BOOK REVIEW: A Whole Latte Murder by Caroline Fardig

A Whole Latte Murder (A Java Jive Mystery #3)

by Caroline Fardig (Goodreads Author)

ebook, 272 pages

Published November 8th 2016 by Alibi

Goodreads synopsis:

Coffeehouse manager and reluctant sleuth Juliet Langley returns in a gripping novel from the bestselling author of Death Before Decaf and Mug Shot. Just as things are perking up in Nashville, a serial killer sends tensions foaming over.

Juliet's personal and professional lives have recently received an extra jolt of energy. Her romance with the hunky detective Ryder Hamilton continues to simmer, and business at Java Jive has never been better. But her good mood quickly turns as stale as day-old espresso when she finds out that Ryder has been promoted to his precinct's homicide division. With him risking his life to catch the worst kind of criminals, Juliet's growing sense of unease ignites when a local college student goes missing.

Suddenly every Nashville resident is on high alert, especially Juliet's neighbor Chelsea. Juliet does her best to calm the girl's nerves, but her worst fears are confirmed when she finds Chelsea dead. Even though she tries her best to stay out of it, Juliet's involvement puts a strain on Ryder's first homicide case. The situation soon becomes even more personal for Juliet and her best friend Pete Bennett when one of their employees disappears during her shift. As a killer lurks in the shadows, Juliet, Pete, and Ryder seek out a double shot of justice.

***

4 Stars

When I started reading this book I was not a fan of the main character. She seemed a bit harsh. I had not read the previous two books so I did not have a good backstory for everyone. I wish they could have toned down her attitude in the beginning but as the book developed, she became more tolerable and I was enjoying the book.

Juliet lives in a building near a bunch of college students. When she tries to return a scarf to her young neighbor, she ends up finding this gal’s dead body. Her being there makes her boyfriend a bit nervous since he was just promoted to homicide. When Ryder pulls back on his communication, Juliet ends up speaking more and more to a different detective who is a bit more open minded.

This book started out a bit bumpy for me but it turned out to be a great read. Definitelyl check this one out.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author.