Death by French Roast if the 8th book in A Bookstore Cafe Mystery series. I enjoy visiting with Krissy Hancock, who runs a bookstore-cafe in Pine Hills, Ohio along with her friends. This one was a bit different as it is a cold case. Krissy's cantankerous and crotchety neighbor has passed away and she offers to help her daughter clean out her home. While talking she finds out that her neighbor's brother, Wade, died mysteriously 30 years before and not only was the case never solved, but the police didn't seem to anxious to catch his killer. When she finds out that Rita, a member of her book club, dated Wade, she decides to try and find justice for him.

This is my least favorite book in this series. The investigation involves a lot of questioning and information gathering that was not all that exciting. When a friend of Wade's steps up to help and ends up dead, the story picked up. Who wanted to keep Wade's death buried? This one was a bit predictable, with Krissy taking chances, trying to solve something that the police could not, and even keeping secrets from her boyfriend, a present day officer. There are quite a few suspects, and some red herrings to keep the story interesting. There are several twists and turns, and the evidence is there, if you dig and follow the clues. As this is a cold case, the bookstore cafe is not in this one much, so I missed some of the characters participation from previous books. Overall this was an okay read for me.

I really enjoyed this book. In all fairness I wasn't expecting to, I wasn't a big fan of the last one. What was enjoyable to me was the cold case, it was a nice change of pace.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read the book. Though I figured out the mystery very early in the book I still enjoyed reading the book and can't wait to read more.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Krissy learns very quickly that the passage of time does not reduce the passions surrounding the murder of the brother of her late, very nosy, neighbour 30 years earlier. The woman’s daughter convinces Krissy that she can solve the cold case of her uncle. Oddly at first the police chief does not try to dissuade her nor does her son, Krissy’s crush. But it becomes clear that there are secrets and lies that permeate the case and they all involve the friends who were closest to the victim.

It seems he had a romance with Krissy’s friend Rita prior to the murder. The age difference created friction in the community with some of the residents, including some of his friends, taking great umbrage. Disapproval is one thing but did one of them take it too far and are the rest of them protecting the guilty party. Krissy just has to find out, even when she is threatened after a second member of the group is murdered just as he is about to reveal the secret.

Now it is both a cold case and an active murder investigation but does Krissy back off. Not our girl. She can be foolish and reckless but she can also bring in back up. It is those moments of self awareness that save her from being one of those heroines who should be nominated for a Darwin Award.

I like this series and I like the way her “will they/won’t they” romance with cop Paul seems to be going. There is always a good mystery and this one has more twists than a pretzel. Overall, it is a good read with characters the reader can enjoy including two wonderful kitties. Four purrs and two paws up.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read...for the most part. The characters were likeable, and the plot well thought out. However, I must take issue with the fact that a relatively intelligent woman constantly puts herself in harms way for no reason. I am tired of writers making female protagonists that on the surface are smart, but ultimately make nonsensical, stupid decisions. I really want to like this series better, for it has some of my favorite themes. I haven't read any of the others, and will most likely give it another go. I received a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Krissy, owner of a bookstore and cafe, finds herself working on a cold case. The cold case murder was certainly a twist from the average cozy mystery. Through gossip and general nosiness, Krissy sets out to solve the mystery. This was not particularly exciting but was a decent light cozy read.

The author gives us a mystery that has plenty of suspects who don't want the past to drudged up, lots of clues, some red herrings, twists, and turns that will have you guessing who the culprit is right up until the big reveal. The characters are well written, well developed, and full their own personalities which makes them seem very lifelike. The author does a nice job of describing the characters and all the places in town so you can picture what the characters and places look like.

Overall I enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed all the other books in the series. The only thing that I didn't like was all the same things about the past being repeated over and over again, it got very annoying after the first couple of times. I look forward to reading Death By Hot apple Cider to see what kind of mystery Krissy finds herself involved in.

I received an ARC of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley for my honest review.

This is a fun series. I enjoyed the coffeeshop/bookshop setting, and I had a lot of fun trying to solve the mystery with the protagonist. I am looking forward to the next book.

Death by French Roast was a quick read and it held my attention.
The pacing was very good and the author makes the story come alive for us.
I felt as though I was there with Krissy as she discovers while helping a friend clean out her late mother's house that while the deceased died peacefully at an advanced age her brother had not.
30 years ago the romance of Wade and Rita was the talk of the town and many did not approve of it because of the large age difference between the couple. It caused quite a scandal.
Everyone had an opinion about it.
When Krissy starts exhuming things that many think are better left alone will she be able to get anyone to spill the beans?
Bringing to life a cold case of 30 years many not be in her best interest as clues start piling up some may just go to great lengths to shut her down.
I really had no idea who did it because as Krissy starts talking to people it seemed as though many had past vendettas against Wade and would have been the perfect suspect for the crime.
From the former friends to the old coffee shop buddies to the many others who knew him casually or just had an opinion about the age difference in the romance will Krissy solve the whodunit?

Pub Date 27 Oct 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Krissy hated the way her neighbor Eleanor spied on her and never failed to report any misdoings, real or imagined. Following Eleanor’s funeral (natural causes), Krissy learns Eleanor’s brother, Wade, had been murdered over thirty years ago. Eleanor never gave up trying to find out who killed him. Wade would have been in his sixties by now so the case is indeed a cold one.

Back then, Wade, in his thirties, was dating a barely legal aged woman, Rita. It’s a shock to Krissy who knows Rita from book club. Krissy decides she can do some investigating into the case as a way to honor Eleanor’s memory. The problem is, when a murderer has gone free for over thirty years, they don’t plan on getting caught now.

Krissy is relentless in her pursuit of the truth about Wade’s death, questioning the Coffee Drinkers, a group who met daily at a local restaurant, and researching newspaper articles of the time. Will she find the killer before the killer finds her?

This is book eight in the Bookstore Café series. Krissy’s wannabe relationship with police officer Paul Dalton is still up in the air. It seems each time they try to get together, a murder case interferes. There is hope for the future, though, if Krissy learns not to put herself into dangerous situations. She tends to forge ahead without thinking through the consequences, while insisting she has to know the truth, never considering the truth could get her killed. Erickson also writes the Furever Pets mysteries.

I really loved this book in a new to my series. Tha characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end

Death by French Roast was a great cozy mystery that I REALLY enjoyed.
All the elements of the mystery kept me guessing until the very end.
The characters were well developed and the setting was one I would want to visit.

It takes a certain amount of stubbornness and ego to be an amateur sleuth; Krissy doesn’t lack either. In the latest in the “A Bookstore Cafe Mystery” series, Death by French Roast, Krissy is trying to solve a cold case. Mainly because her disagreeable neighbor died, and she is feeling a bit guilty after finding out why the old lady was such a cantankerous person. As always, Krissy’s need to solve the crime takes over from common sense, and she dives deep into the past to track down a killer.

I enjoy this series and have from the beginning, but I have to admit, Krissy takes some getting used to. The constant lack of normal human caution wears on a reader after a while. Her need to outdo the police, her own boyfriend, included, makes the story too predictable, which really needs to be addressed. I would love to see her use some slight caution in the next book to make her more human and less egotistical. I would also like to see the bookstore and cafe play a more significant role in the plot than it did in this latest addition.

There are quite a few suspects, and the premise is interesting. I enjoy cozies that have a cold case involved, and this one did not disappoint. There are plenty of twists and turns, and the evidence is there; it just takes some work to find it. Most of the repeating characters are still here, but there wasn’t enough Vicki for my tastes. As mentioned earlier, I would like to have the bookstore/cafe play a more prominent role. If I were a new reader picking up this book, I would not have realized that Krissy even had a job, much less ran a business.

Of course, Krissy finds the killer, and many readers will be surprised by who it turns out to be. The motive may cause some readers a moment or two of disquiet. Overall this was an easy to read story, well written and fast-paced. Hopefully, we will see more of the bookstore and cafe and less ego in the next addition.

This is the 8th book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series by popular cozy author Alex Erickson. I have read and loved the entire series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.

Our intripd protagnist Krissy is back and generously helping a good friend clean our her deceased Mother's home. While sorting she finds out the women had a Brother that died mysteriously and the case was never solved. When she discovers he was dating a member of her book group at the time, she begins to ask questions and soon is finding out clues and gossip that leads her into many directions. True to her nature as a sleuth she digs through years of information on the victim until she finds the answers she was seeking.

This was a interesting viewpoint for Krissy of a cold case that involves those she is close to. I enjoyed this next in series and was fascinated by the sleuth. i read it through in one sitting as I do all of the author's books. This next in series can be read as a stand alone. I highly recommend this next in series. Review cross posted.

This book is just slow and hard to follow. I was not a fan. I typically like this author but not this time.

I've been reading this series since the very first book, Death by Coffee. I love settling in with a cup of tea and a new adventure with Krissy, and her friends, Vicky and Rita. Their latest adventure is taking a look at a 30+ year unsolved murder....

It all starts with the death of a neighbour, and the murder of the neighbour's brother. I don't want to spoil it for readers, but wow... the death of the neighbour... well I wasn't expecting it at all! Or how Rita was involved. Just wow! I love when an author shocks me early on, and boy was I shocked!

I really enjoyed the mystery. Its a cold case, but with Krissy at the helm it is about to become a "solved" cold case. I liked how it came full circle with people that Krissy knows. In the process the reader learns more about the history of Pine Hills, and it is really interesting!

If, like me, you like mysteries that have a bookstore setting, then you need to read this series! It is full of delightful characters and a suspenseful whodunnit, that will have you guessing until the end.

Death by French Roast by Alex Erickson is the 8th book in the Bookstore Cafe series and another fun addition. Krissy Hancock and her best friend,Vicki Patterson, own Death by Coffee which is a coffee shop and bookstore combined. Krissy offers to help clean out a neighbors home, after she passes away. While helping she finds out that her neighbor's brother was murdered thirty years ago, and the case was never solved. Krissy, being Krissy, just can't leave it alone, she must solve the case. I really enjoy this fun series, and it was nice to see some of the quirky characters again. There are suspects around every corner, that kept me reading page after page until I was finished with the book. The plot and characters were well developed, along with some romance. If you love humorous cozy mysteries, my favorite, I highly recommend this book/series. 
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Death by French Roast is the 8th book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series by Alex Erickson.

This was my 1st foray into the series. Although it was book eight, I had no difficulties keeping up with characters and events and it worked for me as an individual story. It was a very entertaining read with snippets of humour and romance. Krissy Hancock, owner of 'Death by Coffee' - a bookshop/ café - was a marvellous protagonist whom I found to be caring and determined. Set in Pine Hills, Ohio, Death by French Roast was well-crafted, nippily-paced and thoroughly entertaining. The mystery was very engaging with its red herrings and misdirections and I was kept guessing until the end of this compelling yarn. I’m delighted I've read an instalment from this series even if it wasn't book one! There are quite a few instalments to catch up on and I can’t wait to meet Krissy in Pine Hills again. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Death by French Roast was my introduction to this series, and I was more than pleased with this book. I liked the main characters, and I had no difficulty to dive into the series' universe. I'm sure it helps to have read the previous entries, in terms of character development, and I will enjoy checking them out after reading this book. I really liked that the story was centered an unsolved murder from the past. As I read, I paid attention to every detail in order to guess what had happened. I highly recommend this book, the story was great from start to finish.

Death by French Roast by Alex Erickson is book 8 in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series, This easy to read Cozy can be read as a standalone.
Krissy's nosy neighbor has passed away and Krissy has joined her daughter in clearing out the house before it's listed for sale. While doing this, Krissy finds out the neighbor's brother was murdered 30 years ago but the most surprising thing was, who he had been dating. It's a member of the writing group Krissy belongs to, Rita.
When Krissy is asked to look at the death with fresh eyes, she enlists Rita to help. Apparently Krissy has stirred the pot, because she is finding out, a lot of people would like to leave things buried in the past. When another murder occurs, she knows she needs to get answers fast before she ends up in a grave.
There are plot twists and suspects that has you guessing to the end. A great cast of likeable characters. There is just enough romance and humor in this Cozy.
I was given an ARC by Kensington and NetGalley for an honest review.