So often when a series hits 20+ books there is one that is just not quite as good as the others. That is NOT the case with The Coffeehouse Mysteries and definitely not with No Roast for the Weary! This book grabbed me from page one and just kept me turning the pages until I finished, then I went back for more. Clair and the crew at the Village Blend are struggling to stay afloat post-pandemic. A brainstorming session leads them to their past, when Madame was running the shop. Clair and her staff decide the Writers Lounge might be a great way to bring people back in. After a violent incident in the alley behind the Blend, Clair decides to check with Madame to find out more about what happened to the Writers Lounge in the past. She learns that after a fight between some of the writers and one of the members of the group was found dead, it was disbanded. Things get hot when one of the original members of the group, Mr. Scrib, starts coming in to share his poetry with barista/slam poet Esther, but by then the new Writer's Lounge is hopping and the Village Blend is busier than ever. After Mr. Scrib is seriously injured Clair and Esther get involved in trying to untangle his life and learn the rest of what happened in the past. And just because that isn't enough for Clair to worry about, her partner and ex-husband Matt is seen going to lunch with their business arch-rival.
I find myself wanting to tell the rest of the story, but I cannot come close to doing it justice. It is complex and intriguing, filled with red herrings and twists. I was totally surprised when I learned who the perpetrator was and even more surprised when I heard Mr. Scrib's whole story.
As always with this series, there are some tasty sounding recipes at the end as well as some great tips for your own creative life.
I am now excitedly waiting for book 22 in the series!
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. This review is completely my own thoughts and feelings about the book.

Cleo Coyle is back with another amazing installment in the series. With the last book, a lot has happened and Clare and the gang had a lot to deal with. But in an effort to brighten their spirits, a little writer’s heaven has been set up at the cafe.

Honestly, I loved this both as a reader and as a writer. This concept felt so fun and fresh, especially after all that has happened in the series. So it really was a joy to read this book.

As always, the mystery is done just right with the right amount of mystery and intrigue. As one of my favorite series, I always look forward to Coyle’ newest book because the concepts are always so different and fun.

As one of the best Cozy Mystery series out there, you really can’t go wrong with picking up this book.

One thing about a Clare Cosi book-it reads fast! And it keeps you glued to the pages until way past your bedtime. Clare and her baristas are facing losses due to people not commuting and stopping by anymore. The Village Blend reaches back in history for a possible solution only to find an old unsolved murder. Another terrific mystery!

In this well-written and fast-paced drama, this mystery comes alive when one of the Village Blend customers becomes entangled in a long-ago history that has present day consequences. There’s so much going on, from the slow customer flow to recreating the writer’s lounge to Mr. Scrib’s place and the surprise that was there to the author with a secret to the connections and finally to the murder, it was all so chaotic, and I loved it. The more I read, the more immersed I became in this action-packed tale and when it became apparent that someone was willing to harm people, Clare and her friends had to figure out who was doing what to whom and why, based on the clues that were presented. With a few misfires and some precarious situations, pieces began to fall into place, and it all came together when there was only person left standing -- the killer. There were also several laugh-out loud moments including scenes with Esther meeting Wacker and socializing at Addy’s house. Too funny.

Overall, this was one of the best books in this endearing series as well as a terrific read that showcased the local color of the village in this delightfully engaging whodunit.

No Roast for the Weary by Cleo Coyle is a fine addition to the many coffee house mysteries penned by Cleo Coyle, aka husband and wife team Marc and Alice. Having read all of these fabulous books not only for the creative mysteries and clever storylines, but also for the coffee talk which I adore, I can highly recommend this one to the new reader of this series or to the seasoned reader.

This story is fresh and new just like the way the coffee shop is trying to reinvent itself by bringing back a writer’s lounge as was done previously many years ago. Esther, one of the baristas and a larger than life character, and Mr. Scrib, a writer from the old days, start this book off with a dance off with poetry. No spoilers here! I encourage you to dive right in and discover the rest for yourself.!

Thank you to Penguin Random House, NetGalley and Alice and Marc (aka Cleo) for the opportunity to review this spectacular book.

