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Uncommon Grounds (Maggy Thorsen Mystery #1)
by
Sandra Balzo (Goodreads Author)
Patricia Harper is dead, killed by a hot-wired espresso machine, in Uncommon Grounds, her very own gourmet coffee store! Maggy Thorsen wants to know who killed one of her partners. Maggy needs the store to succeed. Starting over after her divorce, she's quit her PR job to open the coffee store. And if things aren't already tough enough, she begins to suspect one of her fri...more
Hardcover, 248 pages
Published
November 1st 2004
by Five Star (ME)
(first published 2004)
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This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com
Okay, let’s start off this review by mentioning that I start off my day with a double espresso, believe that stove-top coffee is the closest I’ll get to heaven in this lifetime, and it’s my firmly held opinion that adding syrup, milk, or any type of sweetener to a caffeinated beverage is complete anathema.
And though I have designs on moving to the US one day, the idea of filter coffee or, gasp, microwaved coffee utterly terrifies me....more
Okay, let’s start off this review by mentioning that I start off my day with a double espresso, believe that stove-top coffee is the closest I’ll get to heaven in this lifetime, and it’s my firmly held opinion that adding syrup, milk, or any type of sweetener to a caffeinated beverage is complete anathema.
And though I have designs on moving to the US one day, the idea of filter coffee or, gasp, microwaved coffee utterly terrifies me....more
Latte’s can be lethal!
Welcome to Uncommon Grounds, come on thru sit a spell or just walk by and take a smell. Come on in check out the menu, at Uncommon Grounds we’re new its true but don’t worry because we’ve got something just for you!
On Opening day of Uncommon Grounds, instead of serving up coffee, they were served with Murder! Patricia Harper, one of the trio of owners is DEAD found laying on the floor seemingly electrocuted while making her favorite latte!
How could this happen, the machine...more
Welcome to Uncommon Grounds, come on thru sit a spell or just walk by and take a smell. Come on in check out the menu, at Uncommon Grounds we’re new its true but don’t worry because we’ve got something just for you!
On Opening day of Uncommon Grounds, instead of serving up coffee, they were served with Murder! Patricia Harper, one of the trio of owners is DEAD found laying on the floor seemingly electrocuted while making her favorite latte!
How could this happen, the machine...more
In Uncommon Grounds, Maggie has arrived at her new coffee shop. Today is supposed to be opening day, but when she finds one of her partners dead on the floor, it looks like that's going to be postponed for awhile. The police have lots of suspects, including Maggie herself. However, Maggie is determined to solve the murder so that she was can find out who killed her friend and finally open her coffee shop. Little does she know that she's about to uncover some secrets that involve not only some pr...more
Maggie Thorsen, former PR exec and current partner in Uncommon Grounds, walks into her new coffee shop on opening day only to discover her partner Patricia dead, death by espresso machine. Who could have killed Patricia, and what does this mean for the future of the shop?[return][return]Signs point to their third partner and friend, Caron, as the possible killer but Maggie won� t believe it and sets out to save her friend and their business. During her mission to find the murderer and save Uncom...more
#1 Maggy Thorsen mystery set in Brookhills, Wisconsin. Maggy and her business partners Caron and Patricia are set to open their new coffee shop, Uncommon Grounds, in a strip mall in suburban Brookhills. Maggy, late on her first day, opens the door only to find Patricia collapsed on the floor, a pitcher of milk spilled around her. At first it appears to be some sort of natural event but it's later determined that the espresso machine was interfered with and that Patricia was deliberately electroc...more
I must say, I read a lot of mysteries and usually have an inkling of who-dun-it or my suspicions al least. With Uncommon Grounds, I had no idea until the last chapter who had killed Patricia Harper on opening day of her coffeeshop. And to an avid reader, that makes this book a winner.
I was thoroughly engrossed in the story of Maggie Thorsten, co-owner of Uncommon Grounds and suspect in the murder, and the town of Brookhills. It is easy to see why this first book in the series was nominated for a...more
I was thoroughly engrossed in the story of Maggie Thorsten, co-owner of Uncommon Grounds and suspect in the murder, and the town of Brookhills. It is easy to see why this first book in the series was nominated for a...more
In the interest of full disclosure I confess that I was predisposed to like this book. I recently had the good fortune to have Ms. Balzo as a seat mate on a flight from Atlanta to Harrisburg, and after our interesting conversation I made up my mind to try this series.
That being said, it has been a very long time (read as: years) since I enjoyed a series of this nature. I don't know if my taste has changed or if I have made poor sampling choices. So while I really wanted to like the book, I wasn'...more
That being said, it has been a very long time (read as: years) since I enjoyed a series of this nature. I don't know if my taste has changed or if I have made poor sampling choices. So while I really wanted to like the book, I wasn'...more
originally posted: http://newborrowedused.blogspot.com/2...
My Thoughts: This was a great read and excellent start to this series. I was hooked from page one and was able to finish it fairly quickly (about a day).
Maggy's character is what you would expect from someone who's trying to pick up the pieces after her husband has left her for his dental assistant. She is fun and quirky but also has her insecure moments where she is not sure of anything that is going on around her. I thought the rest o...more
My Thoughts: This was a great read and excellent start to this series. I was hooked from page one and was able to finish it fairly quickly (about a day).
Maggy's character is what you would expect from someone who's trying to pick up the pieces after her husband has left her for his dental assistant. She is fun and quirky but also has her insecure moments where she is not sure of anything that is going on around her. I thought the rest o...more
I had a fun time reading this book. I thought some of the concerns and problems (cell phones and email addresses for example) were a bit out dated, the militia thing was a little strange, and the coincidences a little too serendipitous. But, I did like the main character, her wit and charm were exceptional. She was never a damsel in distress who needed to be saved by the lead male character, and her dogged TV detective skills were far more realistic in a small town that she lived in than many my...more
Maggy Thorsen has started a coffee shop with three women friends. On opening day, she comes into the shop to find both her partners there already. Caron is standing and staring at Patricia's body on the floor. It turns out Patricia was electrocuted by their fancy coffee machine, electrocuted. It turns out to be murder......
Maggy becomes the target of the investigating sherriff's attention, is it romantic or is she a suspect. Driven by the need to clear herself and Caron as well as her own curios...more
Maggy becomes the target of the investigating sherriff's attention, is it romantic or is she a suspect. Driven by the need to clear herself and Caron as well as her own curios...more
This is the start of a new cozy mystery series where the protagonist owns a coffee shop with two friends, one of which is murdered on their opening day. She spends the whole book whining about her ex husband, and how her life USED to be, solves the murder and possibly starts a romance with the cop who had been investigating the murder. It wasn’t a *bad* read, but it could have been better, and the use in the plot of computers really dated the whole thing – having a fully functional adult who has...more
I had a heckuva time finding a copy of this book after putting it on the WWBL after reading a review or synopsis somewhere a while back. Finally located a copy, then it sat in one of the drawers of Mt Git'r'Read until I was in cozy mode. Then I whomped my way through it in rapid fashion.
It's set in a foo-foo coffee shop in a small town where the three friends and partners are hoping that foo-foo coffee will catch on like it does in the big city. And then the murder on the very first opening day...more
It's set in a foo-foo coffee shop in a small town where the three friends and partners are hoping that foo-foo coffee will catch on like it does in the big city. And then the murder on the very first opening day...more
I decided to spring for this one (on sale via an Audible promotion) as I liked Karen Savage's narration of a similar book: Getting Sassy. This one I found a bit flat, and the coffee details became irritating after a while. Doubt I would've stuck through a print reading, but Savage is a good fit for the protagonist here, although she needs to slow it down by at least 50% ... it's as though she's trying to get the book to be as few minutes as possible for a goal!
Sep 08, 2011
Suzanne
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Suzanne by:
Book Crawl - Wisconsin
Shelves:
cozy-mysteries
Not a bad mystery. I like Cleo Coyle's coffeehouse series better. In Coyle's mysteries, I feel like I'm living and breathing coffee, and in Balzo's coffee plays a very distant role. I liked the main heroine, Maggy Thorsen, and I was actually surprised about who committed the murder. The setting and secondary characters were okay - not especially memorable.
I can't say I'd never read any more of this series, but right now I'm in the mood to get the next Coyle coffee mystery!
I can't say I'd never read any more of this series, but right now I'm in the mood to get the next Coyle coffee mystery!
Uncommon Ground is the first in a series by Sandra Balzo. The book centers on a newly separated 40-something who with friends is opening a coffee shop in a seemingly conservative, decidedly religious and mostly Republican small town. We never meet the murder victim since she dies before the book begins, so everything we discover about her character is revealed through and judged by others. Along the way, there is another murder and a series of unbelievable coincidences, so much so that the endin...more
What a fun start to this "new to me" series. Maggy Thorsen and two friends decide to open a new coffee shop in town but things get complicated when one of those partners is found dead in the shop on opening day. This is a pure beach read but it is written with humor and it's edgy enough with themes of adultery and domestic terrorism to keep it from being just another cozy. I look forward to the next adventure with Maggy. She's a hoot!
As a fan of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries, you may also want to check out Sandra Balzo’s Maggie Thorsen mysteries. Although these two cozy mystery series don’t have much directly in common, we think you’ll like that both characters are strong, smart, unique women. Start with the first in the series, Uncommon Grounds.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It was a bit hard to get into as the characters were new (first in the series) and I, as a reader, hadn't met them yet. The murder was right off the front page almost. It was a complex situation and challenged my skills as an armchair sleuth.
I look forward to the next book in the series.
I look forward to the next book in the series.
What could be worse than the electrocution death of a friend and partner on opening day? Knowing it could have been herself, Maggy Thorsen. Balzo takes Maggy down false leads, through pseudo friends and into dark secrets. I enjoyed this introduction to the series character and reading other books by Balzo.
Coffee and a mystery. Two of my favorite things! This was a nice light decaffeinated read. I prefer my coffee strong with flavor. This was not my cup of tea..er coffee. Go for it if you need something quick and non-challenging to read. With all the books on my to read list, I will not continue with this series.
Opening sentence: I was late the Monday we were scheduled to open Uncommon Grounds.
Opening sentence: I was late the Monday we were scheduled to open Uncommon Grounds.
Wisconsin author tells a murder of a friend and the foibles surrounding the ficticious town of Brookhills which is much like the Brookfield we are all so familiar with in these parts! Sandy Balso worked at the old Firstar back in the day as did I and found some of her references interesting! Was a good read!
Apr 09, 2012
Candace Davidson
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who like murder mysteries with humor
I really enjoyed the suspense and humor of this mystery book. I can't wait to read the next in the series to see if holds up to my expexctions. I prefer to read mysteries with humor. I think it makes it a better read.
Apr 09, 2009
Brenda
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
cozy mystery readers
This was a new author for me. I really enjoyed the smooth writing style. i had coffee cravings while reading this book. I was surprised who committed the murder. I plan to try and read the rest of the series.
This is a cozy mystery which reads fast and has several things going on at the same time. It is fun to see another female sleuth trying to find an answer to the death in her own coffee shop!
The murder of one partner in Maggy's new coffe house on opening day almost makes it closing day. Good cozy with small town politics, Peyton Place values and a brooding sheriff. 3.5 stars
Unexpected twists and turns. This mystery was more complex than it seemed at first. Nominated for two best mystery awards. I guessed the killer several times, eventually I got it right - sorta.
Reminded me a lot of Joan Hess' Clare Malloy books, although without all the wisecracks. (It was fairly obvious to me who the murderer was--I guessed about 25% of the way in.)
Fun book - really liked the main character and her sense of humor. Her thoughts are witty and sometimes what I might think given the circumstances. Good amateur detective!
First book in a coffee house series. Fast book to read. Good book to have with you to read on the go. I'll probably follow the series and see how the characters evolve.
Engaging read, the story builds and twists and turns without making you wonder if you got lost. Perfect for a few rainy afternoons on the sofa
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Sandra Balzo is an award-winning author of crime fiction, including nine books in two mystery series--one set outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the other in the High Country of North Carolina. MURDER ON THE ORIENT ESPRESSO, the eighth Maggy Thorsen Wisconsin coffeehouse mystery, will be released in December.
Balzo's books have garnered starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, while being recommen...more
More about Sandra Balzo...
Balzo's books have garnered starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, while being recommen...more
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