Reviews

Dead to the Last Drop by Cleo Coyle

slc333's review against another edition

3.0

I enjoyed the Washington DC setting, particularly given I was lucky enough to visit DC earlier this year, including Georgetown. I do find the history and coffee facts that the book is laden with over the top and I find the 'ínfo dump' style of conveying this information detracted from the story. One or two interesting facts woven into the story would be interesting. Paragraph after paragraph of random facts is boring. Ditto for the recipes. Now I love food but when I read a mystery story I want a mystery. If I want a tonnes of recipes I will read a recipe book or watch Food Network. Also I am SO ready for Claire & Mike to get married. Hope that is the next book.

wyoming_steph's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

lorireads2much's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

heathers_reading_space's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

amma_keep_reading's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

 so happy i returned to this series. i needed to start the year with a fun, light read. 

nutti72's review against another edition

2.0

2.5 stars Maybe it's just me, but I think I am done with this series. I still adore the characters, but I thought the story was muddled and jumped around too much. For a change of pace this was set in DC, but it just didn't appeal to me like the previous ones did.

whewtaewoon's review against another edition

2.0

Clare Cosi: barista, coffeehouse manager, mother, ex-wife, girlfriend, White House caterer?

The first book I read in this series was Espresso Shot, the seventh book; I then skipped ahead to book fifteen with Dead to the Last Drop, and what a skip it was! Suddenly Matt is divorced (?) I guess. It's actually unclear if he's (SPOILER) already divorced in this book or if he's just being a hoe. What is clear is he's annoying, and thankfully not super important in this book, yay!

However, this book serves up more coffee copaganda but this time in DC, where Detective Quinn is stationed on a special job. Clare decides that she wants to move to DC to follow her beloved while he's working in DC and while she's there she opens up a second location for the Village Blend - but with a jazz club upstairs. This comes with a whole slew of problems from a scummy chef to the president's daughter performing at the club. The whole thing is a very wild ride.

I do think certain aspects of the story are funny because it's like okay that would never work in real life - although whoever accused mysteries of any subgenre of being realistic. They're much more interesting if they're not.

Anyway, this installment of Coffeehouse Mysteries had less annoying characters which was cool. However, I still feel like I forced myself to finish this book.

hezann73's review against another edition

2.0

I have liked this series a lot, but this book was just not good. Too much jumping around in time, too many conspiracy theories. Just too much. I hope it's a fluke and not a sign of how the series is going to continue to go.

archivesgeek's review against another edition

4.0

I surprisingly really enjoyed this book. I mean, Clare was still dumb ass Clare but it seems like this book avoided falling into a lot of the same old tropes that have been in every other Coffeehouse Mystery. I don't recall Coyle referencing that Matt was a cocaine addict once. And shocker, the story read fine without that bit of info needing to be included.

fxtrtr's review against another edition

4.0

The Village Blend DC is struggling to live up to its well deserved reputation in New York. Claire is having problems with her head chef and gas lines. When a US government agent comes knocking on the back door, past closing time, and collapses in the Blend, Claire knows this isn't going to help her business. Then she discovers the talented, rag-time piano player who has been coming to their open mic nights is the President's daughter and ditching her security detail to play at the Blend incognito. If Claire thinks no good will come from all this, she is right - the government agent dies, the President's daughter goes missing and Claire becomes prime suspect #1.

I think this is my least favorite of all the Coffeehouse Mysteries, but still a good book.