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Joss Miller Mystery #1
Double Mocha Blues
Jocelyn “Joss” Miller, a twenty-something barista, works at Sugar Creek Cafe, a hip coffeehouse with deep ties to the local arts and music community. Joss is finally feeling like she’s found her purpose as her recently launched podcast soars in popularity. With her family’s blessings, Joss produces a special tribute to her grandfather.
What seems like a step towards healing instead sets off a firestorm of reactions in the community. There are a few who would rather not be reminded of how Joss’s grandfather had been murdered years ago. When the staunchest protester is found dead, Joss becomes the number one suspect.
What seems like a step towards healing instead sets off a firestorm of reactions in the community. There are a few who would rather not be reminded of how Joss’s grandfather had been murdered years ago. When the staunchest protester is found dead, Joss becomes the number one suspect.
309 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2023
66 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Tyora Moody
83 books522 followersTyora Moody is the author of Soul-Searching Mysteries which includes cozy mystery, women sleuth mystery, and romantic suspense under the Christian Fiction genre. Her books include the Eugeena Patterson Mysteries, Serena Manchester Mysteries, Reed Family Mysteries, and the Victory Gospel Family Series.
When Tyora isn’t working for a literary client, she's either loving on her cats, listening to an audiobook or podcast, binge-watching crime shows or Marvel movies, and of course, thinking about the next book.
To contact Tyora about book club discussions or to sign-up for her newsletter, visit her online at TyoraMoody.com.
When Tyora isn’t working for a literary client, she's either loving on her cats, listening to an audiobook or podcast, binge-watching crime shows or Marvel movies, and of course, thinking about the next book.
To contact Tyora about book club discussions or to sign-up for her newsletter, visit her online at TyoraMoody.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 30, 2025
Jocelyn ‘Joss’ Miller has started a podcast in memory of her grandfather, a black man killed because he fell in love with a white woman, but when the biggest critic of the podcast’s existence is found dead by Joss herself, she finds herself as the main suspect. It gets even more complicated when the detective on the case happens to the man she’s starting to catch feelings for.
This was…okay? Honestly I would have given the book two stars because I really did not like the writing style but without that, I liked it. Sadly, I don’t care enough about the characters to continue.
This was…okay? Honestly I would have given the book two stars because I really did not like the writing style but without that, I liked it. Sadly, I don’t care enough about the characters to continue.
September 11, 2025
I liked this but didn't know it was Christian. I typically assume my cozy mysteries that I love are geared towards the more conservative community but this one did mention praying several times along with going to Church but it also mentioned Hooters and I laughed at that. It felt really out of place in this book.
But the mystery and concept were interesting and really a good setup for a Cozy mystery (reminds me of the Hallmark Series that Allison Sweeny was in) it was really good to me. I liked that part of it a lot. 3.5
But the mystery and concept were interesting and really a good setup for a Cozy mystery (reminds me of the Hallmark Series that Allison Sweeny was in) it was really good to me. I liked that part of it a lot. 3.5
March 5, 2024
A Different Kind Of Cozy Mystery
This novel has modernized the cozy mystery genre. Joss Miller is navigating adulthood, working at a Charleston coffee shop. She creates a podcast to memorialize her murdered grandfather. It sets off a turn of events, with unintended consequences. When she finds herself at the center of a suspicious death investigation, Joss risks her safety to get answers, crossing paths with the handsome police detective she served coffee at the shop. Author Tyora Moody created a believable community surrounding Joss, as she sought the truth. The story was well-connected, and characters relatable. Some of the backstory (like Joss' past encounter with police) seemed dropped on the reader out of thin air. It read as if this wasn't the first book in the series, or that it's a spin-off of another story. Other than that, the pacing was timed well leading up to the climax. Since this was the introduction to this new series, I hope future titles provide a bit more action and conflict to propel the storyline forward. All in all, Double Mocha Blues is a good start for the Joss Miller Mysteries!
