A perfect follow up in the Record Shop Mystery series! I loved being back with the Jessup sisters and seeing what new shenanigans they get caught up in! In this mystery they are serving up coffee and spinning records at the Bluebonnet Festival which will hopefully bring good publicity to the shop.

What they didn’t expect was for the mayor to be found dead holding a Sip and Spin cup. Not the publicity they were hoping for.

For cozy or whodunit lovers this series is a fun one to follow along with!

Juni, Maggie and Tansy own a record store that also serves coffee. The local Bluebonnet festival in Cedar Rapids, Texas is happening this weekend. They are in charge of the DJ booth and serving coffee. When the mayor drops dead in his office drinking the coffee. Tansy becomes the prime suspect in his killing. The girls decide to do their own investigation. An old robbery case is brought up as the investigation continues.

I really enjoyed this book and loved it when a cold case became part of the new case. The mystery was really good. I enjoyed following the clues with the girls. I really enjoyed the characters and hope to read more of this series. I was able to read it as a standalone.

After being approved from the ARC of A Fatal Groove, I decided to go back and read Vinyl Resting Place and I was not disappointed. After finishing I headed straight into this ARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

To say that I love this series is an understatement. If you love cozy mysteries that are comical and keep you on your toes, you are in the right place. Olivia Blacke balances humor and mystery well throughout the series. With a cast of characters that you can't help but enjoy, I was sucked in from the beginning. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out. Olivia Blacke may have just solidified a place in my autobuy/autoread list.

A Fatal Groove is the second installment of The Record Shop Mysteries. But I didn’t have any issues reading it as a standalone novel.

The Jessup sisters — Maggie, Tansy, and June thought setting up a coffee and DJ booth at the annual Bluebonnet Festival would make for awesome publicity. It was their second year in operating the local Sip & Spin store, and a boost in foot traffic would help immensely.

But as fate would have it, all the stars seemed to align against Sip & Spin when the mayor of Cedar River is found dead in his office holding a Sip & Spin coffee cup. And all fingers pointed to Tansy who dispensed the suspected brew.

Like most copy mysteries, it’s all about the journey and not the destination. That being said, the pacing is a bit slow and it does take awhile to discover clues and leads.

The characters are fun and sometimes snarky which made for some interesting dialogue. There are quite a number of characters, but the author managed to develop each of them with unique traits. So it was fairly easy to navigate the various identities.

Plot-wise, the narrative follows a whodunit in a small town. But there is the added intrigue of a treasure hunt, and there is also a hint of romance.

I enjoyed reading A Fatal Groove and I’ll be sure to be on the lookout for more works from Olivia Blacke. Four solid stars

I received a DRC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Love the tight-knit family storyline. Excited to see how the romance triangle ends. Love the coffee creations she comes up with and the music references. Fun mystery that kept me guessing. Hard to put down!

Juni Jessup is hoping for a normal Bluebonnet Festival and lots of new business for Sip & Spin - the combination record shop and coffee shop she and her sisters just opened. But when the mayor is found dead in his office clutching one of their to-go cups, Juni and her sisters need to find the killer before their reputation is ruined and oldest sister Tansy who made the coffee is convicted of the murder.

Mayor Bob has been the mayor for a long time. He's so inoffensive that everyone votes for him each election. But someone obviously wanted him dead. Could it be the head of the Town Council and Tansy's long-time rival? Or is it the guy who owns a bunch of used car lots and is dating their mother? After all, the two have been competing for years to find the lost loot stolen from the bank during a bank robbery that occurred during the Bluebonnet Festival in 1956. Or is it the mayor's long-suffering wife who had an iron-clad alibi? She was on an Alaskan Cruise when Bob dies.

Juni is still juggling her two boyfriends. Beau was her college sweetheart but broke her heart. Now he's the only detective on the Cedar River police force and is constantly trying to keep Juni out of his investigations while trying to win her heart again. Teddy was a childhood friend who wants to have a different relationship with Juni now that they are both adults.

This was a fun story with lots of great characters and an entertaining plot. I especially liked Juni's determination to save her family and her business. I liked the small-town setting.

A Fatal Groove is the second fun Record Shop Mystery by Olivia Blacke. The characters are likable and the cozy mystery kept me guessing. Juni (Juniper) and her sisters Tansy and Maggie own a record and coffee shop. The town is having a Bluebonnet Festival and they are providing the.music. Mayor Bob is well liked but ends up poisoned and Tansy is a suspect. The sisters work together to clear Tansy. That is one of many things I like about this book. The family is close knit but are individuals. Juni likes two guys, Detective Beau and Mailman Teddy. It adds to the story but I hope this love triangle doesn't get dragged out for too long. Besides the murder, an old story about a bank robbery resurfaces because of the festival. I really enjoyed that part of the story! The ending was satisfying and there were some twists which kept it interesting. This was a very enjoyable cozy mystery and I look forward to more books in the series. #AFatalGroove .#RecordShopMystery #NetGalley. #StMartinsPress

Cozy. Music. Coffee puns. That might honestly be all you need for me to love a cozy mystery.

We're back in Cedar River just in time for the Bluebonnet Festival! Only downside is that the mayor drops dead shortly after it begins and Tansy is the #1 suspect. Now as readers, we know that the Jessup girls are innocent, but this town is so starved for drama that they'll run with just about any theory. Aliens? Sure!

What I really liked about this installment was the sheer amount of suspects. We weren't entirely sure who did it until about 95% through. Pair that with a treasure hunt for a bank robber's 70 year old bounty, and I was hooked. I'm still Team Teddy, but Beau had a little bit of redemption in my eyes.

*Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

A FATAL GROOVE combines music, coffee and murder. Juni and her sisters thought opening a vinyl record shop/café called Sip & Spin Records was going to be their biggest hurdle, but the Frappuccino hits the fan when the mayor drops dead―poisoned by their coffee. The story is set during the Bluebonnet Festival and I learned so much about the Texas state flower, while flipping the pages to figure out whodunnit. I'd love to visit Juni's Sip & Spin Record shop and order a (non-lethal) café au lait!

Juni, Tansy, and Maggie are back! I really enjoy this series and was excited to read this second book. This time the ladies have two mysteries to solve. The present day murder of Mayor Bob and a historic bank robbery. The ending was satisfying and I look forward to the next book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed the first Sip and Spin book, so I was so I was excited to get the second one!

The Jessup girls are once again in trouble when the local mayor suddenly drops dead after drinking their signature coffee, and Juni is the unfortunate person to find the body. What else can they do but investigate?

One of my favorite thing in this series so far is just the love evident for the setting in every page. The way this small town in Texas is described, is with such depth and affection.

And I love most of the characters! The three sisters are so delightful together, so affectionate and supportive, but while still remaining as individuals. The side plot of their mother starting to date again was charming. I will say that if the author wants me genuinely invested in this little love triangle, Beau is going to have to work harder to make himself seem like legitimate competition to Teddy.

I was able to predict the murderer, but the method was totally surprising, and there were enough other suspects that I found myself second guessing my predictions several times. The pacing felt like it really slowed down in the middle, but it picked up enough that I finished the last quarter in one sitting.

All in all, a lot of fun, and I would love to read the next one in this series.

My thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this advance reader's copy!

This is the second installment in the Record Shop Mystery Series.

Spring has come to Cedar River, Texas and the Bluebonnet Festival is in full swing. Juni, Tansy, and Maggie are there representing Sip & Spin Records which should be a breeze, but then the Mayor drops dead with a cup of their coffee!

One sister made the coffee, and one sister found the body, of course, they are suspects! But this family is tight! And the sisters are on the job.

There are so many red herrings and good family fun, this series is going to be a hit.

NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press/ Paperbacks July 25, 2023

***Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Olivia Blacke for this ARC. Opinions are my own***
Release Date: 07.25.2023
Opinion: I really think this book sold me on the small town cozy mystery genre. I loved Juni and how she managed to land herself right in the middle of the murder investigation but it didn’t trigger my flight or fight response. I couldn’t figure out the killer for a while right up until the very end. I wish Sip & Spin was real, and I wish it was by me, because I would absolutely drink all the coffees mentioned in the book. I was unaware at first that this was a series, so I will be sure to check out it out!

I absolutely love The Record Shop Mysteries series by Olivia Blacke! I find these books to be cozy, fun filled, quirky characters, head scratching mysteries, small town living, coffee and music for added pleasure. I would highly recommend this series.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. Excellent return to the Sip & Spin Records store and it’s three sister/owners. This is a great cozy series with an interesting protagonist, her larger family, and the Texas Hill Country town of Cedar River. Clever mystery story which weaves in interesting information about bluebonnets, fabulously clever coffee pun names and a potential romantic interest along with the actual crimes. Already looking forward to the next in this series.

I enjoy this refreshing cozy series that takes me back to the time of vinyl records! Three African American sisters manage Sip & Spin Records; a store their grandparents originally ran. Juni Jessup, the youngest, is the main protagonist. The sisters share the running of the business and make delicious special coffee blends each day in addition to selling old records. I like the cool names they come up with for the drinks, i.e., Sweet Home Cappachino, after song titles.

The murder mystery begins when the long-running town mayor is found deceased gripping a to-go cup of Sip & Spin coffee in his hand. Tansy, the oldest sister, served him the coffee so she’s immediately put on the suspect list. Juni’s admirer, Detective Beau Russell, leads the investigation. An old bank robbery is a nifty addition to the plot.

The Central Texas setting is appealing as is the town’s Bluebonnet Festival activities. The main characters give the story a hip vibe. I had a suspect in mind for the killer, and the author reveal confirmedI had figured out whodunnit correctly. Cozy readers will have fun relaxing and reading this charming mystery.

I honestly reviewed an unedited digital arc provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.

Setting the Scene: Springtime in Cedar River, Texas brings the annual Bluebonnet Festival, along with a traditional treasure hunt. Juni and her sisters are serving up music and coffee at the annual Bluebonnet Festival until Mayor Bob ends up poisoned with a cup of their coffee in his hand. Since Juni stumbled upon the body, and her sister Tansy made the coffee, the family and their record shop are once again front and center in a murder investigation.

What I Thought: Murder aside, this is a lighthearted mystery with likeable and quirky characters. The mystery was well plotted, with a variety of suspects, even though I did identify the murderer fairly early. Nonetheless, the personalities, red herrings, and of course, the music kept things interesting. Native Texans also will enjoy both the pride and realistic views of the state expressed in the book. Bluebonnet season is an event, and there is truth in distinguishing "The real Texas and Dallas," though I would add Austin and Houston to Dallas. All in all, this is an enjoyable read, and I look forward to more time with Juni, Tansy, and Maggie..

Juni Jessup is kinda like that somewhat annoying and yet endearing little sister that you wish would get her life in order. Although I want her to be more responsible and less immature, I also like jumping into her adventures with her. I enjoy the record store setting (though I'd like to see more made of that) and the Texas setting, too. And this book, with its tie-in to the Bluebonnet Festival, makes me determines to visit Hill Country in spring someday!

The two mysteries--the robbery decades ago and the current murder--are both resolved to my satisfaction. I do think the killer is too easy to forecast. But I enjoy this series about three sisters who are not much alike but always have each others' backs; music; and murder!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Fatal Groove is the second book in this fun series, set in Cedar River, Texas. Sisters, Juni, Tansy, and Maggie own a coffee shop named Sip & Spin. Juni finds the mayor dead in his office with a Sip & Spin cup on his desk. When tests show he died from poisoning, her sister Tansy becomes the main suspect. Juni is determined to find the killer to clear her sisters name. This was a fun read, with plenty of humor, likeable characters. lots of red herrings, and even a cute cow. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for giving me this enjoyable ARC to read and review.

Juni and her sisters think they'll be able to grow their business by having a booth at the annual Bluebonnet Festival. When the mayor dies after drinking their coffee, though, they have to investigate before they lose the record/coffee shop they've worked so hard to get going.

Years ago, there was a bank robbery during the festival. The thieves were killed, and the money was never recovered. The mayor collected memorabilia from the robbery, and Juni wonders if that was the motive. People are still looking for the money, and Juni and Tansy's house gets broken into.

Juni also still can't decide between thoughtful, dependable Teddy, and fickle, manipulative Beau. (I'm pro-Teddy, in case you couldn't tell.)

I'm rooting for Juni and her sisters to succeed in their shop. They have a great relationship, and each has a well-defined personality. The town of Cedar River and its inhabitants feels real, and readers will want to visit.

There are enough possible motives and murder suspects to keep you guessing, and a good amount of clues to help you solve this. There's also a random cow, because Juni didn't have enough on her plate already.

4.0/5 stars. Recommended

I received an advance copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.