A review by rebelbelle13
Decaffeinated Corpse by Cleo Coyle

3.0

This was a quick read, albeit not very memorable. I finished this yesterday and already I'm trying to recall what happened. Clare is back at the Village Blend in Manhattan (in the last book she was in the Hamptons) and it's Halloween time (no, I didn't plan that!) Her ex, Matt, is staying her ex, thank goodness, and Clare is moving on with her life. Matt and his friend from Brazil, Ric, are investing in a new, biologically, naturally decaffeinated coffee plant. Ric gets mugged, PI's get involved, there's a car chase, we learn about the history of smuggled coffee plants, and as usual, are educated on coffee brewing. I'm glad that Clare's back in the Village. Most of the charm and appeal of this series is in the atmosphere of Manhattan and the detail of the coffee, and the brewing and grinding and pressing process. Clare and her mother-in-law are their nosy sleuthy selves, Matt continues to be a player, and Joy continues to be the annoying, lacking all common sense, spoiled foible for her mother to play off of. The murder doesn't occur until page 200 out of a 260 page book. There's then two more in rapid succession- and it feels very rushed.
Honestly, this was OK. It read quickly and kept me entertained, but there's not much sticking power here. I'll continue with the series, because I finally like where Mike and Clare are headed, and I can always read more about coffee.