Starting a series on book 11 is probably not the best idea. Despite this, I could follow along easily without needing too much backstory. The mystery was interesting, but I really struggled with the main character. Krissy is the stereotypical cozy mystery heroine. She owns a business, but does not seem to work there. She is nosy, rude, and entitled. She is dating a police officer, so she gets away with breaking the law and interfering with investigations. I was frustrated with her by the end of the book.

Bookstore café owner Krissy Hancock is stepping out from behind the counter to take part in the first annual Pine Hills, Ohio, marathon. It’s a hot day, and Krissy is regretting running, especially when she finds a runner lying motionless. At first Krissy suspects heatstroke, but the red marks around the man’s throat tell a more sinister story.
This was a very good installment to a mystery series I love. Chrissy is a wonderful character who uses intelligence and hutzpah to get herself into situations that I would never do. The plot of the story kept me guessing to the end, and I was very surprised with the identity of the culprit. I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington books for the opportunity of reading this advanced reader's copy. This review is my honest opinion.

I've really gotten into cozy mysteries over the past few years and have started a few series and this is one of them. I enjoy cozies that have cats in them and have a coffee shop as the main area it takes place. Co-Owner Krissy Hancock, of Death by Coffee, a coffee shop in Pine Hills, Ohio has given up slogging joe for the day and entered a marathon raising money for a good cause.
Not sure I understand why the race was run during an ungodly heatwave and Krissy Hancock hadn't trained for this race or gotten into shape for it. The race proved too much for her and she almost fainted from the heat and was couch bound after the race. During the race a body was found, heatstroke is suspected but upon inspection it's determined not to be the case. I do enjoy the cozies, but they can be a bit predictable as many are very similar. It surprises me how many people will just talk to the amateur sleuth and how much they'll tell them. Lots of clues presented and the victim did not have the best character so many people could have had reason to want the victim out of the way.
Enjoyed this and I'll be reading more in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This series would be perfect for coffee lovers who just want to relax with a furry friend and a good book!

This cozy mystery lived up to my expectation….thank you NetGalley! The characters were likable along with a cute story that was easy to follow! Made me wish I liked ICED coffee <3

A fun and entertaining mystery with a satisfying conclusion

The characters are well-developed and likable, and the mystery is well-plotted

Overall, I enjoyed Death by Iced Coffee and would recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries. It's a fun and heartwarming read that will leave you feeling satisfied.

I loved visiting again with Krissy and following along on her sleuthing. The plot was solid and this installment was a good addition to the series.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've read this series from book 1 and this is the first one that it took me a couple of chapters before I was enjoying the book. This might be due that started this one on a really hot day and I wasn't interested in reading about another day. The mystery and story line both flow well. Overall, this wasn't one of my favorites in the series but I'll still read the next one!

On the hottest day of the year, the town of Pine Hills, Ohio, has their first marathon scheduled. Even though she’s not a runner, not even someone who exercises on a regular basis, Krissy Hancock promised her friend Rita that she’d run the race. After all, it’s for charity. How bad can it be? Running across the Sahara with a Dixie cup of water bad, that’s how bad.

Of course, in that kind of heat, tempers are short. What started as a hundred runners, quickly dwindled to less than half that number before the race even started. There’s a near fist fight that’s reduced to loud threats, thanks to bystanders. It’s too hot to fight anyway.

About the time Krissy is trying to decide whether she’s hallucinating or ready to pass out, a body is found, but the cause of death is not from the heat. It’s from the strangulation marks around the victim’s neck.

Even though she’s been warned to stay out of investigations, Krissy can’t seem to help herself. She asks questions, she snoops, and she goes where she shouldn’t and when she shouldn’t. With a boyfriend who is a patrol officer, his mother the Chief, and a detective who has resorted to handcuffs and a trip to the station, she still has to find out what happened herself.

Her reason this time is that she saw Rita’s boyfriend, Johan, going into the woods before the race. He was with a blond woman, definitely not Rita. He was supposed to be out of town. The victim had enemies, business and personal, so it’s a challenge to learn that many alibis and motives. Despite being warned off, Krissy is going to try.

This is book eleven in the series. It’s a stretch to understand how Krissy can find the energy to investigate after getting so sick from the heat. The motive is more convoluted than I expected so the killer wasn’t apparent. It was a nice change to read about hot summer days and iced coffees when “we struggle to get temps above the fifties.”

I saw a black cat on the cover and knew immediately that I had to read this book! Super cozy mystery, great characters, and of course cats!

