Death by Café Mocha (Bookstore Café Mystery #7)

by Alex Erickson

Overview

Krissy Hancock and her pals are taking a coffee break—leaving their bookstore-café in Pine Hills, Ohio, and heading to a convention. But this road trip will be more dangerous than they expected …
 
Coffee lovers are gathering from far and wide at the hotel, and Krissy, Rita, and Vicki are excited. But some of the attendees may need to switch to decaf, as a public argument breaks out soon after they check in and then a flavor competition leads to bitter feelings.
 
When the winner of the contest is beaned with a carafe full of café mocha, suspicions swirl—along with accusations of bribery. Was the dead man offering perks to the judges—or was something sinister going on in his personal life? This case is going to keep Krissy up all night long …

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496721112
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Series:	Bookstore Café Series , #7
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	143,543
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.60(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Alex Erickson has always wanted to write, even at a young, impressionable age. He’s always had an interest in the motive behind murder, which has led him down his current path. He’s always ready with a witty—at least in his opinion—quip, and tries to keep every conversation light and friendly. Alex lives in Ohio with his family and resident felines, who provide endless amounts of inspiration. You can visit him on Twitter at twitter.com/AEricksonbooks and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/alexericksonbooks.

Editorial Reviews

2019-05-27
Hopped up on caffeine, the participants in JavaCon deal with drama and death.

Krissy Hancock, who co-owns the bookstore/coffee shop Death by Coffee with her friend Vicki Lawyer, is anxious to pick up tips at JavaCon. But everything goes wrong from the moment the hotel can't find their reservations and she almost wipes out handsome Thomas Cole with her suitcase. The five organizers of JavaCon—Clint Sherman, Carmine Wright, Dallas Edmonds, Pierre Longview, and Evaline Cobb—have appointed themselves judges for the much-anticipated contest to determine who's created the best coffee blend. When the judges declare Charles Maddox's mocha coffee recipe the winner, big trouble ensues. Even Krissy thinks several other contestants, including Cole, had better recipes. Another contestant, Wynona Kepler, immediately accuses Maddox of bribing the judges. When he's found murdered, JavaCon teeters on the brink of ruin. Though Krissy's had considerable success solving earlier murders (Death by Espresso, 2018, etc.), she can't expect the local police to be as accommodating as her friends on the force back home. Even so, she's distracted from the seminars by her overwhelming curiosity about all the drama between the organizers and outspoken competitors. Krissy, who has a knack for getting people to talk to her, is often downright pushy in asking questions. Maddox was known as a womanizer, and more complications arise when a woman claiming to be his wife shows up demanding access to his room. Krissy can only hope her questions will lead to a motive for murder, whether it's jealousy over the contest or something more personal.

One has to wonder why the relentlessly inquisitive heroine is still alive since she disregards her own safety in pursuit of criminals.

Kirkus Reviews