The Ground Rules baristas are back in the fourth installment of Emmeline Duncan’s Ground Rules Mystery series with Death Unfiltered! While Sage and the crew would rather focus on coming up with new signature blends and brewing up delicious beverages - they are caught in yet another scandal! With a mysterious death, a nosey true crime podcaster and some suspicious new faces in town, it’s up to Sage to sift through the clues and solve the mystery before it’s too late!

📚 4th in the Series
🔍 Cozy Mystery
☕️ Coffee, Coffee & More Coffee
🐾 Adorable Animals
🫶 Friendship
🎙️ True Crime Podcast
🎮 Video Game Development
❤️‍🩹 Complicated Family Relationships
✉️ Blackmail

I absolutely loved being back in this cozy & caffeinated series and cannot wait to see what Emmeline Duncan brews up for us next!!

Method Read: 📖

Thank you Kensington Books for the gifted copy!

I continue to love this series! Sage is not the overly bubbly young shop owner and sleuth. She is passionate and knowledgeable, but she has had an childhood that was tumultuous with many obstacles to overcome. And I love how she is so personable without being over the top bubbly. I was fascinating by learning so much about her mother and her past and all the links of her past and her present. I also was craving caffeine like crazy the entire time and had to have a warm beverage at all times. I could picture the wonderful Button Building and could almost smell all of the culinary delights from the shop owners. I love all the conversations about how to help the unhoused and how dedicated Sage and her friends are to helping however they can. Bax and Sage continue to be adorable, though with his big launch I was missing him at bit! I was completely shocked by so many parts of the ending!! And that cliffhanger.... I need more!

It was great catching up with Sage, her family and friends in this new installment. She finally had the actual shop she’d always wanted but one of the shop neighbors was a royal pain. I remembered her all too well from when Sage was set up at the music festival and couldn’t help being glad about what happened with her.

Sage’s had surprises along the line but nothing like the one that came at the showdown. I kinda hope things work out in that regard, then the very ending led to what I hope is gonna be the next book’s partial theme at least. I’m always eager to read the next in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Portland’s Ground Rules coffee cart is expanding to its first stand-alone business in the new Button Building. But the opening day celebrations are tainted by Breakfast Bandits' owner Bianca collapsing after drinking a takeout Ground Rules coffee. Is someone trying to frame Sage for the death? True crime podcaster Rose is on the scene and pestering Sage Caplin about her estranged con artist mother Saffron James & also wanting to solve the murder

This was another good entry in the Ground Rules mystery series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books. All opinions are my own.

This is the fourth mystery in the Ground Rules series and it's just as enjoyable as the first 3. It could be read as a stand-alone. Sage is continuing to grow her business and honestly, that was one of my favourite parts of this story. She has so many interesting ideas of how to grow and diversify. The setting is cozy, with a varied cast of characters. Some are new but there are still her staple family and friends to help her solve the murder. The conclusion was surprising and I didn't see that coming at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This series is quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery series and the latest book was good! I love Sage and her coffee world as well as the Portland setting. This is the best type of cozy mystery -- great characters, great setting and super cozy vibes. I also loved how this book ended as well and can't wait to see what happens next. You can read my review of the first book in this series HERE.

Death Unfiltered comes out next week on March 26, 2024, and you can purchase HERE!

A flash of understanding about how Jackson felt when I was involved, however unwillingly, in murders flowed through me. But at least I hadn't traipsed into the murder with visions of being the next Nancy Drew.

At least, I don't think I had. Maybe I owed Jackson an extra-nice birthday gift this year as an apology. As overbearing as he sometimes was, at least my brother was trying to save me from myself and my good intentions.

This is an engaging cozy mystery with all the right ingredients: a clever plot, red herrings, relatable characters, a loveable cat, and a resilient and likeable protagonist. The book also illuminates the struggles of small business owners trying to keep a once-vibrant city and their start-ups alive in the face of mounting costs and declining profits. The book can be read as a stand-alone, but if you’re a cozy lover, it might be fun to read the whole series. Recommended.

