Bloodier than Fiction

Bookish Cafe Mysteries #2

by Harper Lin

Joshua hires staff for the bustling bookshop café in charming Fair Haven. A reluctant and shy Maggie soon warms up to the new barista Babs and stock boy Casper. When Maggie notices some older boys taunting Casper after work, she helps him escape. But the next day, one of the bullies is found dead in the park with his throat slashed.

Can quiet, secretive Casper really be a killer? Maggie butts into policeman Gary’s investigation to find out. She wonders if she’s developing feelings for Gary. Wasn’t Joshua her crush? Either way, it isn’t a good idea for her to get involved with either of them. One is her boss, and the other is an old high school friend.

But romance doesn’t stay on Maggie’s mind for long when she becomes the target of a murderer.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Audiobook

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 3, 2021

About the author

Harper Lin is the 3x USA Today Bestselling Author of several popular cozy mystery series—8 and counting!

When she’s not reading or writing mysteries, she loves going to yoga class, hiking, and baking with friends and family. 


Be the first to hear about early bird discounts and new book releases by signing up for Harper's Newsletter: https://goo.gl/R7XmFR

www.harperlin.com

Reviews

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Maggie and the bookstore and Joshua has made things interesting by bringing in some new help the bookstore and cafe. I look forward to seeing the relationship between Maggie and Joshua progress however, Maggie as a sleuth? Not a very good idea.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually read in one day but this software won‘t let me fix that today.
Very good cozy mystery set in bookstore. I like that the romance part is drawn out, unlike other cozy mysteries where the main characters fall in love within two days time.
Maggie has two possible love interests and the reader is left wondering who will be THE ONE.
The mystery of this story revolves around a new hire at the bookstore and a dead body, which of course Maggie happens to trip over in the park.
I truly enjoy the characters in this series, especially Maggie who loves books and would prefer to ignore the world and stay in her comfort zone in the bookstore. Sounds like someone I know.

[Susan Tunis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not a fan of book 1 of this series, so naturally, I read book 2. (This is what a cry for help looks like, in case you're wondering.)

And actually, I think this one was a bit better. Craft, it can be learned. But my biggest problem with the series is still an issue. Namely, the series protagonist, who I guess is on the spectrum... It's not clear. But she's pretty unlikable, despite the spin the other characters put on her quirky misanthropy. Nita Prose and several other authors have shown that it's possible to have very endearing protagonists on the autism spectrum. Harper Lin still needs to work on this.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first book in this series about a year ago, apparently a long enough time to forget that I really didn't like MC Maggie in that book, and her character hasn't improved much in my mind. She's still a book snob - popular fiction has no place in her reading world - and she would thrive in an academic bookstore, but a general bookstore like this doesn't seem to be the right place for her. The GR blurb calls her "shy," but judgmental and disdainful seem more accurate to me.

When she almost literally stumbles over a dead body and one of the store's new hires is the prime suspects, though, she sets out to prove his innocence - not necessarily to clear his name but to prove to herself that her assessment of other people is still infallible *insert eyeroll here* The murder victim was a known troublemaker and not well-liked, but there still didn't seem to be many serious suspects to consider. I'm not a fan of the way the killer was revealed, although the motive was hinted at throughout the book.

I do not have the next book in the series in either my audio or ebook collections, so I'll likely only continue if I can find it on sale (or better, free!) somewhere.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie manages the bookstore, Joshua is dealing with the cafe that he wants to add to the ever-busy bookshop that he now owns. He tells Maggie he is going to hire more help for both. He does hire Casper and Babs. Two people that Maggie secretly likes. But she sees Casper being bullied by two older boys, she isn't sure what to do. Then one of those boys is found dead in the park by none other than Maggie! What is going in their nice quiet town? Oh, and there is a big football game going on also that is bringing other strangers to their town. Is one of them the killer? I enjoyed the addition of new characters to this story. Helps the series grow. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. Looking forward to the next one.

[Juliet Minerva Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute instalment! I liked the addition of new people working in the cafe and how one of them was implicated in the mystery, which was quite convoluted and had me guessing the whole time.

I was a bit frustrated at Maggie, she should've called the police when the two dudes got in the bookshop and acted all gross and dumb. Or even tell her friend in the police that Patrick is constantly threatening and making her feel at risk.

And speaking about the police friend, I have the feeling Gary is in the game for Maggie’s feelings. I am not sure how I feel about that, he was quite condescending to Maggie in the previous book so I didn’t get the best impression. But we’ll see!

