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Lila Bennett #1

Espresso Shots & Murder Plots: A Lila Bennett Cozy Mystery

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A charming town, a cozy bookstore café, and a deadly secret no one saw coming

Mount Pleasant was supposed to be Lila Bennett’s fresh start—away from the noise of city life, in a quaint bookstore café where the coffee is warm and the books are better. But when a local entrepreneur is found dead just before the town’s annual Blessing of the Fleet celebration, Lila’s peaceful life takes a dark turn.

At first, it seems like an unfortunate accident. But something feels off, like a missing puzzle piece. As the town mourns, Lila can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to the story—something buried beneath the surface.

With Finn, her ever-curious Golden Retriever, by her side, Lila starts digging into the mystery. What was Roscoe Thomas really up to in the days before his death? And why is everyone acting so strange?

As Lila uncovers secrets that the town would rather stay hidden, she realizes that no one is as innocent as they seem. Everyone has a motive. And someone is willing to kill to keep their darkest secrets safe.

Espresso Shots & Murder Plots serves up a page-turning mystery full of quirky characters, surprising twists, and a heroine who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2025

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361 people want to read

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Audrey Alden

12 books36 followers

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5 stars
129 (33%)
4 stars
124 (32%)
3 stars
82 (21%)
2 stars
33 (8%)
1 star
14 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
Profile Image for Jessica Wilhoite.
408 reviews17 followers
March 24, 2025
Lila and her dog Finn are on the case to solve a murder in their sleepy little town - although there are plenty of suspects because no one liked the victim...

Lila Bennett, our protagonist, seems like a very nice person, always looking to help whenever she can, however when murder strikes, she begins to suspect pretty much everyone she knows. I felt her over suspicion didn't make her the most likable character, but I think there is great room for character development here.

There were some good red herrings, but there were too many overall - every chapter seemed to end the same way with almost the same wording - Lila suspecting someone she knows and what they are hiding.

I think there are great friendships to be developed and explored and possibly a love connection between Lila and someone that played a pretty big part in this story. I'm interested to see how the relationship develops between Lila and the police chief, Sophia - will they team up and solve more crimes together? Will Lila become a part-time P.I.? I guess we just have to wait and see.

All in all, it's rare I don't like a cozy mystery and this is no exception - this is a pretty good start to, what I think, can be a fun series.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review from BookSirens.
Profile Image for A Look Inside: Reviews and Interviews.
652 reviews79 followers
April 1, 2025
Audrey Alden’s Espresso Shots & Murder Plots brews the perfect blend of comfort and suspense in the debut of her Mysteries of Mount Pleasant series. With its bookshop café setting, irresistible Southern charm, and a heroine who feels like your funniest, most capable friend, this cozy mystery hits all the right notes—then throws in a murder that makes your heart race just a little faster than your second espresso.

Lila Bennett has traded in the chaos of New York for a quieter life as co-owner of The Gilded Spine, a dreamy little bookstore and café tucked in the heart of Mount Pleasant. With her sarcastic best friend Amy by her side and a daily supply of donuts and dark roast, life seems simple and sweet—until the town’s Blessing of the Fleet festival takes a grim turn. When a well-known entrepreneur is found dead, Lila finds herself caught in a mystery that threatens the peace of her beloved new hometown.

The tone is instantly warm and welcoming. From the opening chapter, readers are treated to whip-smart banter, lighthearted flirtation, and the comforting clatter of a café coming to life. Lila is an immensely likable protagonist—funny, observant, and refreshingly unafraid to get her hands dirty (sometimes literally). Her interactions with Amy are full of heart and humor, and their bond feels lived-in and real.

But beneath the laughs and lattes lies a smartly plotted mystery. Alden balances the cozy with the criminal exceptionally well. The murder isn’t a backdrop—it’s an emotional and social disruption to a tight-knit town. Suspicion shifts from neighbor to neighbor, and as Lila digs deeper, she uncovers secrets that reveal just how complex small-town dynamics can be. Gossip, grudges, and old tensions surface with each chapter, giving the story a steady pace and layered intrigue.

