Death by Cafe Mocha by Alex Erickson was such a fun cozy mystery. I loved the characters and the twists and turns that made this a fun read.

Synopsis:
Coffee lovers are gathering from far and wide at the hotel, and Krissy, Rita, and Vicki are excited. But some of the attendees may need to switch to decaf, as a public argument breaks out soon after they check in and then a flavor competition leads to bitter feelings.

Another great story from this author. It was refreshing to see this story take place outside of the usual setting. This time I took place at a coffee convention! I have to admit that while reading this I wanted to try all the different coffee flavors! This read is full of bribery, mystery, and maybe some new friendships? Read to find out!

Death by Cafe Mocha was a basic cozy mystery with a death at a coffee brewing competition. The character who was murdered was unlikable and Krissy didn't have any connection to him so I didn't really understand why she felt compelled to investigate. I couldn't really get into this story, but I wasn't able to figure out whodunnit ahead of Krissy, so I gave it 3 stars instead of fewer.

Brought n Death by Café Mocha, bookstore café owners Krissy and Vicki, along with their friend Rita, find themselves outside of Pine Hills at a coffee convention. When one of the attendees is murdered, Krissy cannot help but investigate.

I have not read a book in this series for quite some time so I had a hard time getting back into Krissy and Vicki’s world. Being away from their shop and hometown also took me a while to get into, but the coffee convention setting feels fresh and full of possibilities. What I do not understand is why Krissy needed to get involved with the investigation at all. She, nor anyone close to her, was accused of the crime. She comes across as simply a nosy busybody, butting in where she shouldn’t for no reason. She also seems pretty immature, acting more like a somewhat lovesick teenager than an independent business owner in her thirties. In addition, I did not find any good reason for Rita to be there. Perhaps she was meant to provide comic relief, but she was annoying.

The mystery itself is fairly well executed (hence my rating of three stars instead of two). The victim is sufficiently unlikable and seemingly worthy of his fate. There are plenty of suspects with valid motives. It was a little confusing in the beginning of the story trying to keep these new characters, many with very similar names, straight, but they all eventually fell into place. There are lots of clues and red herrings, and I did not figure out whodunit until Krissy did.

Fans of the Bookstore Café Mystery series should be happy with this seventh installment, but it fell flat for me.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

This was the first book I have read by this author and I thought it was a cute little cozy! Definitely not my favorite cozy out there, but I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

One thing I loved is how this cozy series is centered around coffee.

This is another series that has become a favorite and this one didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the coffee competition and watching the characters interact with each other. The mystery kept me guessing until the end - which I stayed up way too late reading.

I am addicted to books. I am also addicted to coffee. How have I never read this series? I LOVED this mystery! Even though it is #7 in the series, I was able to dive right in. I will, however, be reading the first 6! Krissy and friends Vicki and Rita are headed to JavaCon (this is a convention I could get excited about!) and naturally, a murder happens on the first full day there. Krissy is a great protagonist. I liked that she was really trying hard not to get involved, but she just couldn't help herself. I thought Rita was hilarious. This series is now on my ever expanding must read list. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Death by Cafe Mocha by Alex Erickson is about Krissy Hancock and her friends going to a convention for coffee lovers. A big argument breaks out and then the winner of the contest is killed. Krissy decides to help solve the murder. This book had very friendly characters. It was hard to figure out who the killer was. There were many twists and turns but I enjoyed reading this book.

Krissy Hancock and her pals are taking a coffee break leaving their bookstore-cafe in Pine Hills, Ohio, and heading to a convention. But this road trip will be more dangerous than they expected.

Coffee lovers are gathering from far and wide at the hotel, and Krissy, Rita, and Vicki are excited. But some of the attendees may need to switch to decaf, as a public argument breaks out soon after they check in and then a flavor competition leads to bitter feelings.

When the winner of the contest is beaned with a carafe full of cafe mocha, suspicions swirl along with accusations of bribery. Was the dead man offering perks to the judges or was something sinister going on in his personal life? This case is going to keep Krissy up all night long.

I had a hard time getting into this book since it took place in an entirely new setting and a lot of the usual characters and places were missing. Once I got used to not reading about the town and residents of Pine Hills, I found the idea of Krissy and Vicki going to a coffee convention. I'm not sure why Rita had to be at the convention since she has nothing to do with coffee except for being a customer at Krissy and Vicki's bookstore cafe.

The mystery is well written and has several suspects who all have their own motive for the murder. There are enough red herrings and twists and turns to keep you guessing about who the killer is until Krissy has her aha moment and the killer is caught. I found that sometimes the main characters seemed to be acting a little immature since they were away from home and the responsibilities of their jobs.
I hope that if this series continues the next book will take place in Pine Hills and will have the characters that I have been reading about and getting to know in the previous 6 books.

I received and arc of this book from Netgalley and Kensington Books for my review.

This was a fun cosy mystery. It had a few twists and turns and red herrings. I liked several of the characters and an added bonus was the focus on coffee.

I jumped into this book without having read earlier books in the series, that may have affected my connection to the characters in the plot. I generally enjoy cozy mysteries because of the leading character and the setting in (usually) a small town or tight community. This book is set at a convention so I think part of the pull of a cozy mystery was missing for me. The plot was engaging and the ending surprising, but likely because i was not already connected to the characters, the book fell a little flat for me.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Krissy and her friends are attending JavaCon and looking forward to tasting lots of new coffees, learning more about the business and having some fun. After meeting a handsome conventioneer, Krissy’s friends even suggest she have a little “fun” while she’s there. But fun is not on the agenda when a rather despicable man who just won a tasting contest is murdered by a carafe of Cafe Mocha. It turns out he is a thoroughly reprehensible human being so there is a long line of suspects with reasons to kill him. They run from his duplicitous tactics in business to his slimy track record in his personal life.
Krissy, try as she might at first, cannot help but be drawn into the investigation. She realizes she is not on her home turf any more and the local detectives may not cut her the slack that they do back in Pine Hills. She cannot resist the lure of questioning the various suspects and trying to cobble together the reason for the murder and the identity of the murderer. I have to give her credit that she is self aware enough to realize when she has put herself into compromising and dangerous positions. She still does it but at least she recognizes her reckless behavior.
I’ve enjoyed each of the books in this series and this is no exception. There is a ton of intrigue going on within the confines of the convention and the mystery of “whodunit” holds until the end with enough twists and guilty parties to keep the reader guessing.
Four purrs and two paws up.

Krissy, Rita, and Vicky are excited about attending a convention for coffee lovers in Pine Hills, OH. Soon after arriving an argument breaks out and flavor competition leads to death. Krissy gets pulled into the investigation even though she planned to stay out when she suspects some of her newly made friends may be involved. Will this case be too hot for Krissy to handle?

This is the 7th book in the Bookstore Cafe series, but my first one. I had no problems following along or enjoying the book, so you can definitely enjoy as a stand-alone mystery. The setting of the convention gives a fun backdrop for the storyline. The characters are well developed and have quirky personalities. The story is well-plotted with several twists and turns and no shortage of suspects. Very entertaining with a great pace, I read this one petty quickly. I recommend this book to cozy mystery fans and I will be reading more from this series.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

This outing in the Bookstore Café Mystery series, finds Krissy Hancock, her partner Vicki and friend Rita out of town at the CoffeeCon. They hope to find some new blends to order for their coffee store/bookstore, Death by Coffee. From the moment they arrive things seem to go wrong. The desk clerk can't find their reservation, Krissy bumps into a man several times spilling coffee and almost falling over, they meet up with a rather nasty coffee brewer, she runs into her arch nemesis from her hometown and there is a murder. There is a lot going on already, but Krissy can't help but stick her nose into the investigation and start asking questions and following people around.

This series has been up and down for me, but this one hit the mark. I enjoyed the setting of a coffee convention, even though it does not sound that interesting. It was nice to see the friends away from Pine Hills, mingling with others not from their small town. The murder mystery was well-written and interesting. There were several suspects all with pretty good motives. Krissy systematically ticked them off until her aha moment where she figured out who the culprit was. I figured it out at the same time. The plot and characters were well developed, along with a hint of romance. I recommend this book to those who enjoy cozy mysteries.

This book was okay. The characters in this were a little hard to relate to for me, but overall the story was entertaining and easy to follow. Not my favorite but will absolutely give other books by this author a try!

I tried to read this book and just couldn’t get into it. The name of the coffee convention, JavaCon turned me off from the start and it went downhill from there. I know this is a popular mystery series but it just isn’t my taste.

This was an enjoyable cozy mystery. Not one of my favorites in the series. It was nice to visit a different location. The murder kept me guessing until the end.

Death by Café Mocha is the seventh book in Alex Erickson’s Bookstore Café Mysteries series. The writing flows smoothly at a steady pace, the characters are well developed, and the mystery is interesting. There are plenty of suspects, red herrings, and twists and turns to make it difficult to figure out who the killer is.

Krissy Hancock and her best friend, Vicki Patterson, are the owners of a combination coffee shop and bookstore, Death by Coffee, in the quaint town of Pine Hills, Ohio. Krissy, Vicki, and Rita Jablonski travel to Maryland to attend a coffee convention, JavaCon, to learn more about coffee, taste some new coffee blends, and maybe enjoy a little R&R. When Charles Maddox, the winner of a flavor competition is murdered, Krissy doesn’t plan on getting involved in the investigation, but she loves a good mystery as much as she loves a good cup of coffee and can’t resist trying to figure out who the killer is.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This is book seven in the "Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series". I have read the series and enjoy each book in the series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC. My review opinions are my own.

In this next in series our protagonist Krissy Hancock and her good friend Rita are leaving her cafe and bookstore to attend a coffee lovers convention. called "Javacon". They plan to attend seminars and learn more about coffee for their business. Soon after arriving she sees that the competitors are ruthless as they compete for the best of blend and fights are breaking out. Far from the fun trip she hoped for she is concerned about the hostility among competitors. Sure enough a murder occurs that puts a damper on her trip. She must investigate as she is a savvy investigator and soon Krissy and Rita have clues and suspects that are adding up to even more then murder.

I loved this return to this beloved cozy series. I enjoy the way the author builds the suspense of the sleuth and weaves a pleasing conclusion. The charcters are very likable and I love the setting of the "Javacon". A very enjoyable read. Well done to the author.

Death by Cafe Mocha by Alex Erickson is the 7th book in the Bookstore Cafe series. I have not read any of the previous Bookstore Café mysteries, but I was able to follow along. With that said I recommend reading in order as the previous books you have the small town feel and all the quirky side characters.

Krissy Hancock and her pals are taking a coffee break--leaving their bookstore-cafe in Pine Hills, Ohio, and heading to a convention. But this road trip will be more dangerous than they expected ...

Coffee lovers are gathering from far and wide at the hotel, and Krissy, Rita, and Vicki are excited. But some of the attendees may need to switch to decaf, as a public argument breaks out soon after they check in and then a flavor competition leads to bitter feelings.

When the winner of the contest is beaned with a carafe full of cafe mocha, suspicions swirl--along with accusations of bribery. Was the dead man offering perks to the judges--or was something sinister going on in his personal life? This case is going to keep Krissy up all night long .

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I liked the characters which are well developed. There are plenty of twists and turns in this story and I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. The story moves at a steady pace, and I had a hard time putting it down.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends, and plan on reading the previous books.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from the Publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.