Blake Harper only wants to run her business and focus on her love life. But while she’s setting up for Mystery Cup Café’s big Halloween bash, she sees a clown stab a masked man in the chest.Blake calls her sister, the town’s lead detective, but when the police arrive, there is no killer… and no body. While everyone blows the whole thing off as a prank, Blake knows the truth. When the clown later … the clown later makes an appearance at the party, she realizes the killer may be out to eliminate any witnesses.
Blake must figure out not only who the killer is, but also who the victim was. Will she be able to solve the murder when she’s faced with a town full of people who don’t even believe a crime happened? And can she unmask the killer before he stops her once and for all?
more
Great mystery!
I read this book without having read the previous book 1. I know, I know, that’s my own choice, but even though there were a lot of names, they were well explained, so it was entirely doable. It did make it a bit harder to get into, as it was a lot to take in, but that’s my own fault. So I would recommend reading book 1 first 😉 But there was one thing that the author could do something about. Eli calling EVERYONE by the wrong name was cute, but it also meant that there were twice as many names to try and remember; that pushed it over the edge and made it name soup. Name coffee! But as I got used to the names I started really liking it.
I felt Blake acted a bit immature at the start with her huk huk, and all that giggling at guys… like she’s a teenager instead of an adult. My first impression of her was that she’s also a bit of a coffee snob. But it got better, it did! I do advise the author to find another way to portray Blake’s thoughts, other than her talking out loud to herself when she’s alone. Which she does a lot. Yes, people do that, but surely not when you need to be silent!
It was a good read. A good mystery, great even! I enjoyed it very much! I did figure it out earlier than Blake did, but it really was a great read! It ends with a hook to more. Don’t worry, the case is completely wrapped up, there’s just an open door to more to come.
This is the second book in a series, but it works well as a stand-alone. That said, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read the first book. I don’t usually have such a hard time remembering the characters when I read a series out of order; I had to go back and review names more than usual. Other than that, it was a quick and enjoyable read, and it was well-written. I especially liked the main female character, Blake. The mystery was intriguing and the resolution satisfying. I would probably be interested in reading the first book in this series and any subsequent books. I was provided an ARC of this book, but these opinions are my own.
A Clown kills the Phantom of the Opera with
an ornate dagger!!!
Blake Harper who owns and runs the Mystery
Cup Café in Wilton, Missouri sees the murder.
Blake was on the rooftop of the Café setting
up for the Café’s Halloween bash.
The police go to investigate but discover an
empty apartment. No signs of foul play but
Blake knows what she saw….So where is the
dead body? Who was the person killed? Why
was the person murdered?
Cold-Brewed Murder is an intriguing, interesting,
suspenseful and dynamic plot. There are lots of
twists, turns, thrills, chills along with a puzzling
mystery.
The characters are multifaceted, well created,
realistic and relatable characters that you want
to visit with again.
The author has a fluid way with description. This
made me feel like I was a part of the story. The
writing was smooth with overall good development
with plenty of nice little details. Add a touch of
romance and plenty of humor to make this a great
read.
A Highly Recommended Read!!
I volunteered to read Cold-Brewed Murder. Thanks
to the author and publisher via The Cozy Mystery
Review Crew for the opportunity. My opinion is my own.
Halloween is just days away. Blake is getting ready for a fun little Halloween party at her café, Mystery Cup, and trying to decide between her two beaus as to who is FINALLY going to make a move. Because let’s be honest…they both have her feeling like she’s stuck in the “friend zone.” The last thing that Blake expects is to witness a murder across the street in an empty loft…a clown stabbing the Phantom of the Opera. She actually saw it, but the downside? Since no one else saw it, no body was discovered when police checked it out…few really believe that it actually happened. But what is Blake to do when said the same clown makes an appearance to frighten her? Then there are unsettling rumors about holding companies buying up real estate in downtown. What is really going on?
Cold-Brewed Murder by Neila Young is book two in her Coffee Cup Mysteries series. This is the first book that I have read by this author and overall I really enjoyed it! Blake, her sister, and her family are a fun group of characters. I love the familial connection that they have for each and how they do their best to look out for each other. It’s fun to read about how they each push each other’s buttons. Blake is a determined woman when it comes to figuring out the mystery. I love how the author gives the reader little tidbits to piece together as Blake gets them. I loved the OMG moments that are sprinkled throughout. The mystery of this novel is compelling and thoroughly engaging.
The only complaint that I have concerning this book is that I only get snippets of what Blake looks like. I may have missed a more thorough character description of her somewhere, but I don’t remember it. I got descriptions of all the other characters, and I liked that. I will also say I’m in a bit of a fog as to how she makes her choice between her men, but maybe I just need to read the first book to see how it all begins.
I am rating this book overall 4.5 out of 5 stars. The pacing for this story overall is good. It does slow-down in places, and I’ll admit that I lost steam in those moments, but it becomes captivating again. This book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger setting things up for more and so I’m looking forward to the next book from this author. If you enjoy a good mystery, with engaging characters, and yummy treats then I recommend this book!
4.5
Book source ~ ARC. My review is voluntary and honest.
Blake Harper, owner of The Mystery Cup and baker extraordinaire, is back with another murder mystery to be solved in her infamous murder mystery town, Wilton, Missouri. While up on her coffee shop’s rooftop patio setting up for a Halloween bash to end all Halloween bashes, she witnesses a clown stabbing the Phantom of the Opera in an apartment across the way. An apartment that’s supposed to be empty. However, when she calls the cops, AKA her sister, they find evidence of…nothing. Now everyone thinks Blake is losing it due to her snooping and near murder in the Spring. But Blake knows what she saw! If the police aren’t going to take her seriously then that only leaves her one option – do some investigating of her own. And we all know how that turned out for her last time, right?
Blake Harper’s nosiness and complete disregard for her own safety gets on my nerves just a bit otherwise this would be a perfect read for me. The writing is wonderful and there’s a variety of colorful characters. Blake has two hot guys from book 1 interested in her and by the end of this book she chooses one over the other. Thank goodness. I had sincerely hoped this would not turn into a Stephanie Plum-type situation. No one wants that. The mystery is twisty enough to keep me guessing all the way to the end. All-in-all this cozy mystery is a keeper!
Was there really a murder? That is the burning question when Blake witnesses what appears to be a murder in the loft across the street from her café. The trouble is when her sister, a detective, comes to investigate there is no body and no evidence of a murder. Word travels fast in the small town of Wilton, MO and some think it was just a prank but Blake is fairly certain it was real and sets out to prove there was an actual murder.
I really enjoyed the different twists in this story. I became more involved because I had to assess the facts and decide if the murder was real or a prank. The vivid descriptions help involve the reader too. In addition, the fact that the main detective was the protagonist’s sister made for some interesting situations.
This is the second book in Coffee Cup Mysteries but could easily be read as a stand alone. I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Blake is gearing up for the Mystery Cup Cafe’s Halloween bash. She would rather think about her love life, but that will have to wait. Especially now that she witnessed a clown stab a masked man in the chest. She calls her sister, the lead detective for the police but when they arrive there is no body and no killer. Everyone thinks it is a prank, but Blake knows that the killer isn’t going to want a witness alive, so she has to find out who it is before she too is killed. I did not read the first book in this series, but I like the characters and the story just fine without it. I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book from Hidden Gems.
This Coffee Cup Mysteries cozy by Nella Young was definitely a fun and entertaining whodunit mystery combined with a teasing romance between the main character and her two men. One of the things I liked most about the story was the conversations the main character had with herself before she would do something or say something. To me, those just added some humor to what could otherwise be a rather dark and dangerous story. To say the characters are a hoot is a given. What a family group they are. Looking forward to reading others in this series. This is a voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Hidden Gems Books.
Blake Harper is looking forward to the upcoming Halloween celebrations. While setting up for the Mystery Cup Café’s big Halloween party on the rooftop, she sees a clown stab a masked man in the building across the way. When the police arrive, they don’t find a dead body or anyone in the apartment; let alone signs of a murder having taken place. Everyone but Blake chalk it up to a Halloween prank. Blake can’t seem to put the incident to rest and decides to investigate further. She soon puts herself in harm’s way when she proves a murder really has taken place and the killer comes after her.
This is the second book in the Coffee Cup Mystery series but can be easily read as a stand-alone. There is a touch of mystery, suspense, and romance amongst the pages and Blake seems to have decided on which beau to pursue. If you like smart, funny, and a bit quirky lead characters, then you will enjoy reading about Blake’s mystery adventure.