This book starts off with people running a marathon in the middle of a heat wave. It is all downhill from there. Poor choices are made all the way around. Krissy makes the worst choices when investigating. It is a good series and book but there is room for improvement!

I liked it! First book I've read in the series and my first for Alex Erickson. I never felt I missed anything by not reading books from earlier in the series. Solid 3.5 stars.

Good classic cozy murder mystery. Well written with real characters in real life situations. I found myself identifying with our lead character, Krissy. Except for one thing. How forward she is with her snooping and how complete strangers caught up in a murder investigation will tell her everything. It's a superpower for sure.

Overall interesting mystery with our protagonist entering a marathon (that she clearly should not have been running in) when a body of another participant is found. Dead. I would like to ask Alex Erickson if he ever experienced sun poisoning or heat exhaustion. There was great detail in Krissy's experience with it. (She seriously should have been in the hospital.) Even though the murder investigation was the main storyline. I was very drawn into the stories with her coworker Pooky and the new friends Krissy was making. The story has a satisfactory ending and I look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you #netgalley and #Kensington for eARC of this title.

Death by Iced Coffee is the 11th book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series by Alex Erickson.

This was my 4th of this series. Although it was book eleven, 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. Krissy Hancock, owner of 'Death by Coffee' - a bookshop/ café - is a marvellous protagonist who I find to be caring and determined. Set in Pine Hills, Ohio, Death by Iced Coffee is well-crafted, nippily paced and thoroughly compelling. The mystery is very engaging and well-reasoned. 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.

I found Death by Iced Coffee to be a good cozy mystery but missing any kind of real compelling characters. I read for the mystery itself, just to know, not because I felt like I wanted to. I rarely dnf a book but I almost got there. Not sure if this wasn't for me or what, but the main character was hard to relate to and the story seemed extra far fetched. I would still love to try another by the author and give it a chance.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I do like this series. I do like the characters. I did like this book but I sometimes have a real issue with Krissy, a smart and savvy business woman who knows she is doing something that might have serious repercussions for her and her boyfriend cop but does it anyway. And then she has remorse for putting both him and her in an awkward position. Einstein’s definition of insanity was to continue to do the same things, the same way but expect different outcomes. Krissy does not seem to learn.

This time there is a murder during a marathon. The handling of the story with the runners in punishing heat through hilly terrain and the aftermaths that Krissy experienced were really well done. She has witnessed a few things prior to the event that lead her to investigate. One of the things involves a friend so this is the hook on which she excuses her actions. She does uncover the truth but not before she almost ruins another ongoing investigation. In the course of her questioning the various people who might be involved, she befriends a couple of women who once might have been her nemeses but who may become good friends. She uses the two ladies to get to someone close to the victim but it does not seem to dissuade them from offering their friendship. I hope she proves to be a better friend going forward.

All that being said, it is a good story filled with nefarious deeds, betrayals and con jobs. Four purrs and two paws up.

Who in their right mind runs a marathon in the blistering heart? Krissy isn’t normally a runner, but she promised Rita that she would do it, and she has to keep her word. But, unfortunately, before she can reach the end, she begins to suffer from heat stroke and manages to come up on a body. It’s not the first time and probably won’t be the last time.

Most of the characters readers love, Krissy, Paul, Rita, and so forth, appear in this book. But when Rita’s boyfriend becomes a suspect, Krissy has to jump into the investigation. Suspects can be found everywhere, from marathon runners to possible love interests from the past and financial dealings. Evidence is scattered throughout the story but doesn’t tell the reader as much as they would like. By the time the killer is found, readers will be wondering if Krissy doesn’t have more than a slight case of heat stroke. The reveal is filled with danger and intrigue.

Although I enjoyed Death by Iced Coffee, I had issues with it. I felt that Kirssy was foolish for running the marathon in heat that could kill seasoned runners. I felt that the sunstroke symptoms that Krissy experienced would have put anyone else in the hospital. I felt that Krissy's physical issues were treated a little too lightly. I found that the promise to Rita was not a good reason to participate in what was a mistake and could have caused people to die. It just wasn’t very believable. The suspects were varied; some had iron-clad reasons for wanting the victim dead, but finding the killer felt slightly off. Krissy is a little more irritating than usual, which is hard to take on a good day. Overall, it was a good book that fits in with the series, but it wasn’t my favorite.

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

Who in their right mind runs a marathon in the blistering heart? Krissy isn’t normally a runner, but she promised Rita that she would do it, and she has to keep her word. But, unfortunately, before she can reach the end, she begins to suffer from heat stroke and manages to come up on a body. It’s not the first time and probably won’t be the last time.

Most of the characters readers love, Krissy, Paul, Rita, and so forth, appear in this book. But when Rita’s boyfriend becomes a suspect, Krissy has to jump into the investigation. Suspects can be found everywhere, from marathon runners to possible love interests from the past and financial dealings. Evidence is scattered throughout the story but doesn’t tell the reader as much as they would like. By the time the killer is found, readers will be wondering if Krissy doesn’t have more than a slight case of heat stroke. The reveal is filled with danger and intrigue.

Although I enjoyed Death by Iced Coffee, I had issues with it. I felt that Kirssy was foolish for running the marathon in heat that could kill seasoned runners. I found that the promise to Rita was not a good reason to participate in what was a mistake and could have caused people to die. It just wasn’t very believable. The suspects were varied; some had iron-clad reasons for wanting the victim dead, but finding the killer felt slightly off. Krissy is a little more irritating than usual, which is hard to take on a good day. Overall, it was a good book that fits in with the series, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Krissy Hancock participates in her hometown, first ever marathon. She knew it was a mistake before it even started, but she had promised a friend and she didn't like to break promises.

At about the time she realized she wasn't going to make it to the end, she heard screaming. She ran to the source and found a dead body.

This book is about her trying to find the murderer. I think it would have been a better book had it been a novella. A lot of the book is explaining her thought process which is really pretty wacky. It jumps from right to left, up to down, all over the place.

Krissy makes the worst decisions ever. I was constantly thinking, "I wouldn't do that!".

I did read it to the very unfulfilling end, maybe more of a teen book? I don't know

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Krissy is off and running, literally, in this newest episode of the Bookstore Café Mystery series. Her friend Rita talked her into participating in the first Pine Hills marathon to benefit cancer research. They are in the middle of a heat wave, and people are dropping out before the marathon even begins. Krissy, who almost never exercises, considers it but knows Rita is counting on her participation. Tempers are hotter than the sun, and one runner had to be pulled away from an organizer.

Rita’s boyfriend Johan is supposed to be out of town. Before the marathon began, Krissy saw a blond woman and a man who looks like Johan going into the woods behind a couple storage sheds. She didn’t tell Rita at the time as she didn’t want to upset her friend.

The marathon was going reasonably well and for a while, Krissy was in the middle of the pack until she began to feel the effects of too much heat. She heard someone call for help from a nearby bicycle path, saw one man bent over a man lying on the ground. Assuming it was heatstroke, she stopped, but it was too late for Glen, the man who tried to fight Rod, an organizer, before the marathon began.

Somehow Krissy made it through the entire marathon. She stopped into Death by Coffee, the bookstore café she owns with her best friend Vicki, then collapsed at home. It wasn’t until later that she heard Glen was strangled. And she is sufficiently inquisitive to start asking questions, despite her boyfriend, a police officer and the son of the police chief. Paul has asked her, for her own safety, to stay out of murders in the past, but to no avail. Even if she puts herself in danger. Even if she would be arrested for interference.

Krissy became friends with Shannon, Paul’s ex-girlfriend, and Trisha, the wife of one of Krissy’s ex-boyfriends. Shannon and Trisha met and became friends at a group they attend for help with various mental health or living challenges. When Krissy found out that the group is run by Melanie, Glen’s ex-wife, she is happy. Of course, she would be interested in the group! She decided to meet with Melanie outside of the group when she can learn more about it before attending. There are no end of connections Krissy makes to get to the heart of the murder, especially when Rita’s boyfriend Johan could be a suspect.

The author’s descriptions are excellent regarding characters and pets! I could almost see and understand some of the characters, especially Krissy and Paul. I particularly appreciated the descriptions of Krissy’s symptoms of a harsh sunburn and near heatstroke. Krissy surprises me, however, with some of the things she does and the extreme risks she takes. I like that she is beginning to make more women friends, including Cassie, who invite her to new activities that don’t involve murder. The author is very familiar with pets, as one of the funniest scenes was her kitty, Misfit, with his new water fountain, proving that when it comes to our pets, few good deeds go unpunished!

The mystery is unpredictable, and the murder involved much more than tempers flaring in the heat. The suspect list gets longer as Krissy noses around. A detective on the force, her nemesis, seems to often find her where she shouldn’t be, even though he no longer suspects her of every crime in Pine Hills. There are many surprises, including what Johan was doing and the motive and situations behind Glen’s murder. All is resolved at the end, with no outstanding issues. I highly recommend this cozy mystery and series, especially for its clever creativity, humor, coffee shop/ bookstore setting, and intrigue.