Shot in the Dark

A homeless woman visits Clare Cosi's Village Blend coffeehouse in Greenwich Village, and Clare provides her with coffee and food. Later, the woman is found dead near the shop, and Clare becomes determined to investigate what happened. The victim turns out to be a star journalism student, and Clare must navigate through New York City's media world to uncover the truth. Her investigation brings her into contact with influential journalists, television personalities, and others connected to the case. While pursuing leads, Clare continues to run her busy coffeehouse and balance relationships with her ex-husband Matteo, her daughter Joy, and Detective Mike Quinn. The case forces her to confront issues of homelessness, media ethics, and the price of ambition in modern journalism. The story explores themes of social responsibility and truth in an era of competing media narratives, while maintaining the cozy mystery elements of food, coffee, and community that define the Coffeehouse Mystery series.

Readers describe this as a solid entry in the Coffeehouse Mystery series, with most appreciating how it balances the coffee shop setting with the murder investigation. Readers liked: - The detailed coffee-making information and recipes - The relationship development between Clare and Mike Quinn - The authentic New York City atmosphere - The pacing of the mystery plot Readers disliked: - Too many characters introduced early in the story - Some found the coffee details excessive - Several noted the plot becomes convoluted in the middle sections Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (300+ ratings) Common reader comments: "Perfect balance of coffee expertise and sleuthing" - Amazon reviewer "The coffee shop scenes feel authentic but the mystery drags" - Goodreads reviewer "Love the NYC setting but too many characters to keep track of" - Barnes & Noble reviewer

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🔍 Author Cleo Coyle is actually the pen name for a husband-and-wife writing team, Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini. ☕ "Shot in the Dark" is the 17th book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series, which began in 2003 with "On What Grounds." 💻 The plot explores the dark side of dating apps and online relationships, making it one of the first cozy mysteries to tackle modern digital dating dangers. 🗽 The series is set in New York City's historic Greenwich Village, and the authors live in Queens, lending authentic NYC details to their work. 🍵 Each book in the series, including "Shot in the Dark," includes real recipes for coffee drinks and foods mentioned in the story.