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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

French Pressed by Cleo Coyle


39. French Pressed - book 6 in the Coffeehouse Mysteries series
by Cleo Coyle
mystery, 2008
ninth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge
Nook book 13
finished 7/18/12


Clare Cosi's daughter, who attends culinary school, comes upon two murdered people - a friend and the chef she is interning with - and is charged with killing them. She is sent to Rikers Island jail until a judge can decide if she will be allowed out on bail. The police have decided she is the culprit and do not intend to investigate further. Clare and her ex-husband Matteo know that Joy is innocent. Clare joins forces with her policeman friend Mike Quinn to find the killer and thus free Joy.

In French Pressed we get a brief and interesting glimpse of Brighton Beach, and learn quite a bit about upscale restaurant life. Who knew that chocolate mousse was passé?
You start putting traditional chocolate mousse and creme brulee in your dessert selections, and the gourmands will declare you zombified ...
One of the many pleasures of this series has been watching Clare grow into her sleuthing work. At the end of this book Mike actually suggests that she might want to become a Private Investigator. She is quick thinking, has good instincts, and is really quite fearless.

The characters and relationships in the series change over time. The reader has seen Joy grow into a young woman who makes mistakes. Clare worries about her. She has to confront some behaviors and let others alone. It is not easy being the parent of a child in her early twenties.

The husband and wife team of Marc Cerasini and Alice Alfonsi who write as Cleo Coyle consistently impress me with the intelligence and heart in their books. I love this series.

French Pressed is my ninth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge.

14 comments:

  1. This looks great. I will see if the Nashville Public Library has it. Then I can be number 150 out of 150 holds on 2 books! I would buy it but I cannot fit another book in here-

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  2. Ha! No one on the waiting list! I should have it in a couple of days-

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  3. This sounds like a wonderful book. I'm very partial to chocolate mousse and creme brulee. Passe? Say it isn't so.

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    1. I don't think I've ever had creme brûlée. How is that possible??

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  4. This is a definite read. My daughter and I were just down at Brighton Beach last week and walked the boardwalk to Coney Island and Nathan's for hot dogs and fries, one of my favorite things to do - once a year.
    I love books about familiar places, as well as new places, but creme brulee passe, never for me.

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    1. What fun! Did you click the BB link above? Amazing picture of a woman and her dog!

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  5. Yes! So glad that you love this series. I have the first one on hold request for later this year from my library. Can't wait to read it!

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    1. I'll be interested to read what you think. I am rather wild about these books. :<)

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  6. I somehow forgot all about this series, which you told me about -- I enjoyed the first 3 books in the series, so now I have 3 to catch up on!

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  7. I love chocolate mousse and creme brulee. It's time I start this series! Each and every single one of your reviews has piqued my interest.

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    1. All I can say is that I really love these books!

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