Title: A Caffeine-Fueled Cozy Mystery

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Cleo Coyle's 'Dead Cold Brew'" serves up a delightful and caffeine-fueled cozy mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. Set in the bustling streets of New York City, this installment in the Coffeehouse Mystery series offers a perfect blend of suspense, humor, and a dash of romance.

The story revolves around Clare Cosi, the manager of the Village Blend coffeehouse, who stumbles upon a murder mystery tied to an old family crime. Coyle's storytelling is engaging, and her vivid descriptions make you feel like you're right there in the heart of the action.

The character development is a highlight of this book. Clare is a relatable and endearing protagonist, and the supporting cast adds depth to the story. The banter and camaraderie between the characters are not only heartwarming but also provide moments of humor amidst the suspense.

The pacing is just right, with twists and turns that keep you invested in solving the mystery. Coyle's writing style is inviting, making the book an easy and enjoyable read for fans of the genre. The author's attention to detail, particularly in describing the coffee and culinary aspects, adds an extra layer of richness to the narrative.

While "Dead Cold Brew" is part of a series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. New readers won't feel lost, and fans of the series will appreciate the progression of the characters' stories.

In summary, "Dead Cold Brew" is a charming addition to the Coffeehouse Mystery series. Cleo Coyle brews up a perfect blend of murder, coffee, and intrigue, creating a cozy mystery that is both entertaining and engaging. If you're looking for a book that combines your love for a good cup of coffee with a thrilling mystery, this one's a perfect pick.

I had gotten on the band wagon for a different mystery series that revolved around coffee and I thought it only fair to check out this series, which has clearly been around for a lot longer as this book, <em>Dead Cold Brew</em>, is the sixteenth in the series.

Clare Cosi is the owner of a hip New York coffeehouse. Clare's boyfriend, Mike, is a New York police detective. Right now that's disconcerting because someone is shooting at NYPD officers. But the police have an eye-witness at the first shooting - Clare. But when Clare gives the sketch artist her description, things don't go too well. Clare describes a popular comic book superhero, complete with cape. Clare's description makes a laughing-stock of the PD, so she's determined to get to the bottom of this by herself.

But not all is going wrong. Clare's boyfriend, Mike, finally proposes to her and her employer promises a coffee-colored diamond for the wedding ring. But the ring's designer is found killed and an attorney appears with a strange letter promising a hidden treasure to Clare's daughter (from a first marriage). Clare has to come up with a special blend for a brew to be served on a cruise ship that is a rebuild of the Andrea Doria. Is it wise to remake a ship that was part of one of the most famous maritime disasters in American history?

One of the things that really surprised me about this book is how involved the story was. This was not a simple story with a character moving from point 'A' to point 'B' with an obstacle or two in the way. This was a story that changed, evolved, and wound its way around the central characters. There are two or three different stories going on here, which is quite a task to control given that the story is told in the first person from Clare's point of view.

I enjoyed the history that worked its way into this story. When the idea of the Andrea Doria was first brought up I know that I rolled my eyes, anticipating a rather cheesy connection, but author Cleo Coyle works this angle in quite well.

I haven't been a fan of a lot of 'cozy' mysteries, typically finding them to be much to 'simple' and lacking some bite, but Coyle's Coffeehouse Mystery series (based on this, volume 16) shows that a cozy can be an engaging, exciting, and even educational read. I look forward to checking out more from this series.

Looking for a good book? <em>Dead Cold Brew</em>, by Cleo Coyle, is a cozy mystery that steps up to deliver an engaging mystery with a coffee-theme.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts out aboard the Andrea Doria and a couple fighting when the woman kills her husband as the boat is sinking. What happens next is crazy!

Matt informs Clare that the Village Blend is in a coffee competition to serve a wonderful copy on the newly built Andrea Doria. Which Clare knows is a bad omen rebuilding a sunk ship. While this is going on someone is targeting New York's finest. Which has Clare worried. As the book progresses Madame begins acting bizarre in Clare's descriptions, and when she disappears Matt and Clare wonder what's up. Will they figure it out in time or will Clare have downed her last cup of coffee?

This book was everything we've come to love about Cleo Coyle. The ups and downs Clare goes on while trying to root out bad guys. Then there is the old mystery of the Andrea Doria a beautiful ship that went down near the coast of Nantucket. This book really centers on the Allegros and Campana families and what happened that day of the tragic sinking!

I enjoyed going and seeing everyone at Village Blend who make small appearances along with fellow officers who pop up in Clare's life. Such a fun book and can't wait to see what is next for The Village Blend!

I found her to be quite delightful as she dealt with every crazy thing going around her. The plotting is extra neat with some fun red herrings.

This is another easy read from this series which is enjoyable but not outstanding. Good for plane rides or (if summer ever comes) a beach read.

The sinking of the Andrea Doria is at the heart of Coyle's latest coffee house mystery, as events that occurred on the doomed liner lead to danger in the present day. Coyle keeps the heat on as things boil over with an attack on a Andrea Doria survivor and a link to Clare's new engagement ring. There's plenty of suspense, action, humor and a bit of romance in this latest, enjoyable installment.

I enjoy this series and it's hard to believe that this is book 16 in Coffeehouse Mystery Series. Clair and Mike are finally engaged but this story has ex-husband Matt in a staring role. The coffee shop is booming and Matt has entered them into a contest to brew a flavor for the launching of a new ship. Long held family secrets and a sniper targeting police officers has this cozy off and running. Daughter Joy is also growing up and I'm betting she will be prominent in the next few books.

A definitive cozy mystery. This is a delightful addition to this series. The sleuth is very well crafted and the characters all add to the setting. This reader was entertained throughout the story. Each book is as good to the last drop! Loved this addition and look forward to the next in series. Thank you for this deliciously fun read .

Let's start with I am new to the Coffeehouse Mystery series. Seeing that it is at book 16 I took a big chance jumping in but hey it has coffee in the title. I like coffee. Not only that but the blurb also sounds fairly enticing. I figured with that one/two punch I had a good shot of at least liking the book. Little did I know what I was in for with Dead Cold Brew.

Sunken ships, lost jewels, cop shootings and family secrets are just some of the things that keep this story fast-paced and addicting. Despite jumping into this series, I had no problems keeping up. Clare is our main character and the story is told from her first person POV. I found her to be quite delightful as she dealt with every crazy thing going around her. These quite a few extra characters that I also found entertaining from her sexy detective boyfriend Mike with the OMG! awesome proposal to the eccentric Madame. What is it about old people that give extra charm to a story. Let us not forget Panther Man. Hmmmm...

As busy as all that sounds it was actually a fun read. There are surprises galore to keep a person guessing what is important and what is a trick to make you turn the other way. While some things I was able to puzzle together, I actually found Dead Cold Brew to be a most pleasant read if I just sit back and enjoyed it without trying too hard. Of course I had to enjoy it while drinking a cup of coffee because with all the coffee descriptions I found my mouth watering for a taste. And then I got to the end of the book to find...RECIPES! Holy cow everything sounds so tasty. From coffee recipes to Pumpkin Alfredo to delicious treats there is something for everyone to drool over. I'm definitely going to be trying some of these out.

reviewed by Jac

Dead Cold Brew by Cleo Coyle is the sixteenth book in A Coffeehouse Mystery series. Clare Cosi is the manager and master roaster at Village Blend in Greenwich Village, New York. Clare loves the job despite the contact with her ex-husband, Matteo “Matt” Allegro. Matt visits to tell Clare about a great opportunity. Victor Fontana is the head of a consortium that has built a new ship that is a re-creation of the S.S. Andrea Doria. The original ship sank sixty years ago in 1956. Village Blend is one of five companies competing to be the exclusive supplier of coffee for the ship. Clare needs to come up with a unique blend for the competition. Clare is thrilled until she reads the morning paper. Someone is going around shooting cops. Clare’s boyfriend is Lt. Michael “Mike” Quinn and he is the head of the OD Squad for the NYPD. Mike stops by Village Blend with Detective Sully Sullivan to reassure Clare. Sully leaves and they hear a gunshot. Sully has been shot and Clare sees someone resembling Panther Man leaving the area (this does not go over well with the police). Matt receives a visit from an attorney. It seems a special inheritance has been left for Matt and Sophia Campana (and their children). Upon opening the lockbox, the discover a letter and the Occhio del Gatto (Eye of the Cat). This gem was supposedly sunk with the Andrea Doria. The one person who may have answers is Gustavo Campana. He was on board the Andrea Doria. When the group goes to visit Gus, they discover him unconscious in his apartment. Gus was poisoned and Clare sees someone fleeing the scene. Someone is after the diamond. Clare wants to find out what happened sixty years ago on that ship, but she is also worried about the safety of Mike with a cop killer on the loose in New York. Will Clare be able to unravel this mystery before the killer strikes again?

Dead Cold Brew is nicely written and full of action. The novel is packed with characters and activities (I did not tell you everything that occurred in this book). I found it difficult to keep track of the various people and their plot lines. The pace of the novel is slow (the book seemed to go on forever). The author is very descriptive and includes details of drinks, scenery, food items, etc. Some information is repeated throughout the book. I give Dead Cold Brew 3 out of 5 stars (it is okay). I wish the author had picked just one storyline for this book (either the sunken ship along with the gem or the cop killer). I do, though, like how she ended up tying the events together. While both mysteries may seem complicated, the solution is simple. I was able to solve the mysteries early in the book. The clues might as well have been neon arrows pointing to the perpetrator. While Dead Cold Brew is the sixteenth book in the series, it is the first book in the series that I have read (I was hoping to discover a new cozy mystery series). Dead Cold Brew can be read alone (you will be a little confused in the beginning). The author provides the needed background details on the main characters.

My review is here: Thanks for the copy.

http://www.bethfishreads.com/2017/01/todays-read-giveaway-dead-cold-brew-by.html

Although I have heard of the Andrea Doria disaster, I didn't really know much about it, and liked the way the action from the past wove into the plot right away. With many short chapters, I found that I was quickly swept up into a story that had an interesting historical angle, coffee making and jewelry info galore. I was expecting the same sort of cozy I have come to expect from covers such as these, but Coyle really takes the narrative beyond that cozy genre into something fans of 'regular' mysteries should be checking out. Clare Cosi has such a good relationship with her ex, Matt, and her ex mother in law, that it is easy to see why they would help one another almost without question. Don't let the fact that this is a long running series stop you from picking up this well written, grown up mystery. Coyle does a wonderful job of keeping her characters and storylines current.

COLD DEAD BREW, the sixteenth book in the Coffee House Mystery series by Cleo Coyle, is one of my favorites in the series! The story is suspenseful, combining current day events such as the appalling targeting of police officers along with the historic tragic loss of the luxury Italian ship, the Andrea Doria. The author effortlessly weaves the sixty-year-old calamity into her plot involving a decades old murder connected to the Italian Campana family, who have become friends and godfather to Clare Cosi's ex-husband. When a mysterious legacy is left to Clare's daughter and as the secrets and lies that have remained hidden for so many years threaten to surface and destroy the Campana family, Claire resolves to find the truth before her family is pulled into danger.

COLD DEAD BREW starts off with a bang and the suspense doesn't let up the entire book! It kept me on the edge of my seat reading late into the night -- I couldn't stop until I reached the very last page. Clare Cosi is co-owner of the Village Blend coffee shop with her ex-husband. She is a strong protagonist and a take charge type of person, willing to solve any situation that she is challenged with. I enjoyed seeing her interaction and the development of her relationship with Detective Mike Quinn. She also has a unique bond with her ex-husband and business partner, Matt, that lends itself to making me wonder about future story lines. I loved how the author includes many fascinating New York historical facts and places in the story, some dating back to the pre-civil war era, which adds to the appeal and makes me want to visit some of those places! The writing is so creative you never realize you're learning until after the fact. With the central location based around a coffee shop, plenty of tidbits are provided about coffee along with recipes for both food and cold brew alike.... which I'm grateful for because after reading this book you'll be both hungry and thirsty for a great cup of brew!

Per author's request I will post my review to my blog upon the mass market paperback release.

I'm having some mixed feelings about this one. Overall it was a really good book, but the police shooter subplot bothered me. I just feel like it was a little too real, and kind of bad timing with all the police shootings in the news. Other than that I really enjoyed the book. It had so many emotions and twists in it.