Ellie Michaels always knew what she wanted—to follow in the footsteps of her father, a legend in the FBI. But when tragedy strikes and her father is killed in the line of duty, Ellie believes her dream to be like him dies as well. When her first assignment ends in the death of her partner, Ellie retreats to the basement of the FBI office in Richmond, Virginia. With a razor sharp eye for detail, Ellie has spent the past five years sifting through stagnant cases in the hope that she can pick up something to revive the investigations. When she is called upon to review evidence about a serial killer, Ellie must put the pieces together before more women end up dead. In doing so, she steps out of her father’s shadow, armed with a few good friends, a potential relationship with a coffee shop owner… and a killer cup of Joe.
Jennifer Templeman has dedicated her career to working in non-profit management. When not analyzing the minute details of a financial statement or writing a strategy document, she resides in the Boston area, and shares her life with her husband, three sons, English springer spaniel, and a brave cat rescued from a shelter. To date she has published two novels: A Killer Cup of Joe and Finely Ground.
Having been a Fanfiction fan of Jen's, I was thrilled when she said she had written a book of her own. It didn't disappoint. The characters were well developed, and could be related to. The plot was twisty and turny (is that a word?) I read it in two days (only because my eyes were tired did it take that long). Jen - don't wait long for the second book. The first was outstanding. Go to your day job proud. You did great!
I hate that I had forgotten about this book. I recently discovered it on my Kindle while looking for my next bedtime read. Ellie is an unusual character but I like her immensely as well as the Phillips cousins as well has her boss Phil. I would classify this as a cozy mystery with just enough romance and humor laced within the story.
I've ordered book 2 in the series, Finely Ground. My understanding is that there is suppose to be a third book but unfortunately it is not available. Hopefully the author is working on the last book. Please....
I found myself taking my time with this book, as if by rushing through it I'd miss an important detail or a funny one-liner. Ellie is instantly likable as a character, and so are the two or three people she is closest to. A Killer Cup of Joe is actually a book with two mysteries to solve, and though I usually like them to be all wrapped up by the end of the book, in this case, I'm happy that there's going to be more to Ellie's story.
I struggled, initially, to find a rhythm with this book. However, I'm glad I stuck with it. It was a pleasant read and while the mystery wasn't particularly hard to figure out, I see the potential in future books. I'm looking forward to the next one.