Review: Fresh Brewed Murder

Title: Fresh Brewed Murder

Series: Ground Rules mystery #1

Author: Emmeline Duncan

Release Date: March 30, 2021

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Find it here: Goodreads

Synopsis from Goodreads: Portland is famous for its rain, hipsters, craft beers . . . and coffee. Sage Caplin has high hopes for her coffee cart, Ground Rules, which she runs with her business partner, Harley—a genius at roasting beans and devising new blends. That’s essential in a city where locals have intensely strong opinions about cappuccino versus macchiato—especially in the case of one of Sage’s very first customers. . . .

Sage finds the man’s body in front of her cart, a fatal slash across his neck. There’s been plenty of anger in the air, from longtime vendors annoyed at Ground Rules taking a coveted spot in the food truck lot, to protesters demonstrating against a new high-rise. But who was mad enough to commit murder? Sage is already fending off trouble in the form of her estranged, con-artist mother, who’s trying to trickle back into her life. But when Sage’s very own box cutter is discovered to be the murder weapon, she needs to focus on finding the killer fast—before her business, and her life, come to a bitter end. . . .

My Review: This was an interesting take on a cozy mystery. There were some cliché's (the coffee cart) but I loved the shady past of the main character, which also brings up a lot of possibilities for future mysteries. I also felt that the side characters were all very well done. The mystery itself was okay but I wasn't really invested in figuring out who the murderer was because I just didn't care about the victim and the stakes didn't really seem all that high. I am still looking forward to seeing where book two goes though.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All opinions are my own.*