On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 1)

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)!!

I wanted to like this book a lot. I am desperately seeking a good, cozy or not, mystery series. But this was not it. The plot sounds pretty good, a single emply nester moves back home again to live near and work for her ex-mother in law. Clare's is given the immense job of restoring the coffee shop back to its glory days. Previous management has left the coffeehouse failing. Unfortunately, Clare also has to deal with her ex-husband popping back up and wanting to play house, literally. Adding even more drama, Clare finds her favorite barista lying crumpled at the bottom of the stairwell. Clare is sure that it was attempted murderer but she needs to convince the police of that. Sounds pretty good, huh? Its in the actual detail of the story that "On What Grounds" becomes so dry its nearly unconsumable. The author gives far too much detail about what makes for perfect coffee, or expresso, or 500 different coffee variations. As she is doing so, she comes across as snooty instead of sincere. I am not a coffee drinker, but I don't think even the most faithful drinker of the stuff could possible want this much detail about the size and shape of beans or how the cup percolates. Even putting coffee aside, the author goes off on these long discriptive tangents about paintings, or siding, or watching grass grow, whatever. As I read, I kept wondering if this stuff would later come up to be important in solving the crime, but nope. I just don't understand why the huge deviances from the story line and why the editors allowed this. Part of me wants to know if and when the writing in this series becomes better stream-lined because then it may be worth trying to jump into the series again.

I picked up this book because coffee and mystery seemed such a great combo as I love them both. I was not disappointed. Our main character Clare has found herself back managing The Village Blend, an historic coffeeshop in Manhattan. What she finds upon returning, however, is an attack on an employee; her ex husband living in her apartment; and a cute detective on the case. Since the police seem to be under the impression this attack was just a workplace accident, Clare is determined to solve the case herself.

I thought this was a great little mystery with a lot of good coffee tips as well. It flowed quite nicely, and was a quick read. I look forward to continuing with this series.

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.

"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

Having read and really enjoyed the first few books in another series by this author - The Haunted Bookshop series, which is written under the name Alice Kimberly and begins with The Ghost & Mrs. McClure - I was excited to find out that she had another mystery series.

That excitement, which included buying the first 4 books in the series right away, lasted until I actually read On What Grounds. Wow, what a letdown!

Not only did I not like or care about these people, I found myself actively DISliking the protagonist which is highly unusual for me. The clunky writing was intensified by awkward insertions of back story and constant interruptions in the narrative to explain how one kind of coffee or another is best made. Even for people who love their coffee more than their spouse, this information could have been presented in a better manner (recipes and directions at the back of the book, maybe?).

I forced myself to slog through this, just in case it got better. It didn't. I gave this and the other three books in the series I had purchased away.

(Note: If you don't like coffee, then give this four stars instead of five, because you'll learn a lot about coffee in this book. But don't let the series theme dissuade you from reading this first-rate cozy mystery. I know a tea drinker who loves Ms. Coyle as much as I do.)

My frequent trips to the coffeehouse (be it latte, coffee of the day, or blended drink) have been a part of my life for years. Some people enjoy a glass of wine, a mug of beer, a ciggy...I indulge too...in that premium cuppa o' coffeehouse coffee, so sue me for taking an hour every so often to sit and watch the world go by.

Because of my love of the joe, I was giddy to find a mystery series set in an urban coffeehouse (in this case Greenwich Village, New York). This is the first book in the series (my edition says the paperback hit the #1 best-selling position on the Independent Mystery Booksellers list)...and I can see why.

This is a not only a clever, well-constructed mystery, it is delightful reading as fiction, mainly because the characterizations are so well drawn. Clare and the people in her life are much less shallow and more deeply realized than a lot of the cozy mysteries out there.

The reading is quick (in one sitting, easily) but it's not insubstantial by any stretch. I missed the characters (major and minor, including Esther and Tucker) when the last page was turned and I thought, thank heaven there are other books in the series.