Another standout element is the town of Mount Pleasant itself. Alden paints it with rich, sensory detail—from the scent of fresh donuts in the air to the tension beneath polite greetings. Every side character, from flirtatious Brad to the matronly Margaret Thorne, feels distinct and purposeful, contributing not only to the ambiance but to the unraveling mystery.

The book also shines in its dialogue. Alden has a gift for voice—witty, modern, and infused with personality. Conversations sparkle with energy, and even mundane moments (like dealing with a stubborn coffee machine) feel vibrant and character-revealing.

If there’s any room for growth, it’s in the mystery’s complexity. Though well-constructed and satisfying, seasoned cozy readers may spot the solution before the final reveal. Still, the charm, writing quality, and character relationships more than compensate for the slightly telegraphed ending.

Espresso Shots & Murder Plots is a delightful series starter with heart, humor, and just enough danger to keep your fingers smudged with glaze and your eyes on the page. Audrey Alden serves up a mystery that’s cozy without being soft, delivering a clever and comforting read that’s impossible not to love.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
20.7k reviews361 followers
March 12, 2025
Lila’s Investigation . . .

Mount Pleasant was a change of pace from the city, intended to give Lila Bennett a new start. Her bookstore café would be inviting to visitors and locals alike where they can sip coffee and browse the books. So the death of a local man, Roscoe Thomas, throws a dark cloud over the Blessing of the Fleet celebration and has Lila uneasy that something really doesn’t feel right. Lila clearly remembers how Roscoe made made his annoying public announcement about his new development project near the historic village here in town. She started to walk away but saw his cheeks flushed, his shirt soaked in sweat, and he suddenly collapsed as someone screamed. The paramedics took the body away covered with a white sheet. Lila heard the police officer tell his partner it looked like natural causes and his partner nodded agreement. But as she was about to leave, she spotted a gleam on the ground where Roscoe collapsed. Staring at it in confusion, she decided to take it with her and put it in her pocket. When the ruling is made public that Roscue’s death was a homicide, Lila and Finn, her golden retriever, start to investigate.

Lila starts finding secrets that many in the town wanted to remain hidden. And a killer is out there who is obviously willing to make sure certain secrets stay that way. Will Lila and Finn be able to track down the killer before someone else dies? (For the record, I didn’t particularly like Lila’s aggressive and sometimes sloppy investigative style, but this is the first book, so that may be “fixed” going forward. She also should have known better than to take the object she found at the scene with her since it “could have been” a clue which she had by then tampered with.)
11 reviews
March 21, 2025
Too much repeating

It drones on alot and story is predictable thru much of it . and nice of Lila to throw friends under the bus. I had a hard time forcing my way thru it but I just wanted it to get better and it didn't . she sure thought a lot of herself. Don t waste your time reading it.
Profile Image for Marie A.
239 reviews6 followers
March 31, 2025
Keep in mind this is my opinion, don’t turn down a book you may love because of it. The mystery itself is good.

First books in a new series can be a bit hard. You are introduced to the new main characters, their relationships with each other and the world in which it is set.

I found myself confused after the first couple of chapters and chose to start over.

I would have liked a little more background on the FMCs (Lila) friendship with her best friend Amy and how they decided on a coffee/bookshop. Mostly because from the sounds of it, Lila likes looking for new books and tending to the bookstore while her best friend likes the kitchen. Maybe there was an explanation in the book and I just missed it?

Also, does Lila come from money? She seems to have a lot of it if she can “gift” books and other items from their store. Especially since they seem to live in a tourist town.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I will probably read at least the second book in the series.

The mystery itself was good but it felt a little disjointed getting to the end.

I know the author described the book as pieces that go together for an a-ha moment, but I am sorry to say that wasn’t how I felt.

I did like the quirky characters but I didn’t understand how Lila had a reputation of helping everyone in town out when she has a store of her own to run. Or how their bookstore is closed on the weekends? Or maybe they trade off?

I have high hopes for book 2.

I received an advanced reader copy from Booksirens and am voluntarily leaving a review.
272 reviews
March 11, 2025
I started following Audrey Alden's journey when she came out with her Rose Cruz mystery series - and I was utterly in love with it.

That's why this book was such a shock for me.

I did not like it one bit.

The characters were so bland and boring, even the main character, Lila Bennett, was a disappointment to me.

I was not interested in the plot at all - there was nothing unique or outstanding with it.

The way the book was written was my biggest issue - especially the dialogue between the characters.

It felt like I was reading a book for small children - Yes, this is a cozy mystery, but that doesn't mean that the grown up people in the book are going to talk like small kids.

Honestly, I'm a great deal flabbergasted.

I thought I was going to at least like this book. Man was I wrong.

Personally, I cannot fathom how the author of the Rose Cruz series - an extremely great series - wrote this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
⭐️
Profile Image for Willow Poteet.
150 reviews1 follower
March 10, 2025
During Mount Pleasant South Carolina's annual Blessing of the Fleet celebration, entrepreneur and richest man in town Roscoe Thomas drops dead while making an announcement about his new development project that would change the town. And not in a good way.
Lila Bennett, former New York journalist and co-owner of The Gilded Spine café/bookstore, and her clue-sniffing sidekick Finn, are compelled to investigate after Lila finds a flash drive in the area where the victim fell.
In spite of numerous warnings to “stay out of it” from the Police Chief, Lila continues to question the numerous suspects in the case whose attitudes give her even more to ponder.
I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy and I am happy to leave this voluntary review.
This book was definitely unputdownable, full of plot twists and a surprising conclusion.
I highly recommend it!
333 reviews5 followers
March 14, 2025
Death of a scoundrel.
When developer Roscoe Thomas drops dead at the annual ship blessing event no tears are shed as his greed adversely affected most people in town. But when his death is not from natural causes and Lila Bennett's friends become suspects, she determines to clear there names, or prove their guilt. When she and her dog search for clues, and find several useful bits of information, her decision is to continue to investigate on her own and not include the police. The mystery is quite interesting and the characters and their development make for a strong start to this new series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
253 reviews5 followers
April 8, 2025
I enjoyed the story itself and the well produced characters. I felt the quality of the writing left quite a bit to be desired, but the power of the story carried one along as it should.

I am sure that further books in this series will be worth reading. I for one, cannot go past a book that deals with a library or bookshop. Always a setting that I love, so I will probably fall for the succeeding books in the series!

A good relaxing read for when you don't want to be too intellectually challenged, and that is frequent occasion.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Profile Image for Jeanne.
1,905 reviews8 followers
March 24, 2025
Espresso Shots & Murder Plots: A Lila Bennett Cozy Mystery is book 1 in the Mysteries of Mount Pleasant series by Audrey Alden.

Lila believes the death of a local entrepreneur isn’t an accident. Her questioning skills could use some work as well as sharing info. The mystery was good. This is the first book in the series and sometimes those are a little rocky. 3.5 stars rounding up to 4 since it is a first in series. I will give the next book a read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Tari.
3,646 reviews103 followers
April 10, 2025
I definitely wasn’t a big fan of Lila who really annoyed me at first with how she absolutely wouldn’t listen to the police chief. She seemed worse than ten cozy mystery main characters put together lol. I actually felt uncomfortable for her and her total disregard of Chief Sofia’s warning and kinda hoped she’d be arrested to teach her a lesson.

But somehow Lila started growing on me as she grew a little more reasonable and ended up in showdown with the killer. I think the chief came to realize (maybe a little late) how Lila did have some mad skills when it came to finding evidence.
Profile Image for Cheyenne Cook.
88 reviews1 follower
May 6, 2025
Espresso Shots and Murder Plots is a cozy mystery. I give 3 stars maybe even 2.5. It is a little slower paced than I prefer.

