Scene of the Grind: small town, coffee and murder

Scene of the Grind is the first book in the Killer Coffee Cozy Mystery series by Tonya Kappes. Roxanne “Roxy” Bloom has returned to Honey Springs, Kentucky after her bitter divorce. She opens the first coffee house, The Bean Hive, in the tourist lakefront town. There is excitement in the air as the town is updating its boardwalk businesses in order to increase tourism. Excitement turns to suspicions when Roxy discovers Alexis Roarke dead in her shop, the Crooked Cat Bookstore. Roxy’s Aunt Maxi is an immediate suspect as she owns the building and Maxi had a very public argument with Alexis over the rent. As the gossip heats up, Roxy decides to uncover the killer’s identity to prove that her aunt is not the perpetrator but will her investigation risk her life too? 

Scene of the Grind was an enjoyable cozy mystery that kept me guessing until the end. It also had an element of a second chance romance between Roxy and her boyfriend from her teens, Patrick. As with most mystery stories, the first obvious suspect isn’t always the real killer, but I wouldn’t always bank on that because mystery authors like to throw curve balls. The identity of the killer in Scene of the Grind wasn’t on my radar at all. When I looked back on the clues, there was one that jumped out at me as an “aha moment” after the killer was revealed. Overall, I enjoyed Scene of the Grind and look forward to reading more of this series. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, I recommend Scene of the Grind. 

Scene of the Grind is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook