cruel girlfriend isn't in tow.   He introduces himself as Derek Malveaux, and tells Nikki  he is impressed with her knowledge of wine.  He then explains that the ill tempered woman at the other restaurant isn't his girlfriend, but the relative of a possible business associate. 

Miss Sands and Derek continue their evening dining with wine pairings selected by Nikki.  Derek then asks Nikki to consider taking a job at his prestigious Napa Valley vineyard.

Things seem to really be turning around for Nikki.  She has a job offer that involves some of Napa Valley's best wine, and a very attractive and wealthy man.

Unfortunately, things take another turn for the worse as soon as Nikki arrives at Malveaux Estates.  She finds the vineyard's talented winemaker, Gabriel dead just outside her guest cottage.  

Nikki decides to take things slow and not jump to any hasty decisions, but it isn't long before she begins jumping to conclusions and pawing around for clues.  This doesn't set well with some of the locals, including Derek's family members who live in the "Nut House" at Malveaux Estates. 

This book was highly engaging and fast paced.  The only thing that kept me from polishing it off within a few days was a hectic schedule of Summer activities. 

The lengths that Nikki went to, and the decisions she made were not ones that I agreed with, but that added to the mystery and suspense of this book.   It was like following the day-to-day life of someone with nothing left to loose.

Murder Uncorked is wine based with tid-bits of cooking and coffee tossed in.  Don't let a lack of interest in wine keep you from reading this book.  I think you will find that there is more to it than Zinfandel and Chardonnay, yet it would be a lot of fun for wine lovers too.

Click here to buy this book.

Mystery Lovers Bookshop

I have been asked to take part in an affiliate program with Mystery Lovers Bookshop.

Mystery Lovers Bookshop is located in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. 

They have been open since 1990, and are one of the largest specialty mystery bookstores in the country.

They also offer free shipping.

I will be adding links to my book reviews tomorrow, 

which will direct you to the Mystery Lovers Bookshop website.

I will receive 10% of any sell, within 30 days, resulting from a customer clicking the link on my review.

Update

I thought I would take a minute to write an update.

I've been very busy with Summer activities, but I've also been reading.

My next review will be of  Murder Uncorked  by Michele Scott.

Also,  my number of subscribers increase each day.

                                                 

Be sure to subscribe for a chance to win!

It's as easy as one click, and you can even subscribe using your Facebook account!

- Angeline

Click here to buy this book.

Carbon Neutral

The "My Blog is Carbon Neutral"  program began in Germany, 

with the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. 

A tree is planted for every blog that features this logo,

 thereby neutralizing that blog's carbon footprint 

for the next 50 years!

Click here to learn more!