A Short Break

I'm taking some time away from blogging for grateful reflection and time with family and friends . . .

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. . . I'll be back to the blogosphere in early December.

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Until then, enjoy all the wonderful things this season has to offer . . .

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Thursday Thoughts: BlogTour, Review and Giveaway -- Death Before Decaf by Caroline Fardig

Today I'm participating in the Death Before Decaf  Blog Tour.  Read on for book, author, and giveaway information, along with my review.

About the Book . . .

  

Death Before Decaf:
A Java Jive Mystery
Publisher: Alibi (November 17, 2015)
Random House LLC
ASIN: B00VOYNDKK

Perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich and Diane Mott Davidson, Caroline Fardig’s captivating new mystery novel takes readers behind the counter of a seemingly run-of-the-mill coffeehouse . . . where murder is brewing.

 

After her music career crashes and burns spectacularly, Juliet Langley is forced to turn to the only other business she knows: food service. Unfortunately, bad luck strikes yet again when her two-timing fiancé robs her blind and runs off with her best waitress. Flushing what’s left of her beloved café down the toilet with her failed engagement, Juliet packs up and moves back to her college stomping grounds in Nashville to manage an old friend’s coffeehouse. At first glance, it seems as though nothing’s changed at Java Jive. What could possibly go wrong? Only that the place is hemorrhaging money, the staff is in open revolt, and Juliet finds one unlucky employee dead in the dumpster out back before her first day is even over.

The corpse just so happens to belong to the cook who’d locked horns with Juliet over the finer points of the health code. Unimpressed with her management style, the other disgruntled employees are only too eager to spill the beans about her fiery temper to the detective on the case. Add to the mix a hunky stranger who’s asking way too many questions, and suddenly Juliet finds herself in some very hot water. If she can’t simmer down and sleuth her way to the real killer, she’s going to get burned.

My Review . . . 

When fiery redhead Juliet Langley finds herself reeling from her fiance's betrayal and a failed business venture, she is determined to make a fresh start.  On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, she returns to Nashville, where she spent her carefree college days working as a server at Java Jive.  Like Juliet, her beloved coffeehouse is also down on its heels and in need of some TLC.  Things are off to a rocky start, however, as she faces a hostile staff resistant to her supervision and ideas.  Juliet's only friends are owner Pete Bennett, his saucy grandmother Gertie, and mysterious customer Seth Davis.  

Matters quickly go from bad to worse when Juliet discovers the body of Dave Hill, the coffeehouse cook, in the trash dumpster.  Earlier in the day, she had two very public disagreements with Dave, and it isn't long before the police consider Juliet a person of interest in the murder case.  In an attempt to clear her name, Juliet uncovers questionable activity and relationships not only about town, but at the coffeehouse as well.  Had Dave, an ex-con, really reformed after his time in prison, or did his continued association with unsavory characters lead to his untimely death?  Can Juliet stay out of harm's way long enough to discover what's really going on and who killed Dave?  

As if sleuthing isn't enough to occupy her attention, Juliet's romantic life heats up, further complicating her resettlement in Nashville.  When her relationship with the dashing Seth Davis turns steamy, she realizes he has many secrets he's not willing to share.  And despite the sparks between them, Juliet acknowledges her deep-rooted feelings for Pete.  Will the unlucky-in-love Juliet ultimately find happiness and make the right choice this time around?

For many, spending time in a coffeehouse is a pleasurable experience, and Java Jive feels like a welcoming home away from home.  Its new manager, Juliet is a very relatable protagonist--passionate, tenacious, and inquisitive--definitely someone you'd want on your side when the chips are down.  With a fair share of twists, turns, and a murderer I did not suspect, Fardig delivers a caffeinated romp and promising start to the Java Jive mystery series.

Note:  I received an ebook copy of Death Before Decaf in exchange for an honest review.

Giveaway . . .

For a chance to win one of two titles from Alibi, click on this link. 

About the author . . .

Caroline Fardig is the author of Death Before Decaf and the Lizzie Hart series. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.

Author links . . .

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Caroline-Fardig/496944767049778
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolinefardig
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7009795.Caroline_Fardig
• Website: http://www.carolinefardig.com/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carolinefardig/
• Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Fardig/e/B00C1866NE   

Purchase links . . . 
Penguin Random House: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/531812/death-before-decaf-by-caroline-fardig/
Amazon
B&N
Google Play

  

Tour Participants . . .

November 10 – Moonlight Rendezvous – Review
November 10 – A Blue Million Books – Interview
November 11 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – Review
November 12 – Community Bookstop – Spotlight
November 13 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book  – Guest Post
November 14 – Mallory Heart Reviews – Review
November 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview
November 16 – Queen of All She Reads – Review, Guest Post
November 16 – Cassidy Salem Reads & Writes  – Review
November 17 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review
November 18 – Musings and Ramblings – Review
November 19 – Book Club Librarian – Review
November 19 – MysteriesEtc – Review
November 20 – Tea and A Book – Review, Interview
November 21 – 3 Partners in Shopping; Nana, Mommy, &; Sissy too! – Spotlight
November 22 – LibriAmoriMiei – Review
November 23 – Booklady’s Booknotes – Review, Guest Post 



Thursday Thoughts: BlogTour, Review and Giveaway -- Death Before Decaf by Caroline Fardig was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #130

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Outsmarting of Criminals by Steven Rigolosi, borrowed from the library.

 

Goodreads Page  

1

A House in the Country

When, after many years of living quite peacefully in New York City, Miss Felicity Prim felt herself being mugged for the first time, her initial thought was: My handbag is caught on something.  As she lay in the hospital, watching Doctor Poe set her fractured arm, she wondered: Why did the mugger choose me?  Then she vowed: This will never happen again.  

But she had to recover before taking action.  The doctor had prescribed an intense regimen of relaxation and inactivity (a challenging requirement for a busy New Yorker).  She was to remain at home for a month, in her bright, rent-controlled, one-bedroom apartment on East 26th Street, and focus on getting better.  Her sister, friends, and coworkers would run her errands, pick up her dry cleaning, and bring her whatever she needed or wanted: meals, groceries, magazines.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

What attracted me to this book is its cover, along with the publisher's blurb: "A cozy introducing Miss Felicity Prim, who believes her ample experience in reading mystery novels has prepared her for a new career in private detection." I am looking forward to reading about the exploits of Miss Prim, who is described on the book's inner flap as "a lifelong resident of Manhattan, book lover, and outsmarter of criminals."

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #130 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #129

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring my current read, The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz, borrowed from the library.

  

Goodreads Page 

PROLOGUE

ONE YEAR EARLIER

This story begins with a dream, and not a particularly spectacular one at that.  Just a hand beating rhythmically and relentlessly on a mattress in a room on Lundagatan.

Yet it still gets Lisbeth Salander out of her bed in the early light of dawn.  Then she sits at her computer and starts the hunt.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

 I waited quite a while for my turn at this book.  I loved the first three books in this series, which were written by Stieg Larsson.   Thus, I opened this book by a new author with a bit of trepidation.  Could he continue the characters and story line in the same superior way?  I am a little over 100 pages in, and the answer for me is a resounding yes.  

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #129 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #128

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . .

                                                      

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, Into the Storm by Lisa Bingham, borrowed from a friend.

 

Goodreads Page 

Dearest J.,

Sadly, I have only one happy memory of my father.

I think I was about five--maybe six?  Yes.  I was six.  I remember distinctly because my younger sister hadn't been born yet and I was leery of a "little stranger" being sent from heaven to live with us.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

 I like the way the novel begins with a letter.  It has me curious about both the writer and the addressee.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph #128 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution. Retweeting and sharing on Google+ encouraged.