A Bean to Die For

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“ Lana Lewis is brewing up new concoctions at Perkatory, a popular café in Devil’s Beach, when she decides she wants to try her hand at growing her own coffee. She secures a gardening plot in the community garden, thanks to her father and the garden’s owner, Darla. Darla’s list of rules is long, but that doesn’t stop someone from leaving Jack Daggett’s body amongst the gardening plots.”

I love a good cozy mystery that has coffee! This one seemed very long kind of I didn’t feel the pull to keep coming back to it. But I did like the mystery overall. I like the character descriptions and want to go to Devils Beach now.

A delightful romp of a cozy mystery that transports us to the Florida Island of Devil's Beach, where murder is afoot for coffee shop owner Lana.

Admittedly, this is the first book I've read in the series, but I will for sure be looking to read the rest of the series as well.

The setting absolutely transports you, and I loved having a character whose law enforcement boyfriend didn't flat out tell her to stop investigating a case. This fact helped endear the main couple to me all the more.

Readers will love the coffee culture, characters, and the mystery itself in this fun book. As the description says, fans of Cleo Coyle will not be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book and provide my honest opinion.

This story has a great blend of humor romance and mystery. The characters were fun and free spirited which made for a great story. The story was well written and kept the reader wanting more. Look forward to what else the author has in store .

Such an amazing and relaxing read. I enjoyed it very much. The plot and characters are interesting and believable. A great escape from reality! Can't wait to read the rest of the series...

Fourth in the coffee Lover's mysteries, this cozy continues the delightful series set in Florida. Well developed characters with a good story plot. Throw in lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Thanks #Netgalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

This book was great, I loved the cozy mystery, characters and solving the mystery. I would definately recommend this author to my friends and family.

Lana is excited to have a plot of her own in the community garden to try her hand at growing her own coffee beans. As she arrives to start preparing her plot she finds a body…and it’s the man who had just lost his plot in the garden. With an earring she found and a quest for justice, Lana finds herself percolating the clues and trying to make sense of it all.

Between growing the business and trying to find a murderer, Lana has to make dinner for her boyfriend’s mother and family that is soon arriving to meet her. While she’s wary of the killer, she’s not sure if meeting the family won’t do her in first. Can Lana pull it all off, or is she going to be dead in the dirt this time?

I adore this series. Having divorced and moved to Florida myself, this series always hit the mark AND reminds me that I can do anything on my own. The mystery is always well written with plenty of red herrings and I really enjoy time spent with the gang as they solve each mystery. If you haven’t read this one yet, give it a read, you’re gonna love it!

First off, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book early!

The summary of the book:

Lana Lewis is brewing up new concoctions at Perkatory, a popular café in Devil’s Beach, when she decides she wants to try her hand at growing her own coffee. She secures a gardening plot in the community garden, thanks to her father and the garden’s owner, Darla. Darla’s list of rules is long, but that doesn’t stop someone from leaving Jack Daggett’s body amongst the gardening plots.

Jack, an environmental activist, had been banned from the garden previously, because of his many fights with Darla about organic produce. Lana promises her boyfriend, police chief Noah, that she’s going to stay out of this case, having been too involved in previous cases. But when she learns that Jack died from an accidental overdose, and Darla is the top suspect because of her shady past, Lana can't help but poke around in an attempt to clear Darla's name.

As Lana dives deeper into the case, she learns that Jack had more enemies than she realized. When Darla turns up dead, Lana has to turn up the heat on her investigation. With Lana on the case, it won’t be long before someone spills the beans to crack this case wide open. But will she able to find the killer before they strike again?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was so incredibly excited to read this, because I loved the coffee shop mystery (Death by Coffee) books! I love love love a cozy mystery and while this one was not one of my favorites, it was still a great cozy mystery read!

This book has the typical vibe of a cozy mystery but there were parts that I could have done without. While I will keep this review short, I will say if you enjoy cozies it is worth a read!

This book is ok for a cozy mystery. It’s kindof follows the format of the cozies. Retail snoop, detective boyfriend, weird relations and friends. The killer is a surprise in that I could remember who he was, he’s not in the characters we met, just mentioned a couple of times. #ABeantoDieFor #NetGalley

This is a great cozy mystery series. I have been reading and loving it for awhile now and this book is so good, it's a great addition to the series. I love Lana, she is absolutely one of my favorite characters. This is the perfect escape book as lo g as you have a warm cup of coffee with it.
I just reviewed A Bean to Die For by Tara Lush. #ABeantoDieFor #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

A Bean to Die For by Tara Lush is the fourth in the Coffee Lovers Mystery series. This installment brews a delightful concoction of mystery, humor, and coffee that leaves readers thoroughly entertained. Set in the quirky town of Devil's Beach, where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with intrigue, Lush delivers a cozy mystery that is as charming as it is engaging.

