Coffee and books just seem to go together and Author Cleo Coyle, the pen name for Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini, do it in style. They combine some killer coffee picks with great cozy mystery vibes that we are obsessed with.
Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mysteries offers us readers an experience like no other, transporting us to the heart of New York’s Greenwich Village and into the charming little confines of the Village Blend coffeehouse. Every book in the series is a testament to the authors’ deep understanding and appreciation of coffee, as well as their talent for crafting intricate and captivating mysteries. The protagonist, Clare Cosi, is a relatable and resilient character whose adventures are both heartwarming and spine-tinglingly fun. As the manager of the Village Blend, Clare is not only a coffee connoisseur but also a keen amateur sleuth, whose curiosity and determination often land her in the midst of murder investigations. Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery Series is currently 20 books long, with new books in the works according to Cleo’s Facebook page.
About Cleo Coyle:
CLEO COYLE is the New York Times bestselling pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, collaborating with her husband, Marc Cerasini. With more than 1 million copies of their books sold, Alice and Marc have written 20 entries in their long-running, critically acclaimed Coffeehouse Mystery series. HONEY ROASTED, their most recent release, was honored with three “Best of Year” list selections by reviewers and praised by Kirkus as “a honey of a tale.” Don’t miss their upcoming 20th Coffeehouse title, BULLETPROOF BARISTA, now available.
Cleo also writes the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. Don’t miss their newest release, THE GHOST GOES TO THE DOGS, which was praised by Kirkus as “A DELIGHTFUL TALE,” full of good humor and good fun. Their previous two releases in the series were both honored with “Best of Year” selections by reviewers: THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS and THE GHOST AND THE HAUNTED PORTRAIT, which was also one of Aunt Agatha’s top ten cozy mysteries of the year.
Cleo’s books have earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus, multiple “Best of Year” selection honors from reviewers, and have been recommended by Booklist and Library Journal as among the best cozy mystery series for core library mystery collections.
Connect with Cleo at her online coffeehouse (open 24/7) at CoffeehouseMystery.com and her haunted bookshop at HauntedBookshopMystery.com
Keep in touch with Cleo (and receive her latest books news and bonus recipes) by signing up for her newsletter. Simply send a “sign me up” email to [email protected]
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The Coffeehouse Mysteries in order
1 On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 1)
With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the coffeehouse, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of redecorating ideas, Clare is thrilled to return to work—until she discovers the assistant manager dead in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
2 Through the Grinder (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 2)
Business is booming at Clare Cosi’s Village Blend, until her female customers start to die. Lieutenant Quinn is convinced that someone has an axe to grind, and, unfortunately, his prime suspect is the new man in Clare’s life.Now Clare will risk her heart–and her life–to follow the killer’s trail to the bitter end.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
3 Latte Trouble (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 3)
When one of her baristas unwittingly serves a poisonous latte to a prominent figure on the fashion scene, Clare Cosi must uncover some jolting secrets to save her shop.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
4 Murder Most Frothy (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 4)
Clare Cosi’s new friend, millionaire David Mintzer, has an offer no New York barista could turn down: an all-expenses-paid summer away from the sticky city. At his Hamptons mansion, she’ll relax, soak up the sun, and, oh yes, train the staff of his new restaurant. So Clare packs up her daughter, her former mother-in-law, and her special recipe for iced coffee–for what she hopes will be one de-latte-ful summer…
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
5 Decaffeinated Corpse (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 5)
When an old friend of her ex-husband develops the world’s first botanically decaffeinated coffee bean and smuggles it into the country, Clare Cosi, manager of Village Blend, believes it’s a business opportunity she needs to investigate…at least until the first dead body shows up.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
6 French Pressed (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 6)
Clare Cosi’s daughter, Joy, is interning-and falling- for a top New York chef when his kitchen turns cutthroat, and Joy becomes a murder suspect. Clare knows she must catch the real killer-even if it lands her in the hottest water of her life.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
7 Espresso Shot (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 7)
Coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi has been hired to create a gourmet coffee and dessert bar for her ex-husband?s wedding. But her main problem is bridezilla Breanne Summour. When people close to Breanne begin to suffer fatal accidents, it?s Clare who may get burned.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
8 Holiday Grind (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 8)
Coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi has grown very fond of Alfred Glockner, the part-time comic and genuinely jolly charity Santa who’s been using her Village Blend as a place to warm his mittens. When she finds him brutally gunned down in a nearby alley, a few subtle clues convince her that Alfred’s death was something more than the tragic result of a random mugging–the conclusion of the police.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
9 Roast Mortem (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 9)
After local firefighters pull Clare out of a blazing café, she happily comes to their rescue by teaching them the finer points of operating their newly donated espresso machine. But matters really heat up when somebody is torching cafes around the city and firefighters begin to die in suspicious ways…
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
10 Murder by Mocha (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 10)
Can coffee enhance your love life? Clare’s Village Blend coffee beans are being used to create a new java love potion: a Mocha Magic Coffee that’s laced with an herbal aphrodisiac. The product, expected to rake in millions, will be sold exclusively on Aphrodite’s Village, one of the most popular online communities for women. But at the product’s launch party, one of the website’s editors is murdered. Clare is convinced someone wants control of the coffee’s secret formula and is willing to kill to get it. Can she stir up evidence against this bitter killer? Or will she be next on the hit list?
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
11 A Brew to a Kill (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 11)
Coffee. It can get a girl killed. A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she’s determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer. In the meantime, her ex-husband Matt, the shop’s globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he’s importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery? Or will their newest brew lead to murder?
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
12 Holiday Buzz (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 12)
Holiday time is party time in New York City, but after a sparkling winter bash ends with a murder, Village Blend coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi vows to put the killer on ice.
At the Great New York Cookie Swap, pastry chefs bake up their very best for charity. Clare is in charge of the beverage service, and her famous Fa-la-la-la Lattes make the gathering even merrier. But her high spirits come crashing down to earth, when she discovers the battered body of a hard-working baker’s assistant.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
13 Billionaire Blend (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 13)
In this 13th entry of the series, we return to the Village Blend, a charming coffeehouse in the heart of New York’s picturesque Greenwich Village. When a car bomb goes off outside this landmark shop, single-mom and manager Clare Cosi comes to the aid of an anonymous customer, one who turns out to be billionaire tech whiz Eric Thorner. In gratitude for saving his life, Eric hires Clare to create the most expensive coffee blend on the planet. But as Clare is pulled deeper into Eric’s world–a mesmerizing circle of cutting-edge luxuries and cutthroat rivalries–she begins to wonder: Is this charming young CEO marked for termination? Or is he the one making a killing?
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
14 Once Upon a Grind (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 14)
Fairy tale fever has descended on New York City. Broadway fans are flocking to Red Riding Hood: The Musical; museums are exhibiting art inspired by the Brothers Grimm; and Clare Cosi and her merry band of baristas give their coffee truck a “Jack and the Beanstalk” makeover for a Central Park festival. Clare’s coffee hunter ex-husband contributes a bag of African beans with alleged magical properties. His octogenarian mother entertains customers with readings of the grinds, but Clare remains skeptical–until she receives a vision that helps her find a young model’s body in the park’s woods.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
15 Dead to the Last Drop (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 15)
After the White House asks coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi to consult on the coffee service for a Rose Garden Wedding, she discovers a historic pot was used as a CIA “dead drop” decades before. Now long-simmering secrets boil over, scalding Clare and the people around her…
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
16 Dead Cold Brew (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 16)
First, a grim-faced attorney interrupts their party with a mysterious letter bequeathing a hidden treasure to Clare’s daughter. Next, the world-famous jeweler who designed Clare’s ring is found poisoned in his shop. Both events appear to be connected to a cold case murder involving a sunken ship, an Italian curse, a charming jewel thief, and a shocking family secret. With deadly trouble brewing, Clare must track down clues in some of New York’s most secret places before an old vendetta produces fresh corpses.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
17 Shot in the Dark (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 17)
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.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
18 Brewed Awakening (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 18)
When coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi awakens on a bench in Washington Square Park, she has no idea she’s been missing for days, or that her friends and family have been frantic with worry. Now that she’s back, everyone is overjoyed, including a handsome NYPD detective who claims to be her fiancé. But to Mike Quinn’s crushing distress, Clare doesn’t remember him, or much of anything about the last fifteen years of her life.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
19 Honey Roasted (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 19) – Check out our featured book review of Honey Roasted from The Plain Spoken Pen!
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.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
20 Bulletproof Barista (Coffeehouse Mystery, No. 20)
Only Murders in Gotham, the smash-hit streaming program, is famous for filming in authentic New York locations and using real New Yorkers as extras. For its second season, they’ve chosen to spotlight the century-old Village Blend and its quirky crew of baristas. Shop manager and master roaster Clare Cosi is beyond thrilled, especially when her superb bulletproof coffee lands her a craft services contract for the production.
On Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.
Coffee Mysteries or Tea Mysteries?
Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mysteries series is a delightful blend of rich coffee culture and inspiring mysteries, they offer readers a unique and immersive experience. Each book is a testament to the authors’ ability to weave intricate plots with engaging characters, all set against the backdrop of a charming coffeehouse. From the first sip of “On What Grounds” to the final drop (so far) of “Bulletproof Barista,” we readers are treated to a mystery journey that is both thrilling and heartwarming. Whether you are a coffee aficionado, a mystery enthusiast, or simply a lover of well-crafted stories, the Coffeehouse Mysteries series is sure to leave you craving for more.
Coffee and books share a timeless, harmonious relationship, often intertwined in the imaginations of readers and writers alike. The cozy warmth of a cup of coffee enhances the pleasure of delving into a good book, making this pairing a beloved ritual for many. Within this comforting duo, few have captured the essence of this bond better than Cleo Coyle, the pseudonym for the dynamic writing team of Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini. With their Coffeehouse Mysteries series, they have masterfully blended the rich flavors of coffee culture with the engaging intrigue of cozy mysteries. This series not only satiates the craving for a well-brewed cup of coffee but also provides a thrilling escape into the world of crime-solving and suspense.
Now if you are interested in mysteries full of tea we suggest checking out Laura Childs A Tea Shop Mystery Series or Vicki Delany’s Tea by the Sea Mysteries. Both are great tea themed mystery series!
