No Roast for the Weary Review

 

It's been a while since I read a Cleo Coyle Coffeehouse Mystery. I've enjoyed this series in the past, but somewhere along the way I lost track of it. Then I saw a blurb for No Roast for the Weary, number 21 of the series. The novel features not only the beloved Village Blend coffee house, but a writer's lounge as well. What scribe could resist that combo!

The mystery didn't disappoint. Here's the gist: Business at the coffee shop has been slow...so slow that co-owner and master roaster Clare Cosi worries about its future. Then her group of baristas comes up with the idea of opening the Writer's Block Lounge on the second floor. Turns out that in the shop's past, a group of writers met in the same space until the unsolved murder of one member caused them to disband.

The re-opening of the writers' lounge is a hit, but it also wakes up a lot of ghosts from the past. When a secret leads to a new murder, Clare needs to find the truth about what happened decades ago before someone else becomes the latest victim.

I loved this book! The plot was detailed and intriguing, with an intense and surprising ending. I also like how Coyle (who, in real life, is the wife-and-husband writing team of Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini) made sure Clare grew and developed throughout the series while staying true to her personality. Often in a series as long as this one, characters can become stagnant, or the author turns them into someone longtime readers don't recognize. That's not the case here.

The book also inspired me as a writer, and I learned a couple of new tips to make my writing time more productive. Plus, there are a lot of great recipes for Village Blend's goodies to test out in my kitchen. I also visited coffeehousemystery.com and clicked on the link for the free recipe guide that goes with the book. 

I found this Vanilla-Cinnamon Iced Coffee creation. I even mixed up the milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar to use as a creamer in my hot coffee. Delish!

Book number 22, Eat, Drink, and Get Buried, will be released on September 22nd. Yes, you can preorder it!

Author Lucy Burdette Answers Questions About Key West Food Critic Series

 

Meet Lucy Burdette, the author of the Key West food critic mystery series. The newest edition, The Key Lime Crime, was released on Tuesday, August 11, 2020.

 

Lucy is actually clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib. Along with her Florida-based series, she has published the golf lover’s mystery series and the advice column mysteries. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and a past-president of Sisters in Crime.

 

As a huge fan of the series, I had some questions for her about its creation and the new book. Here are the answers she sent via email:

 

Q: What is it you love most about Key West?

LB: I love so many things about Key West, from the weather in winter time to the arts and book scene, to the quirky people who live there, to the wonderful variety of restaurants.

 

Q: What inspired you to create the character of Hayley Snow?

LB: When I was between contracts, I heard about a publisher looking for a new series featuring a food critic. I thought, I love to eat, I can do that! My husband and I were just in the process of setting up winter residence in Key West and I realized that this would make a perfect setting. Then I tried to imagine a character who would have an outsider view of the island and lots of conflict about staying there. Not that she was conflicted about staying there but it’s expensive and not so easy to get a job and these would be things she would face. Hence, Hayley Snow was born!

 

Q: You put real-life people in your books. Why?

LB: I think the first real person I put in the book was police officer Steve Torrence. He has become a good friend and is very generous with giving me advice about police procedure, so this was a kind of thank you. Since then, Key West characters in real life have become irresistible! Hayley's friend and tarot card reader Lorenzo is a real person, who reads cards for people at the Mallory Square sunset celebration. (His real name is Ron and now he advises me!) Some people have bought names or names of pets in charity auctions and that is always fun. In the new book, the orange tiger kitten T-bone is a real cat, whom I adopted from the FKSPCA.

 

Q: Do you create all the recipes in the books?

LB: Unless otherwise noted, the recipes are mine. Of course I read about the dishes I want to make, and like to try to copy dishes from the restaurants we enjoy. But they are my own versions.

 

Q: How do you feel about key lime pie? Do you have a favorite?

LB: I think that we tasted at least 10 different pies while I was writing this book. My favorite version has a graham cracker crust, no food coloring in the filling, and whipped cream on top. However I will try any Key lime pie presented to me! My husband told me at the end of this adventure that he really doesn’t like Key lime pie that much. And that shows you what a good sport he is.