Who would have thought that gardening could be deadly? Surely not Lana Lewis, owner of Perkatory, when she tries her hand at growing coffee plants in the local community garden. When Jack, the local curmudgeon and activist, is found murdered in the garden with a second murder following Lana can’t help but to jump into the investigation.

Tara Lush skillfully balances the elements of mystery and coziness, creating a narrative that invites readers to join in the investigation while relishing the small-town charm. (I received an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.) The mystery itself is cleverly crafted, with a range of suspects and motives that will keep even the most astute armchair detectives guessing.

Firstly Thankyou for allowing me to be able to read this beautiful book! I loved the suspense at the start of the book upon finding a body, this has all the classic markings of a thriller/crime book but with a cosy feel perfect for fall time! The characters were all enjoyable and made the book easy to read

Changes abound all over Devil's Beach in the latest Coffee Shop Mystery. When Tara trips over a body in the community garden, she can't help but be drawn into the investigation. It's not like she doesn't have enough to do with running the coffee shop and planning a dinner party to meet Noah's mother! A classic cozy, this will be just the thing to read curled up with a hot cup of coffee!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

Ich bin letztes Jahr beim dritten Teil dieser Serie eingestiegen, und habe mich jetzt sehr über die Fortsetzung gefreut. Tara Lush’s Coffee Lover’s Mystery – Reihe spielt in Florida, auf der sonnigen kleinen Insel Devil’s Beach, einem eigentlich gemütlichem Touristenspot, aber „un-eigentlich“ passieren hier reihenweise Morde, in die die Heldin der Serie Lana Lewis, immer hereinstolpert 😊. Also, #cozycrime ist angesagt 😊. Lana, Anfang 30, ist in Devil’s Beach aufgewachsen, hat aber nach der Schule lange Jahre auf dem Festland in Miami als Kriminal-Reporterin gearbeitet. Nun, nach dem Tod ihrer Mutter, ist sie wieder auf der heimatlichen Insel und führt gemeinsam mit ihrem Vater Peter Lewis das Familienunternehmen „Percatory“ weiter – ein Coffeeshop und der „place to be“ auf Devil’s Beach. Ihre Freundin Erica, ihres Zeichens Chef Barista im Percatory, ist bei jeglichen Ermittlungen immer enthusiastisch dabei, und gemeinsam mit Papa Peter bilden sie ein unschlagbares (aber auch skurriles) Team. Lanas Freund Noah, lokaler Polizeichef, ist von diesen Aktivitäten nur semi-begeistert, kann aber den Erfolg der drei nicht kleinreden.
Soviel mal an generellem Hintergrundwissen zu dieser Serie.
In diesem Band nun geht es ganz gemütlich los; Lana, Erica und Peter besichtigen eine Art Kleingartenanlage, in der Peter schon länger Mitglied ist, und Lana gedenkt, ein paar Probezüchtungen mit Kaffeebohnen anzugehen. Auf dem Grundstück, das man ihr zuweisen würde findet sie – man glaubt es kaum – eine Leiche. Der über 80jährige Jack, Vorbesitzer des Grundstücks, liegt zwischen Tomatensträuchern tot am Boden. Schon bald zeigt sich, dass war kein natürlicher Tod, und die drei Hobbyermittler haben einen neuen Fall. Wobei Lana dieses Mal eher zögerlich dabei ist, denn einerseits hat sie mit Percatory, ihrem Hund Stanley und den Vorbereitungen zu einer privaten Feier gerade genügend andere Dinge zu tun, und zum anderen möchte sie ihrem Freund Noah nicht bei offiziellen Ermittlungen bedrängen. Als dann aber ein weiterer Mord geschieht, muss auch Lana eingreifen…..
Ja, was soll ich sagen, mir hat es wieder sehr gut gefallen, in Devil’s Beach unterwegs zu sein 😉. Ich mag cozy crime, und ich finde gerade hier das Setting wunderbar. Wer mag nicht auf einer Trauminsel sein? Das Florida-Sommer-Sonne-Urlaubsfeeling kommt für mich hier immer voll rüber; ich mag diese Kleinstadtatmosphäre sehr gerne, und im Percatory würde ich auch sehr gerne mal eine der vielen Kaffeekreationen genießen. Auch die Protagonisten wachsen einem echt ans Herz. Althippie Peter ist eine coole Socke, und zusammen mit Erica, hin und wieder ihrem Freund, mit Lana, mit Noah, nicht zu vergessen Stanley, haben wir hier ein sehr liebenswertes und witziges Team an Hauptdarstellern.
Flüssig geschrieben, mit viel spritzigen Dialogen, machen diese Bücher einfach Spaß. Und natürlich sind die Krimis gut, Die Bücher sind relativ kurz (das waren jetzt 230 e-book-Seiten), und da passiert jederzeit relativ viel. Das Spannungslevel ist also permanent hoch. Natürlich ist es „cozy“, sprich hier gibt’s keine hardcore thrillige Action, und auch die Ermittlungen selbst sind eher althergebrachte Befragungen und Zufallsfunde, aber nichtsdestotrotz stimmig und gut geplottet.
Ich hoffe, die Serie wird es auch mal auf Deutsch geben, ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass gerade dieses Inselfeeling auch hierzulande viele Fans findet. Den Crooked Lane Books Verlag finde ich auch ganz spannend, den gibt’s erst ein paar Jahre, aber sie haben ein interessantes Programm mit vielen Krimis; sollte man mal im Auge behalten 😊.
Herzlichen Dank an den Verlag und an Netgalley für das Rezensionsexemplar!

