These are cute mysteries. I've become quite attached to the characters in this series. In this one, Juliet is finally an official PI, so her investigations are now a bit more above board. People are now paying her to investigate things on their behalf. Her first client wants to catch her husband cheating and ends with Juliet being accused of stabbing him. And that's just the first chapter (or maybe the second).This character has a way of finding trouble that is endlessly entertaining. Of course, if this was my friend IRL, I would probably avoid her. People have a way of turning up dead when she's around. These books are perfectly entertaining and great for when you just need a break.

Super read. Having two storylines was great kept things moving and interesting. The author did a fantastic job on this book!

Brew or Die by Carolyn Fardig.
Another good addition to her Java Jive Mystery series. Three mysteries in one book. Drugs, money laundering, and a suicide/murder, all unrelated events involving our heroine, Juliet Langley. Or are they? As Juliet and her best friend Pete try to help coworker Shane look into the drug overdose death of his girlfriend, Juliet's former flame Ryder is after drug dealers. Their paths cross and though she is still hurt form Ryders dissappearance months ago, the spark is still there.
Juliet and Pete are also looking into the buisness partner, who Pete knows. He is sure his partner is up to no good. Money keeps running through the business with no valid reason.
Juliet and Pete go undercover in the fashion world, trying to make sense of Josie's overdose. The more they learn about Josie, they are convinced it was murder.
Read, as these three mysteries blend into a surprising who done it.

*I would actually give this book 3 1/2 stars. This is Book 4 in the Java Jive series by Caroline Fardig. This one was a little harder to relate to as a standalone than previous ones, so it might impact readers that haven't read the previous books.

Juliet Langley is now a licensed PI, one who has already had several murders under her belt. The PI license helps her relationship with law enforcement, and Juliet is also having a personal relationship with another local cop.

Juliet is still running her best friend - and sometimes almost more than friend - Pete's coffee shop. In this story, she juggles that along with her new PI gigs and helping to investigate the death of one of the coffee shop employee's fiancé. There are lots of overlaps in Juliet’s life and the cases she works on, and plenty of twists and turns throughout the book.

A large focus in the book is on Juliet's romantic life - the continuing saga of her & Pete never quite getting together, the ex, Ryder showing back up to warn her about current boyfriend John Stafford. I would have liked a bit less focus on this, because I don't like any of the romantic interests and can't see any reasons why she would be interested in them.

Overall, I have found the series to be entertaining enough, and easy reads.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

I’m loving this series and eagerly anticipate reading the next in this fun mystery series. In this story Juliet Langley goes undercover to investigate the possible murder of a colleague’s girlfriend. She has her PI License now and has other cases to investigate, much to the chagrin of her BFF/boss/potential partner. With her current love interest acting mysteriously, her ex turning up like a bad penny and plenty of intrigue, this is a fun, fast paced and enthralling read. I loved it from start to finish! The Java Jive Cafe, its clients and staff as well as two local detectives all play key roles in this story which also has some love interests, too!

The story has great characters, several of whom have secrets that will be uncovered as the story progresses. Juliet’s first official case is endeavouring to collect evidence of a cheating husband - and that gets Juliet accused of stabbing him! With policemen as both her ex and her current boyfriend, her boss as a potential boyfriend (if only they can get their timing right), folks being murdered and Juliet in the thick of the action. This story is a crazy, fun light hearted, mystery packed with humour, misdirection and romance!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion after choosing to read it.

This series has become one of my favorites! The characters are interesting and fun but also have flaws. The area of Nashville is described to that I can see it in my mind. I would love to be able to visit Java Jive as it seems to be a most interesting coffee shop.

The book is well-written and an easy read. I did not want to put it down, even when the plane landed and we had to disembark. I cannot wait until the next book is released!

This is the fourth book in the Java Jive series. In this book, Juliet gets her PI license, so she can now be a professional sleuth. This is a fun series with well developed characters along with a great storyline. It is best to read this series in order for the best understanding of the characters. I can't wait to read more of them!

I found the first three books in the Java Jive series very enjoyable and while I still liked Brew or Die, it fell short for me. Juliet has gotten her PI license and her life has gotten even more complicated. Working managing the coffeehouse all day and then being on surveillance at night is wearing. Especially when she witnesses an assault on her first solo surveillance. Her new cop boyfriend, John Stafford, is on hand immediately to help her out, but otherwise, the relationship is a little flat and boring. The previous boyfriend, Ryder Hamilton, is trying to mend fences, but Juliet isn't having any of it. Especially when Ryder insinuates that Stafford is on the take. Then one of her employee's fiance at the coffeehouse is found dead of an overdose. Both the employee and Pete Bennett, Juliet's longtime friend and heartthrob, insist that it was murder.

The plot from then on gets complicated and convoluted with office politics, drug dealers, betrayal and murder playing a part. Juliet, by the end, has her heart if not broken, bruised....twice. I can't get behind any of the men in Juliet's life. I find Ryder fickle and untrustworthy, and Pete, manipulative. And Stafford, well, that's another story. I hope that Juliet can get her life back on track in the next book and reclaim some of the humor of the earlier books. One bright spot is that she is managing to overcome her crippling stage fright and singing in public again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alibi for an advance digital copy. The opinions above are my own.

I read Mug Shot and had a hard time with some of the language in the book. I was willing to give the author a second chance. I am thrilled to say that this one was MUCH better!

We have all the old familiar faces in this book and the story line is compelling. When I had to "do life" and couldn't be reading, I would be wondering about various characters in the story. Did Josie commit suicide or was she murdered? If murdered, who did it and how in the world could it be proved?

And, of course, there is another plot going on at the same time - this time working as PI to see if there is money laundering going on in a business.

When I read cozies, I am likely to spend a lot of time screaming at the protagonist "Don't do that! Won't you ever learn?" and of course, the don't hear a word I've said and get themselves into the most awful scrapes. I am happy to report that at least once, she heard me. What drove me crazy in this book was that the male interests were at each other as though they were in high school. No one wanted to be the romantic partner at the time, but all wanted to get rid of the competition. It was like the story of the dog in the manger. No one could be happy for someone else's happy love life.

But it was an excellent story otherwise. And I do look forward to reading more by Ms. Fardig now.

10318483
Carol Smith's review May 04, 2017 · edit
it was amazing
bookshelves: 2017-cloak-dagger-reading-challeng, 2017-cruising-thru-the-cozies-2017, 2017craving-2017-for-cozies-chall

The RedHeaded She Devil is the name
attributed to Juliet Langley. She is the
manager of the Java Jive coffeehouse,
a PI ( private investigator ) with singing
and song writing abilities. Juliet has been
pacified since dating MNPD John Stafford.
Is this too good to be true? Has she
become a boring person?
This story follows Juliet as she increases
her skills as a PI. The reader will go on an
undercover operations with Juliet as she
investigates two situations.
An co-owner of a company named
Wonder-Gen Fabrications hires Maya and
Juliet to check into dealings his partner
might be involved in that are shady. While
monitoring the company in an unmarked
van, Juliet unearths things that affect her
especially when Detective Ryder Hamilton
appears at her stakeout. Seems he is also
checking things out about this company.
But to solve the case they need to work
together putting their past behind them.
Will they be able to accomplish this or will
the RedHeaded She Devil reappear ???
One of the Java Jive employee's fiancée is
found dead at her workplace. The case was
classified on drug overdose. But was it or was
sinister play involved??
Juliet with her boss and long time best friend,
Pete Bennett go undercover at a wedding
showcase given by the party-planning company
where the fiancée died. Will the RedHeaded She
Devil be able to remain subdued??
Many puzzle pieces with danger, suspense,
drugs, murder, intriguing twists, turns, stalking,
gunshots, new and old romantic ties plus
humorous escapades make this story a read in
one sitting.
The characters are well defined, colorful, zany and
feisty. They are very created.
This is book # 4 in A Java Jive Mystery series. It
can be read as a stand alone.
Fantastic read!!!
I volunteered to read this eBook. Thank you to
Alibi via Net Gallery for this opportunity. My opinion
is my own.

This was my least favorite of this series so far. The mystery part of it was fine and is what brings it from 2 stars to 3. The characters were much less appealing this time around. There was so much back and forth, wishy-washy behavior in all of the characters that it was very hard to get behind any of them. I found myself just pushing through to the end just to get finished with it. I have liked the previous books and even felt it was very Stephanie Plumbish but not this time. I was very frustrating to not be able to get behind a single one of the lead characters. The previous books in the series were good so I had been looking forward to this one. It just seems that all the men are kind of wimpy and Juliette was just all over the place.

This is a great book; this is the fourth book in the Java Jive Mystery series written by Caroline Fardig. Inspired by her past sleuthing successes, Juliet Langley has officially joined the ranks of Nashville’s licensed private investigators. Her best friend, Pete Bennett, doesn’t worry that her detective work might interfere with her full-time job running his coffeehouse, Java Jive. He just wishes she would spend her free time rejoining the local music scene instead of tailing cheating spouses. But when one of Java Jive’s baristas, Shane, asks Juliet to look into the suspicious death of his fiancée, Pete encourages her to plow full steam ahead. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Another entertaining Java Jive mystery. The characters continue to excel and the story is full of imagination. The romantic parts are full of questions and uncertainties, just like real life. Great read

Coffeehouse manager and newly licensed private investigator Juliet Langley has a lot on her plate. Her first investigation as an official P.I. ended in her almost getting arrested. Her new case has her spending her nights cleaning toilets as part of an undercover assignment, all while she keeps the coffeehouse running and her social life moving along. It takes a lot of energy to be Juliet. Lucky for her, she's got easy access to cappuccino shots. 

Juliet has a lot going on, with her two jobs (three if you count the nightly bathroom cleaning), and her trio of guys. There is her current boyfriend John Stafford, her passionate ex Ryder Hamilton, and her best friend and the owner of the Java Jive (the coffeehouse where Juliet works), Pete Bennett. And to make things more complicated, one of the Java Jive employees, Shane, learned that his fiancee Josie has died under very mysterious circumstances. Can Juliet take on yet another case to get to the truth? And what dangers will she face along the way? 

There is a lot of action in Brew or Die, the fourth installment in the Java Jive mystery series. Author Caroline Fardig has created a fun and fiery heroine in Juliet, and this character is more than happy to take readers on a crazy ride through her adventures and relationships. A light and light-hearted mystery, Brew or Die is a fun escape from the pressures of real life for awhile. 



Galleys for Brew or Die were provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of mystery and action. There were not one, but two cases to solve in this book, which I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of what was going on and who was involved. I found that I would also get confused when the men in the book were referred to by their last names. If you hadn't read the series from the beginning, (like myself) it can get confusing.
But other than that, the story kept me interested and I wanted to keep reading to happen next!
Can't wait for the next book! Will Pete become a P.I. too?

Juliet and Pete need to get themselves together already!!! I can't handle too many more books of them dancing around a relationship. :) This book was a great addition to this fun and "perky" cozy mystery series, and I quite enjoyed it. There is always a madcap mystery to solve with a twist at the end. Looking forward to more.

We join Juliet as she works on her first case after she has earned her PI license. Maya, her PI boss, has asked her to investigate a company called Wonder-Gen after one of the owners hired them to figure out if his partner is swindling money from the company. At the same time, her boss at the coffee shop Java Jive has asked her to look into the death of one of the employees fiancé. Did she really die of an apparent drug overdose or was she murder by a jealous co-worker. Both cases take Juliet on a wild ride. Will she survive both emotionally and physically?

Even though I started this series in the middle it did not affect being able to follow along. Sometimes when you start in the middle of the series you are lost in trying to fissure out who is who and the connections. Caroline Fardig did a great job in introducing everyone and their connections very early on and without overdoing so.

I like the spunkiness of Juliet as she is a sleuth that is not afraid to get out there and get in the middle of a case to solve it. My biggest let down was her waffling on who she was in love with. Is it Stafford, Hamilton or Pete? Do all female sleuths have to have a love triangle or quadrangle to make them successful? I think not. Maybe in the future we will see Juliet take a break from trying to fall in love.

This was my first introduction to the Java Jive series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It will definitely be a series I add to my reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing a free copy for my honest review.

My favorite coffeehouse barista, Juliet Langley, is back in action in Caroline Fardig's <em>Brew or Die</em>.

But Juliet is no longer just a coffeehouse manager who stumbles onto crime and sleuthing - now the red-head is an officially licensed private investigator in Nashville. This makes perfect sense in the chronology of the character through the books, but it does take away a little bit of the fun.

The fiancée of one of Juliet's Java Jive employees has died of an apparent overdose. But the employee (Shane) is convinced that there's foul play and talks newly licensed Juliet to investigate. Juliet ("Jules") is also working some other cases with her friend Maya. Those cases have her working undercover after hours as a member of a late-night cleaning crew. Somehow she also still manages Java Jive as well.

In addition to the P.I. work and the coffee-house, Jules finds time to pursue some extra-curricular activities with her boy-friend John Stafford - a police detective whom she now works with in her capacity as a private investigator. But Juliet's former boyfriend, Ryder, keeps trying to warn Jules about Stafford.

One of the big attractions I've had with this series to date is the character of Juliet. She's spunky with a charming innocence about her. Even with all the dead bodies she's had at her feet she's maintained an energetic, can-do spirit. But now, with her PI license comes a more stalwart and steady Jules - someone who doesn't jump without looking. This is more responsible on her part, but less fun for the reader.

Clearly the character is growing and with the change comes some growing pains. This is my least favorite book in the series but I'm far from giving up on the character or the series. I'm happy to keep going and see what other changes are in store.

The mysteries are getting stronger, and Juliet now has the opportunity to legitimately get involved in more cases, but I hope author Fardig doesn't lose sight of Juliet, who is the real reason we read the books.

Looking for a good book? <em>Brew or Die</em> is the newest book in the Java Jive series by Caroline Fardig. It is not quite as strong as the previous books in the series, but it's still a worthwhile read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I had not read anything by author Caroline Fardig before but am glad to rectify my loss! Although it was clear that pre-existing relationships existed among all the characters and that there was a fair amount of history (i.e., previous books in the series) among them, I had no trouble following the interactions and getting to know and like the main protaganists (or at least most of them--ya gotta hiss for the villain, after all!). And now on to the story which was logically laid out with a few good clues and a few red herrings making the various solutions and deductions that much more delightful. I selected this to read from the Netgalley catalog; when I saw Alibi was the publisher I knew I'd be reading a well-edited cozy mystery with a large dose of humor. It is nice to be able to count on some things!