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Maggy Thorsen Mystery #5
From the Grounds Up
Maggy Thorsen refuses to give in as trouble brews again -
When Maggy Thorsen’s coffee house, Uncommon Grounds, is virtually obliterated by a snowstorm, she and her friend Sarah resolve to reopen – and Maggy’s found the perfect spot near the train station, just in time for the opening of the new commuter route. But when Sarah’s uncle dies suddenly, in the first of a series of ‘accidents’, it’s clear that someone doesn’t want Uncommon Grounds to reopen. Maggy, however, has no intention of yielding . . .
209 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
20 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Balzo
31 books240 followersSandra Balzo is an award-winning author of crime fiction, including fourteen books in two mystery series--one set outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the other in the High Country of North Carolina. MURDER a la Mocha, the eleventh Maggy Thorsen Wisconsin coffeehouse mystery, will be released in January, and the series has been optioned for development as a TV series/film.
Balzo's books have garnered starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, while being recommended to readers of Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, Joan Hess and Margaret Maron.
In addition to Twitter and her website, Sandy also hangs out at https://www.facebook.com/SandraBalzoM... and http://pinterest.com/sandrabalzo/
Balzo's books have garnered starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, while being recommended to readers of Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, Joan Hess and Margaret Maron.
In addition to Twitter and her website, Sandy also hangs out at https://www.facebook.com/SandraBalzoM... and http://pinterest.com/sandrabalzo/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 7, 2014
Forced to move her Uncommon Grounds coffee shop to new digs to a freak snow in the previous novel in the series, Brewed, Crude and Tattooed, Maggy Thorsen agrees to a partnership with real-estate agent extraordinaire Sarah Kingston. Sarah’s been Maggy’s snooping sidekick since the very first novel in the series, Uncommon Grounds, and the two have formed a great friendship. But will Sarah’s notoriously brusque manner destroy Uncommon Grounds — or their friendship, as Jack Pavlik, county sheriff and Maggy’s love interest, predicts?
Early on, Sarah’s uncle by marriage, Kornell Eisvogel dies when a train hits his Buick. But authorities discover that someone sabotaged his car. Sure, Uncle Kornell — dubbed Crazy Kornell — was a thoroughly obnoxious old man, but who would kill him? But crazy Uncle Kornell’s death is just the first of a series of accidents at the proposed new site for Uncommon Grounds: the old train depot at Brookhills, the wealthy exurb west of Milwaukee where Maggy and Sarah live. The site will prove pretty lucrative when commuter service from Brookhills to Milwaukee resumes in a few months. Could someone be trying to jettison the women’s plans? Or is the threat more personal? So much of the “bad luck” seems to affect Sarah. Maggy doesn’t think it’s all a coincidence.
Sandra Balzo makes an excellent recovery from the lackluster Brewed, Crude and Tattooed with From the Grounds Up. The novel spells the return of some wonderful characters and the introduction of a few delightful new ones. You won’t regret picking up this book when you’re looking for a breezy read.
Early on, Sarah’s uncle by marriage, Kornell Eisvogel dies when a train hits his Buick. But authorities discover that someone sabotaged his car. Sure, Uncle Kornell — dubbed Crazy Kornell — was a thoroughly obnoxious old man, but who would kill him? But crazy Uncle Kornell’s death is just the first of a series of accidents at the proposed new site for Uncommon Grounds: the old train depot at Brookhills, the wealthy exurb west of Milwaukee where Maggy and Sarah live. The site will prove pretty lucrative when commuter service from Brookhills to Milwaukee resumes in a few months. Could someone be trying to jettison the women’s plans? Or is the threat more personal? So much of the “bad luck” seems to affect Sarah. Maggy doesn’t think it’s all a coincidence.
Sandra Balzo makes an excellent recovery from the lackluster Brewed, Crude and Tattooed with From the Grounds Up. The novel spells the return of some wonderful characters and the introduction of a few delightful new ones. You won’t regret picking up this book when you’re looking for a breezy read.
September 28, 2019
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Each book contains a cozy mystery, entertainment, and a sensible woman sleuth. I really like this series, but this was not one of my favorites.
I find that I enjoy this series alot. I also appreciate that each book can stand on its own and they deliver an HEA.
Each book contains a cozy mystery, entertainment, and a sensible woman sleuth. I really like this series, but this was not one of my favorites.
I find that I enjoy this series alot. I also appreciate that each book can stand on its own and they deliver an HEA.
August 23, 2015
From the Grounds up by Sandra Balzo is the 5th book in the Maggie Thorsen mystery series. Maggie is looking for new premises after her previous shop was destroyed, when her friend Sarah suggests a property she had recently inherited. Unfortunately someone is trying to sabotage their plans. A good addition to the series. It was interesting to read all the problems and obstacles that one has to go through to set up a business and the importance of friends to help and advise. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
October 21, 2014
This is the fifth book in the Maggy Thorsen Mystery series. This time Maggy is looking for a new location for her coffeehouse. She and Sarah Kingston decide to become business partners after Maggy's other partner, Caron, wants out of the business. The two women find the perfect location but then accidents start to happen around them and the building. It was a quick easy read.
May 16, 2011
#5 Maggy Thorsen coffee shop mystery set in fictional Brookhills, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. Maggy is looking for somewhere to house Uncommon Grounds, since the coffee shop burned down along with the rest of the small strip mall it was located in during events in the last book. On an almost non-existent budget and now sans Caron, her business partner, who must bow out due to financial strains, Maggy is wondering what to do. Then her moody friend Sarah, a real estate agent, offers to take Caron's place as her partner AND provide a building--an old railroad depot that (unknown to many) is about to become active again when Brookhills once again becomes a train stop. Sarah owns the building, as it was willed to her by her recently-deceased aunt, and her cousin Ronny is a contractor/developer, so it would seem that things are looking up.
However, as soon as the papers are signed and they begin making plans, accidents start happening at the depot site, including the death of Sarah's crabby step-uncle, whose car was t-boned by a passing train when it stalled on the tracks. Maggy senses that someone doesn't want her to re-open Uncommon Grounds--at least not at the depot--but who? Of course she begins poking her nose in and with a few dropped clues from her boyfriend the Sheriff, discovers that Uncle Kornell's 'accident' was actually a murder.
Love this series with its edgy, slightly irreverent humor, relaxed atmosphere and easy reading style. Maggy is a breath of fresh air compared to most of the cookie-cutter cozy heroines, and her friends are fully-fleshed, great characters too--including her gassy sheepdog, Frank. (She really ought to be nominated for a Watson award for the best sidekick! LOL) Very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
However, as soon as the papers are signed and they begin making plans, accidents start happening at the depot site, including the death of Sarah's crabby step-uncle, whose car was t-boned by a passing train when it stalled on the tracks. Maggy senses that someone doesn't want her to re-open Uncommon Grounds--at least not at the depot--but who? Of course she begins poking her nose in and with a few dropped clues from her boyfriend the Sheriff, discovers that Uncle Kornell's 'accident' was actually a murder.
Love this series with its edgy, slightly irreverent humor, relaxed atmosphere and easy reading style. Maggy is a breath of fresh air compared to most of the cookie-cutter cozy heroines, and her friends are fully-fleshed, great characters too--including her gassy sheepdog, Frank. (She really ought to be nominated for a Watson award for the best sidekick! LOL) Very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
January 7, 2010
Maggy Thorsen is going through a period of change. Her coffeehouse, Uncommon Grounds, was reduced to rubble due to a freak accident. Her partner, Caron Egan, wants out of the partnership. Life seems to take a turn for the better when Maggy’s friend Sarah Kingston shows her an old train station that would make the perfect location for the new coffeehouse.
To Maggy’s astonishment, Sarah offers to be Maggy’s new partner. An even bigger surprise to Maggy is that Sarah confesses that she owns the train station. Sarah’s Aunt Vi had just passed away and the station was Sarah’s inheritance. And even better, the train that runs beside the station is soon to become a computer train between Brookhills and Milwaukee, about fifteen miles east. Sarah also has just the person to fix up the place and that is her cousin Ronny.
The two women were shocked when the door opened and Kornell Eisvogel, Sarah’s Aunt Vi’s husband, walks in. There is no love lost between Kornell and Sarah. Kornell is mad because Sarah has inherited what he feels is his share of the depot.
Kornell’s entrance is only the beginning of many bad things that begin to happen to sabotage getting the coffeehouse ready to open for business. Maggy seems to be present at the scene of many of these bad things much to the chagrin of Jake Pavlik, Maggy’s boyfriend and the Brookhills County Sheriff.
This is the fifth mystery in the Maggy Thorsen series and one that keeps the readers guessing. It is not necessary to read the series in order. Balzo presents a great cozy mystery along with some very interesting characters.
To Maggy’s astonishment, Sarah offers to be Maggy’s new partner. An even bigger surprise to Maggy is that Sarah confesses that she owns the train station. Sarah’s Aunt Vi had just passed away and the station was Sarah’s inheritance. And even better, the train that runs beside the station is soon to become a computer train between Brookhills and Milwaukee, about fifteen miles east. Sarah also has just the person to fix up the place and that is her cousin Ronny.
The two women were shocked when the door opened and Kornell Eisvogel, Sarah’s Aunt Vi’s husband, walks in. There is no love lost between Kornell and Sarah. Kornell is mad because Sarah has inherited what he feels is his share of the depot.
Kornell’s entrance is only the beginning of many bad things that begin to happen to sabotage getting the coffeehouse ready to open for business. Maggy seems to be present at the scene of many of these bad things much to the chagrin of Jake Pavlik, Maggy’s boyfriend and the Brookhills County Sheriff.
This is the fifth mystery in the Maggy Thorsen series and one that keeps the readers guessing. It is not necessary to read the series in order. Balzo presents a great cozy mystery along with some very interesting characters.
January 13, 2010
Sandra Balzo was kind enough to send me an ARC of her forthcoming
(March 1, 2010, according to Amazon.com) Maggy Thorsen mystery, and I'm so glad she did, because I enjoyed it immensely.
Since Maggy and Caron's coffeehouse, Uncommon Grounds, was pretty much destroyed in the previous book, Brewed, Crude and Tattooed, Maggy is searching for a new site. Caron doesn't seem terribly interested, so Maggy finds herself a new partner: real estate agent Sarah Kingston. Sarah finds the perfect location, near a soon-to-be reopened train station.
But when Sarah's uncle is killed in the first of a string of apparent accidents which affect the welfare of the shop, it becomes obvious that someone is trying to keep Uncommon Grounds from opening.
Despite the disapproval of her significant other, Sheriff Joe Pavlik, Maggy finds it in her best interest to find out who is behind the accidents.
Maggy is a charming single mother, dealing with a very typical empty-nest syndrome (all-too familiar to this reviewer), and other trials and tribulations endemic to almost every suburban woman.
I love this series, and I look forward to the reconstruction of Uncommon Grounds.
(March 1, 2010, according to Amazon.com) Maggy Thorsen mystery, and I'm so glad she did, because I enjoyed it immensely.
Since Maggy and Caron's coffeehouse, Uncommon Grounds, was pretty much destroyed in the previous book, Brewed, Crude and Tattooed, Maggy is searching for a new site. Caron doesn't seem terribly interested, so Maggy finds herself a new partner: real estate agent Sarah Kingston. Sarah finds the perfect location, near a soon-to-be reopened train station.
But when Sarah's uncle is killed in the first of a string of apparent accidents which affect the welfare of the shop, it becomes obvious that someone is trying to keep Uncommon Grounds from opening.
Despite the disapproval of her significant other, Sheriff Joe Pavlik, Maggy finds it in her best interest to find out who is behind the accidents.
Maggy is a charming single mother, dealing with a very typical empty-nest syndrome (all-too familiar to this reviewer), and other trials and tribulations endemic to almost every suburban woman.
I love this series, and I look forward to the reconstruction of Uncommon Grounds.
December 6, 2015
This one picks right up a few weeks after the disaster at the end of the last book. Maggy gets a new partner and starts a new business while solving murders and romancing her boy friend. A vulnerable side of Sarah is revealed throughout the book. The inner dialogue of Maggy’s thoughts are filled with humorous plays-on-words. Frank the sheepdog is a big bundle of comic, often slapstick, moments. As a non-dog person who like Maggy inherited a son’s big dog, I found their relationship, their conversations, and his behavior laugh out loud funny.
August 5, 2012
Maggie Thorsen needs a new location for her coffee shop, and it also looks as though she may be needing a new partner. Her friend and real estate agent volunteers to be a partner, and she just may own the right property, too. But as they start working to transform an old railroad station into a modern coffee house, the series of accidents they face have Maggie wondering if there's someone out there who wants them to fail--or maybe to die.
July 11, 2015
I enjoyed this one. I'm looking forward to seeing how the new Uncommon Grounds will look once the new location is set up, but getting there with all the twists and turns this book added has been a real challenge! Suffice it to say, Ms Balzo has again got things cooking with stellar characterizations and a well developed plot. A great read, especially if you like your cozy mystery with a little bit of psychological intrigue thrown in for spice!
February 19, 2017
yes, it's a quick read but such an enjoyable one! would have finished this book alot sooner if working night shifts hadn't got in the way.
I could relate to the characters and am very pleased from the reviews I've read that, when I get another book from the series; I will be able to pick that up and enjoy it independently from the others. can heartily recommend this to anyone and this copy shall be passed around my friends.
I could relate to the characters and am very pleased from the reviews I've read that, when I get another book from the series; I will be able to pick that up and enjoy it independently from the others. can heartily recommend this to anyone and this copy shall be passed around my friends.
April 16, 2011
I continue to really enjoy this series. This book was great, although I have to say the "mystery" was a bit buried in the story line so that when it started to get solved, I thought to myself "oh yeah, the murder!". I sort of pegged who was going to be the bad guy but I still enjoyed the story. A quick read.
March 16, 2010
another quick mystery. Didn't really satisfy me. I would've liked a longer book with some more resolution as it's still up in the air what will happen to the shop. Was pleased the cute sheriff was in this one since he was missing from the last one.
November 7, 2010
Lot of snappy dialogue and some quirky, funny characters made this a fun read. The nursing home scenes alone were worth the read. I'll definitely read more in this series!
November 11, 2010
Mystery was okay; some characters get a bit tiresome what with all the aside comments and bickering.
January 18, 2016
Just when I thought it might all be 'same ole, same ole' the author takes another turn. So it fresh and fun. If you haven't, you really should. A good cosy mystery.
August 30, 2021
This fifth book of the Maggy Thorsen series is rated by the merit of its original plot, but it is marked down for its incorrect dialogue punctuation endemic in this mystery series, which the editing and publishing teams deem to ignore.
Maggy Thorsen has developed quite a foul mouth since the first book. There is a lot of unnecessary swearing that I originally thought was beneath Maggy with consideration to her professional background and age. Granted that some people do think and speak this way, but readers like me do not want to be reminded of such tastelessness during their personal reading time; especially when we often encounter it within our real work lives. Overall, such crass language detracts from the main plot.
There is also a lot of unamusing innuendo between Maggy and Sheriff Pavlik.
If the author wants to keep going this way with Maggy’s dialogue and her relationship with Pavlik, then she needs to rethink how her books are categorized and marketed.
Maggy Thorsen has developed quite a foul mouth since the first book. There is a lot of unnecessary swearing that I originally thought was beneath Maggy with consideration to her professional background and age. Granted that some people do think and speak this way, but readers like me do not want to be reminded of such tastelessness during their personal reading time; especially when we often encounter it within our real work lives. Overall, such crass language detracts from the main plot.
There is also a lot of unamusing innuendo between Maggy and Sheriff Pavlik.
If the author wants to keep going this way with Maggy’s dialogue and her relationship with Pavlik, then she needs to rethink how her books are categorized and marketed.
September 27, 2025
A rather convoluted mystery that finds Maggy's friend and business partner Sarah and her cousin Ronny right in the thick of things. Maggy Thorsen is definitely the type of bumbling amateur sleuth I have come to truly dislike in cozy mysteries. Plus, she is plenty old enough to have gotten her s*** together. There really hasn't been much character growth for Maggy Thorsen. And her sometime boyfriend Jake Pavlik leaves a lot to be desired.
I have book 2 of this series on hold at my local library. There are a total of seventeen books in this series. I think after reading book 2 Grounds For Murder I will be done reading about the escapades of Maggy Thorsen.
I have book 2 of this series on hold at my local library. There are a total of seventeen books in this series. I think after reading book 2 Grounds For Murder I will be done reading about the escapades of Maggy Thorsen.
December 7, 2017
Great book.
April 21, 2018
A highly entertaining read
January 19, 2019
Quick read, clever story, a light mystery that is detectable & solved
January 14, 2020
Still a good one, but slightly less satisfying.
July 18, 2022
A fun, quick read. For the days you just want to be entertained and don't need to think too much. But enough red herrings are included to let you try to figure out what's going on.
May 6, 2024
Fun and entertaining.
Page turner!
Page turner!
June 3, 2024
Maggy finds herself in issues again. Like the character and her adventures.
April 12, 2025
Good read.
July 26, 2018
This series A Maggy Thorsen Mystery is a read that shows you what you can do when you have to start all over again from the bottom. How friends and family will come to help when needed.
June 18, 2010
Maggy Thorsen's coffee shop was destroyed in the last book. Now she sets out to find a new place of business. When her friend and partner, Caron, wants out of the business, Maggy takes on a new partner - her friend Sarah. Then things get really crazy! An entertaining read with lots of characters (and I do mean Characters!).
August 3, 2013
Charming story about a woman living in Santa Cruz, CA who decides to garden. Of course the climate there is friendly to so many different plants, but her info on gardening/life and plant advice is fun and encouraged me to once again get out into my garden.
April 29, 2010
Okay read, but not one I would recommend. Just didn't get interesting enough to be good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews