When her best but most difficult employee switches sides days before a state barista championship, coffee-shop owner Lana Lewis investigates jilted lovers, a shrimp-boat captain, and a mafia-connected surfer to prove her innocence of a rival's murder.
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When her best but most difficult employee switches sides days before a state barista championship, coffee-shop owner Lana Lewis investigates jilted lovers, a shrimp-boat captain, and a mafia-connected surfer to prove her innocence of a rival's murder.
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Add this copy of Grounds for Murder to cart. $41.43, new condition, Sold by GreatBookPrices rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Columbia, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Crooked Lane Books.
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New. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 320 p. A Coffee Lover's Mystery, 1. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Add this copy of Grounds for Murder: a Coffee LoverīS Mystery to cart. $41.44, new condition, Sold by Kennys.ie rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Galway, IRELAND, published 2020 by Crooked Lane Books.
Fabrizio "Fab" Bellucci, the beach's hottest barista is dead and former investigative journalist turned coffee shop manager Lana Lewis is at the top of the suspect list if the cause of death is indeed murder. You see Fab was her star employee until he quit without notice to work for her competitor. On top of that, they were registered as a team for the Sunshine State Barista Championship. So when she couldn't hold in her fury any longer she confronts him in front of a crowd of people at Island Brewnette, the competing coffee shop.
The trouble is, the chief of police, who seems to have a bit of a crush on Lana, is leaning toward calling Fab's death a suicide until the evidence proves otherwise. Lana knows Fab was a great casanova/gigolo with some shady connections so she finds plenty of other suspects and theories. She just needs to convince Chief Noah Garcia to follow her clues with her. If not, she and her new barista Erica Penmark will steam out the killer on their own.
I liked Lana Lewis right away. Divorced and unemployed she comes home to Devil's Beach to manage Perkatory. The cafe was her mother's dream so after her death her dad kept the business going but his heart wasn't really into it full time. Lana takes over admitting she has a lot to learn about being a great barista but she has great employees and her dad to help her out. She is intelligent and kind and her investigative skills come in handy as she tries to catch a killer. Erika and Lana get along right away and they make a wonderful team whether it comes to sleuthing or coffee brewing. Lana's dad is a laid back hippie kind of dude that does seem fazed my much but supports his daughter 100%. Police Chief Noah Garica also escaped the big city to come to Devil's Beach never expecting to have a murder case on his plate but he sure does like dropping in at Perkatory to see Lana. All of these characters developed nicely over the course of the story but there is so much more to learn. The author has done an excellent job of giving readers characters we can care about.
The mystery she has brewed up is darn good too. Personally, I wish the suicide theory would have been put to rest much earlier with more focus on the variety of people who could have been suspects in Fab's death. He left quite a path of ladies in his wake and at least one was married. The pushy reporter in Lana came out and she just wasn't going to give up. Her actions lead to a really exciting big reveal.
I do love the beachy small-town setting. While jumping with tourists and busy residents it still had a relaxing vibe and a place I would love to visit.
Grounds for Murder was a delightful whodunit and has set this series off to a grand start. It's entertaining with just the right amount of humor. I am looking forward to visiting these characters again soon.
Kristina
Dec 11, 2020
A fun cozy mystery!
Grounds for Murder by Tara Lush has Lana Lewis back home in Devilââ?¬â?¢s Beach, Florida after a series of setbacks. She is now the manager of the family coffee shop, Perkatory. Lana has entered herself and employee Fabrizio ââ?¬Å"Fabââ?¬Â? Bellucci in the Sunshine State Barista Championship. With Fab at the helm, Lana is sure Perkatory will take home the prize. Then Fab quits and goes to work for the competition leaving Lana high and dry. Lana takes out her anger out on Fab at Island Brewnette in front of a crowd. The next day, Lana finds Fab dead behind Perkatory. The forensics point to suicide. Lana knows that Fab would not harm himself and wants to prove he was murdered. Lana puts her investigative journalist skills to work tracking down Fabââ?¬â?¢s killer. Can Lana find the guilty party, or will she end up the next victim? Grounds for Murder is the debut of A Coffee Loverââ?¬â?¢s Mystery series. I like that the author took the time to establish the town and our main character. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Devilââ?¬â?¢s Beach (I want to visit). The words describing the coffee will have you heading to your local coffee shop for a caffeine fix. The mystery was interesting with multiple suspects and few clues (best type of mystery to solve). We follow Lana as sets out to prove Fab was murdered and find out who killed him. I could have done with less of Lanaââ?¬â?¢s thoughts regarding Noah Garcia (how handsome he is, his big muscles, how good he smells). I prefer a more subtle romance that plays out over the course of the series. I do like the chemistry between Noah and Lana. I am curious to see how their relationship will progress. Grounds for Murder is an entertaining start to A Coffee Loverââ?¬â?¢s Mystery series. Grounds for Murder is a fun lighthearted cozy mystery with creative coffee art, a precious puppy, a laid-back dad, an eye-catching police chief, a curious crime, and jaded journalist.
