Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Bulletproof Barista (A Coffeehouse Mystery) by Cleo Coyle. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Bulletproof Barista (A Coffeehouse Mystery)
by Cleo Coyle
Bulletproof Barista (A Coffeehouse Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
20th in Series
Setting – New York
Berkley (November 14, 2023)
Hardcover : 352 pages
When a film crew’s location shoot delivers an actual shooting, Clare Cosi finds herself at the scene of a true crime in this showstopping entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.
Only Murders in Gotham, the smash-hit streaming program, is famous for filming in authentic New York locations and using real New Yorkers as extras. For its second season, they’ve chosen to spotlight the century-old Village Blend and its quirky crew of baristas. Shop manager and master roaster Clare Cosi is beyond thrilled, especially when her superb bulletproof coffee lands her a craft services contract for the production.
Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the landmark shop, reveals an old kinship with the star of the show, comedian Jerry Sullivan. Now a Hollywood legend, Jerry frequented the Blend during his early years performing in Greenwich Village comedy clubs. But the past may hold more than nostalgia for Jerry. Suspicious accidents begin plaguing his shoot. Then a real bullet is fired from a stage gun, and Clare becomes convinced something sinister is afoot.
While Jerry’s production moves to exciting new locations, Clare keeps the coffee flowing—and her investigation going—even as a murderer lurks in the wings. But can she root out the rotten player in this Big Apple production before the lights go out on her?
Includes a stellar menu of surefire recipes!
“A wonderful series with plenty of local color, great characters, and a setting so real that readers will be scouring the streets of Greenwich Village looking for the real Village Blend.”—The Mystery Reader
“Clare and company are some of the most vibrant characters I’ve ever read.”—Mystery Scene
My review of Bulletproof Barista
Bulletproof Barista by Cleo Coyle is the first book I’ve read in this series (A Coffeehouse Mystery) though it’s the twentieth book! I’ve wanted to read them before, but I was afraid I’d be really lost. Since I was told that this book was a good place for new readers of the series to start, I gave it a read. It’s true! I wasn’t at all lost or confused about the characters. The authors do a great job at making you feel as if you already know them. They provide you with plenty of information, so you won’t be lost! Jump in here with me!
The premise of this book was so much fun. A streaming network is filming scenes for their hit show, Only Murders in Gotham, at the Village Blend, the coffeehouse setting of this series. Clare Cosi is the manager of Village Blend and the main character in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. She’s obviously thrilled that Only Murders in Gotham is filming in the coffeehouse, and she and the baristas are elated that they’re going to be extras in the episodes filmed there. But, when a crew member is rushed to the hospital after consuming a competitor’s coffee and one of the baristas is shot with a real bullet that was supposed to be a blank, Clare knows that danger lurks on the set.
I really enjoyed Bulletproof Barista, and I’m glad I didn’t worry about reading 19 books first! I thought that the characters were very realistic, and when Clare got to meet one of her favorite actors, I could see myself fan-girling right along with her. The baristas who work for Clare are all quirky and delightful. Clare’s ex Matt, who is the coffee buyer for Village Blend, is kind of a piece of work but also kind of a really great guy. You’ll see when you read this! I love Clare’s NYPD “OD Squad” Detective boyfriend, Mike Quinn. I know many women say they don’t like protective men, but as long as they aren’t controlling, I say, “Protect away!” I’d love to be protected by a guy like Mike. Matt’s mom, Madame, has owned Village Blend for decades. I adore her. She’s smart, sweet, savvy, and so much more! I can’t do her justice in a couple of sentences, and you’ll enjoy getting to know her through the book. The actors, crew, body guards, etc. are written so well that you’ll start to think you know them… You don’t! Of course, no one is based on real-life people, but because of Coyle’s descriptive writing, you’ll think they are!
The frenetic pace of the cast and crew make the mystery so much harder to solve! Just like on a “real” set, there are down times, but there’s no time for downtime in this cozy mystery. It takes you to different parts of the city and gives you lots of suspects. Plus, you never know who the next victim will be. I enjoyed the different settings with some being calming and cozy and others having a colder, industrial feel. Following the twists and turns in this mystery may make you feel as if you’ve had a triple espresso from Village Blend! Get ready for the rush!
I highly recommend Bulletproof Barista for its variety of exceptional characters, alternating settings, and twisty, turny mystery! I’m looking forward to the next Coffeehouse Mystery from Cleo Coyle!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
About Cleo Coyle
CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times-bestselling authors of the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries and Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, both celebrating 20 years in print. With more than one million books sold, their work has been honored with starred reviews and multiple best-of-year list selections by reviewers. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together. Connect with Cleo at CoffeehouseMystery.com
Author Links
Webpage: https://www.coffeehousemystery.com/
Free Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/cleocoylerecipes/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleoCoyle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CleoCoyle
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cleo-coyle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51488.Cleo_Coyle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleocoyle_author/
Purchase Links:
Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Google Play Bookshop.org Indiebound
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Bulletproof Barista TOUR PARTICIPANTS
November 2 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW
November 2 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT
November 3 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
November 3 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
November 4 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
November 4 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
November 5 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
November 6 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 7 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 7 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
November 9 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
November 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
November 11 – The Book Diva’s Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 12 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
November 13 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
November 14 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
November 15 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
November 16 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – REVIEW
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Greetings, Christy — Thank you so much for this beautifully written review! Marc and I appreciated learning your honest reactions as a reader, and we were absolutely delighted to know that you were drawn into the story and enjoyed it so much. We’re especially gratified to know that you are a brand-new reader of our Coffeehouse Mystery series. We’re always excited when new readers jump into our fictional worlds. As longtime professional writers, we know how important it is to make every title in a series work as a standalone story so that new readers won’t be lost. Of course, we don’t want to try the patience of longtime readers either, so it’s always a balancing act. But it’s one we welcome.
After twenty years and twenty books, our Coffeehouse characters are like family, and we hope to continue telling their stories for years to come. We hope now that you’ve met our cast of characters that you’ll come along with us. xoxo
Cheers again for a review that truly made our day!
~ Cleo
I absolutely will be reading more! Thanks for stopping!
This sounds like a fun read. I love a good mystery and fun to drink coffee while reading a coffeehouse mystery.