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emmafromoz's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book - it had plenty of promise, but ultimately it irritated me more than it entertained me. If you want an author who can pull off a disingenuous heroine, try the Sookie Stackhouse series. What kind of a person opens a bookshop but has never heard of "literary fiction"??? And don't get me started on people who open coffee houses without appreciating coffee....
ofliterarynature's review against another edition
DNF @ 19% on audiobook oct 8 2020
Nothing horrible, but this lacks the charm and strength of personality you need in a lead character for a good cozy mystery. I didn’t feel like wasting more of my time on it.
Nothing horrible, but this lacks the charm and strength of personality you need in a lead character for a good cozy mystery. I didn’t feel like wasting more of my time on it.
ohshirls's review against another edition
2.0
This book could have been good but it just has too many problems. The main character is really annoying and complains so much. The cats are literally just background and aren’t really part of the story.
emily_1215's review against another edition
2.0
So I picked this up knowing it was going to be bad and wanting to read it for that reason. I was not disappointed, considering my expectations. Krissy is hella annoying and nosy and everything in the plot is completely far-fetched. Would a police force ACTUALLY take the ideas of a twenty-five-year-old barista who isn’t even that good at her job?? If you want to enjoy a bad mystery purely for the cringe enjoyment factor, I highly recommend this.
melmo2610's review against another edition
1.0
Almost DNFed this one but I stuck with it. However the end was worse than the rest of my issues with this cozy. Not a series I will continue with.
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
1.0
Buckle up. Because I have thoughts.
This was, quite possibly, the worst cozy mystery I've ever read.
Krissy moved away from California, where she's spent her entire life, to open a bookstore/coffee shop with her best friend. Why? No idea. They name the place Death By Coffee. What? Krissy's bestselling author dad had a book by that name. Terrible name for a coffee shop, much less a bookstore, but whatever. So on their first day open, this asshat from across the street comes in for a coffee, is a jerk, and then leaves. A short while later, he dies from anaphylactic shock from a peanut allergy.
Krissy is new in town and knows NO one but her best friend, so of course, she has to figure out if the guy was murdered and who did it. At no point is she even a suspect. She literally has zero reason to investigate. The police think it was an accident despite the fact that it was peanut dust in his coffee that killed him and his Epi pen was missing. The police chief thinks he opened a packet of peanut dust in a sugar-type packet by accident despite the fact that they don't find a packet like that and THAT'S NOT A THING! So Krissy badgers every one in town rudely and super awkwardly.
At one point, the woman who owns the local diner literally screams at her and throws her out of the diner because Krissy dared to open a coffee shop that might take a smidge of her coffee sales away.
This was, quite possibly, the worst cozy mystery I've ever read.
Krissy moved away from California, where she's spent her entire life, to open a bookstore/coffee shop with her best friend. Why? No idea. They name the place Death By Coffee. What? Krissy's bestselling author dad had a book by that name. Terrible name for a coffee shop, much less a bookstore, but whatever. So on their first day open, this asshat from across the street comes in for a coffee, is a jerk, and then leaves. A short while later, he dies from anaphylactic shock from a peanut allergy.
Krissy is new in town and knows NO one but her best friend, so of course, she has to figure out if the guy was murdered and who did it. At no point is she even a suspect. She literally has zero reason to investigate. The police think it was an accident despite the fact that it was peanut dust in his coffee that killed him and his Epi pen was missing. The police chief thinks he opened a packet of peanut dust in a sugar-type packet by accident despite the fact that they don't find a packet like that and THAT'S NOT A THING! So Krissy badgers every one in town rudely and super awkwardly.
At one point, the woman who owns the local diner literally screams at her and throws her out of the diner because Krissy dared to open a coffee shop that might take a smidge of her coffee sales away.
sarahfett's review against another edition
1.0
Disappointing. The lack of character development really bothered me as cozy mysteries are as much about the characters as they are about the mystery. It also bothered me that the main character didn't come up with creative reasons to talk to suspects, but asked them outright questions about the murder, and they actually answered. My biggest complaint was the amount of pages describing the bathroom habits of the main character's cat. (5/1/15)
I received an ARC from NetGalley, which is great because cozy mysteries have become my new happy pleasure (no reason to feel guilty about them!). (4/29/15)
I received an ARC from NetGalley, which is great because cozy mysteries have become my new happy pleasure (no reason to feel guilty about them!). (4/29/15)
jkonczak's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kathy5307's review against another edition
1.0
This was the worst. I’m amazed I even finished it. To start with the main character is new in town and a person dies after visiting her coffee shop. Even though the police say her shop has nothing to do with the death, she takes on the role of investigator. She is new to town as in her first week in town. She approaches people out of the blue to question them all the while thinking they may kill her or injure her. Why she thinks this we have no idea.
She is constantly thinking negative. Always assuming the worst. She’s a pessimist and self absorbed.
There’s no premise for her to investigate. She doesn’t build relationships with the people in the small town. She alway assumes the worst and that they want to hurt her. So why does she run up on them in the street when they don’t even know her or her them? Why does she just show up at someone’s house to question them?
She goes on one date and obsesses over him like they are in a relationship including being upset because she calls three times during his working hours and he doesn’t pick up or return the call. Or he doesn’t accept her friend request.
At one point she has delusions that she’ll be the hero for solving the murder and get a parade in her honor. She calls the man she went out with once, her guardian angel. And thinks numerous times that he would come and save her.
It’s a ridiculous premise. It’s irritating to read. I will not read any more in the series which is a shame cause I like the light cozy mystery to relax and distress.
She is constantly thinking negative. Always assuming the worst. She’s a pessimist and self absorbed.
There’s no premise for her to investigate. She doesn’t build relationships with the people in the small town. She alway assumes the worst and that they want to hurt her. So why does she run up on them in the street when they don’t even know her or her them? Why does she just show up at someone’s house to question them?
She goes on one date and obsesses over him like they are in a relationship including being upset because she calls three times during his working hours and he doesn’t pick up or return the call. Or he doesn’t accept her friend request.
At one point she has delusions that she’ll be the hero for solving the murder and get a parade in her honor. She calls the man she went out with once, her guardian angel. And thinks numerous times that he would come and save her.
It’s a ridiculous premise. It’s irritating to read. I will not read any more in the series which is a shame cause I like the light cozy mystery to relax and distress.
gturner92's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.25
It was trash. Written by a man who doesn't know women or cats and doesn't like either of them.