Dead Cold Brew by Cleo Coyle

This is book 16 in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. Series like this tend to live or die on the strength of their recurring characters, so it's inevitable that there will be some spoilers regarding the relationships and lives of those characters in this review. I will do what I can, but really, you should start at book one and not try to jump in at this stage.

Clare Cosi is finally going to marry her favorite flatfoot, Mike Quinn. Her ex-mother-in-law is happy for her and recommends Clare go see the family's jeweler, Gus Campana, about having a ring designed. Clare also wants to talk to Gus about being one of the only survivors of the Andrea Doria shipwreck. A billionaire is launching an exact replica of the ship and Clare is in the running to produce a coffee blend for the grand disembarkation. But Gus ends up poisoned by his beloved cold brew coffee and a laundry list of suspects, including a blackmailer, present themselves. Plus, a sniper dressed as a costumed crusader has been targeting policemen around the city, especially Mike's particular squad. Clare needs to find the answers to both mysteries before the people she loves get killed.

I have not tried any of the recipes in this book but I have for previous books and found them to be well worth the effort. As far as mystery goes, this isn't the most complex but the series is engaging and fun with characters who grow and evolve over the course of the books. Winter is already bearing down and this is the perfect time of year to curl up with a cozy mystery set.

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