Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Book Review: Billionaire Blend

Billionaire Blend (Coffeehouse Mystery, #13)Author: Cleo Coyle
Publication Date: December 3, 2013
Publisher: Berkley
Series: Coffeehouse Mystery # 13

Landmark coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi has served her share of New York’s rich and famous, but even she is surprised by her explosive introduction to a mysterious Internet billionaire

When a car bomb nearly kills tech whiz Eric Thorner, Clare comes to his aid and receives a priceless thank you. Not only does the billionaire buy her a barista’s dream espresso machine, he hires her for an extraordinary project: creating the world’s most expensive coffee blend.

The police quickly arrest Eric’s alleged attacker, yet death continues to surround the unlucky mogul, leading Clare to question whether a fatal fall and another lethal mishap are premeditated murders or merely freak accidents. Clare’s boyfriend, NYPD detective Mike Quinn, has a theory of his own—one Clare refuses to believe.

Meanwhile, Eric jets Clare around the world on a head-spinning search for the very best coffee, and Clare gets to know his world—a mesmerizing circle of money with rivalries that could easily have turned deadly. But is this charming young CEO truly marked for termination? Or is he the one making a killing?


As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be?

This was one time I didn’t argue with my ex. I hit out plank deck.

Good thing, too, because if my ex-husband knew who I was going to speak with and why, I’d have another explosion on my hands.

“Because the device wasn’t designed to blow up the car so much as roast the occupants alive. And burning to death is one hell of a horrible way to die.”



This series was one of the first cozy mysteries that I ever read and played a big part in my love of them! I have followed this series from the start, and I have only missed a few installments, which I hope to go back and catch up on soon. Each book is all the more intriguing than the last and always leaves me wanting more. Cleo Coyle does a wonderful job of keeping her avid fans and readers engaged and hooked on the series, as each new mystery gets more and more suspenseful. In this installment, Clare Cosi, owner of Village Blend Coffeehouse, gets tangled up in a suspenseful mystery when she learns that someone is trying to kill the mysterious billionaire/tech wiz that she is working alongside to brew the world’s most expensive coffee blend. She and her boyfriend and NYPD detective work together as they get caught up in chaos and mayhem while trying to stop a potential killer!

I truly believe that many of Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mysteries can be read as standalone novels. She does a terrific job in writing them so that they flow and make sense to first time readers. This is just a side note that I have always appreciated about her.

I also always enjoy the bevy of charming recipes that can be found in this book. I swear cozy mystery authors really know how to lure readers in! I have a few of the recipes bookmarked to try after the New Year!

I find that sometimes the beginning of her books can seem to take off a slow pace, but I promise once you really dive into the novel the action starts to twist and turn in ways that are unimaginable. Once the main action has hit center stage the story doesn’t slow down again until the final page. Her books are always fast on their feet once the mystery is introduced! I love this part about her books. Some people might despise slow beginnings, but I can see how it is necessary when the author needs to set up the scene and his or her characters!

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Berkley in exchange for my honest review***






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