Sunday, October 23, 2022

Live and Let Grind (A Coffee Lover's Mystery) by Tara Lush #Review #CozyMystery

 

Live and Let Grind (A Coffee Lover's Mystery) by Tara Lush

About Live and Let Grind:

Live and Let Grind (A Coffee Lover's Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

3rd in Series

Setting - Florida

Crooked Lane Books (October 11, 2022)

Hardcover: ‎ 320 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1639101128

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1639101122

Digital ASIN: ‎ B09Q877DDS

Devil’s Beach is percolating with a hot murder case, and reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis could be the next to get beaned in Tara Lush’s third Coffee Lover’s mystery, perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette.

Laid-off journalist Lana Lewis is thriving as the proprietor of Perkatory, a coffee shop on quirky Devil’s Beach island, Florida. She’s juggling a relationship with police chief Noah Garcia, enjoying the company of her best friend, Erica, and relishing the companionship of her golden Shih Tzu, Stanley. Only problem is her neighbor, Gus, who incessantly uses his leaf blower, disturbing everyone in the neighborhood. Lana has learned to tune it out, but Erica’s rage boils over and she confronts Gus.  

Then Gus is found dead, killed when his leaf blower explodes. Erica immediately becomes suspect number one. But there are plenty of other candidates as well: Gus’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Honey Bailey, who thinks she’ll be written out of his will; Mickey Dotson and Doug Beck, who were scalded financially after purchasing a pirate-themed tourist cruise business from Gus; and plenty of angry neighbors who’ve had run-ins with him. 

As the clock ticks down will Lana get someone to spill the beans on the killer so she can clear her friend’s name, or will Erica go to jail for a crime she didn’t commit? 

My Review:

Live and Let Grind is the wonderful third book in the Coffee Lover's mystery series. Book three finds Erica temporarily staying with Lana. When their obnoxious, leaf-blowing-obsessed neighbor finally goes too far, Erica takes it upon herself to do what everyone else was thinking - she takes her complaints directly to Gus. When their little tiff gets a bit out of hand, Lana's boyfriend, Noah, the chief of police, winds up in the middle of the confrontation. With boundaries discussed, both sides go back home. All bets are off when Gus is found dead and Erica is the prime suspect.

I really enjoyed Live or Let Grind. The set-up of the mystery was carefully planned out, the number of suspects kept me guessing, and the sleuthing done in a way I would expect a former journalist to be able execute. Lana is a wonderful heroine, her father quirky, and the rest of characters all well-developed. I loved the setting and the way the author described everything from the inside of the coffeeshop to the beach. Being able to envision the story as I read along is paramount to my total enjoyment and Live and Let Grind by Tara Lush knocked it out of the park. I am so excited to see where the author takes Lana and the whole crew in the next book.

My Rating:

About Tara Lush:

 

Tara Lush is a Rita Award finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and a George C. Polk Award winning journalist. For the past decade, she's been a reporter with the Associated Press, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters, and politics. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations. A fan of vintage pulp-fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, and 1980s fashion, she lives with her husband and two dogs on the Gulf coast. 

Author Links:



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5 comments:

  1. Live and Let Grind sounds like a fantastic mystery for me to read and enjoy, thanks for sharing it with me!

    Thanks, Sapphyria, for sharing your review!

    Have a sunshiny day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello! Thanks for your awesome review! I appreciate it SO MUCH! xo, Tara

    ReplyDelete