Coffee Crime (A Scotti Fitzgerald Murder Mystery #1) by Anita Rodgers

Coffee Crime (A Scotti Fitzgerald Murder Mystery #1) Reviews

• 
  Ann Jones

  Anita Rogers is an excellent author. Coffee and Crime is a fun mystery, keeping you guessing till the end! Meet Scotti Fitzgerald and Zelda Carter who have had a tough life, despite this they have goals and dreams. When all seems lost will they give up? Anita will have you laughing and shaking your head as Scotti and Zelda try to solve the crime and hold on to their dreams. Anita Rodgers is a definite read for me!
• 
  Marta

  A light-hearted Story which was just what I needed, gente-wise. The narrative can be a little cringey at times, particularly in some of the cliches linked to detective work and spy stories which the author falls into. However, I I did enjoy some of the dialogues between Scotti and Zelda, who are both sarcastic and powerful characters.
• 
  Eve Culley

  Coffee and a brownie? Yes please!
  
  
  I received a copy of Coffee & Crime as a gift and I am grateful to the giver. I have fallen in love with Scottie and her roommate Zelda. Two determined orphans who have each other's back through thick and thin. I love Zelda's jeep but the way she drives scares not only Scottie but me as well as she hauls them from work to home to wherever they are headed. Scottie's dream of being a chef who owns a diner dies with the murder of her friend and partner to be, George. Between, finding love, dodging police and bullets Scottie and Zelda are put to the test to find out who is the actual murderer. One twist and turn after another will keep the girls and their friends searching for the truth.
• 
  Bobbie

  This is the second book I've read by Anita Rodgers, and I really enjoyed it! Coffee and Crime is a refreshing and creative mystery with lots of twists and turns. It's such a good book, part thriller, and part mystery. My favorite thing about it is the main characters- Scotti Fitzgerald and Zelda Carter. Ir. I love that! Fitzgerald is one of my favorite authors, and Zelda was the name of his wife. They have big goals for achieving a better and more prosperous life, by buying the diner where Scotti works, from her boss Manny. But it seems their dreams and goals may not come to pass. This book is so funny you'll be laughing out loud, as you watch Scotti and Zelda investigate the crime while trying to hold onto their dreams. It seems that this is just the first book in this series featuring Scotti Fitzgerald and her friend Zelda Carter. I can't wait to read the others. Check it out for an entertaining read!
• 
  P.S. Winn

  I enjoyed this quirky mystery written with a touch of humor. Because of the author's flowing writing style the over four hundred page book feels much shorter. Scotti Fitzgerald is a lady I'd like to meet. Right now, she is a waitress and chef at a restaurant. She would love to own the place, and thinks she might have a backer. the the worst happens, that man is found dead. A mysterious letter found in a briefcase sends Scotti on an adventure to uncover a mysterious death and a likely murder. The story is fun with some great twists and readers are going to love this story.
• 
  Bobbie

  This is the second book I've read by Anita Rodgers, and I really enjoyed it! Coffee and Crime is a refreshing and creative mystery with lots of twists and turns. The main characters are Scotti Fitzgerald and Zelda Carter. I love that! Fitzgerald is one of my favorite authors, and Zelda was the name of his wife. They have big goals for achieving a better and more prosperous life, by buying the diner where Scotti works as food server from her boss Manny. But it seems their dreams and goals may not come to pass. This book is so funny you'll be laughing out loud, as you watch Scotti and Zelda investigate the crime while trying to hold onto their dreams. It seems that this is just the first book in this series featuring Scotti Fitzgerald and her friend Zelda Carter. I can't wait to read the others. Check it out for an entertaining read!
• 
  Carolyn Breckinridge

  Anita Rodgers was a new author to me and I'm delighted to have found her. This first in a series of three, 'Coffee & Crime,' is a smoothly written, page-turning mystery/romance featuring an independent-minded waitress (Scotti) and her best friend, who has been by her side since their days in the foster care system. The strengths of Ms. Rodgers' female characters are appealing, as is the strong relationship between these best friends, and their flaws are realistic. I also appreciate the novel's short chapters which enticed me to read just one more, and one more, and one more before putting the book down for the night. This book is a fun read with a well-conceived mystery that kept me guessing until the end. The romantic element is sweet, but not overly-so, as Scotti is not one to trust males quickly. My only constructive suggestion would be a final independent edit to catch the remaining typos, but they do not interfere with the book's five-star rating. This is an entertaining novel for all mystery lovers and I'm anxious to read everything Ms. Rodgers has written.
• 
  thetbrhoarder

  I got my copy through Voracious Reads and I’m so glad I signed up this website.
  
  It definitely took me a few chapters to find it binge worthy, normally I’d have given up but reading other people’s reviews made me want to carry on and give it a fair chance. I’m glad I did! There’s lots of twists and a lot of moments I actually said, out loud, ‘what are they playing at?’. This is the first book in a long time that I’ve finished within 24 hours. By the time I was halfway through it I didn’t want to put it down, which was hard especially with having a 3 month old! It took a while for me to find the characters likeable, especially Zelda and Ted. I just didn’t trust Ted, I thought he was in on the whole thing. The writing style makes it a quick and easy read to follow and even by 70% I was wondering how Anita was going to tie everything up. I hoped it wouldn’t be rushed and although it’s only the last few chapters when you find out what really happened it doesn’t feel like this. I’d definitely recommend to a friend and I look forward to reading more of Anitas books in the future.
• 
  Maggie L.

  Coffee & Crime is a fun and intriguing murder mystery. It is engaging and made for a quick read despite the 400+ page count. I enjoyed most of the characters, and it's always nice to see decently well rounded female characters. The mystery is well written, and fun to solve along with the main character. I did receive an advance review copy of the ebook, so there were a handful of typos and formatting errors that a quick edit would solve.
  
  My one big issue with this book is the romance. Yet again, we have a lying, controlling, manipulative man the woman has just met suddenly trying to run her life out of "concern" and "love". That's not romantic, it's a red flag. I want to see Scotti with a man that presumes competence and doesn't put trackers on her car to stalk her halfway across California.
• 
  Lisa Walker

  This book in the first in a series. Scotti and Zelda are waitresses in a diner who get involved in solving a murder. In many ways, this is your typical cozy (amateur detectives, a little zaniness, a little romance) but for me it went beyond the constraints of the genre with fully developed characters, some real mystery about what was going on, and above average writing. A few typos, but nothing too distracting. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  Emily

  If you're looking for a fun and entertaining story to read, then check out Coffee & Crime. I enjoyed the murder mystery and found myself trying to figure out the case alongside the characters and hoping for the best outcome. The story provides some twists and turns, but not too many so that you're confused or annoyed, although there were moments that I found myself irritated by certain character's personalities and dialogue, however that also happens in life😆 Overall the book provides an entertaining murder mystery.
• 
  Don Alesi

  If a book could cause you to gain weight and be highly entertained, then Coffee and Crime is for you. This is a not so typical crime story about two waitresses, Scotti and Zelda and who try to find out who murdered Scotti's friend. When the two are not playing amateur detectives, the two are baking pies, cakes, and other assorted goodies for the diner that Scottie want's to buy. There is also some light hearted romance involved.
  
  I really enjoyed this fast paced and fun to read book. The only problem was that every time I put it down I was hungry and looking for some pie, cake and coffee. A great read but you might want to avoid the brownies.:)
  
• 
  Lisa Denn

  Looking for a great cozy mystery to read featuring great characters and a challenging to solve mystery? Look no further than Coffee & Crime by Anita Rodgers!
  
  Dynamic duo slueths Scotti and Zelda and their helpful cohorts, bring Rodgers' awesome story - crime included - to life from cover to cover!
  
  While Scotti and Zelda are running around gathering clues and evidence Rodgers takes time out on a few occasions to show readers a more personal peek into the history and relationship the girls share. A definite added bonus to me as most serial cozy mysteries don't focus on character development as much in their intial books.
  
  Having received, read and enjoyed an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Coffee & Crime, I strongly suggest adding Coffee & Crime to your reading list! Highly recommend.
• 
  G.P Gottlieb

  Well written, highly charged, and clever - nice job, Anita Rodgers. I randomly stumbled upon Scotti Fitzgerald in my quest to find a charming new mystery series. I'd have LOVED these characters back in my twenties, but now I look at their struggle to find themselves, choose life partners, and live their lives....and I sigh with relief. What a fun read though - looking forward to reading more of the series!
• 
  Gabrielle

  This was a decent book. I wasn't hooked, but it was a good read. I loved the main character, Scottie. However, there were parts of the plot I wasn't a huge fan of. All in all I'd recommend it to friends that need a good book.
  
  I received Coffee & Crime free from Voracious Readers Only.
• 
  Belle McKenzie

  This is an enjoyable, light read with a touch of humour, an interesting plot and main 2 characters.
  
  Unfortunately, I can't quite justify a 4 star rating. I found most of the other characters very one dimensional and predictable, in some cases painfully so, and found aspects of the story hard to believe or unexplained. I also did not appreciate the romantic aspect of the book, finding Ted to be one of the aforementioned one dimensional characters and also very controlling (I was shocked he hung around after how Scotti treated him earlier on, and to be honest think it's inappropriate he did).
  
  In saying that, it is a fun read, I love the dynamic of Scotti and Zelda, was intrigued by the plot and loved the humour, and can certainly understand how it is likened to Stephanie Plum!
  
  I recieved a free copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only.
• 
  Angelique

  This story pulled me in
  
  I do not normally read mysteries. However, once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. For one who doesn’t read this genre, it was great,
• 
  Sonia

  I struggle a bit with this review, because I liked the book, but there were some logic and plot holes. Some logic issues were simple things, like they usually spend a whole weekend baking for the diner, but this weekend they stopped halfway through Saturday but somehow still magically had enough desserts for the diner. Where did the rest of the pies, etc. come from?
  And Scotti is supposed to be independent and hesitant to form attachments, and Zelda too, but somehow with Joe suddenly they’re completely comfortable and he’s like a grandfather and they were cuddling up with him and take him to the hospital and leaning on his shoulder… Huh? And apparently there’s no one else in Joe’s life, so these two people he just met are visiting him and taking him home from the hospital? And where was Eric and all of this?
  And why would Ted stick around? For the first while, Scotti is just mean to him. This girl needs to learn how to communicate like an adult!
  Other things aren’t explained either, like how she has $60,000 in her bank account when she works as a waitress and has struggled all her life. And how could she afford to renovate the kitchen?
  Overall, there are things that make it hard to believe.
  And the only two characters that were somewhat believable were Scotti and Zelda. Manny seemed just odd, and the rest of the characters just seemed so artificial. Maybe because they had no depth. They seemed like cardboard cut outs.
  And yet I still enjoyed the story, it was a fun, light read, and I was genuinely curious to see how it would turn out.