A coffee shop setting is a novelty for me, since I don't like coffee--and it's interesting (and printed latte art--what?). All the politics and drama that go with community gardens, groups, social media rants, etc., also ring true. I like Lana's relationships with her friends and dad--and now with Noah's family, too. Loads of little pieces--both plot points and personality traits--come together in a satisfying resolution. Although this series uses a lot of the same tropes as another coffee shop series, it's still a fun ride!

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

A Bean to Die For is the fourth installment of the Coffee Lovers Mystery series by Tara Lush. I have enjoyed al the previous books in this series set in the Florida Keys. It follows Lana Lewis, an ex-investigative reporter, who took over running her mother's coffee shop Perkatory after she passed away.

In this book the mystery begins when Lana discovers a body in the community garden she has just received a plot in. The mystery has lots of twists, but the book also delves into the personal lives of Lana, her Father, her bestie Erica and her partner Noah. I felt like this book was equally character and mystery driven.

I would recommend reading the other books first if you want to get the full investment into the characters, but it's not necessary to follow the mystery, I enjoyed this trip to Devil's Beach!

I've had the fortunate experience of reading every book in this series by Tara Lush and A Bean to Die For is a great addition to Lana and her crew's story. A Bean to Die For finds the heroine at a crossroads. She's decided to move on from reporting and is being encouraged to become a private investigator. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Noah is deciding his future as the Chief of their small town where there are quite a lot of murders. This time, she discovers a body at the community gardens after deciding to plant coffee beans for her coffee shop. But of course, as with all cozies, we have a secondary murder that Lana and her closest friends and family members have to solve. The chaos revolves around her life as she tries to reconcile her father dating, meeting her boyfriend's family, and deciding to make investigations her post-journalism career.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read! Lana and the whole crew are absolutely precious. The story kicks off with Lana trying a new hobby, gardening, only to get wrapped up in another murder. I don’t want to give away too much because this one has some real twist and turns. The mystery kept me guessing and unfolded beautifully.
The character growth from our main cast was impressive. Lana has really come out of her shell gradually since the first book and we get to know Dad, Noah and Erica so much more. While Devil’s Beach is a character itself and a fun one at that, we get to explore other parts of island life that made the story come to life.
I enjoy how the author doesn’t gloss over some of the less sunny parts of paradise like affordable housing for service workers without being preachy. She keeps it real while maintaining a fun vibe.
I recommend this series to anyone who likes cozies and coffee with a tropical twist.

The fun and quirky A Coffee Lovers Mystery series by Tara Lush is one this reviewer has followed since the first book released. Of the four books published, the first book and this number four title, A Bean To Die For, are my favorites.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Bean To Die For, set in fictional Devil’s Beach, Florida, and reuniting with its many zany characters. I’d just finished reading and reviewing a slew of dark, serial killer thrillers, and this book was the relaxing breath of fresh air (or maybe coffee brew?) I needed. Murders in this story happen off page, and amateur sleuth Lana Lewis, co-owner of the awesome coffee shop Perkatory, and a former crime reporter, is drawn into the case. Her barista sidekick, Erica, another of my favorite characters, joins her to unofficially investigate.

Since I’m a romantic at heart, I especially enjoy following the sweet romantic subplot between Lana and Police Chief Noah Garcia. This book takes their relationship to another level and I’m excited to find out what happens in Book Five. I’m convinced there will be a fifth book in the series, because A Bean To Die For has a promising, exciting, and very well written ending that makes me want to know more.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted cozy mystery series, this might be one you’ll also enjoy. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

The fourth book in the Coffee Lover's Mystery series finds Lana and her amateur sleuth partners, her dad, Peter Lewis, and Erica the Perkatory coffee shop barista, investigating two murders on the small western Gulf Coast Florida island. Author Tara Lush weaves Peter, an activist and hippy, more into the plot. Throughout the series, Peter has been a spark in the novels and Lush does not disappoint readers in this installment. Lana's relationship with the Noah, the island's police chief, advances in the story, and without revealing a spoiler alert, there are upcoming changes for the couple. Also Lush gives a big nod to the Cuban sandwich, a delicious part of Tampa's culinary culture. The novel can be read as a standalone, but readers new to the series will want to go back and read books one to three. Also, Florida award-winning environmental writer Craig Pittman gets a mention, so readers who enjoy Florida novels will get that great feeling of toes in a cool spring on a hot summer day.