only murders in the coffeeshop

Village Blend is about to make its streaming debut when the coffee shop will be featured in the poplar series Only Murders in Gotham. The brainchild of former comedian Jerry Sullivan, the first season of the series helped revive the career of pop star Kylee Ferris, and the filming of the second season is going strong, using locations in New York City as the backdrop.

Shop manager Clare Cosi is excited to see Village Blend as one of the locations, as it’s been an icon in the New York art world for decades. But she’s dismayed to see that they handed the job of catering over to Driftwood Coffee, a national chain that buys inferior beans and roasts them at too high a temperature. A master roaster, Clare is professionally offended by this and is happy to offer their coffees to any one of the cast and crew who wants one. And when Driftwood Coffee sets up their food truck right outside of their shop, Clare is even more annoyed.

But then one of their customers takes an espresso from them and keeps over on the sidewalk. She and a couple of her baristas jump into action, trying to help the man. An ambulance arrives to take the man away, and because of the viral footage of what had happened, Driftwood got fired and Clare was asked if they could take over craft services for the shoot. As a big fan of Sullivan’s comedy through the years, she agrees. Plus, supplying the coffee for the series shoot would be a lot of good publicity for them.

But it turns out that the man collapsing was not the first issue on the set. Sullivan’s assistant and been injured by falling lights, a live snake suddenly appeared, and a prop gun had been loaded with a live bullet, which could have proven deadly under different circumstances. While Jerry insists that they’re typical issues that can be found on television sets, Clare isn’t convinced and decides to nose around on her own. But when it seems like there is more than coffee that is keeping the cast and crew going. Clare’s boyfriend, a detective in the New York Police Department, is working on chasing down a new designer drug, and Clare is starting to wonder if the cases overlap.

But when Clare gets a little too close to the person sabotaging the shoot, will she be able to figure out the answer and find a killer? Or will she be the one to get roasted?

Bulletproof Barista is book 20 in Cleo Coyle’s popular Coffeehouse Mystery series, and this one is a lot of fun. The shoot for Only Murders in Gotham (clearly a play on Only Murders in the Building) adds lots of interest, and the mystery of how Jerry knows the coffeehouse owner, Clare’s former mother-in-law and mentor, adds a lovely sense of legacy to Village Blend. And there are even recipes at the end, so you can create your own tasty treats like the ones they made for the cast and crew, including cookies, some savory dishes, and festive holiday lattes.

I am enjoying this series a lot. These characters are interesting and smart, and the mysteries just get more and more fascinating. I loved the storyline about the coffee shop being a location for the television shoot, and the history of Village Blend. Like a really good coffee, these books are layered with nuance and deep flavor, and topped with a little froth and foam, perfectly blended and delicious.

Egalleys for Bulletproof Barista were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.