Title: Honey Roasted (Coffeehouse Mysteries #19)
Author: Cleo Coyle
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Clare Cosi is busy as a bee planning her honeymoon when murder buzzes into the Village Blend in this all-new mystery in the beloved New York Times bestselling Coffeehouse series by Cleo Coyle.
While struggling to find a romantic (and affordable) destination for her upcoming honeymoon, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi whips up a honey of a drink made from honey-processed coffee. Clare plans to serve her outstanding new Honey-Cinnamon Latte at her spring wedding to her longtime honey, NYPD detective Mike Quinn. The culinary world is also abuzz about the amazing honey that Clare was lucky enough to source for her shop’s new latte. Produced by Madame’s old friend “Queen” Bea Hastings, the rare, prize-winning nectar from Bea’s rooftop hives commands a premium price, and top chefs compete for a chance to use it in their signature seasonal dishes.
One night, a swarm of escaped bees blanket the Village Blend’s chimney, and Clare discovers Bea’s unconscious body after she seemingly fell from her high-rise rooftop-hive setup. The police want to rule it as a tragic accident or possible attempted suicide, but Clare does not believe either theory. Like Madame, she knows this Queen would never abandon her hive. To sort out this mystery, Clare investigates a world of cutthroat chefs, culinary start-ups, and competitive urban beekeepers. But can she uncover the truth without getting stung?
Why This Book
I have loved the Coffeehouse Mysteries since I was an eighteen-year-old just a few weeks away from moving away to college. I’m now getting close to two decades from that age. These books have seen me through college, marriage, grad school, two major moves across the country, two babies, one pandemic, and two kids learning at home at the same time. Put simply, they’ve been with me throughout all of my legally adult years. I was a member of NetGalley when the 18th book came out, but my request was declined. I was very sad about it, but was expecting it. Still, I decided to request every upcoming book in the series and maybe one day I’d get an approval. I never dreamed it would happen with #19, Honey Roasted. I nearly hyperventilated when I got the approval email, so I’m so thankful to Berkley for giving me the opportunity to read an eARC of my favorite cozy mystery series ever.
Reviews
My review: “Some mysteries are easier for me to figure out than others, but this one had so many wonderful twists and turns that I couldn’t really tell until it was unveiled. After so many books, Honey Roasted managed to feel really refreshing to me, offering a twisty mystery that did what I love best: making Clare’s and Mike’s cases cross. This happens so much that I know to expect it, but I’m always delighted in how it happens. The fact that they tend to cross is really one my favorite things even if it is unrealistic.”
The Plain-Spoken Pen gave this a 5, saying “the series has just gotten better as it has progressed, and Honey Roasted is an excellent new entry”
Smitten by Books gave this a 4, saying “I like the complexity of the plot, but sometimes all the details slow the pace of the book and make it longer than it needs to be. There are many red herrings and I was fooled by a couple of them. I was surprised when the details and motives were revealed after a very dramatic finish”
Annee Jones said “Red herrings pop up at every turn and relationships are not what they seem in this winding and complex tale. While the authors clearly did their research when it comes to the beekeeping industry, much of the educational detail would have been better presented in the appendix, if at all. The number of characters also becomes cumbersome. This being said, the witty banter, likeable characters, and well-plotted story will please lovers of this genre”
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Check out all the other books featured this month on The Curated Bookshelf.
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