* A pound of one of Cleo Coyle’s favorite coffees is periodically awarded to a newsletter subscriber. Winners are chosen at random from the current list of valid, active e-mail addresses.

About the
Coffeehouse Mystery
Novels

Cleo Coyle launched her Coffeehouse Mystery series in September 2003 with On What Grounds.
There are now six novels in Cleo’s nationally bestselling series with the seventh novel, Espresso Shot, due to be published September 30, 2008. Come back soon to learn more about Cleo’s upcoming releases.

Scroll down to learn
more about
Espresso Shot

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Click here to read an interview with Cleo Coyle at Gumshhoe Review.com, an Internet site that also carries reviews of her novels.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Book #1

On What Grounds

"The perfect cup of coffee is a mystifying thing. To many of my customers, the entire process seems like some sort of alchemy they dare not try at home...."

Ten years ago, Clare Cosi left an unhappy marriage along with a job she loved: managing the historic Village Blend coffeehouse in New York’s Greenwich Village. For a decade, she was happy raising her daughter in the quiet suburbs of New Jersey; but now that Joy is grown and gone, life has gotten way too quiet for Clare.

With a little cajoling from Madame, the Blend’s flamboyant, elderly owner (not to mention a persuasive pot of Jamaica Blue Mountain), Clare agrees to return to her old job—and right from the start she gets one heck of a jolt.

On her first morning back as Village Blend manager, Clare unlocks the front door to find her beautiful, young assistant manager, Anabelle Hart, unconscious in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere.

As Anabelle is rushed to the hospital, police arrive to investigate, but Detective Mike Quinn finds no sign of forced entry or foul play, and he deems it an accident. Clare disagrees; and after Quinn leaves, there are a few questions she just can’t get out of her mind, like why was the trash bin in the wrong place? If this wasn’t an accident, are her other baristas in danger? And are all NYPD detectives this attractive?

To buy from Amazon, click this link:
On What Grounds (A Coffeehouse Mystery)

Book #2

Through the Grinder

"She had to die. The Genius knew this and was absolutely fine with it. The problem, of course, was how...."

Clare’s new life in the city is percolating right along, with her grown daughter, Joy, close by in culinary school; and her ex-husband, Matt, working even closer as the Blend’s coffee buyer. Even better, their newest loyal customer is Mike Quinn, the attractive NYPD detective who helped Clare solve the murder of assistant manager Anabelle.

Turns out Detective Quinn likes Clare’s lattes as much as hearing her opinions about his current cases, including his latest one: a suicide. Or was it? Soon after stopping at the Village Blend coffeehouse, a regular customer jumps to her death in the subway. Or was she pushed?

Detective Quinn is convinced that someone has an axe to grind, especially after the “suicide” of a second female customer. Unfortunately, his prime suspect is Bruce Bowman, the new man in Clare’s life. Bruce is the perfect blend of rugged good looks and potent personality. Too bad the women in his life keep turning up dead. Now Clare will have to risk her heart—and her life—to follow the killer’s trail to the bitter end.

To buy from Amazon, click this link:
Through the Grinder (A Coffeehouse Mystery)

Book #3

Latte Trouble

" 'Men are pigs. They should die!' Tucker Burton's words were audible over the steam wand's hiss...It wasn't that I disagreed with Tucker about men. When they acted like pigs, I wanted blood too, so to speak...."

The barista meets the fashionista! For years, fashion designer Lottie Harmon was the toast of New York’s fashion industry until something happened that made her close up shop and leave the city. Now she’s back, making a splash with an ingenious new collection of coffee-inspired accessories. Because Lottie was always a loyal customer of the Village Blend, she chooses Clare’s coffeehouse as the stage for fall Fashion Week insiders to view her new line of “Java Jewelry.” During the launch party, however, Blend barista Tucker Burton unwittingly serves a poisoned latte to one of Lottie’s guests. Chaos ensues as paramedics rush in, and the police arrest Tucker.

Clare is certain her barista is innocent, and she suspects the real target may have been Lottie herself. Now Clare must protect her thriving business from negative publicity, Lottie from any further danger, and Tucker from murder charges—even if it means jolting the fashion world with some shocking secrets.

To buy from Amazon, click this link:
Latte Trouble (A Coffeehouse Mystery)

Book #4

Murder Most Frothy

"Hours before I found the body, one of Detective Mike Quinn's pithy comments came back to haunt me: 'You know, Clare, it's a little known principle of physics that a great deal of money can create a completely separate universe....'"

Clare Cosi's new friend, millionaire entrepreneur David Mintzer, makes her an offer no New York barista could turn down: an all-expense-paid summer away form the sticky city.

At David’s oceanfront mansion, Clare plans to relax, soak up the sun, and (oh, yes) train the staff at David’s new East Hampton restaurant, Cuppa J, in the high rituals of proper coffee service. Packing up her daughter, her former mother-in-law, and her special recipe for frothy coffee frappes, Clare expects to have a de-latte-ful summer. But her carefree vacation grinds to a halt when an employee turns up dead in David’s bathroom.

Because of the Fourth of July fireworks, no one heard any gunshots. That doesn’t worry Clare. She’s just starting to investigate, and the disturbing facts she uncovers are going to keep her up at night—even without caffeine.

To buy from Amazon, click this link
Murder Most Frothy (A Coffeehouse Mystery)

Book #5

Decaffeinated Corpse

"In 1862 New York instituted its first gun control law, banning rifles to discourage hunting within the city limits. Nearly one hundred and fifty years later, at least one hunter failed to be discouraged...."

At the Village Blend, Clare Cosi’s best baristas may refer to a decaffeinated espresso as a “why bother?”, but Clare knows a good percentage of her customers prefer the neutered brew. So when Ric Gostwick, a charismatically handsome Brazilian, develops the world’s first botanically decaffeinated coffee plant, Clare can see why Matt (her ex-husband and business partner) gets into bed with the deal.

Unfortunately, Ric is also getting into bed with more than one woman. And when an attempted murder happens right outside the Blend’s back door, Clare suspects more than Ric’s revolutionary new plant has its roots in some dirt.

As she begins to investigate Ric’s background and business connections, a trail of clues leads to a pile up of casualties and an international roster of suspects. Now Clare knows she’s got to find the murderer before one of her near and dears takes a fall. Otherwise, her latest addition to the Village Blend menu will prove to be a real buzz killer.

To buy from Amazon, click this link:
Decaffeinated Corpse: A Coffeehouse Mystery

Book #6

French Pressed

“'Ugh,' I murmured. 'This coffee is absolute poison...'
No, the lukewarm ebony liquid sloshing around my bone china cup wasn’t actually lethal, just bitter, old, and lifeless—the kind of adjectives I would have been mortified to hear uttered about my coffee, God forbid my person..."

Clare Cosi's daughter, Joy—a girl who doesn't always make the *best* decisions—is finishing up her culinary studies with an internship at Solange, one of New York City's hottest French restaurants. She's also getting way too intimate with her boss, the older, married Executive Chef Tommy Keitel.

Clare's not buzzed about the relationship (to put it mildly), but what twenty-something takes romantic advice from her mother? Resolving to keep a closer eye on Joy, Clare makes a deal to micro-roast and French press exclusive coffee blends for Tommy, a man she wouldn't mind seeing roasted and pressed himself! Then the competitive kitchen turns cutthroat, and the NYPD marks Joy as a murder suspect. To clear her daughter of the crime, Clare knows she must catch the real killer...even if it lands her in the hottest water of her life.

To buy from Amazon, click this link

French Pressed: A Coffeehouse Mystery

AND COMING

SEPTEMBER 30, 2008...

Coffeehouse Mystery #7

ESPRESSO SHOT

As manager and head barista of the landmark Greenwich Village coffeehouse The Village Blend, Clare Cosi doesn’t get steamed up about much. But ever since her ex-husband started planning his second wedding, she’s been making some vows of her own...

Clare’s been hired to create a gourmet coffee and dessert bar for a New York wedding to be held at the world-renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art. Famous chefs will be there, celebrities, members of the press, well-known politicians—so why isn’t she thrilled to have this chance to shine? Because the person tying the knot is Matteo Allegro, her ex-husband and current business partner. And while Clare has no designs on ever marrying Matt again, she’s afraid he’s making a terrible mistake.

The bride-to-be is Trend magazine editor Breanne Summour. Beautiful, wealthy, and sophisticated, the snarky tastemaker has never been a low maintenance kind of gal, and now she’s in full-blown bridezilla mode. The only way Clare can possibly deal with her is to put her misgivings aside and focus on business. But as a successful amateur sleuth, murder is Clare’s business, too, and when fatal accidents begin befalling people close to Breanne, Clare becomes suspicious. Is someone trying to sabotage this wedding? Even kill Breanne?

Between persuading a sexy Italian sculptor into lending her a one-of-a-kind fountain and roasting some of the rarest coffee beans on earth, Clare starts to investigate. But what she unveils, amid melted chocolate and steaming mochaccinos, may just get her burned....

To pre-order from Amazon,

click this link:

Espresso Shot: A Coffeehouse Mystery

Exclusive excerpts of ESPRESSO SHOT
will be sent to Cleo's e-newsletter subscribers in September. To sign up for Cleo's free newsletter simply click the "Cleo's Newsletter" button in the upper left column or send an e-mail that says
"SIGN ME UP" to

VillageBlend@aol.com

Click here to learn more about the Coffeehouse Mystery novels.

To purchase the books, click here.

August 28, 2008
Waaitinggggggg

August 25, 2008
Hi Cleo/Alice

August 20, 2008
double shot, extra hot

Coffeehouse
Mystery
Reading Guides

Download Now!

* Books 1 & 2, click here

* Books 3 & 4 coming soon

WAKE UP AND SMELL...
THE CANVAS!

"I started painting with coffee because I wanted a cheaper medium that was accessible to me," says Filipino artist Sunshine Plata. A tube of oil paint costs at least 500 pesos ($11), while a jar of instant coffee is only around 150 pesos ($3). Click here to read more about Sunshine and her coffee art.

Hi there!
Cleo here.

I've finally finished my next Haunted Bookshop Mystery: THE GHOST AND THE HAUNTED MANSION. The new book (written under my pen name "Alice Kimberly") is coming January 2009. Click here if you want to pre-order. Amazon has it on sale now.

You can learn more about my new book's plot by visiting my HAUNTED BOOKSHOP PAGE on this website. Just click on the dancing ghost in the left column and scroll down!
And, as always, thank you for reading! —Cleo

THE GHOST AND
THE HAUNTED
MANSION

Coming January '09

MIKE'S BEAT

CRIME FILE

» NYPD: Official Website for New York's Finest

» NY Crime File (Daily News)

» Police Blotter (NY Post)

Caffeine
Myths

A recent story by the amazing Jane Brody in The New York Times examines coffee and health, click here to read more. (I learned a lot about the myths of caffeine!)

Click here to read about a Harvard study that shows coffee's link to preventing heart disease.

Click here to read how a cup of coffee a day may offset Alzheimer's disease.

Book Lovers
Find Love!

My publisher (Penguin USA) is launching a dating website for people who read. Learn more from theBookseller.com by clicking here.

Coffee Peeps
& Peter Pans

(Real Matteo Allegros)

Shout-out to New York's Hampton Coffee Company!

Remember Murder Most Frothy? My 4th Coffeehouse Mystery gave Clare Cosi a summer job as a "coffee steward" at a posh new eatery in the Hamptons, the fabled seaside escape for New York's rich and famous. Well, here are some real coffee peeps who work hard to give the Hamptons folks a great cuppa joe. Click here to visit Hampton Coffee Co.'s site.

Click here to read about:
"Overstaying the Hamptons Party!"

A fascinating news story about "house shares" in the Hamptons and men who try to keep the postcollege "boys of summer" party going decades after their undergrad days. Shades of my character Matteo Allegro? You tell me!

3 CHEERS TO THE
LITTLE GUYS

The Washington Post reports on how the little coffee shops are thriving, even while Starbucks is in retreat. To read more, click here.

Nuke Therapy

Feeling disgusted with inflation, high gas prices, and increased pink slips while oil co. execs make record profits? Well, click here and you'll feel MUCH better! The site is the brain child of a tres clever industrial designer who himself lives in the Hamptons, Miles Jaffe, author of The Hamptons Dictionary, a hilarious handbook of class warfare: click here to read more about the book, but don't miss the Nuke the Hamptons experience. It's awesome!

BONUS RECIPES
FROM
Coffeehouse Mystery:

FRENCH PRESSED

NOW AVAILABLE!

EASY TARTE TATIN
(Upside-Down
Caramel-Apple Tart)

CREME CHANTILLY
(Fresh Whipped Cream)

PATE SUCREE
(Sweet Pastry Dough-
Can be used for any dessert tart crust)

To download all 3 of Cleo Coyle's FREE recipes
in PDF format, CLICK HERE.

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony!

Yes, like the Japanese with their tea traditions, the Ethiopians have a very special way of enjoying coffee. Click here to learn more!

BEST BARISTA
IN THE USA!

Congrats to Kyle Glanville
Winner 2008 US Barista Championship!

Kyle works for Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea in Los Angeles. He edged out 58 of the nation's other top baristas to become the nation's best coffee server. He also qualified to compete in the World Barista Championship in Copenhagen Denmark, which was held in June.

NOW ON SALE!

Haunted Bookshop Mystery:

THE GHOST
AND THE
FEMME FATALE

Click here

to purchase

To learn more about Cleo's Haunted Bookshop mysteries, click on the dancing ghost in the left column.

COFFEE COMPOST!

Did you know that old coffee grounds = good compost for your garden? Click here to read more. (Who knew coffee repelled slugs? Now there's a hilarious metaphor for a CM book.)

In Paris, Coffee TASTES Like Compost

Click here to read a report on the state of coffee in the center of gastronomy. "The Bitter Truth about French Coffee" by Laura Anderson.

GOOD NEWS FOR FAIR TRADE!

Fair Trade Coffee prices went up in June 2008, which means coffee farmers will be getting more money for their Arabica beans. Because so many coffee farms are located in the poorest corners of the world, this is great news.

What is Fair Trade coffee?
Click here to learn more.

(For new Fair Trade pricing Click here.)

SUSTAINABILITY vs. GROWTH

Sustainability may seem like a hippie, tree-hugger buzz word, but the recent troubles at Starbucks is a prime example of what I've seen in other industries. When executives in corporations believe "growth, growth, growth" is the chant to live by, increased profits becomes the only measuring stick within the company—and bad decision making often follows. In my own experience working in corproate America, I've seen this. I wonder if you have, too.
—Cleo

Click here to read the BusinessWeek story "Starbucks: How Growth Destroyed Brand Value"

Coffee is Culinary!

Click here to read about a master chef Marcus Samuelsson's work with a master coffee blender to pair coffee with food. Coffee as a culinary experience: Clare would approve!

Coffee Recipes!

Acclaimed chef Marcus Sameulsson created a yummy Chocolate Cinnamon Bread recipe for Starbucks. If you'd like the recipe, click here!

Coffee Dessert Recipes

The National Coffee Association has some great coffee recipes. Click here to get them.

For even more coffee recipes, click here

DOOR COUNTY COFFEE...

And for coffee recipes from DOOR COUNTY COFFEE, a family-run coffeehouse in Wisconsin, click here.

A shout-out of thanks to Mary T., a Coffeehouse Mystery fan, for mentioning her fave coffeehouse on my Coffee Talk Message Board (the green chalkboard at the top of this column)

MOOSE COFFEE AND GIFTS

Stop in and say hello to Melissa!

Thanks to CM reader Melissa for telling us about the place where she works as a barista, Moose Coffee and Gifts of Houston, Missouri. Melissa enjoys experimenting with coffee drinks. Her latest favorite is: "Espresso, steamed milk, white chocolate, caramel, and vanilla." YUM! Click here to read more about her coffeehouse.

If you have a favorite coffeehouse, coffee drink, or recipe, share it with me and my virtual Village Blend visitors! Just click on the chalk board above and post away!
—Cleo Coyle

COFFEE AND BABY FORMULA?!

I laughed out loud at this blog from Sarah Bates of Zanesville, Ohio. Click here to read how a baby changed everything for this coffee connoisseur.

—Cleo

STRANGER THAN FICTION

"Maid Cafes" of Japan

Click here to read about cafes where women dress as maids and their"geek" clientele are fighting crime by packing weapons...

Japan's Romance with Kona Coffee

Click here to read about the growing interest of Kona Coffee-drinking in Japan.

Want to Grow
Your Own
Coffee Plant?

Thanks to CM reader“Linda" for posting info about where to buy coffee plants and seeds. Click here to go to the coffee seed catalog page and scroll down. Look for the "coffea" plants listed in ITALIC alphabetically.

Coffea arabica $3.84 -12 seeds
Coffea catura $3.29 -12 seeds
Coffea kona $3.95 -12 seeds

Linda also says: "Gurney's Plant and Seed catalog has small coffee plants for $8.95 each. Click here and look for item # 11295 for coffee plants."

Coffee Health News!

Coffee May Help Prevent Ovarian Cancer

A Harvard study found women who drank 3 or more cups of coffee or tea a day were 25% less likely to develop Ovarian Cancer than those who drank none. Click here to read more.

Coffee May Boost Memory
in Older Women

USA Today reports...

Women older than 65 who drank more than three cups of coffee a day — or the caffeine equivalent in tea — showed better memory retention than men, a French researcher reports. Click here to read the short USA Today report. Or click here to read a longer Scientific American article.

McDONALD'S TO OPEN McCAFE

Click here to read the Wall Street Journal's Page One story about McDonald's plan to take on Starbucks to the tune of $1 Billion. Written by Janet Adamy.

"...McDonald's added a position to its crew: barista."

"Franchisees say that many of their customers don't know what a latte is."

Cleo suggests they read

LATTE TROUBLE!

Coffee Lover Invents

"The Barista Game"

Did you know there's a new board game in which you win by making the perfect cup of coffee? Click here to read about the game designer who invented it.

TAKING COFFEE CAMPING

A friend of mine (Hi, Terri!) asked me how to brew coffee on a camping trip. I had some ideas, but this article has some even better ones! Click here for tips on brewing coffee (and even espresso) in the woods. Click here to shop for coffee-making camping gear.

Making joe for a Living...

Click here to read an interesting article about the owner and roaster of the Clarksville, Tennessee, coffeehouse Mugsy's—a favorite coffeehouse of CM reader "Kimberly," a life coach who sometimes meets clients here. Click here to go to Mugysy's website.

BIG COFFEE NEWS!

Ethiopia announces commercial culitvation of low-caffeine coffee plants! Ric Gostwick's "dream" coffee from Decaffeinated Corpse is no longer fiction! To read about this amazing breakthrough, Click here

#1 Bestselling Paperback

When the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association published its list of top selling mystery novels for July 2007, Decaffeinated Corpse made the #1 spot on the paperback list. Thank you, Coffeehouse Mystery readers. You helped to make Decaffeinated Corpse a national bestseller.

AND NOW

FOR SOME

OF CLEO'S

PAST

COFFEE PICKS...

---------------------------

SEPTEMBER '07

CLEO's COFFEE PICK
for SEPTEMBER 2007 was Magnolia Grill Blend sold by Counter Culture Coffee roasters. To read more about this coffee or purchase it for yourself, CLICK HERE.

OCTOBER '07

CLEO's COFFEE PICK

for OCTOBER 2007 was Gombe Reserve sold by Green Mountain Coffee Co. and endorsed by Dr. Jane Goodall. To read more about this coffee or purchase it for youself, CLICK HERE.

NOVEMBER '07

CLEO's COFFEE PICK

for NOVEMBER 2007 was Major Dickason's Blend sold by Peet's Coffee and Tea. To read more about this coffee or purchase it for yourself, CLICK HERE.

DECEMBER '07

CLEO's COFFEE PICK

for DECEMBER 2007 was 100% Kona Peaberry sold by Bad Ass Coffee Company of Hawaii. To read more about this coffee or purchase it for yourself, CLICK HERE.

Behold the Kona Happy Dance!

JANUARY '08

CLEO's COFFEE PICK

for JANUARY 08 was Ethiopian Yirgacheffe sold by Counter Culture Coffee Company. This coffee was also featured in Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mystery: FRENCH PRESSED. To read more about this coffee or purchase it for yourself, CLICK HERE.

FEBRUARY '08

CLEO'S COFFEE PICK

The FEBRUARY '08 pick was Rwandan Village Blend sold by Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co. To read more about this coffee or purchase it for yourself, CLICK HERE.

MARCH '08

CLEO'S COFFEE PICK

The MARCH '08 pick was Kenya, sold by Counter Culture Coffee, Co. and Peet's Coffee. This coffee was also featured in Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mystery: FRENCH PRESSED. To read more about this coffee or purchase it for yourself, CLICK HERE.

APRIL '08

CLEO'S COFFEE PICK

The April '08 pick was the amazing "Finca El Puente" from a coffee in Honduras nicknamed "Purple Princess" by the coffee director of Counter Culture Coffee of Durham, NC. This coffee was also featured in Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mystery: FRENCH PRESSED. To read more about this coffee or purchase it for yourself, CLICK HERE.

MAY - JUNE '08

CLEO'S COFFEE PICK

The June '08 pick was the "Jamaica Blue Mountain" of the South Pacific. An award-winning coffee grown on the exotic island of Papua New Guinea (north of Australia). To read more about this coffee or purchase it for yourself, CLICK HERE.

JULY - AUGUST '08

CLEO'S COFFEE PICK

The July - August '08 pick was Solar Roast Coffee of Pueblo, Colorado, the only company in the world that roasts its coffee using solar energy! Meet Dave and Mike, the two brothers who invented this one-of-a-kind solar roaster, and learn how you can purchase their delicious coffees for yourself by CLICKING HERE.

SEPTEMBER '08

CLEO'S COFFEE PICK

(To post in September...)

LAST YEAR'S
KING OF COFFEE!

British Man Crowned Champ at 2007 World Barista Championship in Tokyo!