As a cozy mystery reader, Cleo Coyle is by far one of the
best of the writers, especially with her
Coffeehouse
Mystery series. SHOT IN THE DARK is the latest in
the series and it has not
disappointed me in the least. This husband and wife writing
duo had me hooked
years ago and is continuing my love for their characters! I
feel like Clare, the
main character, is like a friend that I get to learn more
about once a year with each addition. You will love her and
the crazy crew of baristas that she has employed in her
coffee shop, The Village Blend. Then there are many more,
like her ex-
husband and co-manager of the coffee shop, her
ex-mother-in-law, their daughter
Joy, and let's not forget the now love interest of Clare,
Mike Quinn, who is a
narcotics officer for NYPD! I look forward to picking up
every new mystery with
this bunch. I am intrigued for hours until I finish them.
The best thing about Coyle's mysteries is that each one will
hit on a hot new
trend that is really relevant in reality. This one explores
the new trend of dating apps. The Village Blend becomes a
hot hookup spot for users of a dating app. Then one night,
shots are fired and the reputation of the beloved coffeehouse
hangout is in jeopardy. After a dead body is found related
to the whole
investigation, Clare is determine to clear the Village
Blend's reputation from the awful occurrences surrounding
it. While worrying about Joy's messages of
needing to talk, planning a wedding with Mike, and keeping
her ex-husband
from going overboard on his own dating profile with the app,
Clare has a close
call of her own.
SHOT IN THE DARK by Cleo Coyle is one mystery that you will
want to settle down with in a quiet place with a cup of
java. You will not want to
put this book down until the end.
A new smartphone dating game turns the Village Blend into
a hookup hot spot, until one dark night, when a gunshot
leaves a dead body behind and the landmark coffeehouse
becomes the center of a whole new scene--a crime scene.
As Village Blend manager Clare Cosi attempts to finalize
a date for her wedding, her ex-husband becomes addicted
to making dates through smartphone swipes. Clare has
mixed feelings about these quickie matchups happening in
her coffeehouse. Even her octogenarian employer is
selecting suitors by screenshot! But business is booming,
and Clare works hard to keep the espresso shots flowing.
Then one dark night, another kind of shot leaves a dead
body for her to find.
The corpse is a successful entrepreneur who became
notorious for his "hit it and quit it" behavior: prowling
for women on dating apps, then devastating his conquests
with morning-after insults. Though the NYPD quickly
arrests one of his recent victims, Clare finds reason to
believe she's been framed.
Now, with the help of her ex and crew of quirky baristas,
Clare starts "swiping" through suspects in her own shop,
determined to find the real killer before another shot
rings out.