 

Q: What are your top 5 not-to-miss Key West spots people should visit?

LB: Some of my favorite places are the Harry Truman Little White House, the Hemingway home with polydactyl cats, the custom house museum, Mallory Square at sunset, and a conch train tour around the island, especially for new visitors.

 

Q: How do you divide your year between Florida and Connecticut? How are the atmospheres between the two places different?

LB: We are Key West residents, and we often are there from October to May. After that it gets too hot and humid and I dread the hurricane season! We are happy to spend the remaining time in Connecticut to visit old friends and family. I miss each place while I’m away.

 

Q: Anything else you’d like readers to know?

LB: I was a clinical psychologist in my previous career and I hope that comes through in the characters I bring to life. It’s hard not to nudge these people to get into therapy when I know it would help! LOL

 

You can learn more about Lucy and her books at her website here.

To Change, Not Forget

A few weeks ago I had an epiphany. Okay, it wasn’t the caliber of a biblical enlightenment, but it did open my eyes.

My laptop started acting up, which was a big deal considering as a writer my computer is key to my emotional stability. If my computer is on the fritz, then so am I.

Luckily, I had The Picky Eater’s laptop, which was a newer, faster version compared to mine. I saved all of my work to an external hard drive, so it was just a matter of unplugging it from one computer and attaching it to the other. I was back in business.

The Picky Eater and I shared the office from the day I moved into the apartment. I worked from a small antique secretary desk that my mom did her homework on during her middle school days. He used a huge L-shaped desk he bought secondhand from an accounting office for $35. The desk was is great shape, and was old enough that the L section dropped down a few inches so a large electrical typewriter would fit on top. He loved that desk.

Each morning I would start work in the office still in my pajamas. The Picky Eater worked overnight as a courier, so he would sleep until around noontime…if I was lucky. To make sure he stayed asleep, I would wait to get dressed for the day, thus lessening the risk of waking him up.

You see, when the Picky Eater woke up, he would come into the office, give me a hello kiss, sit down at his desk, and turn on the small TV sitting on top. Bless his heart, he would try to be quite, turning the volume down so low I wondered how he could hear it. The problem wasn’t the TV. It was the conversation. No matter how focused I was on my work, with my fingers flying as quickly as possible across the keyboard, he would always talk to me. Half the time I was concentrating so intently I didn’t hear him. Or he would ask me a question, which I wouldn’t answer until I finished typing a thought. At first that would frustrate him, but once he figured out the reason, he would be patient for my answer.

As you might guess, once he woke up, I didn’t get a lot of work done.

Now, sitting at his desk and using his computer were both comforting and bittersweet. Since he passed away last year, I used his desk primarily to pay bills and write notes. When I started teaching writing workshops, I would sit there to prepare for my classes. Otherwise, the bulk of my time in the office was spent at my desk.

My tiny desk…with my papers balanced precariously on top of the file cabinet next to it…with my notes crowded around the computer, making it hard to move the mouse…with its view of the wall and the curtains blocking the window.

 

Verses The Picky Eater’s desk, with it’s wide-open space and my favorite view looking out the window, through a couple of buildings and over the Quincy Street Station, to the rolling, tree-covered hills that will soon change from various shades of deep green to the colorful display of autumn.

Why was I continuing to use this tiny desk when there was a huge one available with a much better view?

Epiphany!

Why hadn’t it occurred to me to make the switch sooner? I can only guess it was because, in my heart, it was still The Picky Eater’s desk. And it always will be, but now it’s mine, too.

The desk is now home to my writing books and papers…

My favorite coffee cup and water glass…

His note of encouragement to me and my favorite photo of him…

The Augusta National Golf Club (home of The Masters) coasters he got as a present from his son, and the picture of Jonathan and Jennifer Hart (Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers from the TV show Hart to Hart) that he bought because they reminded him of us (in love, yes! In wealth, not so much)…

His championship bowling trophy and Jack Nicklaus persimmon-wood driver sit along side…

Now the bill-paying and note-writing take place on the smaller desk, and my work at the big one.

I think The Picky Eater would be happy with the change.

I know I’m happy looking at the lovely, calming view.