Greenwich Village + a haunted writer's lounge + MURDER 🔪 = "No Roast for the Weary" by Cleo Coyle. Longtime fans of Clare Cosi will love this one! Coyle's writing truly transported me to Greenwich Village; I could practically smell the coffee brewing and hear the writers tapping away on their laptops. Clare is back, brewing up trouble ☕ and uncovering secrets in the Village, and this time she's joined by a fascinating cast of new characters - each with their own secrets and quirks! The mystery surrounding the writer's lounge kept me guessing until the very end, and the stakes are higher than ever for Clare in this thrilling new case! A captivating whodunit with plenty of twists and turns. Highly recommend it for fans of cozy mysteries, and the recipes in the back are amazing as usual – a must-have for any kitchen! 📖 #NoRoastForTheWeary #CleoCoyle #ClareCosi #CoffeehouseMystery #CozyMystery #NetGalley

Although I'm not much of a coffee drinker, I thoroughly enjoy this series. In fact, it was one of the ones that made a cozy mystery fan out of me. It's been way too long since I've dropped into the Village Blend but I immediately felt right at home. It was lots of fun to be there for the birth, or should I say rebirth, of The Writer's Block Lounge, too, despite its early hiccups. Boy, everyone should have a retired astronaut handy to share ideas on how to make large groups under intense pressure work best. I'd say he fully earned that Golden Ticket and Madame's attentions. It was an added plus to learn some of the back history of the coffeehouse, too, while getting a feel for life in New York City. Heck, we even get to ogle some well-known celebrities virtually although I'm not sure I'd be as disciplined as Claire and have not snapped a few photos.

New readers, don't hesitate to jump in here. While it was nice to know backstories of character relationship, it works very well as a standalone. You'll settle in quickly, enjoying characters such as the animal loving, slam-poet Esther, and the rest of those associated with the Village Blend. Claire Cosi remains the hard-working, focused, and, oh, so determined woman I remembered and, well, Madame will always be Madame to me, too. Mother of Claire's ex-husband and now friend, Matt, Madame remains a force to be reckoned with. Despite my annoyance with Matt this go-round, he remains ready to head off on his next coffee bean recon trip, trips that usually provide more than a little rush of danger. I actually wondered if, despite my annoyance with what he was contemplating, he might just be growing up a bit more and thinking of the future, at least the financial future for Claire and his mother. I'll be paying attention to that possibility next book, that's for sure.

As for the plot, it's complicated. On the surface it appears to be an investigation into who mugged a coffeehouse regular but, oh, my, there are more layers. Many more layers, in fact. Oh, and there's a duck involved. Nope. Not telling. You'll have to read the book. Lots of twists and turns, red herrings galore, missing manuscripts, coded manuscripts, hit-and-runs, and, oh, yeah, murder. And that's just the surface. I'd like to smugly say I figured it all out but who am I kidding? I didn't know for sure until the final big reveal and that wasn't even the end of the book. Lots more reveals, let's just say. Toss in celebrity sightings, taxi rides past well-known landmarks that included The Heights, publishing woes, writers woes and egos, lots of quotes and lyrics, friends and family, recipes, and, oh, so much more. Thanks #Berkley for my virtual invite to finally revisit the Village Blend and renew my acquaintance with Claire and the rest. I'm definitely looking forward to spending time in The Writer's Block Lounge next visit, especially now that they've figured out how to, make it work with such diverse, intensely creative customers.

This is very well written as usual and you don’t need to have read any of the other books in the series to understand the plot (I’ve only read a few). What I love the most about this series is the coffee knowledge and the food descriptions - there’s a surprise picnic in this that was completely mouth-watering - and I hate coffee yet I always relish the absolutely gorgeous beverage descriptions and all the information about the coffee industry and how coffee is produced.

The mystery - having to do with an eccentric customer and a writing group - wasn’t the best I thought, but the writing elevates this so much.

My endless thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC!

Business at the Village Blend is more stale than gas station coffee and if Clare doesn't get customers pouring back into the doors of the coffee shop they might lose their beans. When Clare's arch-nemesis Wood gives Matt an offer he can hardly refuse, Clare is faced with a dilemma. Sell out? Or fight her way back to the top?

