Cold Brew Corpse by Tara Lush

Item: Cold Brew Corpse
Rating: 5
Author: BaronessMom

Posted January 6, 2022 by BaronessMom in #AutumnReadsWithTheBaroness, Blog Tour, Contest - Giveaway, Mystery, Review, Series / 1 Comment

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Cold Brew Corpse

by Tara Lush

Series: Coffee Lover's Mystery #2
Series Rating:

Published by Crooked Lane Books on December 7, 2021
Genres: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks

Espresso bar owner Lana Lewis returns in Tara Lush's second Coffee Lover's mystery, a stimulating read that fans of Cleo Coyle and Laura Childs will savor to the last drop.

It's a steamy September, and business is brisk at Perkatory, the hottest coffee shop in Devil's Beach, FL. Much of the clientele pours in from Dante's Inferno, the hot yoga studio next door. But the bright, sunny Gulf Coast days turn decidedly dark-roast when the body of the studio's owner turns up in a nearby swamp.

Between running Perkatory and training Stanley, her golden Shih Tzu puppy, reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis is too busy to go sleuthing. But when the editor of the local paper asks her to write about the murder, Lana's dreams of getting back into journalism start to percolate.

Lana discovers that the yogi has a nefarious past and her share of mug shots, so grinding her way through the suspect list is a large task. She learns that the victim was fatally beaned by an SUV before she was dumped in the swamp. But was the killer one of her students? An envious yoga teacher? Or a local photographer who seems to know too much?

But no one tells Lana Lewis what to do. Hunting the caf-fiend who killed the yogi puts Lana and Chief Noah's relationship--and Lana's life--in very hot coffee.

Cold Brew Corpse by Tara Lush is a story of deceit and greed. I loved it and the quirky characters.

Will Lana figure out what happened to Reina and get her journalist mojo back?

Lana Lewis

Our sleuth is Lana, former journalist and current barista in charge of Perkatory, a coffee shop on the island, Devil’s Beach, Florida. Lana is intelligent and is an excellent journalist, which makes her good at sleuthing. She is also extremely curious, and her friend Erica is right there with her. Lana has support from many people, like her Dad and Stanley, her puppy.

I like Lana’s wit and honesty. Being in her head was a privilege and lets you get to know how strong her character is. She is also loving, and I enjoyed seeing her with the Chief. They are so adorable together.

Noah Garcia

Cheif Noah Garcia is Lana’s love interest and friend. The two of them are still at the beginning of their relationship. You know the cute, embarrassing part of the coupling. They seem to have a healthy relationship where they talk through their issues and try to develop ways to handle them before they become problems.

I like Noah, and he is a fresh look at the love interest/police presence that cozy mysteries have; since he used to be part of internal affairs. Noah spends a lot of time at his job, but that gives Lana more time to snoop around. I hope the two of them continue their relationship.

The Mystery

Reina Rose, the local yoga instructor, goes missing then is later found dead. Lana is asked to write an article about Reina’s disappearance as a freelancer for the local newspaper. So, she begins interviewing everyone around Reina. After the body is discovered, people seem to have mixed feelings about Reina. Reina was one of the people who is your friend until you don’t have anything else that she wants. But who wanted her dead? That is the question that Lana keeps trying to figure out.

Five Stars

I loved visiting the island of Devil’s Beach and meeting all the exciting locals with different backgrounds and laid-back attitudes. Lana has a great group of friends that hang around her. I would love to go hang out at Perkatory with all of them. My rating for Cold Brew Corpse by Tara Lush is five stars. If you are looking for a marvelous mystery with funny characters and a tropical setting, this is the one for you.

The First Book in Series

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Until the next time,

About Tara Lush

Tara Lush is a Florida-based author and journalist. She’s an RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and the winner of the George C. Polk award for environmental journalism.

She was a reporter with The Associated Press in Florida, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters, and politics. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations under the name Tamara Lush.

Tara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee, and newspapers. She lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband and two dogs.

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