I started the Coffeehouse mystery series earlier this year and when I got the chance to read the latest and get a signed copy from the author I had to jump in it. I was not disappointed.
The downturn in the economy has Claire Cosi trying to come up with new ideas that will draw customers into the Village Blend coffeehouse so when a Traveling Santa, a frequent customer, suggests the Fl-la-la-la Lattes, Claire is happy to incorporate the idea into their holiday menu. On the night that the new lattes are to be taste-tested, Claire invites the Santa to join the party and when he is a no show, goes out into a snow storm to find him. What she finds is his body and carafes of trouble.

The police think it is a random mugging, but Claire sets out to prove it was murder.
As she follows the clues, Claire's investigation becomes a sleigh ride of mishaps which eventually land her in some cold water as the t rail gets hotter.
The story is entertaining and will hold your interest until the end. Definitely a great addition to this series. ( )

http://www.cozylibrary.com/default.as... ( )

I haven't read any of the other Coffee House books but I intend to now that I have read Holiday Grind. Clare Cose owns a coffee shop and has regular customers. One of these customers, a traveling Santa, is murdered. His daughter begs Clare to look into his murder since the police think it is a random mugging. The daughter and Clare do not think this is the case. Clare happens to date a cop and he helps her gather info. There are quite a few suspects and Clare must sort them out. During her investigations Clare is almost murdered herself. It held my interest to the surprise ending. ( )

I thought it sounded like a fun read for the holidays. To my satisfaction, it was almost as pleasant as the many peppermint mochas I've already enjoyed.

Clare Cosi is the proprietor of Village Blend -- a coffeehouse in Greenwich Village. She is divorced and yet keeps a working relationship with her ex-husband who imports the coffee beans for the shop and is the father of her just-grown daughter. In what appears to be a common occurrence for Clare, she becomes entangled in a murder -- this time it's a local charity Santa whose daughter once worked as a barista at the shop. Clare feels the need to investigate the murder when the detectives assigned don't seem to believe that it wasn't a common mugging. With the help of her boyfriend, Detective Mike Quinn, she searches for clues in the murder and of course, finds her own danger.

This was a satisfying cozy mystery. When the story started, they were in the coffee shop about to begin a taste test of holiday drink flavors and I really didn't want the story to turn to murder! But of course it did and I got sucked in and enjoyed the ride. I wouldn't mind going back to read the other books in the series. Some things were hinted at that would be interesting to read about and I came to like some of the characters. The coffee details were especially interesting for a Seattle gal like me.

http://webereading.com/2009/12/new-re... ( )

Holiday Grind is the latest in the Coffee House Mystery Series by Cleo Coyle. Despite this, it is not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this offering.

It is the holiday season, and Clare Cosi is intent on having her coffee shop, the Village Blend, offer a variety of creative and flavorful drinks that evoke holiday memories and traditions. On the night that her staff is working to create the most memorable of these drinks, Clare goes looking for their Santa, Alfred Glockner, a friend of hers who was supposed to be playing the jolly old man at their party. Unfortunately, she stumbles across his corpse, and she is once again drawn into a murder investigation when the police investigating reach a conclusion about Alf's death that she does not agree with.

When her investigation leads to an attempt on her own life, Clare is more determined than ever to find the truth behind Alf's death.

Holiday Grind is an engaging mystery that offers a great deal of extra information about the world of coffee making. The book also includes a number of recipes for food mentioned throughout the novel. This is an enjoyable read that is perfect for curling up with a hot cup of your favorite beverage.