I'm so invested in this series. Each of the characters is special to me for their own reasons and I love Clare most of all. But one character I can't stand is her fiancé, Mike. Mike is a turd. He comes over when he's hungry or horny and Clare satisfies his every need. What does Mike do for her? Yeah. What DOES Mike do for her? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. When Clare needs something, she turns to Matt or one of her baristas. Every once in a while Clare will call Mike, but he never even answers the phone. I get that he's a detective, he works odd hours and has to travel with little notice. That's fine. I accept that. But even the most committed detective does SOMETHING with their loved ones other than eat, screw, and sleep. As much as I love Clare, I think she needs therapy. She seems to have a pathological need to be romantically involved with men who are untouchable, unreliable, and uncommitted.

This book revolves around a beloved regular customer with a murky past, a revived writers group, and a 40+ year old cold case. As with previous books we get a lovely tour of the city and we get to meet some interesting individuals. We dive into the history of the Village Blend and the history of some people who have come a long way since the good old days. Everyone has secrets and some are willing to kill to keep them.

As with my other recent books in the series, this book is considerably longer than your average cozy but there's not a dull moment. The short chapters kept me reading well past bedtime as I thought to myself, just one more... just one more. Anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries or stories about coffee shops or all things New York City should definitely check this series out.

Thank you to Cleo Coyle, Berkley Prime Crime, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I read the first three of the Cleo Coyle coffeehouse mystery books in this series when they were donated to the library where I worked. I had started an honor paperback collection which was (and still is) a huge success! I've been a huge fan of the coffeehouse mysteries ever since! After sharing them with my coworkers we were all ready to talk them up and share them with our customers. I ordered multiple hardcover copies for the library as well as each novel after that! Because I was on a reader's advisory committee for the library district, I was able to spread the word to all of the selectors. Each branch ordered this wonderful series. The power of the spoken word is amazing! Thank you to the authors, publisher, and the unknown reader that donated the first three books to my library! So many reader's lives have been touched. A huge thank you to Netgalley for the many kindle downloads!

"No Roast for the Weary" is a cozy mystery. This novel is the 21th in the series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books.

A member of the original Writer's Block group (who has mental problems) is writing a true crime unveiling whodunit of an unsolved crime. Two members of his group got into a fist fight behind the Village Blend, and one of the fighters was later found murdered in another part of town. In current day, this writer is attacked and unconscious, and his manuscript is nowhere to be found. And several people want to find it.

Clare was the one primarily investigating by finding the original group members and talking with them about the old Writer's Block Lounge. She asked good questions and realized that several people were lying about various things. This was a clue-based mystery, but the clues built up slowly and the critical clue didn't come until the end. Then Clare had to race to warn several young writers about an unexpected danger.

There were only a few uses of bad language. There were no graphic sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.

If you can pull off a cozy in NYC then you're all Aces in my book! I love how this series gives you all the cozy mystery small town feels but still manages to showcase some manhattan charm for those of us who miss the city. It's probably the #1 reason I keep reading it.

Cleo Coyle adds another fun book to her coffeehouse series. Clare is worried because sales are down and foot traffic is almost non existent. Until her staff comes up with fantastic ideas to increase sales! They didn’t expect murder to happen. This series is such a delightful read, the characters might be your neighbors and the story keeps you involved. I just bet they wish they could have fewer murders happening all around them!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I've read every book in this series. This new installment was quite good. I enjoy when the storyline dovetails with Madame's earlier life and the history of the coffeehouse, which doesn't always happen. It was also nice that we weren't in the killer's head, which I never like. The mystery kept me guessing and was just twisty enough.

I've read all of the books in the Coffehouse Mystery Series so Clare Cosi and and all that of the other delightful characters are like old friends at this point. I was extremely excited about the release of No Roast For The Weary and it definitely didn't disappoint. This is another fun, fast-paced mystery in a long series with all of the characters that we've grown to know and love. I love that this story dove into the history of the Coffehouse a bit more and connected it to present-day NYC.
This is a wonderful series to introduce to Book Clubs. I've found that it's become very popular with our library patrons that attended a book club that featured the very first book in the series and it's been fun watching a few of them read the series straight through.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this free ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Rare is the series that can maintain quality and interest for volume after volume. The Coffeehouse series does this extremely well. The newest adventure for Clare Cosi and the rest of the cast is intriguing and rife with red herrings.. Harking back to the past while remaining in the present, Cleo Coyle has once again created a story that is as fresh as the Village Blend’s coffee beans.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an arc of this book.