Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt

Synopsis:

Landmark coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi has served her share of New York’s rich and famous, but even she is surprised by her explosive introduction to a mysterious Internet billionaire… …

When a car bomb nearly kills tech whiz Eric Thorner, Clare comes to his aid and receives a priceless thank you. Not only does the billionaire buy her a barista’s dream espresso machine, he hires her for an extraordinary project: creating the world’s most expensive coffee blend.

The police quickly arrest Eric’s alleged attacker, yet death continues to surround the unlucky mogul, leading Clare to question whether a fatal fall and another lethal mishap are premeditated murders or merely freak accidents. Clare’s boyfriend, NYPD detective Mike Quinn, has a theory of his own—one Clare refuses to believe.

Meanwhile, Eric jets Clare around the world on a head-spinning search for the very best coffee, and Clare gets to know his world—a mesmerizing circle of money with rivalries that could easily have turned deadly. But is this charming young CEO truly marked for termination? Or is he the one making a killing?

Includes a wealth of delicious recipes!

Review:

Clare Cosi, manager of Landmark Coffee House, is dealing with the absence of her boyfriend Mike Quinn doing what she does best, working hard. Mike (NYPD detective) is doing work in DC that keeps the pair apart more than either would like. Clare meets a challenging customer head on after he has been quizzing her staff for weeks. As she is putting him in his place a car bomb rocks the shop. The customer turns out to be billionaire Eric Thorner and his car just blew up in front of the coffeehouse.

Clare is pulled into finding out why and who would do this when she has pertinent information for the bomb squad. With Mike’s help and connections, Clare gets to visit the bomb squad and get even more involved. And things get personal when she finds out just what Eric was doing in her shop quizzing her staff. He wants Clare. That is he wants to hire her and her ex-husband/partner in business Matteo Allegro to find and create the world’s most expensive coffee blend. The adventures begin when they take him up on his offer.

All of the Coffeehouse Mysteries are enjoyable and fun and this one is no different. While at times it does read a bit like a James Bond movie, the characters stay true to form. You do not have to read the others in this series to enjoy this installment, however it does help. Some of the events seem a bit implausible in this one, but that is what books do for us. They transport us to places and ideas we would not think of and The Billionaire Blend sure does this.

I would recommend the Billionaire Blend to any coffee cozy lover. Also anyone interested in international travel, computer geek speak or anyone interested in a fun filled mystery. The characters are enjoyable and their relationships are full of ups and downs. Ms Coyle is a wonderful writer, with a pleasant and easy writing style. As always with her books, this was a pleasure to read.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*