Barista Lana Lewis’s sleuthing may land her in a latte trouble as Tara Lush launches her new Coffee Shop mysteries.When Lana Lewis’ best — and most difficult — employee abruptly quits and goes to work for the competition just days before the Sunshine State Barista Championship, her café’s chances of winning the contest are creamed. In front of a gossipy crowd in the small Florida town of … the small Florida town of Devil’s Beach, Lana’s normally calm demeanor heats to a boil when she runs into the arrogant java slinger. Of course, Fabrizio “Fab” Bellucci has a slick explanation for jumping ship. But when he’s found dead the next morning under a palm tree in the alley behind Lana’s café, she becomes the prime suspect.
Even the island’s handsome police chief isn’t quite certain of her innocence. But Lana isn’t the only one in town who was angry with Fabrizio. Jilted lovers, a shrimp boat captain, and a surfer with ties to the mob are all suspects as trouble brews on the beach.
With her stoned, hippie dad, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, and a new, curious barista sporting a punk rock aesthetic at her side, Lana’s prepared to turn up the heat to catch the real killer. After all, she is a former award-winning reporter. As scandal hangs over her beachside café, can Lana clear her name and win the championship — or will she come to a bitter end?
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Lana Lewis has returned home to Devil’s Beach, Florida and is running her family’s coffee shop. When her best employee, Fab, abruptly quits and goes to work elsewhere, Lana’s usually calm demeanor explodes when she sees him. When she finds Fab’s body behind the coffee shop the next morning, she becomes a prime suspect. But she’s a former investigative reporter so she’s determined to get to the bottom of things and find Fab’s killer.
This is the first book in the series and I really enjoyed it. The book’s well-written with wonderful characters and it drew me in from the start keeping me hooked throughout. The mystery is intriguing and will keep you on your toes. I’m looking forward to the next book and highly recommend this one.
Oh how I wish Devil’s Beach and it’s quirky residents were a real place I could visit! You’ve got the fired journalist licking her wounds at home while running Perkatory, one of the two coffee shops in town for her yogi father who is finding himself via medical marijuana and silent retreats. Her new free spirit assistant and her spunky sidekick, puppy Stanley. When her Fabio-ish former barista takes a head dive from the top floor of the coffee shops building Lana can’t resist sticking her nose into the case. Sheriff Hunk, aka Noah the non coffee drinker, has his hands full with the case and tourist-monkey business, literally. I can’t wait to see what the future holds in the hottest place in the south!
I really enjoyed this, and will definitely read the next in the series!
I couldn’t read the book. The book starts off with her pouring milk into her coffee, having the guy that’s working with her talking about doing it slow and that’s what he tells all the women that and how he’s a flirt to women of all ages No, just no. If that’s the beginning, I can’t continue to read what this author thinks is ok.
Lana Lewis returned home to Devil’s Beach, Florida from Miami after her marriage crumbled and she was laid off from her job at a top newspaper. Now she’s running the coffee house her late mother started, and trying to do her best, especially when her barista, Fab, talks her into entering the state barista contest. Lana also hires a new barista, a strange woman named Erica who seems to have everything together — including her ability to create great coffee art. But Fab isn’t happy, and he lets Lana know about it.
The next day, Fab doesn’t show up for work. When the local police chief, Noah Garcia, tells Lana he saw him working at a rival coffee house, she confronts Fab in front of a crowd. But then she leaves for Miami for an awards ceremony, hoping it will calm her down. When she returns the next morning she parks her car in her lot, only to find Fab’s body. Shaken, she calls Noah and when the examination is completed, everyone thinks it was suicide. But Lana isn’t sure. She doesn’t believe that someone with a larger-than-life personality like Fab would kill himself. With the help of Erica and Lana’s hippie father, she’s going to find a murderer…hopefully, the killer doesn’t want to kill again, with her as the next target…
This is the first book in the series, and I really thought it started slow, so it took awhile to gain and hold my attention. But I stuck with it (I hate to not finish books) and I was pleased by the end. We have Lana, who’s despondent over losing her job and depressed over her marriage ending, and she’s sworn off older men like her husband. But Chief Noah is interesting to her, and she to him. So maybe she’s rethinking that while trying not to.
She’s also trying to run her business but isn’t sure about her frothing skills. Fab was her key to getting everything right, and now he’s gone. And with everyone shouting suicide except her — and his distraught girlfriend Paige who tells people Lana killed him — she has her own self-interest in finding the truth. She’s also inherited his puppy Stanley, and the little guy is starting to grow on her.
I do like Lana, Noah, Erica, and most of the other characters although the jury is still out on her father. I’m not truly fond of a middle-aged man who’s living like a hippie, but that’s my own opinion (probably brought on because I had an awesome Dad myself, whom I bonded with and spent time with every day until I lost him. Still miss him; he was a rock to me).
The mystery is well-written and the main characters are given time to develop, which I do like. Their personalities fit their actions well, and that’s part of the charm of a good book to read. This one was easy enough to read in one sitting, and became more intriguing as the story went on. There were plenty of suspects, a ton of red herrings; but I will say that I knew who the killer was the minute they stepped onto the page; and only because I read so many mysteries did I figure it out early. The clues are there, but you have to look for them.
In the end, when all was revealed and the killer discovered, everything came together nicely. We do learn a little bit about what may happen in the next book, and that’s a good thing. The book was indeed satisfying to read, and I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.
This is one of those cozy mysteries that has a heavier than usual dose of romance, or at least, romantic by play. It stays clean except for mentioning bondage and a few other more adventurous sexual topics than typical for a cozy. The more adventurous mentions stop fairly quickly.
The author captures the setting well and I liked most of the characters. I would have liked a little more background for some of the secondary characters, but this is book 1. Lana reads a little young for someone who is almost 30 and talks as if she’d been married for a long time.
The mystery was satisfying for me. I looked forward to book 2, Cold Brew Corpse, which I started right after I finished this one.
I received my copy of Grounds for Murder from Netgally in exchange for my honest review.
A debut coffee lover’s cozy series that gives off a youthful vibe and humor, plus, the seriousness of a murder. With interesting characters—Lana’s Dad was my favorite—Author Lush sets up a great cast for future stories. The pages flew by quickly, and I enjoyed the sunny beach setting. Stanley, the victim’s ShihTzu puppy is an adorable cozy character. The killer reveal came as a surprise to me. I’m looking forward to reading book two.
Tara Lush Brews Up A Deadly Cozy Mystery in “Grounds for Murder.” I enjoyed interviewing the author on Charlotte Readers Podcast.
Grounds for Murder is the first in the series in A Coffee Lovers Mystery by Tara Lush is about Lana Lewis returning home to a small Florida town of Devil’s Beach after losing her journalist job and her marriage ends. Lana takes over her deceased mother’s coffee shop, Perkatory with her two baristas Fab and Barbara. Fab the womanizer ups and quits without notice to go to work for Lana’s competition and Lana has words with him before leaving for Miami for journalism event.
Upon returning to coffee shop the next morning Lana finds Fab dead. Chief Noah Garcia believes that Fab’s death should be ruled as a suicide from a fall from the rooftop of Perkatory but Lana believes that is murder and starts investigating. With the help of Erica the new barista, her stoned dad, and Stanley, Fab’s Shih Tzu Lana starts to investigate. Did Fab really kill himself? If not, who killed him and why?
Tara Lush is new author to me and I really enjoyed this different type of Cozy Mystery. I can’t wait for the next book.
Thanks to the BookTrib Giveaway for a review copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
This was a fun, well-written cozy mystery set in the fictional tourist town of Devil’s Beach, a small Florida island. Lots of coffee drinks, a hunky police chief, and a barista championship contest set the stage for an inquisitive ex-newspaper reporter who is determined to solve the murder of her former barista who was also a notorious ladies man.
I especially liked Lana, the feisty reporter and owner of Perkatory Café, as well as the chief’s primary murder suspect. This entertaining novel offers several promising suspects, some quirky characters, a cute little dog named Stanley, and a solid plot. This was a satisfying cozy and I hope there will soon be more mysteries for Lana to solve (and me to read).
Grounds for Murder by Tara Lush. The death of an Instagram sex symbol barista is a shock to everyone. But was it suicide or murder? Who was romancing who and whose criminal past gets called into play? The twists in this book kept me reading well into the night as I had to see how it ended. Not to mention it has a cute puppy in the book named Stanley. I really enjoyed this book by another new to me author. #booktrib
The first book in a new series. Very enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the next installments in the series.
Our protaganist, Lana is recently laid off from her Miami newspaper job and divorced from her cheating husband. She moves back to her Florida hometown to take over the family’s coffee shop-the Perkatory. She is nervous about an upcoming latte competition but her employee Fabrizio is a whiz so she’s optimistic. So, she is totally blown away when Fab leaves without notice to join the competition, which is owned by his girlfriend and leaves her without a barista as well as a partner for the competition. On her way out of town to Miami for an award banquet, she confronts Fab and has angry words for him.
When she gets home the next morning, she discovers a body in the alley near the coffee shop and discovers it’s Fab (he rented an upper story apartment in the building). It appears he fell from the building rooftop-was it suicide, was it an accidental fall, was it murder?
Lana uses her investigative reporter skills to some sleuthing.
This book has interesting, believable characters and plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. Highly recommend.
I received an ARC from the publisher but the opinion expressed is my own.
This is a fun start to a new series. The characters are interesting and developed nicely over the story. The setting of the small beach town is enjoyable. The mystery was well plotted and will of red herrings. I look forward to seeing how this series evolves over time.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.
The perfect escape for these stressful days. Set on Devil’s Island, Florida on the Gulf of Mexico, it’s a lively tourist destination. Lana had a life in Miami – married and working as an investigative reporter. Soon her jerk of a husband cheats on her and then she’s laid off from the job she loves. Now divorced and unemployed, she takes her Dad’s offer to return home to manage the family cafe, Perkatory. Lana needs to chart a new course and being home will give her the time and space she needs. When Perkatory’s dishy barista is found dead behind the cafe, Lana finds her life going sideways. The Chief of police (who is attracted to her) thinks is a suicide. Fabrizio lived in the apartment above Perkatory and entertained a whole lot of women. The question becomes was he pushed off the roof as in murdered? Lana is at the top of the suspect list because she confronted him over his betrayal. He was her team mate at the upcoming local barista competition and abruptly jumped ship to work for the other local coffee shop.
Lana’s reporter instincts kick in and she starts to take a magnifying glass to Fabrizio’s rather sordid past. Somebody hated him enough to do him in and that list is a long one, indeed. Along the way we meet her new barista, Erica and Lana’s Bohemian dad. Add Fabrizio’s sweet pup, Stanley, given to him by one of his lady friends and is now Lana’s, humor and a quirky cast of characters, I was hooked. The mystery was well written and had me guessing to the end.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This is the first book in this series. Lana is the co-owner of Perkatory. Her hippie father is the other owner. She is learning how to make coffee’s and latte’s. Her coffee shop has registers to be in a latte competition. She has a prize-winning barista named Fab and she hopes to win. Her hopes are dashed when Fab quits (without telling her) and then is killed. Not only is she not a latte artist, but she is a suspect in his murder!
This was a fun cozy. I liked the characters. Her father is an old hippie, and her new barista is a a cross between a goth and I don’t know what. It’s fun and I like Lana. The story is easy to read and kept me turning the pages.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and offer my honest opinion.
Fun and entertaining characters and an interesting mystery and storyline makes this book a great start to a new series. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes…as long as it avoids the popular (but annoying, at least to me) love triangle.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
What a great start to a new series! We meet Lana as she is running the family coffee shop on an island off the coast of Florida. An adorable small town feel comes with this location as everyone knows everyone else. She has one main employee who is quite the character posting online all the time while flirting with everyone. Things are great until he doesn’t show up for work one day. Her dad, who is all into the local gossip, finds he is working at the other coffee place having given absolutely no notice. Lana goes off on him in a very public way before she leaves on an over night trip to Miami. Upon her return she finds him dead in the alley behind the shop. She quickly becomes a suspect making it necessary for her to look into things. This makes for quite the investigation as her hippie dad helps in a cooky way and a puppy adds his own two cents. The laid back island vibe makes for a relaxing adventure as the clues start popping up as the secrets reveal themselves. Makes for a well written cozy that readers are sure to love. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.
Grounds for Murder by Tara Lush is the first in the new series, A Coffee Lover’s Mystery. I don’t drink coffee but I am ready to go to Perkatory.
This is an easy to read Cozy that has it all! There are plenty of suspects, great characters, a beach setting, friends and family, an adorable pup, humor, and a hint of a romance.
I was given an ARC by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an honest review.
Grounds for Murder is a great first book in the new Coffee Lover’s Mystery series. Lana Lewis is back in Devil’s Beach, Florida after losing her job as a reporter and divorcing her husband. She’s taken over management of her family’s coffeeshop. When her barista and man she thought of as a friend, Fab quits without notice and begins working for the competition, Lana gives him a piece of her mind, in public. Later, Fab is found dead and Fab’s on-again-off-again girlfriend accuses Lana. Together, Lana and Fab’s puppy, Stanley must piece together who Fab is and what happened before her new life in Devil’s Beach crashes and burns.
I really enjoyed Grounds for Murder. The set-up of the mystery was carefully planned out, the number of suspects kept me guessing, and the sleuthing done in a way I would expect a former journalist to be able execute. Lana is a wonderful heroine, her father quirky, and the rest of characters all well-developed. I loved the setting and the way the author described everything from the inside of the coffeeshop to the beach as the characters visited. Being able to envision the story as I really along is paramount to my total enjoyment and Grounds for Murder by Tara Lush knocked it out of the park. I am so excited to see where the author takes Lana and the whole crew in the next book.
Lana Lewis’s life hasn’t been going too well but after losing her job as a reporter and her husband to a younger woman, she’s making the best of life at her family’s coffee shop. She still has the instincts of a reporter but now her goal is to win the Sunshine State Barista Championship. Her coffee shop is mainly run by her and Fab, her flirting Italian employee. He seems to chase every available female, no matter what her age. When he is found dead in an alley, the local police don’t have any clues but Lana begins to look at the mystery through her reporter’s eyes and starts investigating. The local police chief, who is also very handsome and seems kind of interested in her, asks her not to get involved but she just has to keep pursuing it. There are lots of potential murderers in town – from a spurned pregnant girl friend to a local fisherman with ties to the mob and even though the police seem to think that it was suicide, Lana knows better and puts her life in danger to find out the truth.
Along with Lana as a likeable main character there are several fun secondary characters – her stoned, hippie dad, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, and a new, curious barista who looks like a punk rocker and becomes an important friend. Plus there is the handsome and interesting chief of police who may become more than a friend.
I know that a lot of people enjoy cozy mysteries but I haven’t read any until Grounds for Murder. I admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to read book 2 in the series.