On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mystery, #1) in Around the World in 80 Books

Sep 24, 2007 Pam rated it really liked it

TITLE/AUTHOR: ON WHAT GROUNDS by Cleo Coyle
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery, 2003, 270 pgs
TIME/PLACE: Present, NYC
CHARACTERS: Claire Cosi/manager of Village Blend;
Matteo Allegro/coffee buyer & ex-husband
COMMENTS: 1st in coffehouse mystery series. Claire
moves from NJ to resume her former job as manager
of the Village Blend. She finds, Annabelle, the asst
mngr, at the bottom of the stairs. Police are presuming
an accident but Claire thinks otherwise. Nice feel for
NYC & lots of bits abou ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 28, 2011 jennifer rated it it was ok

When coffee shop employee Annabelle falls down a flight of stairs at work one night and becomes comatose, the police think that it was probably an accident. But shop manager Clare thinks that Annabelle was pushed and begins looking for suspects. Annabelle knew quite a few people who would gain from her death- jealous rivals and a wealthy boyfriend who may not want a poor girlfriend anymore.

I expected this to be a fluff mystery, but though the crime takes place on the first pages, it doesn't beco ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 13, 2022 alana rated it liked it

Super cringe stereotypes and the level of mystery I'd have appreciated more as a kid but I do enjoy the ridiculous and copious inclusion of the variety of ways coffee can be brewed and dressed. ...more

Like · see review

Feb 11, 2022 Karen rated it really liked it

This is a re-read for me. I think I read it when it first came out. I liked it just as much this time around. I must say, you need to like coffee to really enjoy this series.

Like · see review

Apr 05, 2018 Rachel N. rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, series, play-book-tag, new-york-city, new-york, read-in-2018, coffee

Clare Cosi returns to new York City to manage the coffee shop The Blend. On the day of her move she finds her assistant manager, Annabelle, collapsed at the bottom of the service stairs. The police can't prove the fall wasn't an accident. Clare is convinced Annabelle was shoved, because Annabelle was a dancer and could therefore never trip, and she takes on her own investigation with the police officers permission. The setup is totally unbelievable and the author dumps tons of random facts about ...more

Like · see review

Jun 25, 2008 Suzanne rated it liked it

Shelves: cozy-mysteries

Very cute cozy series. All the coffee lore and tips blended well with some very likeable characters and a good plot. I'll have to check out more of these. ...more

Like · see review