Title: Brewed Awakening
Series: A Coffeehouse Mystery, #18
Author: Cleo Coyle
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Synopsis:
When coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi awakens on a bench in Washington Square Park, she has no idea she’s been missing for days, or that her friends and family have been frantic with worry. Now that she’s back, everyone is overjoyed, including a handsome NYPD detective who claims to be her fiance. But to Mike Quinn’s crushing distress, Clare doesn’t remember him, or much of anything about the last fifteen years of her life. Clare’s missing memory is tied to a crime she witnessed…Soon authorities grow suspicious. Is Clare really a victim? Or merely acting like one? Evidence is mounting…To clear her name, Clare must find a way to reclaim her memories and rescue the heiress before this high-stakes crime ends in tragedy…(via Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
When I saw this book on the shelf of my local library I nearly shouted out loud! There are very few book series that I could say I keep up with, but the Coffeehouse Mystery series is definitely one of them. Not only are the characters relatable and interesting, the story lines are actually believable. Honestly, I was expecting at some point in the series I would start to find the plots fantastical, but to my surprise they have remained creative and intriguing.
In this 18th mystery, Brewed Awakening, the author has taken the plot and characters to an entirely new level. Without spoilers, I can say that the opening chapters where we realize what has happened to Claire, prepare us for a journey through her life and past, that we have not seen before. Additionally, we are taken on a rollercoaster ride of potential alterations to her present and future life. At one point I actually screamed out loud at the book, well at Matt to be precise.
As with all mysteries, I am always attempting to deduce the culprit and/or scenario before it is revealed by the author. Yet, once again, my deducing skills pale in comparison to the incredible interwoven narrative skills of Cleo Coyle. The mystery of what happened to Claire the night the heiress disappeared, takes us from New York to New Jersey to the Hamptons. Deep dark secrets are revealed about both the living and the dead. While the key to it all, lies within the hidden skeletons of a complicated family. Let’s just say Brewed Awakening keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review; if you like you can follow my reading activity on Goodreads.
Featured image created with help from Freepik.
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