The review of Honey Roasted by Cleo Coyle appears in the January 2022 issue of Gumshoe Review and is exclusive to them until February 1st, 2022..

You may read the review at this link <http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=6849>

Princess Fuzzypants here: This was a sweet read. Not only did I learn more about bees and honey, I was treated to a fast paced, exciting mystery. Clare is a great heroine. Smart, determined and strong, when a swarm of bees invades her coffee shop, she identifies them as the bees of her friend, Bea. But when she tries to contact Bea, there is no answer. Fearing there is something terribly wrong, Clare and her ex Matt arrive at Bea’s penthouse to discover her hives have been damaged and Bea is clinging to life. Matt executes a daring rescue- not once but twice in the book and Bea asks Clare to take care of her bees while she is indisposed.

There is a huge learning curve made easier by Bea’s IT guy who puts things back on line. Was it a suicide attempt, as it seems to be by evidence discovered at the scene or was it a horrible accident or was it attempted murder. The police are going with the former but when Clare uncovers some information her fiancé Mike suggests she speak to the officer in charge. Mike is deep in his own investigation about a series of suspicious deaths. Clare is beginning to wonder if she is making a mistake planning their wedding.

But her own issues do not stop her from trying to ferret out the truth. As I mentioned before there are a couple of exciting rescues and perhaps one of the funniest aborted getaways. Clare is able to connect the two cases and put some bad people behind bars. While the villains were suspicious, the entire backstory was quite the spider’s web. It made for a page turning treat. Five purrs and two paws up.

“Honey Roast” by Cleo Coyle the 19th instalment in the "A Coffeehouse Mystery" series. I have only read a few in the series and not in order, so can be read as a stand alone. But with that said I really wish I had read in order from the beginning cause they are so good..

Clare Cosi is busy as a bee planning her honeymoon when murder buzzes into the Village Blend

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it almost straight through. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises, I did not suspect the killer at all.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. I loved the friendship between Clare and her ex-Matt as well as her mentor Madame. The inclusion of the bees and how they are kept in New York and the Bee Squad was really interesting to.

We can’t forget all the mouth watering food and drinks throughout the book which we are lucky to have the recipes for in the back of the book.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Berkley and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

I havent read any other books in this series, but didn't have any problems following along.. and in fact LOVED it so much that now have to figure out how im going to get my hands on the other 18 books..
I also love the recipes included and have every intention of making them.. I think im going to start with the blondies..

Our mystery starts when Claire is showing her employess some new coffee flavors that she has come up with, and a giant swarm of bees appears in the coffee shop. They end up calling the NYPDs bee keeping unit, (who knew that was a thing?) who comes and takes the bees somewhere where they can be safe in the middle of winter in New York.. When Claire realizes who the bees probably belongs to, she wants to go check on her, and ends up finding her unconsious and her green house completely torn up.. While the police think it was an attempted suicide, Claire knows that isn't right and decides to invesigate with the help of her ex-husband and his mother.. whom everyone calls Madame.. (can that be my nickname?)

I thought the mystery was quite good, there are lots of twists and turns that keep you wondering which one of the suspects are the true culprit, and in the end I was surprised by who it turned out to be. I also thought that the romance/tension between Mike and Claire was evenly balanced with the mystery portion of the story.. The ending had a whole lot of action, and kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next!

I really enjoyed everything about this book, and can't wait to read more in this series, and by this author!!

While struggling to find a romantic (and affordable) destination for her upcoming honeymoon, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi whips up a honey of a drink made from honey-processed coffee. Clare plans to serve her outstanding new Honey-Cinnamon Latte at her spring wedding to her longtime honey, NYPD detective Mike Quinn. The culinary world is also abuzz about the amazing honey that Clare was lucky enough to source for her shop's new latte. Produced by Madame's old friend "Queen" Bea Hastings, the rare, prize-winning nectar from Bea's rooftop hives commands a premium price, and top chefs compete for a chance to use it in their signature seasonal dishes.
I am a huge fan of Cleo Coyle and this one did not disappoint. I read this in one sitting.
#HoneyRoasted #NetGalley

Poor Clare; not only is her love life in a bind, but she also has to deal with a bee infestation, and stumbles across an attempted murder. I love all the honey puns and how Clare can still keep her sense of humor even though everything seems to be falling apart around her. I have only read one other book in this series (the previous one), but I really enjoyed it and cannot wait to go back to the beginning. Even though I am new to this series, it's easy to connect to the main characters and envision Clare's coffee shop and roastery. Short chapters make this book a quick read. There are a few different storylines involved and I love how the story was weaved together. The ending was non-stop action and kept me on my toes until the very end. I love Mike and Clare and how they help each other when they are struggling and remind each other that their past shouldn't hold them back. This series is just the epitome of cozy and I can't wait for more!

I loved it! Great mystery with lots of leads to follow. I'm fond of bees and there is a lot of interesting information in here about them and all things honey. Lots of laughs too. Add coffee, a cat or two, and a fun group of friends and you've got the perfect cozy mystery blend.

I might have been more invested in this book if I had read the previous ones.
I found it heavily bogged down by the protagonist’s love life, and it took away from the mystery.
I found the mystery to be convoluted in terms of the why and by the time it came to who, I wasn’t that interested.
Fans of the series will enjoy this book I’m sure, but it’s not one I would recommend to a newbie.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Cleo Coyle's latest coffee house mystery is fantastic. Not only was the mystery surrounding her mentor's friend, Bea, intriguing, but also the amazing bee facts that were interwoven through the entire story. It was also great to see a relationship in danger and various suggestions made to sort through the mess. I had never heard of "The Hole" near NYC which is considered a modern day wild west area. Also, the detail of hydroponic use to feed an entire city and what pitfalls could occur were cleverly woven into the mystery. Cleo brought so many new ideas and places into view which only made the book more interesting and gives the reader things to explore long after the story is finished.

"Honey Roasted" by Cleo Coyle is sweet, funny, and a "real honey" of a book! 🐝

The background is set in a "Greenwich Village" neighborhood in Manhattan, New York, where Claire and her ex-husband Matt run the "Village Blend" coffee house. They specialize in unique blends of honey coffee and pastries. Bea Hastings is a family friend that has helped mentor the family and provides the rare honey for the recipes. Claire and Matt go to Bea's home and find her in critical condition on her balcony from what police rule as an accident. But Clare and Matt are not convinced. They fear Bea may be in danger from someone far "less sweet" than what they appear. But who is it?


This is my first book to read by the husband/wife team of Marc Cerasini and Alice Alfonsi who write under the name Cleo Coyle. I loved so much about this book. It was delightful to read, well written, and the research provided by the authors on beekeeping/honey is incredible. I absolutely adore the fact that the "Village Blend" recipes are included in the back of the book. What a treasure to top off a great book!


Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this excellent e-book. "Honey Roasted" will be published February 1, 2022.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Berkley Publishing and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The 19th in an established cozy mystery series. This one doesn’t disappoint. It’s fast-paced, with the expected charm.

Another solid entry in the Coffeehouse series, this time with a sweet twist. The way the urban farming and beekeeping angles were worked into the plot was clever, as was the urban cowboy. Always fun!

HONEY ROASTED by Cleo Coyle is a sweetly caffeinated mystery!

Coffee shop owner Clare Cosi buzzes all around NYC, gathering clues as customers swarm her shop for the best bean brews and sticky treats in town. All puns intended.

I love that this is an urban cozy with a distinctive edge. It has action, drama, complex relationships, and deep friendships, which all come together to help solve the mystery of the attack on "Bea" Hastings, her unusual bee hives, and the competitive New York food scene.

HONEY ROASTED is #19 in a series. It stands on its own, but if this if your first dip into the Coffeehouse series, you'll certainly want to read more.

This series has been on my list of frequent reads for a long time. This installment does not disappoint. It was one of the better ones. I really like the inclusion of the information about the bees and how they are kept in New York. The plight of bees is one that I am concerned about so awareness is important. there was a lot of action in the book so it made it hard to put down. The characters are so well rounded and developed that you can imagine meeting them. Another great read!

The 19th entry in the Coffeehouse Mystery series finds Claire Cosi, Manager and expert roaster of the Village Blend, planning her honeymoon. What should be a happy task is tinged with concern. Claire's fiancee, Dectective Quinn seems to be backing away from wedding plans and indeed, from Claire as well. As if that isn't enough the Village Blend is invaded by a swarm of bees seeking the warmth emanating from the coffee roaster exhaust. The NYPD bee squad(who knew?) comes to the rescue. They take the bees away hoping to return them to their home hive. Claire and Matt subsequently pay a visit to Madame's old friend who is a bee keeper. They find Bea's hives destroyed , her bees gone. and Bea .sprawled on the balcony below her rooftop conservatory. The police think it's a suicide attempt but Claire doesn't agree and sets out to find the person who left Bea for dead.. There's lots of interesting information about bee keeping and a real urban cowboy!
In addition to recipes there are appendices about honey varietals, processing and nutritional qualities of honey.
Looking forward to the 20th book and hope it's not a long wait.

This well-written and fast-paced drama had me completely immersed and I could not put this book down until all was said and done. The author did a great job in staging this multi-plot mystery and keeping me in suspense which led to Clare investigating her friend’s *accident* that exposed all kinds of mischief and mayhem involving an eclectic cast of suspects. This narrative was visually descriptive with engaging dialogue that put me in the middle of all the action, as the team traversed the streets of the outer boroughs. A few strategically placed plot twists enhanced my reading pleasure in this grippingly enticing foray that kept me in the game. This is one of the best books in the series and I can’t wait to see what adventures await Clare and her friends.

Cleo Coyle has done it again - she’s the queen of the coffee based cozy mysteries and this newest book is no exception. What I love about all of the coffeehouse mysteries is that Coyle always reintroduces the main characters and their relationships to each other - she is so skilled at briefly summarizing her characters so that if this was the first book a reader picked up, they’re not left confused! And for long time readers/fans (like me!), it serves as a nice little reminder. I also love that her books are so delicious - literally! The recipes for the dishes/baked goods/beverages she writes about in the book are at the end of the book! It just sets her apart. What I loved about this book specifically was that Coyle had clearly done a lot of research on bees and it showed through the novel as she wrote about Bea Hastings hives and bee survival. It’s a timely topic as the bee population is struggling - but she addresses this in an informative and light way so as not to come across preachy. I really enjoyed the story - she always keeps me guessing up to the very last chapter and she did this time as well. I’d bee (see what I did there…) delighted to recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy mysteries!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved being with the characters again. They’re really well rounded. The story is interesting and I was definitely surprised by who the killer is. #HoneyRoasted #NetGalley.

Clare Cosi has branched out into honey-processed coffees and accompanied them with a wide variety of honey-based dessert treats for her coffeehouse customers. Everyone's thrilled except her fiancé, Detective Mike Quinn, who has been suspiciously incommunicado as Clare tries to plan their upcoming honeymoon. But everything else goes to the back of their minds as Bea Hasting's, Clare's honey provider and long-time best friend of Clare's ex-mother-in-law, Madame, is found on her balcony, having fallen from the roof of her building. Was it a suicide attempt, as the police believe? Or was there foul play involved?

I love this series. The author always manages to keep things fresh, even after 19 books. The one thing I continue to be super disappointed in is Clare's poor taste in men. For some reason, she's about to marry Mike Quinn, a guy who's never around unless he wants a good meal, sex, or a comfortable place to sleep. He brings literally nothing to their relationship. Clare can't count on him for anything. As far as being a life partner goes the man is completely worthless, a 0 on his best day. I know Clare's ex-husband, Matt Allegro, was a terrible husband, he was a philanderer, he was an addict, and he was always chasing the next adrenaline high while they were married, leaving her and Joy to fend for themselves (seems our Clare has a type). But times have changed. Any time Clare needs help or support or needs someone to lend a hand at the coffeehouse or in an investigation, she always calls Matt and Matt is always there for her. Clare doesn't ever even consider calling Mike. Why? Because there'd be no point. Mike would never make himself available for Clare, whereas Matt is always available and he does it for no reward, he just wants to support her. That's love. So I will continue to hope that Clare throws Quinn out. She doesn't have to end up with Matt, but she should end up with someone who gives a crap about her.

The investigations that the characters do in this series are always really interesting. This book involved honeybees, urban cowboys, and urban farming. The clues that are uncovered are layered upon layer until they finally add up to the resolution of the case. This keeps the investigation interesting from beginning to end because you always know there are more clues coming.

I love this series and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozies.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Whereas the previous book, Brewed Awakening, came across as two authors in need of marriage counseling, Honey Roasted imparts the shared knowledge of two who are working on their relationship and conveys the insight a therapist used to help them through their bumpy parts.

Not being a coffee aficionado, I always learn something from the coffeehouse series when it comes to the depth of the bean – the regions, the types, and the techniques, and I do appreciate the research the writing team puts into their work.

When it comes to the mystery, there is always a twist, something which was there but not obvious and kept me wondering. As for the side characters, I do hope Nancy has found her person and that we will see more of him, but one thing is for sure, honey coffee might be part of my next coffee order.