Have to admit I am kinda heartbroken at the ending. Obviously can't say why because that would be a spoiler. But since it is in the summary, I will say I am not upset with the demise of Bianca! I really enjoyed learning more backstory about Sage's con artist mother and it was comforting to have Sage back actually working instead of spending all her time sleuthing. The scenery of snow in Portland and how everyone dealt with it in their own quirky Portland way (snow shoes?) kept a smile on my face while reading the book. And the ending promises that book 5 will be one to not miss!

Sage Caplin is about to open her brick & mortar store in the Button Building in Portland, Oregon. It's the grand opening party, Rose the annoying podcaster is there doing an interview with Bianca. Bianca hates Sage. The series she is working on is about Sage's grifter mom Saffron Jones and the ripples her scams have caused. When Bianca collapses and dies. Rose and Sage are the prime suspects. They work together to find the killer.

I really love this series and the author. The writing and story catch me every time. I always have a hard time putting the book down. I'm excited to see what happens in the series next.

Sage is determined to figure out who killed the annoying Bianca, who died with a cup of her coffee laced with ketamine in her hand- and she's going to do it before the equally annoying pod-caster Rose does. This is the fourth in a series but it will be fine as a standalone. Sage's back story- mostly about her mom- comes out because Rose is interested in it and it gives this cozy a bit more oomph. It's classic cozy in a good Portland setting. And it might give you a chuckle or two. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Another great entry in a great series. Ground Rules is opening their brick and mortar location, and that of course comes with new dramas. An excellent mystery that is resolved but also elements of this book further the overall stories of the characters.

Overall, this was an enjoyable cozy mystery. I did feel the pacing was way too slow and there was a lot of dialogue and not enough character or relationship building that I prefer in cozy mysteries. The red herrings were done well and kept me changing my thoughts on who the murderer was, and I did like that there is an underlining additional story involving Sage’s background that poses to be interesting to learn more. Also, the book ended on a cliffhanger, which was a nice twist. With that being said, I wasn’t hugely invested in the story and the same thing went for the previous novel in the series so I’m on the fence if I’ll be giving this series another shot.

This was a new author and series for me. Didn't realize it was book four in the series, but that's alright. The author did a good job letting you know what was going on and the relationship between the characters. The fact that the main character's backstory is very much tied up in the mystery only helps you to keep up with no issues. Sage and her partner finally add a brick and mortar location to their business besides the coffee truck and beans distribution center. This is a center where mutiple food businesses like the Ground Rules can finally have a set location and support one another. Unfortunately some of these businesses have had a run in with Sage at other locations where they have been located, and to add to the drama a young podcaster is trying to dig into Sage's mother's past, and it's not a pretty one. When a cup of coffee from Ground Rules leads to the death of a neighbor, what will that mean for Sage and company? I thought this was a well written and compelling mystery with lots of good suspects and a lot of interesting characters that I was immediately drawn to. Will definitely read more in this series. Thanks to #NetGalley and #Kensingtonbooks for the opportunity to read!

This has become one of my favorite cozy series with a strong millennial voice! We pick up in this story with Sage opening her brick and mortar store in the Button Building for her coffee business! On the first day of business, murder happens and Sage is the prime suspect. We get a bunch of new characters in this one, expanding the universe for this series, but I still enjoyed having the Sasquatches in it too! It also has a locked room mystery vibe to it for those who love that (which is me)!! Lots of twists and turns in the mystery and I didn't have a strong suspect for the murder so was surprised! If you're looking for a great cozy set in Portland, this hits all the right vibes!

Trying to start a series on book 4 is clearly a no-no 😂

I tried so hard to read this but as I was missing loads of back stories and previous story arcs that got us to Death Unfiltered, it was hard!

