Sweet Soliloquies

Uncommon Grounds

by Sandra Balzo

Publisher: Worldwide Library

245 pages

The story:

Maggie Thorsen, former PR exec and current partner in Uncommon Grounds, walks into her new coffee shop on opening day only to discover her partner Patricia dead, death by espresso machine. Who could have killed Patricia, and what does this mean for the future of the shop?

Signs point to their third partner and friend, Caron, as the possible killer but Maggie won’t believe it and sets out to save her friend and their business. During her mission to find the murderer and save Uncommon Grounds, Maggie discovers more than she bargained for, including marital affairs, objectionable politic maneuvers, and an unexpected attraction to the most bothersome character in town.

Will Maggie’s meddling go too far? Was Patricia really the intended victim? And, does Uncommon Grounds have a future or will it take the espress route to bittersville?

My thoughts:

I originally read this book because I’d discovered there was another coffeehouse series published besides Cleo Coyle’s Coffee House Mystery series and I wanted to see how they’d differ. As you can see from my current banner, I love coffee, and the coffee house setting feels like home to me.

Let’s just say right now that Sandra Balzo is a hoot! I love the series’ heroine, Maggie, because we see her faults and love her anyway. She’s got a good heart, the desire for justice, and the cajones to do the dirty work required to ferret out the truth. I especially enjoyed her relationship with Frank, her dog, and the way she knocked Sheriff Pavlik down a peg or two when she’d had enough of his bullying.

Plenty of red herrings keep the reader from guessing who the killer is, which I appreciated since all too often I figure it out early and am then left with deciding whether or not to finish the book. As Maggie uncovers clue after possible clue, she discovers her Brookhill community and the people she cares for are not all they seem. I liked that she was willing to risk danger to get to the truth but at times she seemed reckless and a bit naive. Gotta love her, though, and the humor throughout this book is reason enough to read it.

You won’t be disappointed in Sandra Balzo’s Uncommon Grounds. It’s a fun read that keeps you guessing. I know I look forward to the next book in the series, Grounds for Murder (Maggy Thorsen Mysteries).

Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