Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am so excited to have Cleo here today to tel you all about her new book!
Escape to Washington with Cleo Coyle and
Coffeehouse Mystery sleuth Clare Cosi #Giveaway, too!
What would you do if a handsome federal agent burst into your shop, offered you his hand, and told you: “Your life is in danger, and you must come away with me now, no questions asked.”
If you’re coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi, and the agent is decorated Detective Mike Quinn, on special assignment with the US Justice Department, you would take his hand and go.
A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare Cosi is a coffeehouse manager by day, a relentless snoop by night. Dead to the Last Drop marks her 15th adventure, and Marc and I are excited about taking her to our nation’s capital to solve a capital case—one that involves the disappearance of the President’s college-age daughter and the death of a suspicious State Department employee.
If you’re a newcomer to our series, you should have no trouble reading our latest mystery as a stand-alone book. Mike’s story and Clare’s intertwine, putting them both on the run as they attempt to find the President’s daughter, solve a puzzling murder, and remove themselves from two most-wanted lists.
The plot is an exciting escape in itself, but so is the setting. Many of the twists and turns were inspired by my own past experiences while living, studying, and working in Washington.
Now Marc and I invite you to escape with Clare to…
THE WHITE HOUSE
Clare makes two trips to this grand destination, one at the request of the First Lady, who shares a private lunch with her in the Diplomatic Reception Room, a magnificent oval-shaped space famously redecorated by Jacqueline Kennedy and historically used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his fireside chats.
GEORGETOWN
This picturesque Washington neighborhood boasts some of the finest examples of Federal period architecture in the country. Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Graham Bell, and John F. Kennedy are among the neighborhood’s past residents. As for our amateur sleuth, Clare lands a posh housesitting gig on “Cox’s Row” in a charming Georgetown mansion rumored to be part of the Underground Railroad.
THE SMITHSONIAN
A glittering black-tie party brings Clare to “America’s Attic,” the beloved nickname of our favorite Smithsonian museum, The National Museum of American History. That’s the scene depicted on the cover of Dead to the Last Drop, where Clare witnesses a fateful meeting in front of Dorothy’s famous ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, one of many fascinating exhibits that celebrate American culture, creativity, and cuisine. Yes, cuisine! As a master roaster and expert on the bean, Clare is even asked to contribute her ideas to one of the museum’s temporary exhibits, Coffee and the Presidency.
While this location in our mystery may be fictional, it’s based on an actual, legendary jazz club in DC called Blues Alley. The delectable menu of our fictional Jazz Space becomes an important plot point in Dead to the Last Drop. Check out the book’s appendix for more than 25 delicious recipes, including an outstanding version of Black Magic Cake with a chocolate frosting to die for. And watch for the opening of our virtual Jazz Space on the web.
There are many more fascinating locations in Dead to the Last Drop. Marc and I sincerely hope you will pick up the book for a great escape!
Thanks for dropping by today and thanks especially to Dollycas for being such a kind hostess. May you read (and eat) with joy!
~Cleo
Dead to the Last Drop:
A Coffeehouse Mystery
15th in Series
Cozy Mystery
Setting – Washington DC
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery (December 1, 2015)
In Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Hardcover: 432 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425276099
E-Book ASIN: B00U5LC1EM
After the White House asks coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi to consult on the coffee service for a Rose Garden Wedding, she discovers a historic pot was used as a CIA “dead drop” decades before. Now long-simmering secrets boil over, scalding Clare and the people around her…
Clare’s visit to the nation’s capital is off to a graceful start. Her octogenarian employer is bunking with her in a charming Georgetown mansion, and she’s invited to work with a respected curator on the Smithsonian’s culinary salute to coffee in America.
Unfortunately, Clare’s new Village Blend DC is struggling to earn a profit–until its second floor jazz club attracts a high-profile fan, the college-age daughter of the U.S. President. Clare’s stock rises as the First Lady befriends her, but she soon learns a stark lesson: Washington can be murder.
First a stylish State Department employee suspiciously collapses in her coffeehouse. Then the President’s daughter goes missing. Is she a runaway bride or is something more sinister in play? After another deadly twist, Clare is on the run with her NYPD detective boyfriend. Branded an enemy of the state, she must piece together clues and uncover the truth before her life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness come to a bitter end.
Includes great American recipes!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This book is amazing to the last word!
Clare Cosi, Master Roaster Extraordinaire, has come to Washington D.C. to get Village Blend DC up on it’s feet. She struggles to get control of the kitchen from a chef with a very high opinion of himself and tries to find a way for the jazz club portion to make a profit. Enter a college student who plays like a dream. When Clare finds out the young lady is the daughter of the President she knows there may be an issue with her continuing to play at Village Blend but she never imagined the way things would spiral out of her control.
Brew a full pot of coffee and be prepared for an all-nighter when you start reading Dead to the Last Drop. Cleo Coyle has written her best book yet and that is saying a lot because every story in this series is excellent.
Clare takes us all over DC, The White House, The Smithsonian, a beautiful mansion in Georgetown. She also travels around some less noteworthy parts of the area as she tries to solve the mysteries that have surrounded her.
This story is jam-packed with drama, action, and mayhem. It all happens at a pretty fast pace too. Intermixed with all the havoc is wonderful food and music. I could almost hear the band, smell the coffee and taste the glorious food.
Clare’s boyfriend, Detective Mike Quinn, is still working with the FBI in Washington. This is a good thing because they both need each other as things start to get crazy. Employees from New York come down to help with a major event and that includes Clare’s ex, Matt. We also meet some Washington elite, the First Family, and some of the White House staff. Again these characters leap off the pages.
If you are new to the series it is not too late to jump in, each story contains enough detail that will get you up to speed in no time. If you are already a fan you are probably waiting very impatiently for your pre-ordered copy to arrive. December 1 will be here soon. I will also add a book is a great holiday gift idea, coffee/cozy mystery buffs will love this story.
This story has earned my Paradise rating. Its contents are truly off the charts!
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 Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating over ten years in print. Alice has worked as a journalist in Washington, DC, and New York, and has written young adult and children’s books. A former magazine editor, Marc has authored espionage thrillers and nonfiction for adults and children. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, including the national bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.
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* One autographed edition of Dead to the Last Drop
* 5 autographed Glossy Recipe Cards, and
* A large, two-toned, canvas Coffeehouse Mystery Tote Bag
I also have 2 Hardcover copies to give away thanks to the people at Penguin!
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US or Canadian mailing address.
Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.
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Contest Will End December 2, 2015 at 11:59 PM CST
Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
Click Here For Entry Form
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.”