View from the Birdhouse: Dec 1, 2023

Friday, December 1, 2023

Book Review and Giveaway - Grounds for Murder (Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries) by Lena Gregory

My Review

Danika Delaney is settling in at the little coffee house on Long Island that was a malt shop in her family years ago. On opening night she has an author reading, and the next day the author turns up dead! Danika works to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this mystery because I have enjoyed other cozy mysteries by Lena Gregory. This is the second book in a new series, but I was able to jump right in and enjoy it as a standalone read.

I enjoyed Grounds for Murder. Danika is a fun protagonist. She's smart and has good amateur detective instincts. The mystery was intriguing with several viable suspects. I particularly enjoyed the setting of the Coffee and Cream Cafe and the little food descriptions included in the book. I also liked Danika's friends and family, and her potential romantic interest.

I'm so happy to have discovered this new mystery series. I recommend Grounds for Murder for other fans of cozy mysteries. It was a fun read!

Book Synopsis

From author Lena Gregory comes a tasty new mystery with a killer twist…

Danika Delaney is thrilled to have taken over her uncle Jimmie’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island and is working hard to make it her own. In an effort to increase business, Danika invites a mystery writer to the Coffee & Cream Café for a discussion and book signing. Things seem to be going well, until a guest shows up and confronts the author, accusing him of plagiarizing his work. Embarrassed by the incident, Danika goes to the inn where the writer is staying the following morning, hoping to apologize and offer him another chance to return. What she finds instead is his dead body—beside a cup of poisoned coffee! Now it’s up to Danika to find out who wanted to silence the author… before the killer decides to write Danika a not-so-happy ending!

Author Bio

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

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