Grounds for Murder
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Average rating4
15
Ratings4
Average rating4
Barista Lana Lewis's sleuthing may land her in a latte trouble as Tara Lush launches her new Coffee Shop mysteries. When Lana Lewis' best -- and most difficult -- employee abruptly quits and goes to work for the competition just days before the Sunshine State Barista Championship, her café's chances of winning the contest are creamed. In front of a gossipy crowd in the small Florida town of Devil's Beach, Lana's normally calm demeanor heats to a boil when she runs into the arrogant java slinger. Of course, Fabrizio "Fab" Bellucci has a slick explanation for jumping ship. But when he's found dead the next morning under a palm tree in the alley behind Lana's café, she becomes the prime suspect. Even the island's handsome police chief isn't quite certain of her innocence. But Lana isn't the only one in town who was angry with Fabrizio. Jilted lovers, a shrimp boat captain, and a surfer with ties to the mob are all suspects as trouble brews on the beach. With her stoned, hippie dad, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, and a new, curious barista sporting a punk rock aesthetic at her side, Lana's prepared to turn up the heat to catch the real killer. After all, she is a former award-winning reporter. As scandal hangs over her beachside café, can Lana clear her name and win the championship -- or will she come to a bitter end?
Featured Series
3 primary booksA Coffee Lover's Mystery is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2020 with contributions by Tara Lush.
Reviews with the most likes.
I love this island and this café! Lana's dad is fun and caring. Her backstory is hard, but can still help her out today. I like hearing how she looks at the world as a journalist. I just loved these characters. It was exactly the cozy that I needed.
I loved this!! Would give it 4.5 stars if possible. I'm not super into the Florida vibe (I like my beaches cold & rocky haha) and I prefer tea over coffee, so I wasn't really sure I'd get into this book. I was pleasantly surprised :) It's a perfect vacation cozy with fun characters and a great romance. I also 100% related to the main character's heartache over losing her previous job and starting over.
The main reason I didn't go for 5 stars was because [nonspecific spoiler alert!] there's one particular clue that, to me, was obvious enough that I got pulled out of the story for a moment. (Maybe because I am a DIYer and was paying attention to that kind of detail?) That's not a huge deal though; overall I would definitely recommend this book and I'll be reading the sequels for sure!
