Cappuccino

Zion Sawyer #1

by M.L. Hamilton, Kelley Hazen (Narrator)

10 hrs 38 mins
Zion Sawyer had a good job, working customer service for an insurance company in San Francisco. She had friends, a loving family, and a bright future. Until she received a call from a lawyer in Sequoia, California, informing her she is the sole heir to her biological mother’s estate.

Zion never met Vivian Bradley, but her death sends Zion on a path of discovery that changes her future forever. And she discovers that you can never escape your past, even a past you didn’t want to know.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Cozy

Audiobook

Published November 8, 2018

About the author

ML Hamilton taught high school English and journalism in Central California for 32 years.

Teaching students to appreciate literature made her career rewarding; however, she always dreamed of publishing her own novel.

In 2010, the dream came true. Her first novel, Emerald, was published by Wild Wolf Publishing. The sequel to Emerald, The Heirs of Eldon, followed the next year.

In addition to teaching and writing, she has three sons, two daughters-in-law, two dogs, and three amazing grandbabies.

Sign up for her newsletter at www.authormlhamilton.net for free offers and the latest book information.

Reviews

[Marie Tovaas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very Misleading Title!

As a devout cozy fan, I was expecting a nice, light tale of divine pastries and superb espresso drinks mixed with some dead bodies and a good puzzle. Well, there is all of that, but so much more! A good, deep look at an adult adoptee who finds herself with two mothers, one recently deceased, and a whole slew of life changing choices to go with them. When her birth mother turns out to be the victim of a callous murder, the stakes start climbing. Ride along as some very finely drawn characters work through their personal demons to find a stranger's killer.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but narration was odd.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love! I enjoy the characters and the town! This one kept me guessing!

[Kathy Ginegaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and characters enough to view the entire six-book series and already have the second, Cafe au Lait, in my overly full Kindle. Looking forward to the story’s characters’ progression.

[Jeanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable introduction to a mystery series. I couldn't quite classify the genre, but the overall feel is closest to a small town cozy mystery even though the primary sleuth is a fairly young retired cop. By the end of the book he is accompanied by a true amateur. The one weakness that bothered me was when the unofficial detectives acted without providing information to the police. We see that often in lighter mysteries but since one of the people involved had been a police office for more than six years, it stood out. In spite of this typical gaffe, I look forward to getting to know the characters better and that is enough for me.

[Avigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

After watching a couple of booktube videos about cozy mysteries I was in the mood for one. I opened the Kindle that I use sporadically and looked for a couple of cozy mysteries with subjects that interested me. I love coffee and when I saw the book I knew right away that I will devour it. I loved the premise and the characters were interesting. There were parts that it is slow it has a love triangle and it is interesting which one will Zion will pick, the lawyer or the ex-cop and now owner of a hardware store.
The small town ambiance is what I liked most in this cozy mystery. Hopefully, I will find the other books of the series to see what other mysteries we have.
This book is built that you think one certain person is the murder, but at the end someone else it is and I see it coming, those are the cozy mysteries that I like.
Maybe I will try M. L. Hamilton's other mystery series.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cappuccino by M.L.Hamilton is the first book in the Zion Sawyer Mystery series. Zion Sawyer receives a phone call that she has inherited her biological mother's estate, only to find that she had been murdered. A nice start to he series where Zion gets to know the woman who gave her up for adoption and moves to Sequoia, taking over The Caffeinator, a cafe she inherited. The mystery was rather strange, but I enjoyed learing about the town and Zion's move, making life-changing decisions in the process. Zion is smart and sensible and I liked Tate, an ex-cop who runs the hardware store in Sequoia. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

[Lidia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my review of the audio version as posted on Audible:

'Cappuccino' is a great start to a new series by Ms Hamilton, the author of Peyton Brooks and Avery Nolan adventures, both of which I really like a lot. Now we meet Zion Sawyer who is as strong and relateable a character as the other two:)

This is a cozy mystery, much lighter in mood than Peyton Brooks' stories and much more down-to-earth than Avery Nolan's magical adventures - but it's as entertaining and engaging. The book has an interesting starting point, with Zion suddenly inheriting her biological mother's coffee house and other earthly possessions - which at first she rejects, as she has never met her biological mother and has never wanted to meet her. But, as it soon turns out, that unexpected event allows her to change her life completely - a change she definitely needs, for her own good. The little town of Sequoia, California, is exactly what she needs right now, and the people she meets there are a colourful, friendly bunch... well, most of them, anyway:)

There's an intriguing criminal plot, with some good twists to it, there's also a bit of romance - or possible romance - in the air. The two main characters, Zion herself and her 'co-partner in crime', a former cop Tate, are full-bodied people, with complicated personalities, but very likeable, so it's easy to kind of keep your fingers crossed for them...:) The supporting cast are also very well developed, with a lot of quirks and a lot of warmth to them. And there's a lot of humour - Zion is a kind of character that has a healthy distance to herself and can make other people smile a lot (the reader/listener, too).

In a word, it's a book I just couldn't put down...:)

Narration by Ms Hazen is very good, as usual. She does all the different voices very well, some better than others, but in general it's a great performance by her. She adds tension when necessary, and the humour of the book shines in her interpretation:)

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Krupa Chirravoori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boooo 👎

**spoiler alert**

I was having a great time with the story at first, it felt wholesome. All the side characters, the locations and the scenes were nicely described.

But then it started to look just okay to me when I saw certain words/phrases repeating across characters, the author could have used a thesaurus I suppose. Also, two side characters (the receptionist at the law firm and the waitress at the fancy restaurant) were named the same, for no reason. They both have brief and inconsequential appearances, so they really could have been named distinctly. And then, the main character Zion who is so watchful otherwise, completely ignores the lawyer being called a 'traitor' by a crime suspect, thereby putting her lawyer under suspicion too. But Zion's not registering the remark at all felt out-of-character to me, and from there on I started losing interest.

The final event that cost the review some stars was the choice to portray such a character as the criminal who was suspected to be autistic. What's my problem with that? Well, the story just goes on to feed the prejudice people have towards mental disability. Instead of teaching the audience to show compassion and curiosity towards such individuals, it tells the readers - watch out! That weird person you everyday? Yeah, he could be a murderer!

Wow, way to go!

I didn't enjoy the book enough to the end that I would give a raving review and be dying to read the rest in this series or more by this author.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super-fun start to ML Hamilton's Zion Sawyer series. Although Hamilton is a prolific writer, this was the first book of theirs I've read. It hits all the "cozy mystery" marks.

Zion is taken out of her normal routine when her biological mother dies in a car accident. Issues she'd swept under her metaphorical table, including complex adoption feelings, job dissatisfaction, moral imperatives of insurance companies, the indifference of city life, all are forced to the surface.

The town of Sequoia has all the requisites: a couple of very different handsome men, an evil developer, charming country stores, and a made-to-order little house for Zion to live in while she decides what to do with her bio-mom's coffee shop.

The book leaves us wondering how the romantic triangle will work out down the road, and ready to read the next book in the series. Charming and with a laugh-out-loud (really!) flirtation scene, it's the right book to take to the beach, or definitely, to the cafe.

[Catrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to a new cozy mystery series by ML Hamilton.

Zion knew she was adopted and had no desire to meet her birth mother. When she’s contacted by a lawyer, she finds out she is the sole heir to her birth mother’s estate after she unexpectedly passed away. In the hopes of taking care of things quickly and returning to her life in San Francisco, Zion makes the trip out to Sequoia... her life will never be the same...

I love finding a new series where a great author pairs with a great narrator. Having a great story’s one thing, but when you add a top notch narration (bravo, Kelley Hazen!), it takes the book to the next level. I’m really looking forward to continuing on with the next book in the series.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the narrator and found it very entertaining. Big city girl moves to small town to run the Coffee Shop her birth mother left her. Sounds simple enough, but it's not. A big box store wants to come to town and Zion's mother was standing in their way before she was murdered, just a coincidences? Can Zion and her neighbour, the ex-cop solve the mystery before anyone else gets hurt. With this fun cast it doesn't really matter as long as you can listen along as they try. It has it all, suspense, humour, danger and a touch of romance. Once again author and narrator make an awesome team. Looking forward to listening to book 2.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cheesy, unrealistic & BORING

While the writing itself is technically, and for the most part, grammatically correct, enen the punctuation, this author should write what she knows.
There are so many logistical problems, that even if I agreed with the SJ POV, the book was horrible.
Ex. A Nissan Sentra isn't going to blind the driver of even a small pickup truck if the really are that close to the rear bumper.
Ex. When vehicles are involved in a possible homicide, the first thing law enforcement does is check auto shops.
Ex. Pakistani is a nationality, not a race. It isn't even an ethnicity.
This author needs to either get help from someone in law enforcement, or not write about crimes.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh boy, the distractions/misdirections were rampant in this book.



Even with all that, I did figure out who we were looking for. But talk about a wacky reason behind the drive to make someone do what they do. And yet, possibly a little too close to some people's actual actions in the real world. Which is the freakiest part of the entire story.

A good start to the series. Tons of interesting characters and the makeup/buildup of a possible love triangle that I'm sure will only lead to further drama and craziness. I'm ready to see where this series goes, and if it will keep me interested enough to want to continue further.

[Martha Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice read

ML Hamilton has created a nice cozy series with a great cast of characters. She manages to combine great mysteries with a luscious love story while leaving profanity and ugliness behind. She winds true feelings and normal reactions thru her stories just as if the characters were as real as her readers.

This particular series beginning with Zion has certainly started off keeping me reading the night away. Hope you read this book and are as satisfied as I am.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author and a pleasant surprise. My initial thought to sum up is, it was smart. The characters were well developed, intelligent, normal human beings. The mystery was well done. The back story about Zion’s adoption and job were well crafted. Her parents were a kick. The story held my interest and was well paced. I have only one criticism. While it was clean with no sex or swearing to speak of, the Lord’s name was taken in vain multiple times. I could have done without that. Otherwise, it was quite good.

[Carôle Ceres · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, you get introduced to the characters because of the protagonist, Zion, finds out that her birth mother has died and has left her a house and a Coffee shop (with staff).
Those are both in Sequoia, she lives in San Francisco working a job that is leading nowhere... then it transpired that her birth mother was murdered, the journey towards solving the case is neat and unusual.

For a Cozy Mystery, it has a decent plot and has decent dialogue, enough to make the desire to go into the next story enticing and inevitable.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zion was adopted as a baby and never knew her natural mother, so she is quite surprised to find out that she is the heir in the woman's will. She, naturally has mixed feeling about inheriting. The properties are in a small town, so Zion and her adoptive mother go there to see about the will. Zion loves the small town and how friendly most of the townspeople are. Zion soon learns that her real mother's death was not an accident and that a man has been hounding the store owners, basically harassing them while he works to persuade them to sell their buildings so a big box store can come in. This is a murder mystery with lots of twists and turns before the murderer is revealed, although I was pretty much suspicious of the perpetrator before the mystery was solved. Zion also has 2 gentlemen interested in her romantically, one the lawyer who called her about the will and the other an ex-cop who owns the hardware store in town. This is a clean story with a nice ending.

[Noori Dyo]

Another audiobook from audible for this year. Too much audiobooks for the person who kept stating that she doesn’t like audiobooks and cannot listen to them, don’t you think?

I chose to listen to it because of the title to be fair. And I didn’t expect anything from it. Maybe that’s why I actually enjoyed the book. I loved the narrator’s performance, too. Sometimes she made funny intonations for some characters but they were on point.

I guess the title of the very first book from the series is Cappuccino because it's the most famous and familiar coffee 🤪

The thing I didn’t really like was the unnecessary love lines and forcing opinions about marriage. I guess it’s my problem, since I’m done with this kind of questions in my own life.

Also another thing that was lame is that the “turning point” in main character’s life where she understands what she wants in her life and what to do with her life. Also, is 3 years too much to give to one company? I mean.. yeah, not for me to judge I guess.

And, yes, it’s a cup of Cappuccino in the photo

[Ashley Hedden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cappuccino was another great read by ML Hamilton. This is book one of A Zion Sawyer Cozy Mystery Series. Zion is working in customer service for an insurance company. She has her best friend and her loving parents. She received a call from a lawyer in Sequoia, California but brushes it off. She finds out that she is the sole heir to her biological mother's estate. I really enjoyed reading Zion's story and can't wait to read the rest of this series.

[Pam Zemball · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coffee and Murder

Zion and Tate make a great pair at solving crime.. Tate is an ex- cop and Zion wants to help and go und
er cover.. Zion's biological Mother dies suddenly and young. Soon becomes apparent she was murdered. Zion goes to settle the estate and decides the small town seems to be calling her to stay. Then all kinds of other strange and unsettling things start to happen..

[Peculiar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Read

I enjoyed the backstory , storyline and character's along with they're business's. I hope something develops between Zion and Tate he seems like a sweet man with a haunting past. Zion is courageous and ready for change .This book is definitely a page turner and kept my attention. I enjoy trying to figure out who did it and why. I'm looking forward to book 2 of this series. I highly recommend reading this series of A Zion Sawyer Cozy Mystery book's.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adopted Zion Sawyer is notified she is the sole beneficiary of her biological mother. She goes to dispose of the house and coffee shop; realizes her mother's death is probably not accidental so she stays to help solve the mystery. And of course, there's a love factor and she finds herself involved with both an ex-cop and a lawyer.

[Maria do Socorro Baptista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Achei divertido, mas devo confessar que desconfiei de quem seria o criminoso deste o início. Ando lendo muitas histórias de detetives ultimamente, acho. Achei o final previsível, também. Mas gostei da narrativa, daria até para fazer uma boa discussão sobre valores éticos X valores econômicos, bem como sobre construção identitária.

[Tess Ailshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good entry into the genre. The two main characters have excellent back stories that lend realism, with one exception. While the "whodunit" was obvious to me, I can understand Zion's and Tate's positions and difficulty figuring it out. The supporting characters are mostly well-developed.

Not perfect, but much better than most free cozy mysteries (I got this free through a free site).

[JudyKay Gamble · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY

It isn't fair. I now have another fabulous series to haunt me. I wanted something not as brutal but not as wimpy as what I had been reading. This is perfect. Real feeling characters and believable happenings are every where. It is just right for suspense and still has a kitten!!!

[Toni Nyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder is not a game

I hope this is just the start of a series. It was a great read. Zion always knew she was adopted and her parents knew her birth mother. When her birth mother dies and leaves everything to her, Zion must go to the small town to settle her affairs. She fi ds out she was murdered she stays to help solve it.

[Gloria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zion Sawyer, a cozy Mystery.

A great bunch of characters with plenty of descriptive features and back stories. A twisting mystery that pulls you in, hoping your favourite characters survive another page. Laugh out loud moments aplenty balanced by times when you quietly boo the villain. A good read.

[Charline Romine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much swearing.

I was so looking forward to reading this interesting start to this novel. However, the swearing 🤬 put me off in the second chapter. I wonder why this is added to what would have been a good read. Just too much of it. There is so much available to read without all the muck that I will go find something else to read.

[Cyndi Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesomt

I really enjoyed getting to know Tate and Zion. The whole book was cozy and fast read with I interesting twists I never saw coming. Hope this series develops as ML has in her other series