Review: Holiday Buzz by Cleo Coyle

This is the 12th book in the Coffeehouse Mystery Series by Cleo Coyle.  I discovered this series a little over 3 years ago and have really enjoyed how all the characters have grown and evolved.  All the stories in the series are set in New York City, specifically the West Village area at the Village Blend Coffeehouse.  

Clare Cosi manages the coffeehouse, with her ex-husband, Matteo as their world wide coffee buyer and owned by his mother, Madame.  Clare and Matteo have a grown daughter, Joy who is at culinary arts school in France and having a long distance relationship with a NYPD police detective, Emmanuel Franco.  There is a great cast and crew at the Village Blend that brings art, drama and youth to the old building.  Throughout the series we have seen Clare form first a friendship and then a relationship with NYPD Detective Lieutenant Mike Quinn.  Mike is currently working for the US Attorney's anti-drug task force in DC.  The entire series feels very much like great episodes from a long running tv drama.  A great cast of characters, some romance, some drama, and enough mystery to keep you coming back for more.

The series involves Clare finding dead bodies and becoming drawn into the investigations to solve them.  But there is so much information on coffee and the wonderful recipes that surround coffee and coffee drinks, that you can't help but want a try them out.  Thankfully the author includes recipes for many of the wonderful creations that show up in the books.  

This has been a wonderful series, and the characters keep me coming back for more.  I love how the romance between Clare and Mike has spanned the entire series, how they went from acquaintances to friends to lovers, slowly and with great thought and care.  This is a series where the relationships between the characters are as much a part of the storytelling as the actual plot itself.  

This book gets 4 stars on Goodreads, because it is another solid book in the series that furthers the characters and continues to bring a fresh take on coffee, food & murder.  I can't wait for the next one and to find out what is happening with the Village Blend gang.  Tune in for the next episode!

Goodreads:

Holiday time is party time in New York City, but after a sparkling winter bash ends with a murder, Village Blend coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi vows to put the killer on ice…

At the Great New York Cookie Swap, pastry chefs bake up their very best for charity. Clare is in charge of the beverage service, and her famous Fa-la-la-la Lattes make the gathering even merrier. But her high spirits come crashing down to earth, when she discovers the battered body of a hard-working baker’s assistant.

Police suspect a serial attacker whose escalating crimes have become known as “The Christmas Stalkings.” Clare’s boyfriend, NYPD detective Mike Quinn, finds reason to believe even more sinister forces are involved. Clare isn’t so sure—and when she finds a second bludgeoned baker, she becomes a target. Now Clare is spending the holiday season pouring over clues, and she’s not going to rest until justice is served.