by Cleo Coyle
mystery, 2009
Kindle book 18
fifteenth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012
finished 11/2/12
The season for Christmas books has begun! This year I set up a reading schedule of the Coffeehouse books so that I'd read the Christmas installment in November. And now the authors (Cleo Coyle is really Alice Alfonsi and her husband Marc Cerasini) have a new holiday book which is coming out December 4. Since I have three books to read ahead of it, I'll portion out my reading over the months so I can read Holiday Buzz in November 2013. Though I prefer doing so, this isn't a series that really has to be read in order since the author does such a good job of catching the reader up on who's who.
In Holiday Grind, our utterly unstoppable heroine, Clare Cosi finds the body of a friend who dresses up as Santa each year. Who would kill Santa Claus?
This isn't a light, cheery little Christmastime mystery. It illustrates that sadness and melancholy and troubles don't magically disappear when December rolls around. In addition to the murder, we see Clare's boyfriend, Mike Quinn's problems with his ex-wife.
As I've noted, each book in the series focuses on a different part of New York City. In this one, we ride the Staten Island Ferry
out to Staten Island. Here is a photo of the damage there from Sandy. I can't help but think that Cleo Coyle will write about this storm in an upcoming Coffeehouse mystery.
The love the authors have for the city and its environs is evident. A great, great series.
I might not have included this as an entry for the Foodies Challenge since there wasn't as much coffee information as in the other
books, but a large portion of the book is devoted to Christmasy foods and coffees which makes it practically
a little cookbook. Here are just a few of the topics.Coffee Drink Recipes, Caffe Latte Recipes, Fa-La-La-La Lattes, Holiday Recipes.
I would recommend you buy a copy for yourself and wow your friends and family with food and drink for the season, and enjoy a great mystery at the same time!
First, your new picture in the header is just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I am going to have to find start reading this series. It sounds like my cup of tea, or should I say coffee? When we were kids and driving my mom particularyly crazy as only kids can do, she would send us to ride the Staten Island Ferry back and forth with my older sister. We loved it, especially in summer.
Thank you. I was lucky to catch that beautiful sun.
DeleteIf you click on the authors tab above, and scroll to cleo coyle, you'll see the ones I've read and the order of the series.
What a great story. Would parents do that now, do you think?
In this book Clare gets thrown off into the water. (obviously she doesn't die.)
So true what you say about sadness and troubles not magically diasppearing at Christmas time; I've read somewhere that Christmas and all that it involves is, for many people, the most stressful time of the year, and marriages break up over such decisions as whose parents to spend Christmas Day with and so on... For me, Christmas and our Christmas Market are the only things that reconcile me with winter :-)
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't surprise me. Emotions run high that time of year, and memories/attachments are very strong.
DeleteI'd like to go to the Christmas Market.