My ReviewLana Lewis is the co-owner of a coffeehouse named Perkatory in Devil's Beach, Florida. When a body is found in the community garden and an acquaintance is accused of murder, she decides to work to solve the mystery.
I wanted to read this mystery because I love cozy mysteries and the coffeehouse setting was appealing. This is the fourth book in the series A Coffee Lover's Mystery. I have not read the earlier books but had no problem jumping in and enjoying A Bean to Die For as a standalone mystery.
This was a fun, fast moving read! Lana is an amateur detective to like and pull for. I enjoyed her relationships with her family, barista Erica, boyfriend Noah, and adorable Shih Tzu Stanley.
The mystery was well paced, with several solid suspects. It was interesting investigating the case with Lana as she followed different clues.
I look forward to reading more books in this series. I recommend A Bean to Die For to other fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone who enjoys a coffeehouse setting.
Book Synopsis
Perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette, reporter-turned-barista
Lana Lewis is back on the case when a body is dug up in the community garden.
Lana Lewis is brewing up new concoctions at Perkatory, a popular café in Devil’s Beach, when she decides she wants to try her hand at growing her own coffee. She secures a gardening plot in the community garden, thanks to her father and the garden’s owner, Darla. Darla’s list of rules is long, but that doesn’t stop someone from leaving Jack Daggett’s body amongst the gardening plots.
Jack, an environmental activist, had been banned from the garden previously, because of his many fights with Darla about organic produce. Lana promises her boyfriend, police chief Noah, that she’s going to stay out of this case, having been too involved in previous cases. But when she learns that Jack died from an accidental overdose, and Darla is the top suspect because of her shady past, Lana can’t help but poke around in an attempt to clear Darla’s name.
As Lana dives deeper into the case, she learns that Jack had more enemies than she realized. When Darla turns up dead, Lana has to turn up the heat on her investigation. With Lana on the case, it won’t be long before someone spills the beans to crack this case wide open. But will she able to find the killer before they strike again?
Author BioTara Lush is a Florida-based author and journalist. She’s an RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and the winner of the George C. Polk Award for environmental journalism.
She was a reporter with The Associated Press in Florida, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters, and politics. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations under the name Tamara Lush.
Tara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and newspapers. She lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband and two dogs.
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