Dark Roast Mortem: A Freshly Brewed Cozy Mystery Book 1

by Angela Mayble

Emma Folger's peaceful life as a barista in a classic Florida town takes a bitter turn when she discovers a body behind her grandmother’s coffee shop and a beloved regular disappears. As a murder investigation unfolds, Emma becomes entangled in a mystery as ominous and deep as a dark roast and overflowing with secrets and suspects. Can she grind out the clues and find out whodunit before the coffee, and the case, goes cold?

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2024

About the author

Angela Mayble writes cozy mysteries filled with lovable characters, humor and puzzles to keep you guessing. Born and raised in the Florida Keys, her stories often feature small towns inspired by the places she's known and loved all her life. When she's not writing, she's curled up with good books, a hot cup of coffee or tea and watching crime shows on TV.

Reviews

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Emma’s Grandma Jo! She’s an awesome character and so is her friend Fitz the reporter, such a hoot! When one of the coffee suppliers turned up dead in their own coffee shed, Emma followed in the footsteps of her favorite book sleuths and did her own investigation.

And Emma girl, you’re gonna need to tell that man who’s making puppy eyes at you that you at least like him too! Grandma was so funny when she teased Emma about that. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Main characters include: Emma Folger, amateur sleuth and talented barista, who helps her grandmother Jo Folger in the coffee shop she owns called A Cup of Jo. It seems to be a very typical small town where everyone knows everyone. Until one day, Emma finds a dead body in the shed outside the coffee shop. Even though Emma is a bit of an amateur sleuth, she mostly sticks to reading books for most of her sleuthing.
There are a number of connections between the characters that are not 'public knowledge' but become known as the story progresses. This is not a gory, blood and guts mystery, but in the cozy mystery category as the title indicates.
It is a fun read, good character development and keeps interest right to the end.
The title includes Book 1, so it seems you can look forward to at least Book 2.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Big Fat Hairy Man · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a small Florida town, Emma Folgers works for her Grandmother, Jo Folgers, in her coffee shop, A Cup of Jo. . .such a puny coincidence. Anyway, life is going great until she discovers a dead body behind the shop and a close friend disappears. It's up to her to uncover the truth hidden under the small town facade around her before anyone else gets tossed out with the grounds. This is a fun, coffee-themed, cozy mystery with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged till the end. Next order, please. . .

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Folgers, may be a punny name for a coffee barista at her grandmothers coffee shop, but she is quickly thrown into a murder mystery and disappearance of a dear friend/possible love interest.

When she uncovers the unexpected about the people she knows, she starts to wonder if she really knows anyone.

Looking forward to more from this cozy series as Mayble's first book in the Freshly Brewed series is already a hit.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Folger goes from reading mysteries to solving them in this new series from Angela Mayble. Working as a barista in her grandmother’s coffee shop, she’s known for making a killer cup of coffee. But when she finds the dead body of their coffee supplier in the storage shed, and one of their regulars goes missing, Emma starts searching for answers.

A nice start to this new series. Emma and Grandma Jo have a nice dynamic and the supporting characters are well fleshed out. The small town is painted in great detail making you feel like you are there. The mystery unfolds at an even pace and ties together past and present secrets with tragic results.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Roast Mortem is book #1 in the A Freshly Brewed Cozy Mystery series by Angela Mayble.

Emma works as a barista in her grandmother’s coffee shop. She finds a body behind the shop and Emma takes her love of written mysteries into the real world and begins looking into it. The characters are likable and so is the coffee shop setting. I guessed the motive for the murder but not the murderer. This is a promising start to a new series. I look forward to the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful new series really captivated me from the start. I enjoyed all of the characters and am very much looking forward to book two.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.