Death by French Roast (A Bookstore Cafe Mystery #8) by Alex Erickson

Death by French Roast (A Bookstore Cafe Mystery #8) Reviews

• 
  Cookie M.

  This gets two stars because I managed to stick with it until the end before realizing I didn't care who dunnit. I don't know whether that says something almost good about the author or something bad and lazy about me.
  I need to engage with someone in the story, the hero, the victim, some peripheral characters. The main character is too formulaic, the victim was killed many years ago and most of the side characters were stock cranky old men.
  Not a winner for me.
  
  I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Mary

  This is the 8th installment in the Bookstore Café Mystery Series. I have not read all in the series but was able to enjoy and follow along with no issues. Krissy Hancock agrees to help clear out the house of her next-door neighbor she is surprised to learn that the woman’s brother Wade was killed years back and the case was never solved. She is asked to look into the case by her neighbor’s daughter and although she was not fond of her cranky neighbor, she does feel justice should be found for her brother. She learns that Wade dated her friend Rita who is part of her book group and back then given the age difference that was not really liked. Digging up gossip from thirty years ago is hard but when a friend of Wade’s wants to help and then he ends up dead. Liked the cold case aspect and this a good solid mystery. I need to go back and pick up the other books in this series that I have not read. Definitely enjoyed this one.
• 
  terpkristin

  It started with a death too close to home and ended with extra murder. I enjoyed it well enough.
• 
  Nanda Schellingerhout

  I usually don't really write a lot of reviews but almost no other reviews mention the fact that the murder victim was a groomer!
  Nobody in the book seems to care and the way the author writes about it, I have to assume he doesn't care either.
  
  "She was eighteen, I believe (...) I know for a fact that Wade wouldn't have dated her if she wasn't legal."
  
  
  This man was in his 30s and was in a so called 'relationship' with an 18 years old high school student when he got murdered. It wasn't like they had just met and went on a few dates. It's talked about by multiple of the characters that it was a very serious 'relationship'. Even the girl herself 30 years after the murder says:
  
  "What people didn't understand back then was that Wade and I didn't just up and decide we loved each other one day. It was a slow process. We started as friends, and the relationship grew out of that. This wasn't a fling for either of us."
  
  Yes so he groomed her. And it started when she was a lot younger than 18.
  
  
  The book does mention that Wade got harassed because of this 'relationship' but so was the girl. Not because it was wrong but just because people didn't like the look of it.
  
  "The girl was treated just a horribly, if not more so. (...) School had to have been a nightmare for her."
  
  The book describes characters that were against against the relationship as people with prejudices, people who didn't understand. I think the author doesn't understand..
  
  I was hoping maybe it would get better and people would start acknowledging what was going on but it just kept getting worse. After this quote almost halfway in I gave up because now I can clearly see the author is just as clueless as his characters
  
  "It did make me wonder if Rita and Jane had it wrong and Wade really was a bad man. He had decided to date a woman much younger than him, who was likely just out of school, if not still in it at the time. That didn't make him a bad person outright"
  
  Come on!! You were so close, very disappointing.
  
  My then 16 year old little sister gave me this book because of the cute cat on the cover and I can only be glad she didn't read it herself because the book really makes it sound like they had some sort of epic love story. If I was that age while reading this I would have believed it.
• 
  Melbeautyandbooks

  A 30 something grown MAN “dating” a high school teenage GIRL. No. The people that are against this are prejudiced?! Again no. But they were friends first- still No. This was the worst of the series. I won’t be continuing.
• 
  The Cozy Review

  It takes a certain amount of stubbornness and ego to be an amateur sleuth; Krissy doesn’t lack either. In the latest in the “A Bookstore Cafe Mystery” series, Death by French Roast, Krissy is trying to solve a cold case. Mainly because her disagreeable neighbor died, and she is feeling a bit guilty after finding out why the old lady was such a cantankerous person. As always, Krissy’s need to solve the crime takes over from common sense, and she dives deep into the past to track down a killer.
  
  I enjoy this series and have from the beginning, but I have to admit, Krissy takes some getting used to. The constant lack of normal human caution wears on a reader after a while. Her need to outdo the police, her own boyfriend, included, makes the story too predictable, which really needs to be addressed. I would love to see her use some slight caution in the next book to make her more human and less egotistical. I would also like to see the bookstore and cafe play a more significant role in the plot than it did in this latest addition.
  
  There are quite a few suspects, and the premise is interesting. I enjoy cozies that have a cold case involved, and this one did not disappoint. There are plenty of twists and turns, and the evidence is there; it just takes some work to find it. Most of the repeating characters are still here, but there wasn’t enough Vicki for my tastes. As mentioned earlier, I would like to have the bookstore/cafe play a more prominent role. If I were a new reader picking up this book, I would not have realized that Krissy even had a job, much less ran a business.
  
  Of course, Krissy finds the killer, and many readers will be surprised by who it turns out to be. The motive may cause some readers a moment or two of disquiet. Overall this was an easy to read story, well written and fast-paced. Hopefully, we will see more of the bookstore and cafe and less ego in the next addition.
  
• 
  Kirsti

  Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!
  
  Ah, the smell of a fresh book in this series! Just kidding, but the premise of books, cats and coffee always lures me in. I do like when a mystery is a bit older too, and the sleuth has to go back and interview and chase down decades old clues to solve it. I like Krissy as a character too, and that she feels like she has to help out. She does it for two people really, Rita and her old neighbour, and in that deceptive cozy sleuth way, finally uncovers the truth.
  
  This is another series that can be read out of order, but you get a greater appreciation for the characters if you've known them from the beginning. Cozy mystery charms you in and then keeps you guessing until the final page, and this one definitely did. A really great book, five stars!
• 
  Valerie

  This is a fantastic book. Alex Erickson has a knack for spinning an interesting story. Enjoy.,
• 
  Deanne Patterson

  Death by French Roast was a quick read and it held my attention.
  The pacing was very good and the author makes the story come alive for us.
  I felt as though I was there with Krissy as she discovers while helping a friend clean out her late mother's house that while the deceased died peacefully at an advanced age her brother had not.
  30 years ago the romance of Wade and Rita was the talk of the town and many did not approve of it because of the large age difference between the couple. It caused quite a scandal.
  Everyone had an opinion about it.
  When Krissy starts exhuming things that many think are better left alone will she be able to get anyone to spill the beans?
  Bringing to life a cold case of 30 years many not be in her best interest as clues start piling up some may just go to great lengths to shut her down.
  I really had no idea who did it because as Krissy starts talking to people it seemed as though many had past vendettas against Wade and would have been the perfect suspect for the crime.
  From the former friends to the old coffee shop buddies to the many others who knew him casually or just had an opinion about the age difference in the romance will Krissy solve the whodunit?
  
  Pub Date 27 Oct 2020
  I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
  All opinions expressed are my own.
• 
  Lori

  Krissy learns her friend's brother died thirty years earlier under suspicious circumstances and that the case had never been resolved. She can't resist trying her hand at a dead case. Although warned by the current police chief and her boyfriend (an officer who happens to be the chief's son) about getting involved, she feels she needs to do it. She interviews the deceased's friends and the former officer who investigated it. It took me half the book to get into the story. I suspect that may be my fault for jumping in at book eight instead of starting with the first in the series. Once the tension built, and I became more familiar with the characters, I enjoyed the mystery. I'm not sure why so many cozy writers feel compelled to include a touch of romance in their books. I prefer some of the older ones that realized their audience consisted of mystery fans rather than romance readers.
• 
  Annu

  I have been reading a lot of books out of order lately. However, this book can be read as stand-alone as like all other mysteries. But reading it in order would be a better idea. Nevertheless, it wasn't that hard to get into this book. What better way to spend a couple of hours than in the midst of coffee and a book. In this book, we come across a cold case that Krissy is drawn into from years ago, which was never solved. The murder victim had dated Krissy's neighbor, Rita. As usual, the mystery was great. Krissy was quite a likeable character. I've had the first book sitting on my shelf for a long time now and I feel the urge to pick that one up.
  My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book.
• 
  Maria

  I did not like this series when I first started reading them. The last few have either gotten better or I'm not completely paying attention when I listen to them because they don't seem as bad as the first few. That being said, there were still a few things in this book that annoyed me, the worst of which she always puts herself in harm's way because she's the only one who can solve the murder or so she thinks. Will I read/listen to the next one? Probably, since it's available through my library and I listen at work so it makes the day go faster. Will I spend money on this series? Nope unless things change. Do I hope some of the TSTL moments go away? Absolutely.
• 
  Toni

  4.5 stars
  
  This is the eighth book in the Death By Coffee series by Alex Erickson.
  
  I am totally addicted to this series. I have read every book since the series started.
  
  When Krissy’s noisy neighbor dies unexpectedly, she learns of a relative who died under unusual circumstances… a murder that was never solved. Krissy decides to dig into this mystery in memory of Eleanor.
  
  Considering how involved Rita was in the background of this story, I am surprised she wasn’t more involved in the story itself. Rita is usually a thorn in Krissy��s side for most o the book but this time, she was strangely silent. I almost wished she had been more involved in some way.
  
  Great mystery. I liked how the author used this circumstance to pull Paul and Krissy closer together. Krissy’s questioning of some of the older residents of town wasn’t taken as well as she had hoped and she found herself in dangerous circumstances more than once in this story.
  
  This is definitely a series I recommend to anyone. But start at the beginning and get all the background. It is more fun that way. You can certainly read this as a standalone if you must.
  
  If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.
  
  I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
• 
  Bridget

  Death by French Roast is the 8th book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series by Alex Erickson.
  
  This was my 1st foray into the series. Although it was book eight, I had no difficulties keeping up with characters and events and it worked for me as an individual story. It was a very entertaining read with snippets of humour and romance. Krissy Hancock, owner of 'Death by Coffee' - a bookshop/ café - was a marvellous protagonist whom I found to be caring and determined. Set in Pine Hills, Ohio, Death by French Roast was well-crafted, nippily-paced and thoroughly entertaining. The mystery was very engaging with its red herrings and misdirections and I was kept guessing until the end of this compelling yarn. I’m delighted I've read an instalment from this series even if it wasn't book one! There are quite a few instalments to catch up on and I can’t wait to meet Krissy in Pine Hills again. Very highly recommended.
  
  I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
• 
  Cozy Reviews

  This is the 8th book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series by popular cozy author Alex Erickson. I have read and loved the entire series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.
  
  Our intripd protagnist Krissy is back and generously helping a good friend clean our her deceased Mother's home. While sorting she finds out the women had a Brother that died mysteriously and the case was never solved. When she discovers he was dating a member of her book group at the time, she begins to ask questions and soon is finding out clues and gossip that leads her into many directions. True to her nature as a sleuth she digs through years of information on the victim until she finds the answers she was seeking.
  
  This was a interesting viewpoint for Krissy of a cold case that involves those she is close to. I enjoyed this next in series and was fascinated by the sleuth. i read it through in one sitting as I do all of the author's books. This next in series can be read as a stand alone. I highly recommend this next in series. Review cross posted.
  
• 
  Mallory

  This was a cozy mystery with a nice twist of a cold crime. I really enjoyed the mystery and it kept me interested and glued to the pages. I haven’t read all of the others in this series, but I will be looking them up now as this amateur sleuth was a fun character and I was left wanting more from Krissy and her cat Misfit. Chrissy’s neighbor passes away and her daughter mentions how much it bothered her mother that her brother’s murder was never solved. Krissy offers to try to solve the mystery and fun cozy chaos ensues. Solving a 30 plus year old murder comes with hurdles like people no longer available to interview or who are losing their memories but Krissy is persistent.
• 
  Lisa Currier

  Wow! A cold case murder, a town full of secrets, and the unexpected death of Krissy’s next door neighbor sets the scene for Death by French Roast.
  I’ve come to really enjoy these books, and the cold case really intrigued me.
  I found the story to be well written and thought out, but it still has that cozy feel to it. Krissy is beginning to grow on me, and I like how her character is evolving.
  I can’t wait to see what happens next in this fun series.
• 
  Patty

  Death by French Roast by Alex Erickson is the 8th book in the Bookstore Cafe series and another fun addition. Krissy Hancock and her best friend,Vicki Patterson, own Death by Coffee which is a coffee shop and bookstore combined. Krissy offers to help clean out a neighbors home, after she passes away. While helping she finds out that her neighbor's brother was murdered thirty years ago, and the case was never solved. Krissy, being Krissy, just can't leave it alone, she must solve the case. I really enjoy this fun series, and it was nice to see some of the quirky characters again. There are suspects around every corner, that kept me reading page after page until I was finished with the book. The plot and characters were well developed, along with some romance. If you love humorous cozy mysteries, my favorite, I highly recommend this book/series. 
  I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
• 
  D. Wickles

  This is the first cozy mystery I've read by Alex Erickson but it won't be the last. I'm going to go back to the first one and start at the beginning to follow Krissy Hancock in her part-time sleuthing career. In Death by French Roast Krissy digs into an old unsolved murder which begins to make some town folk a little edge. Would definitely recommend to anyone.
• 
  Alex Knipp

  Solid cozy with a great narrator! I was disappointed that the reader wasn’t given the *only* clues that identified the culprit until the last chapter because then the reader couldn’t be an armchair sleuth.
• 
  vicinthemeadow

  Definitely my least favourite in the series so far. Investigating a decades old murder was just interviewing grumpy boring old farts.
• 
  G

  3 stars ⭐️
  This took quite a while for me to read. I've had it for a little over 3 weeks, and I took multiple breaks from reading this. It was okay for a mystery book, enough to keep me reading till the end, but not enough to get me to the edge of my seat, hoping for what's next. Great for a filler book though.
• 
  Faythe Shattuck

  Krissy's helping a friend clean out her late mother's house when she learns that although the deceased died peacefully at an advanced age, her brother did not. In fact, Wade was killed more than thirty years ago, and the case was never closed. What surprises Krissy even more is that she has a personal connection to the story her friend Rita was seeing Wade at the time, scandalizing the town with the couple's large age difference.
  
  With an older Rita now part of Krissy's writing group and another member with police experience she starts digging up gossip, talking to the victim's local coffee klatsch, and trying to find real clues amid the old rumors. But things just seem to grow muddier as she fights to identify whodunit
  
  The author gives us a mystery that has plenty of suspects who don't want the past to drudged up, lots of clues, some red herrings, twists, and turns that will have you guessing who the culprit is right up until the big reveal. The characters are well written, well developed, and full their own personalities which makes them seem very lifelike. The author does a nice job of describing the characters and all the places in town so you can picture what the characters and places look like.
  
  Overall I enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed all the other books in the series. The only thing that I didn't like was all the same things about the past being repeated over and over again, it got very annoying after the first couple of times. I look forward to reading Death By Hot apple Cider to see what kind of mystery Krissy finds herself involved in.
  
  I received an ARC of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley for my honest review.
• 
  Carla

  Death by French Roast if the 8th book in A Bookstore Cafe Mystery series. I enjoy visiting with Krissy Hancock, who runs a bookstore-cafe in Pine Hills, Ohio along with her friends. This one was a bit different as it is a cold case. Krissy's cantankerous and crotchety neighbor has passed away and she offers to help her daughter clean out her home. While talking she finds out that her neighbor's brother, Wade, died mysteriously 30 years before and not only was the case never solved, but the police didn't seem to anxious to catch his killer. When she finds out that Rita, a member of her book club, dated Wade, she decides to try and find justice for him.
  
  This is my least favorite book in this series. The investigation involves a lot of questioning and information gathering that was not all that exciting. When a friend of Wade's steps up to help and ends up dead, the story picked up. Who wanted to keep Wade's death buried? This one was a bit predictable, with Krissy taking chances, trying to solve something that the police could not, and even keeping secrets from her boyfriend, a present day officer. There are quite a few suspects, and some red herrings to keep the story interesting. There are several twists and turns, and the evidence is there, if you dig and follow the clues. As this is a cold case, the bookstore cafe is not in this one much, so I missed some of the characters participation from previous books. Overall this was an okay read for me.
• 
  Roxann

  From the cover: Krissy's helping a friend clean out her late mother's house when she learns that although the deceased died peacefully at an advanced age, her brother did not. In fact, Wade was killed more than thirty years ago, and the case was never closed. What surprises Krissy even more is that she has a personal connection to the story--her friend Rita was seeing Wade at the time, scandalizing the town with the couple's large age difference. With an older Rita now part of Krissy's writing group--and another member with police experience--she starts digging up gossip, talking to the victim's local coffee klatsch, and trying to find real clues amid the old rumors. But things just seem to grow muddier as she fights to identify whodunit.
  
  
  This is the 8th installment in the Bookstore Café Mystery Series. I haven’t read all of them, but the books are written to not necessarily read in order. From the first book in the series I read to this one, I still fin Krissy annoying. The mysteries in the books have been good, easy reading, but she is almost unbelievable and I’m not certain if I like her. She has to always out due the police and doesn’t seem to take care of her own safety. Also for an owner of a business she seems to spends LOTS of time not working. Overall the book was an easy and fast read. I do enjoy cozy mysteries.
  
• 
  outtathyme

  Yo what the actual fuck
  
  The murder victim was a man in his 30s dating an 18 year old (Gross). Not only was he dating her but they had been friends prior to dating & falling in love (grosser). And not only that, his gf was best friends with HIS friend's daughter (even grosser). So Rita was young enough to be wade's daughter & was actively friends with wade's friend's daughter (ew ew EW). For all we know that could've been how they met.
  
  The author seemed to love defending that relationship and calling anyone, rightly, against that relationship close minded. It's just weird that the author chose to stand ten toes down on this topic. It's weird and I'm never going to read anything else by her because of that.
  
  Also having the murderer be the aforementioned best friend/daughter of his friend was.... even worse. Not to mention it's outright stated that the best friend (Candace) was then blackmailed by a different friend of her father's and forced to marry him.... Genuinely WTF. Then, despite the fact that Krissy had literally been told that Candice didn't love Jay when she married him, Krissy tells Candice that she "[eventually found someone who loved her like Wade loved Rita]" uhhhhhh how did Krissy miss the whole blackmail plot.
  
  I'd give this book 0 stars if I could.
• 
  Marsha

  Death by French Roast by Alex Erickson is book 8 in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery Series, This easy to read Cozy can be read as a standalone.
  Krissy's nosy neighbor has passed away and Krissy has joined her daughter in clearing out the house before it's listed for sale. While doing this, Krissy finds out the neighbor's brother was murdered 30 years ago but the most surprising thing was, who he had been dating. It's a member of the writing group Krissy belongs to, Rita.
  When Krissy is asked to look at the death with fresh eyes, she enlists Rita to help. Apparently Krissy has stirred the pot, because she is finding out, a lot of people would like to leave things buried in the past. When another murder occurs, she knows she needs to get answers fast before she ends up in a grave.
  There are plot twists and suspects that has you guessing to the end. A great cast of likeable characters. There is just enough romance and humor in this Cozy.
  I was given an ARC by Kensington and NetGalley for an honest review.
• 
  Miriam Kahn

  A charming cozy mystery with lots of clues, too many suspects, and a sleuth who knows her coffee.
  
  Alex Erickson’s latest cozy mystery is charming, convoluted, full of laughter, and a few tense moments. Krissy pokes her nose in plenty of people's business. For a change of pace, the police support and help her investigate instead of hindering her.
  
  Basic plot: On the afternoon of her neighbor Eleanor’s funeral, Krissy is helper Eleanor’s daughter Jane pack up the house. While there, Krissy learns that Eleanor’s brother Wade was murdered thirty years before and the case is still open. Krissy can’t help herself. Krissy has to find out what happened, especially when she learns that Wade’s girlfriend was Rita Jablonski. Oh no! Rita’s a good friend of Krissy’s. Now she really needs to know what happened.
  
  You’ll love the book and want to go back and read the series from the beginning with "Death By Coffee."
  
  For a different review, see the Ohioana Library Quarterly Newsletter
  http://www.ohioana.org