by Lorie Lewis Ham

At the end of this review are details on how to enter to win a copy of A Brew To A Kill. Also in this issue is a guest article by Cleo Coyle about coffee along with a great frappucino recipe!

It dawned on me this week that atmosphere plays a big part in my choice of books. Places I would love to spend time in, described in a way that makes them come to life, really draw me in as much as a great character and story. That’s what drew me to Carolyn Hart’s Death On Demand series set in a mystery bookstore and that’s what draws me in to Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery series.

Cleo Coyle’s books are set in Clare Cosi’s coffeehouse, the Village Blend in New York. I LOVE hanging out in coffeehouses and would LOVE to hang out in New York, and Cleo does an incredible job of bringing the Village Blend to life and allowing me to spend some time hanging out there when I read each book. I can practically smell the coffee.

In A Brew To A Kill Clare is working to convince her business partner and ex husband Matt to give his approval of their new food and coffee truck, while dealing with a food truck adversary who is trying to put them out of business–Kaylie Crimini of the obnoxious Kupcake Cart. In the midst of all this, her new friend Lilly Beth is run over in the street in front of the Blend and later someone dies mysteriously at a food truck catered wedding.

Onto the scene comes the NYPD hit and run division run by NYPD detective “Mad Max” Buckman who can be difficult, yet ends up being a good ally to Clare in helping her figure out what’s going on.

Could Lilly have been run over because of her efforts to bring healthier eating habits to New York, or could it be that Clare was the intended victim? Is there more going on here than a food truck war or simple hit and run? As an added twist, is Matt accidentally importing something more than coffee beans?

I love this series and look forward to someday having the time to go back and read all of the earlier books. Clare is tough and real. Her baristas Esther and Dante are interesting, unique and very New York and artistic. The Blend is somewhere I’d love to spend some time in real life, and the mystery was well done with some twists and turns along the way. I can’t wait for the next book. And to top it off there are muffin and cake recipes at the end of the book! How can you beat that? If you love coffee and mysteries this is a perfect book for you.

To enter to win an e-book copy of A Brew To A Kill, simply email KRL at life@kingsriverlife[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Brew”, or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 15, 2012. U.S. residents only.

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and an enthusiastic contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet.