What do you think?
Rate this book
Coffeehouse Mystery #8
Holiday Grind
When Village Blend manager Clare Cosi finds a red-suited body in the snow, she adds solving Santa's slaying to her coffeehouse menu, only to discover the jolly old soul had a list that he was checking twice-and the folks on it were not very nice.
367 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2009
About the author
Cleo Coyle
47 books3,396 followersJoin Cleo's Coffee Club for bonus recipes and giveaways: Click Here to Subscribe to Cleo’s Free Newsletter
CLEO COYLE is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. With more than 1 million books sold, they have gained an enthusiastic following. Cleo's "relenlessly entertaining" (Criminal Element) novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech. Their books have earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus, Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers, and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections.
When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or wrangling their rescued stray cats, Alice and Marc are New York Times bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. One of those projects (ghostwritten by Alice Alfonsi) was named by Entertainment Weekly as the best media tie-in book written that year.
CONNECT WITH CLEO at CleoCoyle.com and CoffeehouseMystery.com
*******
CLEO'S TWO BESTSELLING SERIES:
Cleo’s Coffeehouse Mystery series, celebrated for pioneering both the “urban cozy" and “coffee cozy” mystery genres, follows the adventures of amateur sleuth Clare Cosi, a single mom with a complicated love life who manages a Greenwich Village coffeehouse and a crew of quirky baristas who helps her solve perplexing crimes.
Cleo’s Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, hailed as a highly original and "utterly charming" (Mystery Scene) blend of cozy and hardboiled genres, features an earnest young New England widow who catches criminals with the help of a gumshoe ghost, the irrepressible spirit of a tough private detective who’d been gunned down in her bookshop decades before.
*******
LATEST BOOK NEWS:
Don't miss the upcoming title in Cleo's long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series, NO ROAST FOR THE WEARY, now available for pre-order. Cleo's most recent release, BULLETPROOF BARISTA, was a "wildly entertaining" (Criminal Elment) national mystery bestseller; a #1 category best seller for Amazon; and honored with 2 Best of Year list selections by reviewers. The previous book in the series, "a honey of a tale" (Kirkus) HONEY ROASTED is now available in a new paperback edition.
Cleo's latest Haunted Bookshop Mystery releases include THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS, praised by Kirkus as "a gem of a story." And THE GHOST GOES TO THE DOGS, a #1 category best seller for Amazon, which Fresh Fiction called "amazing and unique." The next Haunted Bookshop adventure is now underway!
CLEO COYLE is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. With more than 1 million books sold, they have gained an enthusiastic following. Cleo's "relenlessly entertaining" (Criminal Element) novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech. Their books have earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus, Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers, and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections.
When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or wrangling their rescued stray cats, Alice and Marc are New York Times bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. One of those projects (ghostwritten by Alice Alfonsi) was named by Entertainment Weekly as the best media tie-in book written that year.
CONNECT WITH CLEO at CleoCoyle.com and CoffeehouseMystery.com
*******
CLEO'S TWO BESTSELLING SERIES:
Cleo’s Coffeehouse Mystery series, celebrated for pioneering both the “urban cozy" and “coffee cozy” mystery genres, follows the adventures of amateur sleuth Clare Cosi, a single mom with a complicated love life who manages a Greenwich Village coffeehouse and a crew of quirky baristas who helps her solve perplexing crimes.
Cleo’s Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, hailed as a highly original and "utterly charming" (Mystery Scene) blend of cozy and hardboiled genres, features an earnest young New England widow who catches criminals with the help of a gumshoe ghost, the irrepressible spirit of a tough private detective who’d been gunned down in her bookshop decades before.
*******
LATEST BOOK NEWS:
Don't miss the upcoming title in Cleo's long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series, NO ROAST FOR THE WEARY, now available for pre-order. Cleo's most recent release, BULLETPROOF BARISTA, was a "wildly entertaining" (Criminal Elment) national mystery bestseller; a #1 category best seller for Amazon; and honored with 2 Best of Year list selections by reviewers. The previous book in the series, "a honey of a tale" (Kirkus) HONEY ROASTED is now available in a new paperback edition.
Cleo's latest Haunted Bookshop Mystery releases include THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS, praised by Kirkus as "a gem of a story." And THE GHOST GOES TO THE DOGS, a #1 category best seller for Amazon, which Fresh Fiction called "amazing and unique." The next Haunted Bookshop adventure is now underway!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 439 reviews
March 22, 2022
3.75 rounded up
I have been reading this series for almost 20 years - one book here and one book there. I don't read a lot of Cozies, but this and one other are favorites of mine. I had read this particular book one other time - about ten years ago - so decided to reread it and bring myself up to date so that I can clean out the 5 or 6 upcoming books in this series that have on my shelf.
Not being a great Christmas book fan, I was surprised just how much of this book I did remember - even after all this time. Of course a series like this replays the same main characters - whom I have quite a liking for - then will bring in a couple of removable characters per book.
This book spotlighted the murder of a man, Alfred, who played the village Santa, with, of course, Clair Cosi the owner of the Village Blend Coffee Shop, getting totally involved. Her ex, Matteo Allegro and her current boyfriend, NYPD Detective Mike Quinn, are both well accounted for in this book. And as most of the plots employ, the rush is to keep Clair Cosi alive as she blunders head forward into the murder trying to solve it herself.
This was book 12 in the series of 19 currently written and published. So I do believe that I will have my favorite characters around for a good long time yet. 😁
I have been reading this series for almost 20 years - one book here and one book there. I don't read a lot of Cozies, but this and one other are favorites of mine. I had read this particular book one other time - about ten years ago - so decided to reread it and bring myself up to date so that I can clean out the 5 or 6 upcoming books in this series that have on my shelf.
Not being a great Christmas book fan, I was surprised just how much of this book I did remember - even after all this time. Of course a series like this replays the same main characters - whom I have quite a liking for - then will bring in a couple of removable characters per book.
This book spotlighted the murder of a man, Alfred, who played the village Santa, with, of course, Clair Cosi the owner of the Village Blend Coffee Shop, getting totally involved. Her ex, Matteo Allegro and her current boyfriend, NYPD Detective Mike Quinn, are both well accounted for in this book. And as most of the plots employ, the rush is to keep Clair Cosi alive as she blunders head forward into the murder trying to solve it herself.
This was book 12 in the series of 19 currently written and published. So I do believe that I will have my favorite characters around for a good long time yet. 😁
October 28, 2016
HOLIDAY GRIND is the perfect concoction for those cozy mystery lovers you like a little bit of action but also want something to get you into that holiday mood. As you may know, I’m a huge sucker for holiday themed novels and when I learned that Cleo Coyle had not one, but two in this series, I got really excited.
This book is book eight in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. Although it’s a book that is well into the series, you can definitely read these as standalone since each new book features a different crime. In this particular book, Clare Cosi is expecting a traveling Santa to arrive at her coffeehouse to bring some Christmas cheer to her employees and loyal customers but when he doesn’t show she grows concerned. She goes out to find him and discovers him dead in an alley. That’s when the investigating occurs and in this one, Clare gets herself into a few messes that I found hilarious.
I freaking love Clare. She’s a good mix of curious without being dumb about it. I can understand her drive, especially with this one since the victim is a good friend of hers. If you’re a Romance addict like me, then you’ll be happy to note there are some good scenes with Clare’s hot boyfriend, Mike Quinn and her ex-husband, Matt. Man, let me tell you, I love these guys. Mike is a little more quiet, a little more serious while Matt is more of your typical ladies’ man. I love both and am extremely jealous that Clare has both men in her life in some capacity. In Romance, you’ll never see an ex so frequently in a series except when they appear as the villain so I LOVED that we get to explore this dynamic in this series. If you can’t tell already, I’m hooked and I’m looking forward to reading more from Cleo Coyle.
October 30, 2017
Just truly awful. Just a terrible story full of poorly fleshed-out characters doing inexplicable things weirdly. I fucking love hating these books.
There are full quotes worth criticizing, but I've just started including them in my updates because they are too juicy to save for the end. Instead I just wanna point out my rising tide of insight as I went through this particular novel: similar to reading the third book in this series, I suddenly noticed things I'd been finding unpleasant for hundreds of pages.
There are full quotes worth criticizing, but I've just started including them in my updates because they are too juicy to save for the end. Instead I just wanna point out my rising tide of insight as I went through this particular novel: similar to reading the third book in this series, I suddenly noticed things I'd been finding unpleasant for hundreds of pages.
January 7, 2016
Not finishing this because I read the series out of order and skimmed to the ending. Predictable most of the time.
So, here's what bothers me.
If we're supposed to have an empowering female detective in this day and age, why is she being sexually harassed in every freaking book? It's fine describing her looks, so readers can visualize what the character looks like. However, are most male NY police officers a leery twat? I know every cop is different based on their personalities, but you would think that many would have enough common sense to understand putting their jobs at risk voicing their sexual desires towards people in the holding cell or interrogation room.
To the next point: When it comes to the actual female police detectives, Soles and Bass, they are pretty flirty as well. I don't know if I'm coming off as a prude, but if real police officers are supposed to be serious while having some dry humor, then that disturbs me a little. We know Matt is hot, but you would think any straight female or gay male cop wouldn't act like a scatterbrain moron around smexy suspects or witnesses. The only time I would think that any smart cop would fall short on is not suspecting an old lady of doing anything.
Last point: Being an amateur detective. Understanding this is a cozy mystery (although it gets a little cynical and morbid at times), I don't care about the coffee/recipe facts. In fact, the author does alright imbedding her java jive with the mysteries. However, when it comes to Clare sleuthing, either she is reluctant on doing it or just bulldozes into it. Many times, she isn't right about the murderer or the motive. I don't expect her to know everything, but there are moments she is completely way off the radar. The only thing I find hilarious is that she knows how to weasel her way past the suspect's comfort zone and gain new leads from there. Every time the unknown assailant tries to kill her, she comes back like a nasty yeast infection. Criminals beware!
So, here's what bothers me.
If we're supposed to have an empowering female detective in this day and age, why is she being sexually harassed in every freaking book? It's fine describing her looks, so readers can visualize what the character looks like. However, are most male NY police officers a leery twat? I know every cop is different based on their personalities, but you would think that many would have enough common sense to understand putting their jobs at risk voicing their sexual desires towards people in the holding cell or interrogation room.
To the next point: When it comes to the actual female police detectives, Soles and Bass, they are pretty flirty as well. I don't know if I'm coming off as a prude, but if real police officers are supposed to be serious while having some dry humor, then that disturbs me a little. We know Matt is hot, but you would think any straight female or gay male cop wouldn't act like a scatterbrain moron around smexy suspects or witnesses. The only time I would think that any smart cop would fall short on is not suspecting an old lady of doing anything.
Last point: Being an amateur detective. Understanding this is a cozy mystery (although it gets a little cynical and morbid at times), I don't care about the coffee/recipe facts. In fact, the author does alright imbedding her java jive with the mysteries. However, when it comes to Clare sleuthing, either she is reluctant on doing it or just bulldozes into it. Many times, she isn't right about the murderer or the motive. I don't expect her to know everything, but there are moments she is completely way off the radar. The only thing I find hilarious is that she knows how to weasel her way past the suspect's comfort zone and gain new leads from there. Every time the unknown assailant tries to kill her, she comes back like a nasty yeast infection. Criminals beware!
January 27, 2019
This was a standard mystery novel, and I did enjoy some of the characters and the recipes/coffee tips....
But after reading the paragraph were a girl describes how being leered at by construction worker air Jordans isn’t nearly as bad as being leered at by “Mexicans and Middle Eastern men whose eyes bulge and tongues roll out” whenever she walked by (because she was curvy, ofc) I couldn’t get through the rest of the book. After that point, every time a non-white character was mentioned I was stopping to scrutinize it. Detective “do-rag Franco” for instance?
It’s absolutely a fantastic thing for writers to include characters of color in their novels. It’s realistic and should be something obvious/automatic, honestly. But this....obviously I’m not the right person to say exactly how a nonwhite character should be portrayed, and there are hundreds of ways to portray them. But I can tell you that that single paragraph threw the rest of the novel into a bad light. I can’t believe it passed through the editing table.
But after reading the paragraph were a girl describes how being leered at by construction worker air Jordans isn’t nearly as bad as being leered at by “Mexicans and Middle Eastern men whose eyes bulge and tongues roll out” whenever she walked by (because she was curvy, ofc) I couldn’t get through the rest of the book. After that point, every time a non-white character was mentioned I was stopping to scrutinize it. Detective “do-rag Franco” for instance?
It’s absolutely a fantastic thing for writers to include characters of color in their novels. It’s realistic and should be something obvious/automatic, honestly. But this....obviously I’m not the right person to say exactly how a nonwhite character should be portrayed, and there are hundreds of ways to portray them. But I can tell you that that single paragraph threw the rest of the novel into a bad light. I can’t believe it passed through the editing table.
October 12, 2019
This was more of a 2.5 rating for me. Clare really got stupid and hypocritical in the last couple of chapters. She forgot to look at her own life and see what she was mad about with Mike was stupid considering her ex husband. The mystery part of the story was good though. The only thing that would have made this better is if Joy hadn't showed up at the end. I can't stand that girl.
March 16, 2021
Disappointed by the racist references to the two new cop characters. Cleo Coyle and Berkeley Prime Crime should know better.
June 4, 2023
Claire is still dumb and why does every man have to leer and view her as a sexual object of her clothes constantly keep coming off 🙄🙄
Matt needs to get over her, he’s married again!!
The situation with Mike’s ex wife was unnecessary.
Overall it was an okay way to pass a weekend day
Matt needs to get over her, he’s married again!!
The situation with Mike’s ex wife was unnecessary.
Overall it was an okay way to pass a weekend day
November 29, 2016
I wanted to read this whole series but stopped after the second book. So jumping ahead to this holiday book was nice to catch up with the characters. Thankfully, the sex scenes and language were toned down which is why I don't want to read the entire series anymore, but it was still a bit racier than my comfort level.
In this book, I like how Cleo Coyle keeps pulling back layers of the characters who all seem so real. It's a classic mystery with some red herrings that had me guessing until the end whodunit. Of course, her coffee and food descriptions with recipes in the back make these fun reads too.
In this book, I like how Cleo Coyle keeps pulling back layers of the characters who all seem so real. It's a classic mystery with some red herrings that had me guessing until the end whodunit. Of course, her coffee and food descriptions with recipes in the back make these fun reads too.
August 4, 2024
I call these "cheesy murder mysteries" but this was less cheese than i thought id be getting into. Most murder mysteries its rare that the vigilante actually gets in trouble for interfering with the police and in this book i was pleasantly surprised to see this happen in this book. This seemed much more realistic than others I've read. Good holiday read.
December 18, 2023
The more I read of this series, the more I love it. I’ve read the most recent few and have been jumping around with the older ones and they are a delight. I love Clare’s dedication to holiday cheer and how her boyfriend is a police detective but never talks her out of (and even encourages her in) sleuthing. All the characters are vibrant and I love getting to know her coffee staff more with each book. I was shocked and pleased by the complicated mystery as it unraveled and loved the ending.
🎧 Notes
This is the first audiobook I’ve tried for this series and I loved it! The New York accents, the drama, and the characters were vibrant and the story telling was so well done!
🎧 Notes
This is the first audiobook I’ve tried for this series and I loved it! The New York accents, the drama, and the characters were vibrant and the story telling was so well done!
October 28, 2016
HOLIDAY GRIND is the perfect concoction for those cozy mystery lovers you like a little bit of action but also want something to get you into that holiday mood. As you may know, I’m a huge sucker for holiday themed novels and when I learned that Cleo Coyle had not one, but two in this series, I got really excited.
This book is book eight in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. Although it’s a book that is well into the series, you can definitely read these as standalone since each new book features a different crime. In this particular book, Clare Cosi is expecting a traveling Santa to arrive at her coffeehouse to bring some Christmas cheer to her employees and loyal customers but when he doesn’t show she grows concerned. She goes out to find him and discovers him dead in an alley. That’s when the investigating occurs and in this one, Clare gets herself into a few messes that I found hilarious.
