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Stage Fright in Mocha Mills: A Small Town Coffee Cozy Mystery
The curtain rises on murder in this delicious small-town mystery!
When the historic Mocha Mills Theater reopens with a professional production, café owner Vivian Palmer is thrilled to provide the coffee service for opening night. But excitement turns to horror when Broadway director Dominic Hayes collapses dead center stage after drinking from a prop coffee cup during his cameo performance. With her café's reputation at stake and the show quite literally stopped, Vivian finds herself drawn into her fourth murder investigation in this charming small town.
As Vivian juggles her thriving café, her power walks with librarian Sylvia, and her empty-nest adjustments with husband Frank, she discovers the theater world is full of deception worthy of the stage. The demanding director made enemies of everyone from the playwright whose work he rewrote to the exhausted assistant who catered to his every whim. When a second attack during rehearsals threatens the stage manager's life, Vivian realizes the killer is still among them—and willing to strike again to protect deadly secrets. Unexpected help arrives when her daughter Zoe returns from college, bringing scientific knowledge that might just identify the sophisticated poison used in the perfectly engineered murder weapon.
In this fourth installment of the beloved Perky Perk Mystery Series, Vivian Palmer must sift through theatrical rivalries, stolen creative work, and long-simmering resentments to find a killer before the final curtain falls. With a cast of colorful suspects, a rekindled small-town theater scene, and plenty of Vivian's signature coffee blends, "Stage Fright in Mocha Mills" delivers a perfectly brewed cozy mystery that will keep readers guessing until the dramatic final act.
When the historic Mocha Mills Theater reopens with a professional production, café owner Vivian Palmer is thrilled to provide the coffee service for opening night. But excitement turns to horror when Broadway director Dominic Hayes collapses dead center stage after drinking from a prop coffee cup during his cameo performance. With her café's reputation at stake and the show quite literally stopped, Vivian finds herself drawn into her fourth murder investigation in this charming small town.
As Vivian juggles her thriving café, her power walks with librarian Sylvia, and her empty-nest adjustments with husband Frank, she discovers the theater world is full of deception worthy of the stage. The demanding director made enemies of everyone from the playwright whose work he rewrote to the exhausted assistant who catered to his every whim. When a second attack during rehearsals threatens the stage manager's life, Vivian realizes the killer is still among them—and willing to strike again to protect deadly secrets. Unexpected help arrives when her daughter Zoe returns from college, bringing scientific knowledge that might just identify the sophisticated poison used in the perfectly engineered murder weapon.
In this fourth installment of the beloved Perky Perk Mystery Series, Vivian Palmer must sift through theatrical rivalries, stolen creative work, and long-simmering resentments to find a killer before the final curtain falls. With a cast of colorful suspects, a rekindled small-town theater scene, and plenty of Vivian's signature coffee blends, "Stage Fright in Mocha Mills" delivers a perfectly brewed cozy mystery that will keep readers guessing until the dramatic final act.
117 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 7, 2026
Vivian solves another case
Enjoyable cozy mystery, but still a few things that sound odd. In one scene, Frank turns to his wife before heading to do CPR and says he is a first aid responder. If she's his wife, seems like she'd know that already. Another time Vivian, her daughter, and her husband were each going to check on some details. Vivian is on the phone with her daughter and they discuss what they each have found. They decide to go to the sheriff's office with their info. It never mentions anything about what Frank found out at all. Also, Vivian was at work at the coffee shop and the daughter said she'd meet her at her workplace, but instead they are at the sheriff's office on the next page.
Other than a few times repeating what was already said, I liked the book and the series.
Enjoyable cozy mystery, but still a few things that sound odd. In one scene, Frank turns to his wife before heading to do CPR and says he is a first aid responder. If she's his wife, seems like she'd know that already. Another time Vivian, her daughter, and her husband were each going to check on some details. Vivian is on the phone with her daughter and they discuss what they each have found. They decide to go to the sheriff's office with their info. It never mentions anything about what Frank found out at all. Also, Vivian was at work at the coffee shop and the daughter said she'd meet her at her workplace, but instead they are at the sheriff's office on the next page.
Other than a few times repeating what was already said, I liked the book and the series.
January 31, 2026
Thrilling adventure
5 key suspects systematically narrowed down to a few with a definitive meeting of principals that pulled out a confession. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions wit each other. The rivalries among towns folk are solid but kind.
5 key suspects systematically narrowed down to a few with a definitive meeting of principals that pulled out a confession. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions wit each other. The rivalries among towns folk are solid but kind.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews