This is a well written cozy mystery. It is a light and fun read. The book was focused on character development as it is the first one in an upcoming series. I loved the addition of coffee culture and information into the plot and the book and hence the 4 stars.

This book is a great opener for a new series that will satisfy mystery and coffee fans.

Twenty seven year old Sage has just started a new food cart, Ground Rules, with her friend Harley. Together, they brew their own coffee and sell top of the line drinks. They are newest cart to the Rail Yard in Portland, which is owned by Sage's Uncle Jimmy. Sage is hoping for a fresh start after a troubled past and is hoping her business will help her do that.

When a customer is found murdered by her cart, Sage finds herself as suspect in the investigation. The victim is the owner of the big building complex across the street and that is trying to push out small businesses. Quickly, many people become suspects and Sage has to keep her guard up as more and more coincidences point to her and her past.

This was a very fun and twisty cozy mystery. I really enjoyed all of the coffee information, and I found Sage to be a really fun character to follow. I loved the dynamics with her friends, family, and love interests. This book left room for more books which I am looking forward to. I would love to see what happens to Sage and Ground Rules. This was a very light and fun read.

Fresh Brewed Murder is a cozy mystery must have! I knew the second I saw this cover that I was going to love this book and the interior proved it! I cannot wait for more books by the author!

This is a great read for anyone who loves a good cozy mystery the story kept me guessing so much I had to finish it in one day.

Operating a coffee food truck requires a morning person, but Sage Caplin is not sure she is cut out for early mornings. Opening Ground Rules has been a dream come true. Along with her partner Hayley they hope to make a dent in Seattle's coffee culture. But their efforts are sidetracked when Sage finds a local developer dead in front of her truck. His throat has been slashed and when the police find the weapon belongs to Sage, she struggles to prove she is innocent. I love the food truck vibe of this book and I hope for more inn this series in the future. .

Fresh Brewed Murder is the debut of the A Ground Rules Mystery series set in Portland, Oregon and features coffee barista, Sage Caplin. Sage along with her business partner, Harley are looking forward to the launch of their new coffee cart, Ground Rules located in the Rail Yard, a food cart mecca owned by Sage's great uncle Jimmy. With Harley operating the roasting division of their coffee business in a nearby warehouse, Sage will be running the coffee cart and both are hoping for success so that they can open a retail store.

The first couple of days are off to a good start until early one morning when Sage stumbles across the body of a dead man outside of the cart. The dead man is David Stevens, a property developer razing the buildings across from the Rail Yard. Investigation reveals that David not only has a beef with Uncle Jimmy but he'd been scammed years earlier by Saffron Jones, Sage's con artist mother.

In an effort to save her fledging business and clear her own name, Sage sets out to track down a killer. Along the way she befriends a homeless girl, Gabby whose ties to the dead man also point to her being a potential suspect. While the murder investigation is the main plot, the majority of the book is spent on character development. Readers will learn about Sage's difficult childhood and get to know the other food truck vendors. Unfortunately, there seems to be the dreaded love triangle on the horizon for Sage and I seriously hope she makes up her mind quickly and the triangle doesn't drag out in future installments. Readers will need to tune in to see if Saffron reappears to play a part in Sage's life. If you are a coffee lover than this book is for you - vivid descriptions of the coffee drinks that Sage whips up and a few recipes are included at the end.

I received an advanced copy of Fresh Brewed Murder from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Grab your glass pour-over carafe, put in a Kalita wave filter, grind up your coffee, add exactly 21 grams of Fair Trade single-origin beans and gently, in circular motions, pour 375 grams of 200 degrees Fahrenheit water over the beans. Wait two minutes. Pour into a reusable cup, grab Emmeline Duncan’s “Fresh Brewed Murder” and sip while you read! Sound excessive? Then you aren’t ready for the hipster Portland coffee scene. Good news - you’ve got time to brush up on your coffee knowledge as this book is to be published March 30, 2021.

Sage Caplin knows her coffee; good thing, because she’s just opened Ground Rules, a coffee cart, in Portland’s Rail Yard. She’s got her Uncle Jimmy backing her as a silent partner, Harley helping her roast the beans and the best location in her uncle’s Rail Yard. She’s made it two full days before disaster strikes. A customer, the construction manager from the site across the road, is found dead beside Ground Rules. Sage is immediately considered a person of interest as it was her box cutter that dealt the final blow. As the investigation deepens, Sage’s past starts to catch up with her. Will Saffron Jones derail Sage’s attempt at forging a new future? Will Ground Rules meet its bitter end? Just who killed David Stevens?

If your day doesn’t start until you get coffee, this book is for you. Not only will you get to learn about coffee culture, but you will also be treated to a well-written cozy mystery. I love Duncan’s writing style. She’s obviously in touch with the Portland foodie scene and familiar with the hipster vibe. In addition, it’s refreshing to see someone write about the homeless, the challenges of running a small business, gentrification, the concept of suspended coffees for those in need, and food choices for those with different health concerns; all issues millennials and generation Z readers will appreciate. You’ll find yourself giggling at some of her descriptions: “a college-aged girl with sleepy eyes and an almost terminal case of bedhead ordered a caramel mocha.” The pacing and characterization is on point. The coffee culture is secondary to the character development and the sprinkle of humour rounds out the overall flavour. This is book one of a new series and I look forward to hearing more about the customers who frequent Ground Rules.

Thank you to Emmeline Duncan, Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book came across to me as a first time author. At times it was all over the place as if the author had a hard time focusing on the action. It also felt to me as it I was reading a diary of Sage (MC) and her daily happenings. Nothing much happens in the book. About 10% of the action has to do with the murder. It felt really slow to me and I was bored most of the time.

Fresh Brewed Murder by Emmaline Duncan was an early release copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Sage runs a coffee shop food cart pod in Portland called Ground Rules. Sage and Harley are also into roasting coffee and trying to make cocktails with coffee and liquors. Harley is her partner. She comes to work on her third day after opening, to find her door open and a man's body in her shop. Sage has many adventures trying to run Ground Rules and helping a young girl who has run away from home. There are many layers to the story. I haven't read a book that talks about food carts. It was a interesting behind the scenes look at those food carts we see in cities, towns, fairs and malls.

Great read by a new author for me. The plot is well written and enticing to the reader. Makes the reader feel like part of the story.

First in a new series. Sage Caplin, a barista and her friend Harley, a coffee bean roaster, open up a food truck in an area with other food trucks. Along with the truck., they are marketing their beans to local establishments. The developer of a high rise being built across the way is murdered and found in front pf Sage's truck. Was it one of the protesters of the high rise or does it have to do with the past involvement of Sage's con-artist mother.

From the bold cover, to the snippet of a description, I had a really good feeling about this book. I’m so happy to say my intuition was correct and Fresh Brewed Murder is a fantastic addition to the cozy mystery genre.
Sage and her business partner Harley, are the owners of a hip coffee truck. Pulling shots is one of the things Sage does best, but when she finds herself tangled up in a murder investigation, she needs to do all she can to prove she’s innocent.
I really enjoyed this book, the characters are very likable and I always like to read a book that features coffee and baristas.
I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
#FreshBrewedMurder #NetGalley

Fresh Brewed Murder by Emmeline Duncan is the first in a new cozy mystery series that is aimed at Millennial and Gen Z readers. The setting is the foodie scene of Portland, Oregon and the protagonist Sage has just started a new coffee business complete with roasting facility and a coffee cart which is the location of the murder. The victim is a developer who, as it turns out, was scammed by Sage’s mother who is a con artist managing to elude the authorities.

There was a very laidback vibe to the actual mystery, having it take a backseat to developing the characters and their relationships. The protagonist didn’t seem to be overtly trying to solve the mystery, which was a refreshing change from the usual cozy with a protagonist who is often crossing the line into interfering with a police investigation.

I enjoyed being immersed in the Portland foodie scene and appreciated the presentation of the challenges relating to small business owners as well as the homeless. On the more negative side, the protagonist felt much younger than late twenties and a number of the characters portrayed an off putting lack of emotional maturity. Overall I enjoyed the book and definitely look forward to the next installment. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.

This book is the first in what will become a series. Sage Caplin and her business partner Harley open a coffee cart Ground Rules,in Portland, Oregon. They take their coffee very seriously, Harley roasts the beans to create new blends and Sage creates new recipes using the blended beans. One morning when Sage goes to open up the cart she finds a dead man outside her cart and this sets off a chain of events that has Sage trying to find the murderer’s identity before she is arrested for the crime. The attention to detail especially about the coffee making process is excellent. Particularly liked all the recipes printed at the end of the novel. It is a light hearted thriller and I could see this series made into a Hallmark mystery movie.

Sage Caplin and her business partner have finally opened their coffee cart and are ready to brew their magic. Right after opening the developer who is building across the street from them is found murdered in front of the cart.

Not sure whether the developer’s murder is a message for her or some other someone else, his being killed by her cart means that Sage needs to know who did it because she is the primary suspect! Like a coffee bean being roasted, she needs to get it just right so she isn’t burned and doesn’t end up the next victim.

A great start to a new series! I was extremely impressed by the author’s in-depth knowledge of coffee and love the recipes that are included. This cafephile, though I prefer the term caffeinista, is excited by this new series and will be back for more!

Master barista Sage Caplin is opening a new coffee cart in Portland, Oregon. Sage finds the man's body in front of her truck, a fatal slash across his neck. This is a great start to a fresh series. I enjoyed that it was relatable it isn’t your ordinary cozy. This one has an edge to it that I appreciated. Sage is a MC that I would love to hang out with.

#FreshBrewedMurder #NetGalley