Lana Lewis returns in this sequel to Grounds for Murder and splits her time between fixing her cold brew batches and returning to her journalistic roots. There was a lot going on in this book...perhaps a bit too much....but not a bad second outing. This would be a good beach with its zany characters and lighthearted touch.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for access to an arc on NetGalley.

This second book in the Coffee Lover's Mystery series is a solid Florida beach town cozy. For me, it was slow starting but, once I got into the story featuring former Miami newspaper crime reporter, Lana Lewis, now running the town's coffee shop and moonlighting as a reporter, I absolutely loved it.

Interesting plot. Great characters. The single most hilarious cozy mystery scene I've ever read (no spoilers from me as to what that might be).

Very enjoyable and it made me want to read more from this author.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )

Lana Lewis is adjusting to her life as the proprietor of Perkatory in her home town of Devil's Beach, Florida, after a divorce and being downsized from her job as a Miami crime reporter. The town is filled with quirky characters including her own father and Lana, herself.

Everyone is into yoga. When the hot, latest yoga sensation Raina Rose Romero goes missing, it brings back memories to Lana of the disappearance of her friend Gisela when both were young teens. Gisela's case is still unsolved. Lana begins to investigate Raina's disappearance in the hopes of a better outcome.

Lana is asked by the local newspaper editor Mike to write a freelance story about the case. Lana jumps at the chance because she misses her former career. She begins investigating to find out that Raina had as many enemies as admirers. She and her live-in boyfriend Kai seemed to be having constant arguments. She was playing up to Shawn who was almost stalker-ish. Some of her clients called her "emotionally manipulative" while others thought she was the next best thing to sliced bread.

Raina's devotion to growing her brand led her to borrowing money from lots of people including some of her students, and making enemies among the other yoga teachers on the island.

While trying to investigate Raina's disappearance and later her murder, Lana also has to keep her coffee shop going. She's having some trouble with her new cold brew coffee creation that is causing customer complaints and baffling Lana. Lana is also busy with her newly adopted Shih Tzu puppy Stanley and trying to fit in Puppy Kindergarten classes with him.

Lana and the new Police Chief Noah Garcia are also trying to find time to date. But Raina's case and Lana's need to keep her business going while sleuthing make it hard for them to find time to spend together.

I enjoyed the Florida setting and loved Lana's character. She was nicely quirky, inquisitive, and opposed to sweating in the various yoga classes.

Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this story. ( )

Lana Lewis returned home to Devil's Beach, Florida from Miami, when she lost her job at a newspaper and her marriage fell apart. She's taken over running her late mother's coffee shop, Perkatory, since her father isn't really interested. But she misses journalism, so when a local yoga shop owner goes missing, she can't help but be nosy, and when the editor of the local newspaper asks her to do a story, she jumps right in.

But with a new relationship beginning to bloom between her and the police chief, Noah Garcia, Lana has to be careful not to involve him in her own investigation. Which isn't going to be easy, but Lana is determined to ask as many questions as she needs to in order to find out what happened to the yogi. Unfortunately, it seems that someone doesn't want her probing too deep and is going to keep her out of the way, even if that means permanently...

This is the second book in the series, and I do like the fact that it picks up right where the first book left off. So little stories do that, with months going in between and an entire new story beginning. This was the first pleasant surprise.

I will tell you that if you don't love coffee (which I do) you might find the descriptions of Lana making her cold brew tedious, but I did not. I love coffee in all its forms, so this was of interest to me. Aside from that, the tale is entertaining right from the beginning, and we have Lana deciding that she's going to put little Stanley in puppy training, and work at the coffee house, determined to make a life for herself. But when this story comes her way, she can't resist. Goading her on is her barista Erica, who's just as interested, and Lana is off and running.

The suspects are plenty, from her boyfriend, an admirer, her instructors, and even students, it seems there is more to the yogi than anyone knew. As Lana probes deeper, she finds that the woman wasn't everything she appeared, and made more enemies than friends. But she knows that one of these people is a killer, if she can just figure out which one.

The tale is entertaining enough for me to have read it in one sitting. It has enough action to want you to keep reading, and the characters are beginning to grow on me. I do like Lana, Erica, and Noah; and I'm even liking Lana's father a bit more, since he isn't high all the time. (Sorry, but as I stated before, I'm biased as to the fact of what a wonderful father I had, who was an adult and became both parents after my mother's passing, but I really didn't allow this to color my review if you notice by the rating). At any rate, he's more likable in this book and seems more human. Just my opinion.

I enjoyed the narrative quite a bit, getting involved with the story line and following it through to the ending. The clues to the murderer were all there, but even though I figured it out before Lana (I read a lot of mysteries), it was still quite pleasant to read to the end. The climax was especially engaging, as I didn't expect it at all.

Of course, there was the romantic aspect interspersed throughout the book, and while some might think it was over the top, it worked in this book, although it might not in another. In the end, everything came together nicely, and gives us something to look forward to in the next book, which I also am awaiting eagerly. Recommended. ( )

journalist, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery, family, Florida, friendship, island-life, coffee, small-business, small-town, pets, romantic, relationships*****

After working the crime beat for a paper in Miami, Lana got laid off (like too many journalists) and came home to the family businesses in Devil's Beach, Florida, especially the Perkatory Cafe and free-lancing for the local rag. She also carries the baggage of a slimy ex-husband, but is tenatively beginning a new venture with the new town police chief. One of the tenants in the family's building is a very unusual yoga instructor who is about the same age, but goes missing (just like Lana's friend in high school). But this time the missing woman is found dead in the swamp. Add in some shady suspects, politicians, multiple law enforcement agencies, red herrings, a puppy in need of schooling, and some really interesting plot twists, and you have this high caffeine cozy! Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )