Dead to the Last Drop - Blog Tour Review + Giveaway

Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Blog Tour Click Here for more info
Description:  After the White House asks coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi to consult on the coffee service for a Rose Garden Wedding, she discovers a historic pot was used as a CIA "dead drop" decades before.  Now long-simmering secrets boil over, scalding Clare and the people around her.  Clare's visit to the nation's capital is off to a graceful start.  Her octogenarian employer is bunking with her in a charming Georgetown mansion, and she's invited to work with a respected curator on the Smithsonian's culinary salute to coffee in America.  Unfortunately, Clare's new Village Blend DC is struggling to earn a profit - until its second floor jazz club attracts a high-profile fan, the college-age daughter of the U.S. President.  Clare's stock rises as the First Lady befriends her, but she soon learns a stark lesson: Washington can be murder.  First a stylish State Department employee suspiciously collapses in her coffeehouse.  Then the President's daughter goes missing.  Is she a runaway bride or is something more sinister in play?  After another deadly twist, Clare is on the run with her NYPD detective boyfriend.  Branded an enemy of the state, she must piece together clues and uncover the truth before her life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness come to a bitter end.  (from Goodreads)

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I read the first book in this series soon after it came out, really enjoyed it and then for some reason never kept up with it.   I jumped at the chance to find out what was going on with Clare in this newest book.

My Impression:  I was a little worried jumping into the series with this one.  I had read the first one but not any since then and this book is #15!  Luckily, there were no problems with figuring out what was going on and who everyone is.  Part of this may be because this seems to be a new city for the series and so there's a lot of new people and politics but a lot of it because Coyle's writing style instantly pulls you in and takes off!  Literally in this case as the book opens with a man speeding through DC traffic to reach a woman who is in danger.
I really enjoyed how the story was told.  We start off as Clare and her boyfriend, Mike Quinn, are fugitives from an unnamed threat and the story spins out in extended flashbacks.  This is a style that doesn't always work but in this case I really enjoyed it.  The flashbacks were long enough that I was able to get caught up in the story but was also able to jump back to present time with Quinn and Clare as they make their escape.  The pacing was super fast and anytime I picked up the book just to squeeze in a chapter I found myself having to pry the book out of my hands ten chapters later!   I really enjoyed the inner workings of the coffee shop as well as the glimpse into the inner workings of the White House. The pacing and all the characters sometimes worked against me as there were a few times it took me a minute to remember who a character was or what exactly had happened at a specific time.
This was such a fun read with great characters and an interesting mystery.  This wasn't one I figured out early on but instead was kept guessing until the reveal.   Make yourself a big mug of your best coffee and settle down for an entertaining and intriguing read.  My one piece of advice - don't go into this one hungry.  Between Clare's bakery offerings and Luther's menu selections your mouth will be watering!  I'll be trying a recipe or two (or ten) from the back of this one!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Most definitely!  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely!  If you're a cozy lover I think you'd enjoy this and bonus points if you're a coffee lover too!