[Darlene C Robold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maggie drove me crazy in this one. She needs a psychiatrist. For me, she continually puts what she feels and what she unfortunately “thinks” above any common sense . She withholds evidence, follows leads to dangerous places with no idea of reality, questions anyone and everyone, and can’t understand why people are upset with her. When she rushes after Gary, who passed her with lights and sirens blaring, so she can be certain he knows she is sorry, I almost stopped reading. Evidently a crime in progress is nothing compared to her need to be certain he is still her friend.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series is growing on me. I like the new hires. Babs seems fun and full of life. Casper sounds like a good fit for the bookshop. Maggie sees him being bullied and can't help herself. She sticks her nose in and stumbles into a mystery. Good story, good characters.

[Artist_carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

With new hires come new problems? As Maggie learns to try and make friends with the new hires she feels one of them is not telling her everything when one of his tormentors ends up dead. I received this as an ARC and voluntarily choose to reveiw.

[Marie Wikle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cozy mystery set in a bookstore setting. I absolutely love it

[Gitti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im Buchladen in Fair Haven ist immer mehr los, so stellt Joshua Leute ein, die sowohl ihm im Café als auch Maggie im Laden helfen sollen. Wider Erwarten kommt Maggie mit Casper gut zurecht, aber er wirkt sehr verschlossen und auch ein wenig geheimnisvoll. Als Maggie beobachtet, wie Caspar von zwei Rowdys belästigt wird und am nächsten Tag über einen der beiden stolpert, der tot im Park liegt, macht sie sich Gedanken, ob sie mit ihrer Einschätzung von Caspar falsch liegt und beginnt zu ermitteln. Nur dumm, dass sie damit auch ins Schussfeld gerät.

Mir hat dieser zweite Band wieder sehr gut gefallen. Man lernt Maggie besser kennen und auch die anderen Charaktere im Ort, die schon im ersten Band ihren Auftritt hatten. Auch das Spannungsverhältnis zwischen Gary, Joshua und Maggie nimmt zu. Manchmal ist Maggie schon ganz schön naiv, so wie sie ihre Ermittlungen angeht. Nicht immer unbedingt subtil.

Man bekommt ein gutes Bild von Fair Haven und nach und nach gewinnt die Stadt und ihre Bewohner an Konturen. Man kann das Buch sicher auch ohne Vorkenntnis lesen, allerdings macht es viel mehr Spaß, wenn man auch Band eins schon kennt. Von mir auf jeden Fall eine Empfehlung auch für Band 2.

[Robynne Lozier · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know how everyone says to show rather than tell a story? Well this one was all tell and not a lot of show. The Main Character Maggie works in The Bookish Cafe. currently owned by the previous owners son. He may eventually become the Love Interest but right now he is the most eligible bachelor in town. And Maggie is jealous.

Also a new stock boy gets hired to help Maggie move book around because some of them are heavy and others are on the top shelves where she can't reach. The main point of this story is that this new Stock boy Caspar seems to be in a spot of trouble. and when Maggie stumbles over a dead body in the park, all the signs seem to point to the new stock boy having maybe killed this fellow.

Maggie keeps interfering and is told several times to stay out of what is none of her business. She even goes to the seedy side of town to ask a few questions. That does not go down well, and she ends up drunk!!

I was not at all happy. Maggie cannot even say NO to a drink, let alone two. She got drunk on 2 shots of something strong,. Possible stronger than tequila. That poison was not actually identified.

In the end Maggie and her gossipy landlady end up in the thick of things when another bad guy hangs around the house demanding that Maggie give him whatever it is he is looking for. The police finally show up and a few shots are fired. Across the bow warnings supposedly.

I was not at all impressed with Maggie as a main character. She cannot even say No to alcohol. I am not at all inclined to read any more books in this series, and sadly I purchased the first 4 books on sale.

[Linda Lundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC to read and provide an honest review. I totally loved this story. The new owner of the bookstore and café has decided to hire a couple of more employees to help out. Maggie is just beside herself when she finds out that the charming Jason is hiring new people - and doesn't want her input. He ends of hiring Mags to help in the café and Casper to help with the books. Both of them are a perfect fit. This story has some wonderful twists and turns and is suspenseful until the very end. Maggie is trying to sleuth on her own to find out who is threatening Casper and why. Along the way she encounters murder and personal danger to her and her landlord neighbor. I didn't guess the whodunit in this cozy mystery which was a real treat for me. Nothing is as it seems in this one and the obvious bad guys are really the good ones. Thoroughly enjoyable read that you cannot put down until finished. Surprise possible romance coming.

[Joann Theede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't go through the park.

Harper Lin always keeps me turning the pages. I finished this book in a couple days. Maggie has to take the lay through the park to get to work because roads are blocked off for the big upcoming football game. That is when she discovers the body. The have hired 2 new people to help one for the Cafe Babs and one for the book store. Maggie and Joshua both like him. Maggie snoops around after she catches 2 young men threatening the new hire. She has to decorate the windows for the big game. She doesn't care for football and Joshua said everyone has to go to the game. Find out how it ends . Enjoyable read. Mrs. Peabody Maggie 's landlord is a surprise!!

[JigsawGirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't think Maggie could get any worse. Was she the precursor to a "Karen"? She involved herself in things that had nothing to do with her. She was annoying arrogant, had no common sense, and felt she had the right to force herself into every situation. She was reckless, judgmental, obnoxious, and withholds information like a champ. I didn't understand why she felt like she had detective skills or that Gary couldn't do his job without her. On top of that, I felt like she was more than a little mean.

This book gives me the feeling of mid 20th century, much more than anything occurring after 2010.

I have the first 3 books in this series. I don't know how committed I am to starting book 3.

[Devsea]

Although I'd hoped this would be the next cosy mystery series to keep me company while I worked, the main character started to annoy me. What made me stop reading this book was when she got black-out drunk after one shot of whiskey and subsequently got a horrific hangover of which she couldn't recall anything she said or did the night before. What would make sense is if her drink was spiked which would result in her behaviour but nope, the person with her at the bar and her friends, the next day, acted as if this was perfectly normal acceptable behaviour after one shot. I had to immediately close the audiobook and have been confused ever since.

[Lynn Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enormous Fun!

Harper Lin has created a wonderful series with Maggie as our reluctant heroine/eager detective//suspicious woman/book lover and someone you’ll fall in love with. She’s stuck on her handsome boss, Joshua who now owns the bookstore where she works, yet has a yen for her longtime friend, now policeman, Gary. But there are some wonderfully funny moments where Joshua takes Maggie to this tacit o do her sleuthing. It’s a rough place she’s ill prepared for. The Scot’s hilarious and I was laughing out loud! Lin’d writing is great! Don’t miss it!!!

[Leish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still not super in love with this series. It is getting a little better, but the mystery/crime part needs a bit more work. Like I don’t understand why any of these people gave Maggie any answers at all and how people just seem to accept her doing all this sleuthing.

I like Maggie’s wit and spunk though and I’m already bummed about the love triangle cos it’s very clear who will be chosen in the end.

On to the next one

[Mickey Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read, clever and entertaining.

Maggie is so shy and naive that she jumps into some potentially nasty situations. She's learning that she can make friends, despite her insecurity. This well written story will keep the reader interested from the beginning and to the end.

[Sue Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Maggie, but I can't stand Josh. More Maggie, less Josh please! I hate the way he treats Maggie. He's so condescending and rude. Why is he always smirking? I want to wipe that smirk right off his face. I found it unbelievable that an introvert like Maggie would enjoy the over-stimulating environment of a football game. And does the author not realize that the term "spaz" is very hurtful to people who have motor control difficulties?

[Tara Woolard (Ehrbar) · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a great follow-up to the series. I enjoyed the twists and turns and how Maggie is coming out of her shell a bit in this story. This murder mystery was great. It had some great twists and turns and pointed fingers at a few people. The end will have you surprised in more ways than one. can't wait to jump into book 3!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second in the Bookish series showed some improvement and, like the first in the series, was a fun read. As I experienced more of the the characters I am finding I am become more interested. Book 3 is next!

[Donna Russell]

Fun Read!

Maggie was one interesting character! I enjoyed all of the characters even the outrageous ones. The charming bookstore setting was a winner. The plot was very clever. I loved the book!

[Contina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though Maggie irks my spirit with her judgmental thoughts and her closed mind to the world. I enjoyed this cozy. I would love to see some growth with her, but I don't think it will happen anytime soon.

[TaxusNocturnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, easy, cosy mystery involving a bookstore that is just next to a caffe. And a little bit of romance. A perfectly good read. And so far, I am more inclined for Maggie to end up with Gary, the police officer. But that is just me..😉

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series. It’s nice to see Maggie coming out of her shell a bit. I look forward to see how her character continues to develop in future books. I look forward to the next one!

[Jewett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read about a bookstore Who doesn't like bookstores?

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeps you guessing!

I love the characters and all the twists and turns on the plot. Keeps you guessing clear to the end..

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan!

I have read all the series that Harper Lin has written. I fall in love with the characters and always look forward to when a new book is out!

[Pam Carmichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one but I am so used to other authors that I love so much, but a very good read!!
Happy reading folks!