I am gonna start from the beginning because the writing was great, the characters are well rounded. I feel people who are invested in the series are going to love this. So while Number 4 didn't do it for me now, it will when I get there as it's opened up a new series for me!

DEATH UNFILTERD is the fourth book in the Ground Rules Mysteries by Emmeline Duncan. I think each book gets better and better, as it builds on the preceding storyline so that the reader gets a deeper insight into protagonist Sage Caplin, her family, and her crew of baristas. There’s also the thread of Sage’s con-artist mom running through each story. It adds a depth of emotion as Sage struggles to overcome her guilt at how she was a part of her mom’s schemes as a young child, then abandoned when she’d outgrown her usefulness. In Death Unfiltered, old wounds are opened, and she comes face-to-face with one of her mother’s victims. Because of this, it’s probably best to start at the beginning of the series, even though this could be read as a standalone based on the murder mystery itself.

Ms. Duncan has created a colorful cast of characters in a very colorful city: Portland, Oregon. With edgy vibes and a definite love of coffee, Sage and her company, Ground Rules, certainly fits in. There are vivid descriptions to bring the locale to life and it’s hard to not want to book a flight right away to visit. Sage and her business partner, Harley, are opening a brick-and-mortar store. Everyone is excited about the new venture except the neighboring Breakfast Bandits shop owner, Bianca. When Bianca drops dead after sipping on Ground Rules coffee on the morning of their grand opening, it looks like their fledgling business might not survive. With Sage in the crosshairs of law enforcement and a true-crime podcaster dogging and recording her every step, Sage must find the actual killer. This well-plotted mystery has a good pace. Ms. Duncan weaves coffee details, the subplot of Sage’s mom, and the murder together into a cohesive story that never lags. I was truly surprised at the reveal… I never suspected the culprit. And with a zinger of an ending, it will take all my patience to wait until I can have the next book in hand to find out what happens next!

There are several recipes included at the back of the book, including drinks, plus savory and sweet dishes.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Once again death finds Sage this time at the opening of their bricks and mortar storefront. She has new employees that are slightly suspicious and fellow owners that could be involved. There’s also a podcaster looking into her mom’s cons. All of this and Bax has his new game coming out. I love Sage and enjoy every one of these books.

cozy-mystery, Oregon, family-drama, family-dynamics, family-history, podcaster, coffee-culture, coffee-shop, friction, friendship, series, amateur-sleuth, local-law-enforcement, closed-circle-mystery, siblings, lawyers, murder-investigation, small-business****

The premise for the coffee shop paired with other short order specialty shops ringing a courtyard with multiple employees bring orders to customers and then bussing the mess sounds heavenly! On opening day of the Ground Rules coffee shop a dodgy podcaster is sharing coffees with a contentious shop owner when the shop owner suddenly dies. Poison. But it was coffee from our MC's shop so she is a major suspect. Lots of other stuff going on while the murder is being investigated. Good read!
I requested and received a temporary EARC from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley.
Pub Date 26 Mar 2024 #GroundRulesMysteriesBk4

Sage’s backstory gets additional shading in this installment of the series. A young podcaster is very interested in Sage’s mother’s trail of scammy destruction, and wants Sage’s help to tell the story. Sage doesn’t really have time to deal with that because she is opening her first brick-and-mortar store, only for a neighboring vendor to drop over dead on the first day. Sage must leverage her family and community to come up with the killer. The Portland of this series is such a bright, vibrant community filled with cool people. It’s lots of fun spending time with Sage in her city.

I always have such fun reading the Ground Rules series. This next installment was just as great as all the others! I love reading from this series every year, it’s become a tradition for me. This story takes us to the Ground Rules grand opening at the Button Building and what happens when someone dies from drinking a cup of coffee. This book came to me at a time where I needed a story with familiar characters. I’m so excited for the next book in this series! Thank you Emmeline Duncan, NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for this great and fun digital copy.