This novel has modernized the cozy mystery genre. Joss Miller is navigating adulthood, working at a Charleston coffee shop. She creates a podcast to memorialize her murdered grandfather. It sets off a turn of events, with unintended consequences. When she finds herself at the center of a suspicious death investigation, Joss risks her safety to get answers, crossing paths with the handsome police detective she served coffee at the shop. Author Tyora Moody created a believable community surrounding Joss, as she sought the truth. The story was well-connected, and characters relatable. Some of the backstory (like Joss' past encounter with police) seemed dropped on the reader out of thin air. It read as if this wasn't the first book in the series, or that it's a spin-off of another story. Other than that, the pacing was timed well leading up to the climax. Since this was the introduction to this new series, I hope future titles provide a bit more action and conflict to propel the storyline forward. All in all, Double Mocha Blues is a good start for the Joss Miller Mysteries!
February 3, 2024
This author had me at coffee and cafe in this new cozy mystery featuring a podcaster who is accused of murder. Joss started a podcast to bring awareness to true crimes that haven't been solved. She starts with her grandfather's case, which brings Maggie, a member of the family who was involved in what happened to Joss's grandfather, to the cafe to confront Joss.
Everyone sees this happen. When Joss finds Maggie dead in her craft shop, Joss is of course a suspect. I love that it's a true crime podcaster in the center of the story, who is trying to find out what happen to her family member but also who killed the craft shop owner. The suspects all have a reason but I was not ready for the twist and of course had the wrong culprit, which I love.
I didn't figure this mystery out until the end. I love the characters, clues and the one hidden gem that flew right past me. Tyora has done it again and now her Serena Manchester series has some competition.
Everyone sees this happen. When Joss finds Maggie dead in her craft shop, Joss is of course a suspect. I love that it's a true crime podcaster in the center of the story, who is trying to find out what happen to her family member but also who killed the craft shop owner. The suspects all have a reason but I was not ready for the twist and of course had the wrong culprit, which I love.
I didn't figure this mystery out until the end. I love the characters, clues and the one hidden gem that flew right past me. Tyora has done it again and now her Serena Manchester series has some competition.
February 6, 2024
A little heavy on the romance but a good story.
September 13, 2024
An intriguing start to a new spin-off series. Joss was a secondary character in the ‘Eugeena Patterson Mysteries‘ and her exuberance and quest for justice couldn’t be contained so she wrangled her way into her own series. There was a little bit of a disconnect because of the carry over of characters and Joss’s back story. I’ve only read the first Eugeena Patterson book so I hadn’t met Joss yet. So, it kind of felt like I was starting in the middle of a series, but not enough to diminish my enjoyment of ‘Double Mocha Blues.‘ And, of course, now I need to back track and catch up with Eugeena because a lot has happened in that good lady’s life!
A cozy mystery with an edge. The cozy elements — coffee shop, small town hominess, supportive friends and family — create a comforting balance to Joss’s cold case investigation of her grandfather’s murder decades ago — a racially motivated hate crime. Her podcast stirs up old hurts and resentments…and a new corpse. As a potential suspect, Joss has the incentive to do some sleuthing of her own.
A classic set up for a cozy mystery and Moody does it well. Loved Joss’s tenacious feistiness and the deep loyalty she feels for friends and family — the whole community really. She’s definitely not a sit-on-the-sidelines kind of gal. Much to the frustration of a certain detective who doesn’t quite know what to make of her. Happy sigh. I do so love a befuddled detective love interest!
Really enjoyed this first book in the Joss Miller Mystery series and am anxious to dive into the second book soon since there’s a nice teaser about what cold case is up next for Joss’s podcast and it sounds so interesting!
A cozy mystery with an edge. The cozy elements — coffee shop, small town hominess, supportive friends and family — create a comforting balance to Joss’s cold case investigation of her grandfather’s murder decades ago — a racially motivated hate crime. Her podcast stirs up old hurts and resentments…and a new corpse. As a potential suspect, Joss has the incentive to do some sleuthing of her own.
A classic set up for a cozy mystery and Moody does it well. Loved Joss’s tenacious feistiness and the deep loyalty she feels for friends and family — the whole community really. She’s definitely not a sit-on-the-sidelines kind of gal. Much to the frustration of a certain detective who doesn’t quite know what to make of her. Happy sigh. I do so love a befuddled detective love interest!
Really enjoyed this first book in the Joss Miller Mystery series and am anxious to dive into the second book soon since there’s a nice teaser about what cold case is up next for Joss’s podcast and it sounds so interesting!
October 11, 2025
I don't read many mysteries, but I found Double Mocha Blues engaging enough that I want to read the rest of the series and more mysteries. The characters were well written and interesting. The story's pace was reasonable and I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. I recommend Double Mocha Blues to fans of mysteries.
I also really enjoyed that the book had a Christian aspect to it, with the FMC praying and attending church. The book was more realistic to me because of this.
Final rating: 3.75/5 stars
Content warnings:
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Hate crime, Dementia, Grief, Abandonment
I also really enjoyed that the book had a Christian aspect to it, with the FMC praying and attending church. The book was more realistic to me because of this.
Final rating: 3.75/5 stars
Content warnings:
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Hate crime, Dementia, Grief, Abandonment
September 14, 2025
3.75 stars!
April 6, 2025
Enjoyable cozy mystery. The mystery solution made sense and I didn't see it coming.
April 1, 2024
came out Nov 14, 2023. black & African American Christian Fiction. (kindle store & books). black & African American mystery, thriller & suspense fiction. what a fun read. i am new to Tyora Moody's books. i enjoy the book covers. read it through the local library leaning program. and there are several more i think 2 i am waiting on ...they are booked out ... it usually take just a few moments to get them once others are finished. can not wait til those are available. i am reading ... "Oven Baked Secrets" now. laters.
February 18, 2024
Excellent read
Excellent read, I enjoyed the characters and storyline. Joss Miller has a quirky personality. She created a podcast that stirred up trouble in her town. Joss stumbled upon a murder and the mystery begins. She’s inquisitive and sets out to find answers. Typical mystery, sometimes predictable, but enjoyable. It was great catching up with characters from previous books.
Excellent read, I enjoyed the characters and storyline. Joss Miller has a quirky personality. She created a podcast that stirred up trouble in her town. Joss stumbled upon a murder and the mystery begins. She’s inquisitive and sets out to find answers. Typical mystery, sometimes predictable, but enjoyable. It was great catching up with characters from previous books.
March 15, 2024
Joss…Joss…Joss!! 🤔
Joss is truly an interesting character!! Her inquisitiveness and curiosity were off the charts! Instead of curiosity killing the cats, it saved them instead!!
The neighbors, the cafe, the arts…they all played a significant role in this story!! I just have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!! Looking forward to the next podcast!! Kudos, Tyora!! 💜
Joss is truly an interesting character!! Her inquisitiveness and curiosity were off the charts! Instead of curiosity killing the cats, it saved them instead!!
The neighbors, the cafe, the arts…they all played a significant role in this story!! I just have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!! Looking forward to the next podcast!! Kudos, Tyora!! 💜
November 18, 2023
Chocolaty Smooth Sleuthing
Beautifully written mystery centered around a small town heroes cold case. One podcast from the granddaughter opens up a whole coffee bean bag of problems for people of Sugar Creek. Joss Miller will capture your attention and heart in and out of The Sugar Creek Cafe on this journey to solve a cold case.
Beautifully written mystery centered around a small town heroes cold case. One podcast from the granddaughter opens up a whole coffee bean bag of problems for people of Sugar Creek. Joss Miller will capture your attention and heart in and out of The Sugar Creek Cafe on this journey to solve a cold case.
May 14, 2024
I love the Eugenna Patterson mysteries, and this was a good characters to spin off into her own series. I was happy to see the cameo appearances of other characters from the main series. This was a good start for the new series.
October 31, 2024
Meh. It was a quick read but it didn’t really pull me in. I really only finished to find out whodunnit. I don’t have to read anymore from this series. The writing style isn’t for me - a little too simplistic.
December 8, 2023
Elder are
Joss is her generation Eugeena. Her podcast is going to keep Sugar Creek on a constant slow burn and I’m here for it. I can hardly wait for the next book.
Joss is her generation Eugeena. Her podcast is going to keep Sugar Creek on a constant slow burn and I’m here for it. I can hardly wait for the next book.
March 30, 2024
One of my fav authors. I love a good mystery. Joss is just like Eugenia, she falls into a murder investigation. The storyline doesn’t lead to an answer. It’s always a surprise
March 14, 2024
An ok start to a cozy mystery series that's brought down to average by two problems. First, the romantic interest is too squishy and fast. Not believable of a sane person. It should have grown more slowly. The second is the lack of context.
Joss Miller is clearly, from author notes, a side character from another series who grew into her own books. That wouldn't be bad, but there's not enough context about her past to make it work well. She's clearly an adopted person who previously found her biological family, moved close and gets to know them. However, there's no mention of her real family, the one that raised here, and that's just weird.
Ok, there's also a third. The podcast is just cheesy and doesn't really fit. I like the story of her looking into the history of her grandfather's lynching (no, not all are by rope), but that could have been done in ways not so artificial.
Still, a good enough start that I'll continue the series.
Joss Miller is clearly, from author notes, a side character from another series who grew into her own books. That wouldn't be bad, but there's not enough context about her past to make it work well. She's clearly an adopted person who previously found her biological family, moved close and gets to know them. However, there's no mention of her real family, the one that raised here, and that's just weird.
Ok, there's also a third. The podcast is just cheesy and doesn't really fit. I like the story of her looking into the history of her grandfather's lynching (no, not all are by rope), but that could have been done in ways not so artificial.
Still, a good enough start that I'll continue the series.
July 21, 2024
I’ve found a new author I love! I was drawn to the story description and the cover on a whim and it paid off. Excellent story and setup about an unsolved murder that goes back decades. It’s rare to find black mystery writers, but Tyora did a great job with this book. Joss works at a coffee shop and stumbles upon a murder scene, will she’s also running a podcast exploring the unsolved murder of her grandfather from years ago. Her investigation sends her on a wild goose chase where she talks to many of the town locals and unearths more information that the new murder and her grandfathers. Eventually all of the information lines up and we learn a devastating secret. Great book that I couldn’t put down!
September 15, 2024
Not me finishing in two weeksssss. L.O.L clearly it was a captivating and easy read.
Despite the many pages, this story went QUICK! The moments of suspense definitely had me confident I knew who murdered Maggie until chapter 15. 🤣
TALK ABOUT A PLOT TWIST. I was hoping for more drama surrounding the suspect but I suppose the story ended on a lighter note.
As far as the romance piece between Joss and Detective Andre , I enjoyed the slow burn between them. It was clean, and honestly realistic! Definitely had me giggling and kicking my feet at the end.
As far as writing goes, the misprints were *inserts eye roll emoji*. But who is to blame lol?
Other than that, very enjoyable for my first taste of mystery fiction!
Can’t wait to read more of the Joss Miller series!
Despite the many pages, this story went QUICK! The moments of suspense definitely had me confident I knew who murdered Maggie until chapter 15. 🤣
TALK ABOUT A PLOT TWIST. I was hoping for more drama surrounding the suspect but I suppose the story ended on a lighter note.
As far as the romance piece between Joss and Detective Andre , I enjoyed the slow burn between them. It was clean, and honestly realistic! Definitely had me giggling and kicking my feet at the end.
As far as writing goes, the misprints were *inserts eye roll emoji*. But who is to blame lol?
Other than that, very enjoyable for my first taste of mystery fiction!
Can’t wait to read more of the Joss Miller series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2024
A Fascinating Whodunit
This is a page-turning delight with unforgettable characters, great dialogue, and scenic backgrounds. In addition to her day job as a barista, the intuitive Joss Miller has a podcast that highlights victims of a crime, but things are not always what they appear to be. When Joss becomes the prime suspect in a murder, the insightful Detective Andre Baez and the conniving Detective Sarah Wilkes are assigned to the case, exposing some secrets and lies, hate, unfairness, deception, greed, and abuse of power, money, and influence, slowly becoming a cat and mouse game, which will keep you speculating to the very end with more to come.
This is a page-turning delight with unforgettable characters, great dialogue, and scenic backgrounds. In addition to her day job as a barista, the intuitive Joss Miller has a podcast that highlights victims of a crime, but things are not always what they appear to be. When Joss becomes the prime suspect in a murder, the insightful Detective Andre Baez and the conniving Detective Sarah Wilkes are assigned to the case, exposing some secrets and lies, hate, unfairness, deception, greed, and abuse of power, money, and influence, slowly becoming a cat and mouse game, which will keep you speculating to the very end with more to come.
November 28, 2024
Double Mocha Blues follows the life of Joss a young adult podcaster who’s using her podcast for good, so she thought! All Joss wanted to do was bring awareness to her community regarding the untimely death of her grandfather, it turns out that some people in her community didn’t like it and one person in particular confronted Joss about it… Hours later, the confrontation culprit is found dead and all details ironically lead back to Joss but how could that be if she was at work when it all happened? You have to read to uncover the mystery behind who really killed the confrontation culprit and why they did it.
January 16, 2025
Double Mocha Blues was an interesting take on a cozy mystery. Joss is a barista at a local cafe. During the evenings, she works on a true crime podcast that remembers her grandfather’s legacy after being murdered. I enjoyed how the story went back and forth between the current plot and the podcast. I enjoyed Joss and Andre’s beginning of a relationship. I am also interested in the overarching relationship with Joss’s mom and grandma. I did feel like there were some slight pacing issues. However, I’m interested in continuing with the series.
January 13, 2025
I enjoyed bits of this, enough to possibly continue the series at some point. I just found the dialogue stilted and unnatural and any bit of sleuthing didn’t really add much to the mystery. It was solved not really by any of our main characters doing and I found our culprit to be a bit disappointing. The motive just didn’t feel strong enough and it wasn’t really even a murder in the first place. The podcast element was a cool addition to the story and I think the budding romance was cute.
November 12, 2024
My first read by Tyora Moody, and it definitely won't be my last! I love the true-crime podcast element and the cozy cafe setting. Joss is a fantastic, loyal, and justice-seeking main character, which I really admire.
December 16, 2024
Read with choice of coffee tea or wine
The characters were vivid and relatable. My interest was peaked initially to see how the story developed, pleased at the buildup, I wanted to read more. Good story, good read.
The characters were vivid and relatable. My interest was peaked initially to see how the story developed, pleased at the buildup, I wanted to read more. Good story, good read.
March 7, 2025
Interesting Twist
I enjoyed this 1st book in this series. The mystery kept me guessing who could possibly kill Maggie. I must say that I was surprised as to the actual killer. Now I look forward to reading about the next Joss Miller mystery.
I enjoyed this 1st book in this series. The mystery kept me guessing who could possibly kill Maggie. I must say that I was surprised as to the actual killer. Now I look forward to reading about the next Joss Miller mystery.
July 29, 2025
My 1st Joss Miller read
Enjoyed it. This was an accidental author and new book genre find. It made me guess who did it. Was a page turner and good pace. Bt chapter 11, I really didn't wannabe stop reading. I needed to finish this read.
Enjoyed it. This was an accidental author and new book genre find. It made me guess who did it. Was a page turner and good pace. Bt chapter 11, I really didn't wannabe stop reading. I needed to finish this read.
October 6, 2025
This was my first introduction to this author and while I enjoyed the storyline, the narrator's voice didn't really capture the essence of the various characters and some of them sounded the same. I want to read more of the series, but I will forgo listening to the audiobook.
January 20, 2025
So good. I read this in one sitting in and couldn't put the book down. I'm so glad I bought all 3 books so I can jump into the next one. I also enjoyed the podcast elements also.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews