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A Bitter Brew in Mocha Mills : A Small Town Coffee Cozy Mystery
When Vivian Palmer's award-winning chocolate mocha cake becomes the murder weapon that kills Mocha Mills' notoriously difficult health inspector, this middle-aged café owner finds herself at the center of a small-town scandal. With her beloved Perky Perk Café temporarily closed and her reputation at stake, Vivian must trade her apron for amateur detective skills to clear her name. Alongside her supportive history teacher husband Frank and sharp-tongued librarian best friend Sylvia, she'll discover that behind picturesque storefronts and friendly smiles lurk secrets worth killing for.
As Vivian investigates, she uncovers a web of corruption and blackmail stretching from town hall to the quaint businesses along Main Street. Between power-walking sessions with Sylvia where they gather town gossip disguised as exercise, and late-night strategy meetings with Frank, Vivian follows a trail of clues as rich and complex as her famous mochas. But someone in Mocha Mills doesn't appreciate her snooping, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to keep their secrets buried deeper than espresso beans in a grinder.
With her empty-nest life suddenly filled with suspense and danger, Vivian must solve the murder before the killer serves her a permanent closure. In this charming cozy mystery, readers will delight in the quirky cast of small-town characters, witty dialogue, and a protagonist who solves crimes while trying to resist the temptation of her own baked goods. Stir together small-town charm, a sprinkle of danger, and a dollop of humor, and you get the perfect recipe for murder in the first installment of the Perky Perk Mystery series.
As Vivian investigates, she uncovers a web of corruption and blackmail stretching from town hall to the quaint businesses along Main Street. Between power-walking sessions with Sylvia where they gather town gossip disguised as exercise, and late-night strategy meetings with Frank, Vivian follows a trail of clues as rich and complex as her famous mochas. But someone in Mocha Mills doesn't appreciate her snooping, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to keep their secrets buried deeper than espresso beans in a grinder.
With her empty-nest life suddenly filled with suspense and danger, Vivian must solve the murder before the killer serves her a permanent closure. In this charming cozy mystery, readers will delight in the quirky cast of small-town characters, witty dialogue, and a protagonist who solves crimes while trying to resist the temptation of her own baked goods. Stir together small-town charm, a sprinkle of danger, and a dollop of humor, and you get the perfect recipe for murder in the first installment of the Perky Perk Mystery series.
141 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2025
91 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 15, 2025
I generally enjoy coffee theme cozy mysteries, and this was no exception. The protagonist is married to a teacher and they’re a happy couple. When a health inspector is killed, the protagonist is suspect #1 until the sheriff can find evidence that someone else had motive.
The plot is clever and sneaky. Obviously, something underhanded is going on in this town, but figuring out who all is involved and who can be trusted is hard. The characters and plot are entertaining. Enjoy!
The plot is clever and sneaky. Obviously, something underhanded is going on in this town, but figuring out who all is involved and who can be trusted is hard. The characters and plot are entertaining. Enjoy!
September 20, 2025
This was a quick, easy read. But the story was just ordinary. The characters kind of fell flat. I didn’t feel like I really got to know any of the characters. May give one more book in this series a try.
October 8, 2025
DNF!
Something just felt off. After the 3rd or 4th time the same characters brought up the same "suspects" and "motives" in the same chapter. While I have no "proof" this book(ish) just screams AI generated. I had to do some digging...
The absence of any copyright info in the book or listing...and then I found this from cozymystery(dot)com:
"In 2025 they appear to have switched writing all the new books using AI. Per our Policy, we do not include AI-generated books on our site..."
According to KDP, all AI generated work must be disclosed. without tha disclosure, I can't 100% state this is AI... but I 100% FEEL it is.
The only saving grace in this story is that I "bought" this copy on a "free" day. To charge for AI content (without even disclosing that it is) is a hard NO for me! 😡🤬
Something just felt off. After the 3rd or 4th time the same characters brought up the same "suspects" and "motives" in the same chapter. While I have no "proof" this book(ish) just screams AI generated. I had to do some digging...
The absence of any copyright info in the book or listing...and then I found this from cozymystery(dot)com:
"In 2025 they appear to have switched writing all the new books using AI. Per our Policy, we do not include AI-generated books on our site..."
According to KDP, all AI generated work must be disclosed. without tha disclosure, I can't 100% state this is AI... but I 100% FEEL it is.
The only saving grace in this story is that I "bought" this copy on a "free" day. To charge for AI content (without even disclosing that it is) is a hard NO for me! 😡🤬
January 24, 2026
This is the first in the series. The main character ARE Vivian and her husband Frank. When the town health inspector is murdered eating a piece of her cake that was part of a competition at the festival Vivian becomes the main suspect. Seems the health inspector had already closed a few places in town and had tried to close her shop as well. Now Vivian and her hubby along with her best friend Sylvia start to investigate. Seems like a lot of people were involved including the mayor and a developer and with the health inspector you aren't sure who to trust. When she finally gets proof, she isn't even sure if she can trust the sheriff. Can she figure this out before they arrest her ?
November 10, 2025
This is a book.
It was only 141 pages (e-book) and in that length of book, I heard the characters suspect the same people about 80 times.
And then the ending was left incredibly disappointing, as the 'whodunnit' was someone I didn't remember being mentioned - which was either cheap, or the character just wasn't memorable (neither of which are good).
The writing was fine - the style was coherent and cohesive. I don't know if maybe it was just because it was so short (but not THAT short?) that I just wasn't drawn to any of the characters. The repetition of suspects was also tedious.
Not a bad book, but I can't give it any more than 2 stars because nothing really happened.
It was only 141 pages (e-book) and in that length of book, I heard the characters suspect the same people about 80 times.
And then the ending was left incredibly disappointing, as the 'whodunnit' was someone I didn't remember being mentioned - which was either cheap, or the character just wasn't memorable (neither of which are good).
The writing was fine - the style was coherent and cohesive. I don't know if maybe it was just because it was so short (but not THAT short?) that I just wasn't drawn to any of the characters. The repetition of suspects was also tedious.
Not a bad book, but I can't give it any more than 2 stars because nothing really happened.
September 13, 2025
Wonderful Mystery by Maisy Marple
I really enjoyed this book with all of the great characters and many twists that lead me on a great adventure. I do have questions though, but no spoilers. Can't wait for the next book in the series for some more adventures.
I really enjoyed this book with all of the great characters and many twists that lead me on a great adventure. I do have questions though, but no spoilers. Can't wait for the next book in the series for some more adventures.
November 24, 2025
Coffee anyone
Wonderful story and so realistic. This could easily happen anywhere to anyone which is the scary part. Inspectors sometimes have way too much power over innocent shop owners.
Wonderful story and so realistic. This could easily happen anywhere to anyone which is the scary part. Inspectors sometimes have way too much power over innocent shop owners.
December 1, 2025
A good read
I enjoyed this chic-let mystery. The writing flowed very well & the characters were well developed. There were several things set up as clues, not all were obvious & a few caught me by surprise. I really enjoyed this author. Thanks #MaisyMarple for the great read.
I enjoyed this chic-let mystery. The writing flowed very well & the characters were well developed. There were several things set up as clues, not all were obvious & a few caught me by surprise. I really enjoyed this author. Thanks #MaisyMarple for the great read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews