It’s a perfect weekend to share my latest find: a whole series of lighthearted mysteries centered in the kind of coffeehouse we all wish we ran. Or at least were able to frequent. David and I wandered over to Starbucks yesterday and sat in Maria’s store. You’ve all heard me talk about our friend Jeremy, who runs our favorite Starbucks in the area. Maria is his wife, and she can be found in the third Starbucks in the same mall. Maria runs a great crew, with a lot of interaction with the customers. Anyway, David and I perched at her counter with our books yesterday, and this series is what I found. It was the perfect companion.
Cleo Coyle is the author of the Coffehouse Mystery series. I am currently reading the first book, On What Grounds. Coyle has captured the true heart of the coffee-lover’s sole, and created a corresponding coffeehouse. What I wouldn’t give to walk into her Village Blend and have a cup of perfectly brewed Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain. As a mystery, the book naturally opens with a nefarious deed. I would say murder, but I haven’t read far enough to know if the victim dies or not! As the plotline unfolds, our narrator (and Village Blend barista/manager) shares her coffee knowledge and lore while trying to solve the crime. I’ve learned a lot about the bean while puttering through this mystery. I’ve also forgotten to pack for my upcoming trip to Atlanta, but that can be remedied. Enjoy this series, you readers out there. And on this rainy Sunday afternoon I leave you with the opening lines of On What Grounds.
The perfect cup of coffee is a mystifying thing.
To many of my customers, the entire process seems like some sort of alchemy they dare not try at home.
If the beans are Robusta rather than Arabica, the roasting time too long or short, the filtering water too hot or cold, the grinds too finely or coarsely milled, the brew allowed to sit too long — any of it can harm the end product. Biilance is what gets you that perfect cup — vigilance and stubbornness in protecting the quality.
As the 1902 coffee almanac put it, “When coffee is bad it is the wickedest thing in town; when good, the most glorious.”
I was hooked from the first words. There is also a very fun companion website to snoop around and read about the author’s upcoming works. You can find it by clicking on this link.
Happy sleuthing!