The basic plotline: Clare Cosi loved her time managing the Village Blend Coffee house but was weary of her husband cheating on her. She divorced him and moved with her daughter to the New Jersey suburbs.

Now Joy is over eighteen, enrolled in chef's school in New York City. It gives Clare the perfect excuse to leave New Jersey once more and move back into Manhattan.

Enter: The owner of the village Blend, who also happens to be Clare's ex-mother-in law, a grand elderly lady with French origins (Madame Dreyfus Allegro-Dubois).

Madame offers Clare the job of managing the coffeehouse once again for her. And this time she is offered a deal where she will eventually co-own the coffeehouse. Clare takes the deal...and on the day she moves into the duplex above the city coffeehouse, she finds the body of Anabelle, the assistant manager, unconscious at the bottom of the basement stairs.

After Anabelle Hart 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.

Clare has a wonderful sleuthing soul and a stubborn nature and starts making inquiries of people close to Anabelle. By the end, Clare has grilled a number of intriguing suspects around New York City (and the settings are wonderfully described). Eventually, she gets so close to solving the crime, Clare herself find she's on the wrong end of a gun!

The writing is clever and witty yet not so light that the characters don't stay with you after the last page is turned. I couldn't wait to read another in this series.

Clare's mother-in-law playing matchmaker makes for some humorous moments too--she really wants Clare to get back together with her son, even if she has to trick them into sharing the same living space.

The two-ex-spouses (Clear and her ex-husband Matt) end up hooking up in the sleuthing and they make an entertaining team. Since they've got so much history and know each other so well, there's a lot of funny bickering. It really does makes for some hilarious moments. At the same time, there are many touching moments, the ending is a page-turner and I was truly shocked by the revelation of the real killer.

As another reviewer has already said...Cleo Coyle is a bright new light in the mystery horizon.

This book is very well plotted and engaged my attention very well from the very start -- it was a book that may not have kept me up until 3 in the morning, but I did look forward to getting back to it and read it rather quickly. Clair Cosi, part-owner of a landmark coffee house in Greenwich Village who is this book's amateur detective, is likeable, and her reason for getting so involved in solving the mystery is credible (unlike other mysteries I've read).
The story begins when Clair finds the crumpled but still living body of an assistant manager in the coffee shop's basement, at the bottom of the stairs. The police investigate and believe it's an accident (the woman is unconscious at this point and in intensive care). Clair finds that hard to believe, and motivated by fears of a disasterous lawsuit as well as affection for the employee, she begins to poke around to see if she can convince the police that this is no accident but a crime scene. There are a number of characters with several possible motives to consider.
WHat I didn't like about the book is the epicurean obsession with coffee. I like a good cup of coffee, but got tired fairly quickly of the tedious descriptions of how to make the perfect cup of espresso, etc. I began to wonder if Martha Stewart had ghost-written this book, particularly with a certain snobbishness present in the descriptions. I really didn't need to hear how Clair is wearing a Valentino while her ex mother in law is wearing an Oscar de la Renta. Her husband's expensive wristwatch by a relatively obscure maker is equally irrelevant, as are the hints of where to get these items the next time you're in New York. That's why I would have liked to edit this book. I hope the real editor of her next book will spare us all the instructions on coffee-making. I intend to read the next in this series to find out.

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.

I wanted to like this book so much I bought the entire series before I read the first chapter . . . big mistake. I'm only 30 pages in and I find myself skimming the detailed coffee making "tips" (more like instructions from a perfectionist) and the over detailing of characters (I have an imagination, can I use it?)
I'm going to try to finish this book in the hopes that it gets better. So far, I'd classify this as a okay light read but I've read children's books that you could get more "lost in the story"
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I originally gave this book 2 stars before I was finished with the book. Now I have finished and cannot bring myself to pick up the next one. These will be going on Amazon for sell or maybe I'll just give them to away. I felt the author gave too much detail and in some cases not enough. If you are interested in this book I suggest finding it at a library or just buying the first one and not the whole set as I did. If I could change my original rating i'd give this book 1 star. What a waste.