* 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.

Meet the Village Blend Staff

Just added!

Scroll down to meet:

Madame Dreyfus Allegro Dubois

Name: Clare Cosi

Job: Village Blend Manager & Head Barista

Internet handle: "Barista Babe"

Gender: Female

Age: 39

Residence: Greenwich Village, New York

Originally from: Western Pennsylvania

About Me: When I’m not making espresssos or supervising our barista staff, I’m creating and roasting new blends from the beans brought in by our coffee buyer. I’m divorced with one grown daughter (Joy), who is now in culinary school. Oh, and that coffee buyer I mentioned? He also happens to be Matteo Allegro, my ex-husband. So far, Matt and I are working together without too much drama, but all the issues that originally broke us up do occasionally rear their ugly, hydra-like heads. And then there’s my little habit of getting mixed up in murder. Don’t ask. It would take too long to explain, and Matt thinks I’m just seeking the thrills I missed while he was off cliff-diving in Hawaii, and I was home alone, raising our daughter. Anyway, bottom line: love me, love the bean. Decaf drinkers, move along. These aren't the droids you're looking for. Mm'kay?

What My Avatar Says About Me: Coffee is love. There's not much a good cuppa Joe can't make a little bit better.

Name: Matteo “Matt” Allegro

Job: Village Blend Coffee Buyer, International Coffee Broker

Internet handle: "Coffee Hunter"

Gender: Male

Age: 42

Residence: Changes weekly

Originally from: Greenwich Village, NYC

About me: Okay, I admit it. I’m an adventure junkie. When I was younger, my addictive personality was channeled into extreme sports. Now I travel the world in search of the best beans on the planet. There’s nowhere I won’t go--from the Costa Rican mountains to the Brazilian rainforests; from the islands of Indonesia to the muddy tracks of Uganda’s Mount Elgon (used by the Bagisu tribesman who’ve become experts at coffee farming). I’ve seen it and done it all; and although my ex-wife Clare believes I’ve also “done” every woman in every country I’ve visited, my extra-curricular activities have been nowhere near that egregious. Actually, despite my straying during our ten year marriage, she and I have managed to remain on pretty good terms. My elderly mother owns the Village Blend Coffeehouse, but she’s turned its operation over to me and Clare. I think we still make a good team, even if it’s no longer as man and wife. Bottom line: I’ve always been a thrill seeker, but at this age, I’m beginning to consider limiting my extreme sports to the bedroom.

What my Avatar says about me: Happiness is...trekking the globe, hunting for the world’s choicest cherries (coffee cherries, I mean).

Name: Madame Dreyfus Allegro Dubois

Job: Village Blend Owner

Internet handle: "Coffee Queen"

Gender: Female

Age: 79 (and counting)

Residence: Greenwich Village, New York

Originally from: Paris, France

About Me: Hello! My granddaughter, Joy, claims this virtual world is the way of the future, so she's typing this up for me. Well, what can I tell you about myself? I've been through so much in this long life. I was born in Paris, and came to New York during World War II. At eighteen, I met my first husband, Antonio Allegro, and fell madly in love. He was so virile, so handsome, so passionate; and after he inherited the Village Blend from his father, he and I ran it together for years. We also traveled the world and had wonderful adventures!

From a very young age, our son Matt was steeped in coffee; and after Antonio passed, Matt took over purchasing coffee for the Blend and began brokering coffee for international clients. The Village Blend has always been a family business—and I'm determined to keep it that way. That's why it broke my heart when Matt and his adorable wife, Clare, divorced.

Clare is the best barista I've ever met, and I've always considered her the daughter I never had—the divorce didn't change that. (What's a silly piece of legal paper against a lifetime of caring?) That's why I was thrilled when she finally agreed to come back to my Blend and run it for me. It will be half hers one day, too. My will makes it official. And now I know that when I die, my beloved Blend will be in the very best hands.

As for me, I've got a lot of life yet to live, and I'm always up for adventure—just ask Clare! New York is quite a bubbling cauldron. Passions run high in my city and every so often, it seems my former daughter-in-law finds herself embroiled in the most interesting cases of murder. That's when I offer my services. While I may no longer be a spring guinea hen, I'm nobody's fool. And Clares knows better than to turn down the wisdom of a woman who's been around more than a few blocks!

What My Avatar Says About Me: Welcome to my coffeehouse! It is my hope you'll think of it as a second living room—where (of course) freshly roasted coffee is always brewing!

Come back again

to meet more staff members...

VB Part-Time Barista (and culinary student): Joy Allegro

VB's most loyal customer: Detective Mike Quinn

Village Blend Barista: Esther Best

Village Blend Barista: Tucker Burton

Village Blend Barista: Gardner Evans

Village Blend Barista: Dante Silva

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!