11:15 PM: After a long day, I lock up the coffeehouse, climb the stairs to my cozy apartment, and hit the sack.
1:30 AM: A buzzing enters my ear. A mosquito? A bee? No. Something more annoying. My ex-husband. I pick up my vibrating phone.
“You awake?” Matt asks.
“I am now.”
New York is the city that never sleeps. When Matt Allegro is in town, neither do I. While he’s no longer my partner in marriage, Matt has been a good partner in this landmark coffee business, and I can’t deny he’s one of the best bean hunters in the trade. But with all his globetrotting, time zones are a challenge.
“This may feel like morning to you,” I tell him, “but it’s the middle of the night for me.”
“Sorry,” he says. “But I just saw my mother in the back of a cab canoodling with some silver-haired Casanova!”
“He’s not a Cassanova. He’s a retired Navy officer and NASA mission specialist.”
“Mother is dating an astronaut?”
“Yes, and if you wake me up again, I’ll send you into space!”
5:55 AM: I stumble downstairs to sign for our bakery delivery and start a fire in the hearth to warm our charming, century-old shop. As I sip a velvety Vienna Roast, I make my first managerial decision of the day: Glazed Blueberry Scone or fresh-baked Cannoli Cupcake? Easy, I’ll eat both.
6:30 AM: My day shift arrives. While urban poet Esther appears groggy, her roommate, former farm girl Nancy, looks bright eyed. It seems Esther was up half the night preparing for a slam poetry competition. To avoid mistakes—and possible bankruptcy—I put Nancy on the register and sleepy Esther on pastry fulfillment.
1:40 PM: Matt’s octogenarian mother, my beloved mentor, and longtime owner of this historic shop drops in to sample our new Butterscotch Latte and ask when her granddaughter is coming for a visit.
“Soon,” I say since my daughter’s mad chef skills are currently at work managing our second shop in D.C. “Shall we have a girls’ night out?”
“Absolutely. Between my son’s overprotective streak and my latest beau’s persistent attentions, I need a break from the men in my life!”
3:30 PM: My evening team arrives. While I head to the basement to roast coffee, baristas Tucker and Dante attempt one of the most courageous tasks in all of retail: serving an endless line of caffeine-deprived New Yorkers.
6:45 PM: My fiancé, NYPD Detective Lieutenant Mike Quinn, drags in looking troubled.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“A new designer drug has hit the Village,” he says, “and my squad has no idea how it’s being distributed.”
After years catching career criminals, my narcotics expert boyfriend often goes for the usual suspects. But I know this neighborhood in a way he doesn’t, and not all crimes are usual.
“Let’s talk over dinner,” I say. “Shall I cook?”
“No, I’m treating you to the Lasagna Flight at La Lanterna. I’ve got a stakeout later, so I can’t stay long, but I can spoil my bride-to-be with some beautiful carb love.”
“I knew there was a reason I agreed to marry you.”
11:15 PM: Exhausted, my head hits the pillow, praying Matt is in another time zone.
EAT, DRINK, AND GET BURIED
Series: A Coffeehouse Mystery, Book 22
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: September 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
When the Village Blend caters a glittering rooftop party, their creative coffee concoctions are eclipsed by a shocking murder in this thrilling new Coffeehouse Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.
Years ago, when master roaster Clare Cosi was a newly divorced mom raising her daughter, Joy, Ava Welsh became Joy’s best friend. Now the painfully shy girl next door has grown into a successful New York businesswoman, and Clare is delighted to be catering Ava’s coffee-themed party, especially when her boyfriend, Ryan, confides his plan to propose that very night.
Then a scream shatters the celebration. A woman is thrown off the balcony to her death, and Ryan—who abruptly flees the party—is accused of murder. Clare vows to help Ava clear his name.
Her digging uncovers suspicious connections to a deadly event from which a teenaged Joy and Ava barely escaped with their lives. The stakes rise ever higher as a ruthless killer attempts to keep the ugly truth buried—even if it means sending Clare and her caffeinated crew six feet under.
Includes a menu of party-ready recipes!
About the author
CLEO COYLE (www.coffeehousemystery.com) 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 gained an enthusiastic following. Their long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series will celebrate its 22nd entry this fall with the publication of EAT, DRINK, AND GET BURIED, along with THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN, an exciting new adventure in Cleo’s beloved “Haunted Bookshop” world, also releasing this fall. Cleo’s novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus; received Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc have also created bestselling tie-in properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or wrangling their rescued stray cats, they write, cook like crazy, and drink a lot of java.