Live and Let Grind by Tara Lush

Series Name: Coffee Lover’s Mystery #3
Genre: Cozy
Release: October 11, 2022

Devil’s Beach is percolating with a hot murder case, and reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis could be the next to get beaned in Tara Lush’s third Coffee Lover’s mystery, perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette.

Laid-off journalist Lana Lewis is thriving as the proprietor of Perkatory, a coffee shop on quirky Devil’s Beach island, Florida. She’s juggling a relationship with police chief Noah Garcia, enjoying the company of her best friend, Erica, and relishing the companionship of her golden Shih Tzu, Stanley. Only problem is her neighbor, Gus, who incessantly uses his leaf blower, disturbing everyone in the neighborhood. Lana has learned to tune it out, but Erica’s rage boils over and she confronts Gus.

Then Gus is found dead, killed when his leaf blower explodes. Erica immediately becomes suspect number one. But there are plenty of other candidates as well: Gus’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Honey Bailey, who thinks she’ll be written out of his will; Mickey Dotson and Doug Beck, who were scalded financially after purchasing a pirate-themed tourist cruise business from Gus; and plenty of angry neighbors who’ve had run-ins with him.

As the clock ticks down will Lana get someone to spill the beans on the killer so she can clear her friend’s name, or will Erica go to jail for a crime she didn’t commit?

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Dru’s Short Musing:
A coffee-house, the Florida landscape, and an ex-journalist along with an eclectic group of friends makes for a great read. When Lana’s neighbor is murdered, her best friend becomes the prime suspects and when they team up to solve this case, that is when the fun begins.

In this tightly woven whodunit, the author leads the reader into an investigation where everything is out in the open, where we have to put the pieces together amidst the clues that are splashed across the pages. The author did a great job in staging this mystery with the perfect blend of intrigue and humor. The characters are a delightful bunch and I like the camaraderie between them and those that they encounter in the daily living and their search for the person responsible for the nefarious misdeed. With visually descriptive narrative and engaging dialogue, I felt like I was part of the action, helping the gang solve this case. I love the pacing which was on par with how well this story was being told. Overall, this was a fun book and I look forward to more adventure with Lana, Erica, Noah, her dad and their friends.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the author.