I freaking love Clare. She’s a good mix of curious without being dumb about it. I can understand her drive, especially with this one since the victim is a good friend of hers. If you’re a Romance addict like me, then you’ll be happy to note there are some good scenes with Clare’s hot boyfriend, Mike Quinn and her ex-husband, Matt. Man, let me tell you, I love these guys. Mike is a little more quiet, a little more serious while Matt is more of your typical ladies’ man. I love both and am extremely jealous that Clare has both men in her life in some capacity. In Romance, you’ll never see an ex so frequently in a series except when they appear as the villain so I LOVED that we get to explore this dynamic in this series. If you can’t tell already, I’m hooked and I’m looking forward to reading more from Cleo Coyle.
*Reviewed by Ann
❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
September 10, 2020
I would actually call this 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story once it started moving. I am grateful the author doesn’t describe the intimate scenes because in this book Claire is acting like a horny teenager. Unfortunately there were a lot of parts that seemed incomplete or rushed, even some relationships seemed tenuous and not well established.
I will go and read Dickens “A Christmas Carol” based on this book.
I will go and read Dickens “A Christmas Carol” based on this book.
September 7, 2011
Really enjoyed this read. The coffeehouse isn't the main focus. The story about a homeless Santa is and it's compelling
November 16, 2021
I can always count on the Coffeehouse Mystery series by Cleo Coyle for a fast, enjoyable read. The mysteries are always intriguing and the murderer tough to guess, but not impossible. Toss in Clair's romance with detective Mike Quinn and a healthy amount of coffee recipes and references, and you've got a comforting, intriguing, fresh story that feels as though you've just picked up a latte from the Village Blend and are ready to settle in by the fire.
In this installment, Clare is hot on the trail of the murderer of a local man dressed up as Santa (because this is a Christmas themed novel, of course) and sticks her neck out further than ever before to solve the mystery- since the victim was a friend of hers. The pace picks up rather quickly as there are several moments where Clair's life is seriously in danger, and it made me want to keep turning the pages to see how she was going to get out of her latest jam.
New characters are added to the series already long list of regulars, and instead of detracting, it only made the story more interesting. I also loved the references to the novel A Christmas Carol- I'm a sucker for Dickens!
I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to this one, but it makes me want to pick up #9 right away. I'd recommend this quick mystery during the holidays, or any time of the year, really!
In this installment, Clare is hot on the trail of the murderer of a local man dressed up as Santa (because this is a Christmas themed novel, of course) and sticks her neck out further than ever before to solve the mystery- since the victim was a friend of hers. The pace picks up rather quickly as there are several moments where Clair's life is seriously in danger, and it made me want to keep turning the pages to see how she was going to get out of her latest jam.
New characters are added to the series already long list of regulars, and instead of detracting, it only made the story more interesting. I also loved the references to the novel A Christmas Carol- I'm a sucker for Dickens!
I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to this one, but it makes me want to pick up #9 right away. I'd recommend this quick mystery during the holidays, or any time of the year, really!
December 21, 2018
This was an engaging, fun mystery. I liked the main character, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi. The mystery itself kept my interest, too. Clare's friend who dresses as Santa and collects money for charity gets murdered, and the police think it's just a mugging. Even Clare's NYPD detective boyfriend thinks so. But Clare is sure there's more going on, and of course she uncovers the truth after many mishaps and missteps.
While I did enjoy this mystery while reading it, it faded from my consciousness awfully quickly. Two days later, and I'm struggling to recall character names and plot details. Like a foamy latte that I barely remember an hour later, it was frothy and tasty while it lasted, but not ultimately a favorite. Still, fun while it lasted!
While I did enjoy this mystery while reading it, it faded from my consciousness awfully quickly. Two days later, and I'm struggling to recall character names and plot details. Like a foamy latte that I barely remember an hour later, it was frothy and tasty while it lasted, but not ultimately a favorite. Still, fun while it lasted!
August 7, 2021
Clare Cosi is at it again in this 8th book of Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mysteries our favorite barista manager is pulling shots making delightful holiday lattes and even dressing as Santa's Helper as well as helping New York City's Finest solve crime when her friend Alf Glockner is shot to death in an alley the police are satisfied to call it a mugging gone wrong But Alf's daughter Vicki asks her one time boss if she could look into her father's death what Clare finds is not a mugging gone wrong but full out murder
January 27, 2022
A nice relief from the last two! The mystery here was great. I was interested and wanted to keep going until I found out who it was, and I certainly did not predict the culprit. I also am a Christmasphile, so that was a great combo.
Only took a star off for Matt’s gross comments on Victoria’s Secret models/catalogue (post-it’s? Really? Is he a 13 year old boy?! Gross), Clare’s response to Mike’s handling of his relationship with his ex-wife, and Clare’s constant use of the word ‘germane’ in the beginning (honestly get a new word). Otherwise enjoyed it and looking forward to the next one.
Only took a star off for Matt’s gross comments on Victoria’s Secret models/catalogue (post-it’s? Really? Is he a 13 year old boy?! Gross), Clare’s response to Mike’s handling of his relationship with his ex-wife, and Clare’s constant use of the word ‘germane’ in the beginning (honestly get a new word). Otherwise enjoyed it and looking forward to the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2018
I needed a tasty little morsel to get me out of work mode and into the holiday spirit, and this cozy mystery certainly fit the bill. Coffee lovers will get plenty out of the delicious- sounding drink descriptions (and the litany of recipes in the back of the book), and mystery lovers will have fun figuring out whodunnit. Fair warning, there's a bit of steamy (steamed milk?) romance and suggestive language, though I wouldn't call it graphic.
July 10, 2018
What can I say that i havent' said already about this series. another great one! There's always a twist at the end, and the characters are so finely drawn you think they're sitting right next to you. Love, love, love!
March 6, 2023
This was what you would expect of a cozy Christmas mystery. I liked the mystery in this one, but the stuff with Mike's ex was a bit odd, especially the lack of communication between him and Clare. Also, a bit hypocritical of her to be mad at him given how often Matt is in the picture.
April 27, 2020
A boring installment. I lost interest early.
December 22, 2020
As cheesy as they are, I do enjoy these Coffeehouse mysteries. Easy to listen to, but still well put together.
January 5, 2021
Cozy. Holiday. Murder Mystery. New York City. What else could you ask for? Oh you want 70 pages of coffee terms and Christmas recipes? Sure, you can have that too.
July 3, 2021
Fa-la-loved!!! 🎅🏻🤶🏻🎄
Read
January 21, 2021Clare Cosi a coffee barista. Finds Santa dead. He was suppose to come to a Christmas party set up for the tasting off the coffees Fa la La Christmas flavor coffee all the barristas choices. But he did not show up. Clair found somethings about Alf the dress up Santa. Was he really a robber or a peeping Tom
January 21, 2021
In this Claire Cosi mystery. Claire is a barrista. A man that always dressed up like Santa on Christmas is found dead. Was it because he was it because of his past. Or something else
October 29, 2020
I actually really enjoyed this one! Nice and complicated in plot and you really didn't know who in the HECKKKKKKK was the murderer! Nice plot! But oooooo Lordt Cosi got on my damn nerves with some moments she had with Nick, wanted to slap her lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2023
This gets a 2.5 stars from me.
This is the second book I read in this Coffeehouse Mystery series. Obviously not in any kind of order. I chose this one because it is centered around a holiday and with this being the holiday season, it seemed festive.
I have to say the first 2/3 of this story was quite boring! It seemed like endless paragraphs of needless description. For example, the paragraphs describing the thoughts Clare was having about the Statue of liberty while she was on the ferry seemed to drag on longer than necessary, BUT I understand why Ms. Coyle included it in that particular scene (you'll have to read it for more details). Anyways, all these excessive paragraphs of details made the pace of most of the story quite slow for my preference. With that said, I felt there were so many characters introduced that it made the storyline and suspects hard to keep track of while reading. That detail made this novel almost exhausting to read!
Also, I don't think the title was the most appropriate one given how the story played out. I wonder if Ms. Coyle could have come up with another one? Then again, she did mention a "grind" towards the end of the story, so that deserves a credit.
However, in the last 1/3 or so of the story, all these ties that were introduced in the first part came together in a rather interesting way; Alfred's murder was solved in a satisfying manner, so I will give the author another credit for accomplishing a real good ending!
I thought the brief histories of Operation Santa Claus and the Salvation Army's Red Kettles was a lovely addition to the entire story! The numerous definitions of coffee terms and recipes at the end were great as well!
Overall, this wasn't a bad read, just not the most interesting one. Read at your own risk.
This is the second book I read in this Coffeehouse Mystery series. Obviously not in any kind of order. I chose this one because it is centered around a holiday and with this being the holiday season, it seemed festive.
I have to say the first 2/3 of this story was quite boring! It seemed like endless paragraphs of needless description. For example, the paragraphs describing the thoughts Clare was having about the Statue of liberty while she was on the ferry seemed to drag on longer than necessary, BUT I understand why Ms. Coyle included it in that particular scene (you'll have to read it for more details). Anyways, all these excessive paragraphs of details made the pace of most of the story quite slow for my preference. With that said, I felt there were so many characters introduced that it made the storyline and suspects hard to keep track of while reading. That detail made this novel almost exhausting to read!
Also, I don't think the title was the most appropriate one given how the story played out. I wonder if Ms. Coyle could have come up with another one? Then again, she did mention a "grind" towards the end of the story, so that deserves a credit.
However, in the last 1/3 or so of the story, all these ties that were introduced in the first part came together in a rather interesting way; Alfred's murder was solved in a satisfying manner, so I will give the author another credit for accomplishing a real good ending!
I thought the brief histories of Operation Santa Claus and the Salvation Army's Red Kettles was a lovely addition to the entire story! The numerous definitions of coffee terms and recipes at the end were great as well!
Overall, this wasn't a bad read, just not the most interesting one. Read at your own risk.
May 16, 2011
I have read all of the Coffee House Mysteries to date and this one let me down a bit. Once the story got going it was good, but the slow beginning and the jumpy feel lacked that initial spark for me.
When traveling Santa Alfred Glockner fails to show at the Village Blend for Clare Cosi’s fa-la-la-la-la latte holiday party, Clare takes it upon herself to go out in the freezing snow to find him. Unfortunately, she finds him dead in a nearby alley from what appears to be a random mugging. A couple of things just do not add up and once again, Clare sets out to do her Nancy Drew thing.
As the story falls into place, it is not just Santa that has a couple of secrets this holiday season and with the help of Madam, who just happens to know the right people, plus Clare’s usual cast of characters - not to mention a new vigilante cop - the story slowly unfolds until you hit the end and think “that was it, this long meandering book and boom it’s over”.
As I said, it was not my favorite of the series, the beginning did not seem as well laid out as the previous books and the writing was a bit roundabout. Parts were thrown in, Mike’s ex-wife, that were not necessary. There did not seem to be as much humor as the other books – so over all I would say that this is only “so-so” as compared to her previous offerings.
Do not be misled by the page count in this book. It says 384 pages but in truth the story itself is only 279 pages. The remaining 105 pages are recipes, tips and information concerning holiday gift giving organizations. Not that that is wrong, it just misleads the reader when you know the story is ending, but there is quite a bit of pages to go.
When traveling Santa Alfred Glockner fails to show at the Village Blend for Clare Cosi’s fa-la-la-la-la latte holiday party, Clare takes it upon herself to go out in the freezing snow to find him. Unfortunately, she finds him dead in a nearby alley from what appears to be a random mugging. A couple of things just do not add up and once again, Clare sets out to do her Nancy Drew thing.
As the story falls into place, it is not just Santa that has a couple of secrets this holiday season and with the help of Madam, who just happens to know the right people, plus Clare’s usual cast of characters - not to mention a new vigilante cop - the story slowly unfolds until you hit the end and think “that was it, this long meandering book and boom it’s over”.
As I said, it was not my favorite of the series, the beginning did not seem as well laid out as the previous books and the writing was a bit roundabout. Parts were thrown in, Mike’s ex-wife, that were not necessary. There did not seem to be as much humor as the other books – so over all I would say that this is only “so-so” as compared to her previous offerings.
Do not be misled by the page count in this book. It says 384 pages but in truth the story itself is only 279 pages. The remaining 105 pages are recipes, tips and information concerning holiday gift giving organizations. Not that that is wrong, it just misleads the reader when you know the story is ending, but there is quite a bit of pages to go.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 439 reviews