No Roast for the Weary (A Coffeehouse Mystery)
by Cleo Coyle
I was unable to post my review on my assigned date,
so I am posting today.
This book seemed immune to my recovery exhaustion because once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.
About No Roast for the Weary
No Roast for the Weary (A Coffeehouse Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
21st in Series
Setting – New York
Publisher : Berkley (April 1, 2025)
Hardcover : 368 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593642287
ISBN-13 : 978-0593642283
Digital ASIN : B0D8KDMP6S
When the Village Blend opens a Writer’s Block Lounge, a cold case crime turns up the heat on Clare and her crew in this gripping new entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.
As much as master roaster Clare Cosi adores coffee, the landmark shop she manages won’t survive if she doesn’t sell enough of it. So when the Village Blend’s customer traffic grinds to a halt, she turns to her staff for creative ideas, and the Writer’s Block Lounge is born.
Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the shop, is upset by this news. Years ago, a group of accomplished writers used the shop’s second-floor lounge to inspire each other, but the group disbanded when something dark occurred. Though that history is shrouded in mystery, Clare presses forward…
Soon the Village Blend tables are filled with aspiring novelists, playwrights, and poets, all happy to be coaxed, cajoled, and caffeinated by her coffeehouse crew. Clare admires the stamina of these scribes, many of them toiling at night jobs—driving taxis, tending bar, ushering for Broadway—while penning projects during the day.
Then one of their fictions turns fatal when a shocking secret leads to a deadly end. Unless Clare can untangle this mystery, uncover the truth, and stop a desperate killer, she fears more of these weary writers may be marked for eternal rest. ~ Includes a knockout menu of recipes.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Village Blend has hit a rough patch. The customers are not pouring in for their coffee fix as much as they had before the pandemic. There are some real slumps in the day. So, master roaster and manager Clare Cozi pulls her great team of employees together to brainstorm some new ideas to get people in the coffeehouse and drinking their fine brews. Soon they land on the idea of the Writer’s Block Lounge with many thoughts on how to make it a success.
Strangely, Madame, the owner of Village Blend, has reservations about the plan. She explains this is not a new idea. Years ago, talented authors would gather in the lounge on the second floor and help to inspire and motivate each other, but the group fell apart when something terrible happened. Without a lot of details, Claire decides to give the Writer’s Block Lounge a try, and it is a rousing success, much better than she hoped. The second floor overflows with writers working on their craft.
An attack behind the coffeehouse sets off a series of shocking events. Clare needs to remain ultra-caffeinated as she tries to figure out if what is happening now is connected to the happenings in the past while trying to roast the person responsible. She also needs to find out what in the heck Matt’s up to. She knows it can’t be anything good.
The cast of characters Ms. Coyle has created for this series is fantastic. Clare Cosi and her staff are family; she values their opinions, and they take care of each other and truly care about their customers. In this story, Esther forms a unique and genuine bond with an older customer, whom they know as Mr. Scrib. When he has a medical emergency and is later attacked, it is “all hands on deck,” but with Esther in the lead to help her new friend. She takes on a huge obligation in the process.
I truly enjoy how the relationship between Clare and her fiancé, Lieutenant Mike Quinn, has progressed. They have built a high level of trust. They have great discussions, and their daily banter is priceless. They make a wonderful couple and team when things get complicated.
Madame, Blanche Dreyfus Allegro DuBois, Matt’s mother and Clare’s mentor, and owner of the Village Blend, is the connection to Writer’s Block Lounge of yesteryear. Clare wants to find out everything she can about the group, and she needs Madame to open some doors for her. The very active octogenarian is always on the go, and I find it delightful and inspiring. She also has a very interesting new man in her life. He had some great ideas for Clare about the business and the writer’s lounge.
Matt drove me a little crazy in this story. The wild wanderer made some curious moves, but you’ll have to read the story to learn more.
Ms. Coyle has wrapped her wonderful characters into a complex mystery with an abundance of moving parts. Linking the past to the present added many layers to what started as a single case of assault. A sign hung at the coffeeshop sent the entire story into motion. Missing manuscripts, a notebook full of codes, scary chases, a hit and run, secrets, lies, loaded gummies, an unusual pet, and I can’t forget murder had Clare, Esther, Nancy, Tucker, and Dante chasing clues around the city in search of the truth. Twists, turns, red herrings, and more had the pages flying. I loved following along, but the reveal was a total OMG! moment.
I have never traveled to the Big Apple, so I always enjoy the New York City details as the characters travel around the city. The Grand Maison hotel, the skyscrapers of the Financial District, the Theater District, and more, the taxi rides pointing out the sights really added to the story.
Cleo Coyle never disappoints. The husband and wife writing duo hit it way out of the park with No Roast for the Weary. They seem to top themselves with each new installment. This book receives my highest rating – A Trip to Paradise. I escaped right into the story and enjoyed every minute. Easily one of the best books I have read this year. Run, don’t walk to get your copy today!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Cleo Coyle, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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About Cleo Coyle
CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries and Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, now celebrating more than 20 years in print. With more than one million books sold, their works have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; received multiple Best of Year selection honors from reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, wrangle their rescue cats, drink a lot of java, and cook like crazy. Connect with Cleo at CoffeehouseMystery.com
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.”