Lila Bennet is a former journalist now living in a small town and running a bookstore/ coffee shop with her best friend. As the local town tyrant drops dead at a festival, Lila cannot help but investigate. Unfortunately, her friends in the town all seem guilty of murder. Lila has to solve the case before someone else ends up dead. Will her friends be guilty in a murder conspiracy or did someone else have it out for the tyrant?
Profile Image for Shannon Binegar-Foster.
2,801 reviews19 followers
March 25, 2025
I found this new series delightfully entertaining. Lila has an incredibly hard time staying out of the investigation due to her previous career as an investigative journalist. Will her nosiness cause more harm than good? Will she alienate her closest friends in the process of clearing not only her name but theirs as well.
What a fun read this was. I am very much looking forward to the next adventures.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Toni.
1,569 reviews64 followers
July 25, 2025
Good story and characters

I was happy with a lot of this story. The plot flowed and the mystery was interesting. But I couldn’t see why the main character constantly did things that were strictly against the law. Not just once but over and over. I understand being an eager Nancy Drew, but I couldn’t suspend my disbelief at Lila’s actions. Good but not planning to read further.
Profile Image for Carrie Nellis Crisp.
115 reviews
April 12, 2025
Murder in a small town

In a town where Roscoe's charm was about as warm as a polar bear's handshake, his untimely demise sparked more gossip . With a personality that could make a cactus seem cuddly, Roscoe's funeral guest list was looking suspiciously like a potential suspect lineup.
415 reviews8 followers
March 23, 2025
This was really fun Lila is at a town event when the main speaker collapses and dies. She gets involved when her friends are suspects and she wants to clear their name. This was a fun story and I recommend it.
1 review
April 23, 2025
I wanted to like it…

I wanted to like this book, and I read it all, but it was a struggle. The writing was not great, the plot was average, and it moved way too slow. Again I really wanted to like this book and was excited to read it but was just disappointed.
1,394 reviews5 followers
May 10, 2025
A wonderful book by author Audrey Alden.
The characters of Lila, her dog Roscoe and all her friends are so good.
Loved the friendship between them all. This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last...
Loved reading and highly recommend...
Profile Image for Paige Turner.
1,115 reviews22 followers
June 9, 2025
There are many things I didn't like about this book. I won't even go into them all, but I will say I thought it was poorly written with several improbable and unrealistic scenarios. It says it is Book 1 of a new series, however, I won't be reading more of them or anything more by this author.
Profile Image for Alonya Johnson.
7 reviews2 followers
August 22, 2025
I could not get into this book. The AI voice narrating the story was very flat. The character build-up was less than intriguing. The dialogue between the characters was subpar. I could not bring myself to finish this book.
72 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2025
Great little mystery

I enjoyed the characters and the way they were personalized by their hometown spirit
the dog in the story added to the story as well. I will read others in this series.
Profile Image for Celest.
716 reviews8 followers
September 16, 2025
A Great Mystery by Audrey Alden

This is my first book by Audrey Alden and not my last. She's an excellent story teller. There's a lot of interesting characters that made great suspects, I still didn't know who the murderer was. An entertaining story and good wrap up in the end.
162 reviews
April 10, 2025
Interesting first read

Interesting first read from this author. I like how they describe the dog and what it is doing or thinking all the way through the book.
155 reviews
August 3, 2025
Lily investigates the murder of the richest man of the town, but was it a murder or just a heart attack? And who in the town wanted him dead?
1 review
August 3, 2025
Dialogue was simple, plot was generic and characters lacked any development. Would have been a DNF if not chosen for book club.
Profile Image for Laura Quevedo.
260 reviews2 followers
did-not-finish
August 3, 2025
DNF at 36%

I Didn't like the FMC.Her intentions were good but her actions just kept on getting weirder.
not for me
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews

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