
"Sign me up" email to...
VillageBlend@aol.com
and you will be given
continuous entry
in Cleo's weekly Free
Coffee Drawings in which
she randomly gives away
WHO IS
CLEO
COYLE?

CONTACT
CLEO @
VillageBlend
@aol.com

FOR AUTHORS:
Read Cleo's
Guest Post at
Mystery Writing
Is Murder
"Genre Blending
and Your Character's
Love Life"
Click here to read.
Cozy Murder
Mysteries Blog
Interviews
Cleo
Gumshoe
Review
Interviews
Cleo Here
LIBRARY
THING
Hosted a chat
with Cleo.
Read it by...
Fun Foodie
Book Resort
Interview
with Cleo
Here.
MEMBER
OF...
Click the logo
to learn more
about
Sisters in Crime
TWITTER
ME THIS!

CLEO IS ON
FACEBOOK!
Click here to visit
Cleo's Facebook Page.
Time for getaway
vacations, beaches,
relaxation...
OH,
REALLY?
Click the arrow
in the window below
to see another
kind of Summer...
Murder is easy.
CLICK HERE
A New
PBS
SHAMELESS
National
*Starred Review*
Read an
Comedy is hard.
to see
the sordid
start
of one man's
java addiction.
A-Team?
RUMBLE!
Mr. Rogers vs.
Julia Child
PLUG!
NOW
IN
PAPERBACK!
Mystery
Besteller
~Library Journal
excerpt!
Introduced by
the author!
Without lots
of exclams!!!
CLICK HERE
TO READ THE
EXCERPT (PDF)

TO BUY
&
READ
CLICK HERE
"All I know is
Every
Friday,
Cleo Posts
Recipes
& Tips
Where?
Click here to visit
Mystery Lovers'
Six mystery
"Only love
What is the #1 Healthiest Breakfast Item?
Thanks to Mary T
"He wages war
~ Music and lyrics by
"Through all the doubt,
~ Alan Parsons Project
Want to find an
Then click here
Support your local
"Jack and Pen"
Sign up
first you've
got to get mad..."
~ Paddy
Chayefsky, 1976
To see, click arrow
in window above.

Kitchen
writers
cooking up
crime...
and recipes!
can bring the rain
that falls like tears
from on high..."
To hear, click arrow in
window above.
Music and Lyrics
by Pete Townshend
"How 'bout
remembering
your divinity?
Thank You
by Alanis
Morissette
for the link!
with the devil,
a pistol by his side..."
Judee Sill
somehow they knew..."
Independent
Mystery
Bookseller
Near You?
to see a list of the
IMBA's member
bookstores all over
the country! Many of
these book shops
have author readings
and events.
Independent Bookseller!
certainly agree
"It brings us into
the moment...
And then the moment
is gone..."


Welcome
to my *virtual* coffeehouse!
The coffee is brewing, the fireplace is
crackling, and the muffins are baking.
So come in to my virtual Village Blend to
warm your bones and hang out for a
little while.
~ Cleo Coyle
(aka Alice Alfonsi)
Contact at
VillageBlend@aol.com
Last Updated
Thursday
July 29, 2010
.gif)
COUNTDOWN
TO RELEASE
5 DAYS
.jpg)
Roast
Mortem
"Arson leads to
murder..."
On Sale
August 3rd!
Coming in hardcover
from Penguin's
Berkley Prime Crime
Because Roast Mortem was inspired by firefighters,
Cleo will be holding weekly giveaways for the California Firehouse
Cookbook all through August and September. Sales of the cookbook
benefit the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund. Scroll down to
find out how to enter the current contest and keep watching
this Web site for new chances to win!

To pre-order ROAST MORTEM,
the HOT new entry in Cleo Coyle's
bestselling Coffeehouse Mystery series,
click on a link below:
Roast Mortem
A Coffeehouse Mystery
@ AMAZON
OR...
OR...
OR...
To find an
Independent
Bookstore
near you,
PRE
-PUB BOOK
GIVEAWAY!
Click Here
to enter
@ Lesa's Book Critiques
Contest Ends
Thursday, July 29
Lesa's Book Critiques is a great follow
for book reviews, author interviews,
release dates, and contests!
And now...
from
NEW
YORK CITY
it's
CLEO'S
FREE COFFEE
DRAWING!!
Wee-haaa!!!
(Okay, calm down.
It's just free coffee...)
Hi there. Cleo Coyle here. Welcome to this week’s Free Coffee Drawing, where I give away a free package of my latest Coffee Pick to one of my java-lovin' readers. On Monday evening, I randomly selected this week's winning e-mail address from my most current list of newsletter subscribers.
(To sign up for next Monday's free coffee drawing and all of my future drawings, send an Email that says “Sign me up!” to VillageBlend@aol.com)
A good sleuth is also good at solving riddles. How good a sleuth are you? Can you guess the clue to the winning e-mail address?
Let’s see…
Pictures can be painted
on paper or cloth,
but this LATE trend in art
uses liquid as a canvas.
Double one of the letters
in the capitalized word
and you’ll know what
kind of art this is.
To see the answer,
SCROLL DOWN…
To see a fun video clue to
this week's riddle, click the arrow
in the window below...
Keep
Scrolling
Down
And the answer is…
The letter
T
because…
LATE + T = Latte
as in Latte Art.
And that's this week's clue,
which means, once again...
THE FREE COFFEE
COUNTDOWN IS ON!
"T" is the first letter in this week's winning e-mail address. But "T" has not won yet! "T" must reply to my notifying e-mail by Friday, July 30, or I will have to choose a new winner! So stay tuned and check back. If the above coffee clock keeps ticking through Friday at midnight (EST), I'll be holding a new Coffee Drawing Saturday morning!!! (Calm down now. Shortness of breath can occur when you get overly excited and that’s just not good for you.)
Thanks for stopping by!
—Cleo Coyle
We broadcase live from NYC every Monday evening. Low tech today but tomorrow, who knows? A pod-cast with
guests, perhaps?

WIN THIS
COFFEE
Cleo's Summer
Coffee Pick:
Kafe Lespwa
"Coffee of Hope"
from Haiti
This delicious coffee is grown by subsistence
farmers of Haiti. To learn more, read Cleo's
featured post by scrolling down the center column...

To enter my next drawing (next Monday)
and all of my future weekly drawings
for a free package of my latest Coffee Pick,
simply sign up for my free
E-newsletter by sending an e-mail that says
"Sign me up" to VillageBlend@aol.com
Just my way of sharing some excellent
coffee finds with my readers and site visitors.
Cheers &
Good Luck!
~ Cleo Coyle
(Alice Alfonsi)
Congrats to last
week's coffee
drawing winner...
Travis of
Ortonville, Michigan
Scroll down to see the names
and states of Cleo's past
coffee drawing winners...
New Recipe
Post!
Cleo's Chilly
Cleoccino!
Cold medicine for
a long, hot summer!
My copycat Starbucks
Frappuccino recipe uses
coffee ice cubes. (A great use
for your leftover joe!)
To get my free, downloadable
recipe for this
frosty refresher,
CLICK HERE
...and jump to
my new recipe post at
Mystery Lovers' Kitchen.
Congrats to my Friday
winner of this beautiful
"Gimme Coffee"
Latte Cup and Saucer,
made in Italy.

WINNER!
Cindy Waffles of
the Looky Tasty blog!
Congratulations,
Cindy!
COME BACK NEXT FRIDAY
FOR A BRAND NEW
CHANCE TO WIN THIS
BEAUTIFUL CUP!
You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
BOOK
GIVEAWAY!
ROAST MORTEM ARC
(advanced reading copy)
SIGNED!
and
THE CALIFORNIA
FIREHOUSE COOKBOOK
This awesome cook book benefits a
firefighter's charity that was formed
in honor of Terry Farrell, one of the many
heroic first responders who died
while rescuing victims on 9/11.
And, YES!
The firefighters
of the FDNY did
indeed inspire the
story in Roast Mortem,
my upcoming
Coffeehouse Mystery,
on sale August 3rd!
FOR A CHANCE TO WIN BOTH,
Click here to enter the contest
at Lesa's Book Critiques...
Lesa's contest ends:
Thursday, July 29
To meet some real members
of New York City's Fire Department
(FDNY) preparing the most important
meal of the year in their
firehouse kitchen, click the arrow
in the window below...
Congrats to my past winners
of the Terry Farrell Firefighters
Fund California Firehouse
Cookbook...
* Tiffinie Helmer of Utah and Alaska!
* More winners to come! Keep reading this website
for new chances to win...
Recipe
Post!
Cleo's
Cool & Creamy
Peppercorn
Dressing
A perfect summer salad
dressing that's rich and creamy
yet far from bland...
To get my recipe
for Cool and Creamy
Peppercorn Dressing
CLICK HERE
...and jump to
Mystery Lovers' Kitchen
where six mystery writers
are cooking up crime...
and recipes.

You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
Recipe
Post!
Got Leftovers?
Here are five ways to
make thrifty use of
your summer grilling
leftovers...
.jpg)
To get my recipe ideas
for your grilled leftovers,
and jump to
Mystery Lovers' Kitchen
where six mystery writers
are cooking up crime
and recipes!
You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
Recipe
Post!
102 Grilling Ideas
for Summer
No kidding, 102,
including the one
pictured below...
To get these
102 recipe ideas and
read my post, which includes
a fun "competitive eating"
video from Singapore...
If you like it,
buzz it!
You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
Very excited! Why?
My publisher recently
sent me the cover art
for my next...
HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
MYSTERY
So many of you have been asking about the
new book in my "other" mystery series,
which I also write in collaboration with my husband.
Well, I'm happy to show you that it's on the way.
(Check out the new size of my name
on the cover . . . yowza!
A nice change and a long time coming. :)
From the heart, I thank those of you
who have been reading my "Ghost" series for
the past six years. I sincerely hope
you enjoy the new one.
~ Cleo Coyle
(aka "Alice Kimberly" - Alice Alfonsi)
Coming Next Year!
The Ghost and
the Bogus Bestseller
To learn more about
Cleo Coyle's (Alice Alfonsi's)
bestselling
Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries click here.
Previous Bestsellers
in the "Ghost" Series...

Book #1
The Ghost and
Mrs. McClure

Book #2
The Ghost and
the Dead Deb

Book #3
The Ghost and the
Dead Man's Library
.jpg)
Book #4
The Ghost
and the Femme Fatale

Book #5
The Ghost and the
Haunted Mansion
And coming in
March 2011...

Book #6
The Ghost and
the Bogus Bestseller
Tale of the
Virgin Mojito
A refreshing
combination of
sweet lime & sharp,
cool spearmint...
To get my
new recipe and
read my post about certain
"spirits" that send me
to the Dark Side...
If you like it,
buzz it!
You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
Recipe
Post!
RED HAT
CAKE
A Quick & Easy
Cherry Streusel
Coffee Cake
courtesy of
Red Hatter
Shirley Hunt Jackson
Thank you to
Foodgawker.com
for selecting
my Red Hat Cake photo
as a featured foodie photo.
CLICK HERE TO SEE
THEN CLICK MY PHOTO
FOR THE RECIPE POST
You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
Set a new course.
There's coffee in
that nebula.
^ Click me
~ Captain Janeway,
Star Trek: Voyager
Recipe Post!
LITTLE
CHOCOLATE
CLOUDS IN MY
COFFEE
This blog post was a FoodBuzz
Top 9 Pick! (click to see)
Float these little cocoa meringues
into coffee or espresso for
an instant mocha. Or simply dip them
and bite for a chocolate delight.
To get my recipe,
click here...
If you like it,
buzz it!
You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
Cleo says: "I've come to think of this
as Mike Quinn's theme song..."
Click the arrow in
window below

Click here to visit
Cleo's archives and
learn about the birth of
modern coffeehouse
culture...
(This is an archived
article and may take
a moment to load.)
Recipe
Post!
Cleo Coyle's
"Cake Pan"
Dutch Babies
Forget the cast iron skillet. I'll show you how to make this classic, giant, popover pancake in a cake pan. Recipes included for classic lemon-sugar and my own cocoa-cappuccino variation.
If you like it,
buzz it!
You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
My Coffee Drawing
winners will receive...

MY
NEW COFFEE
PICK...
Kafe
Lespwa
"Coffee of Hope"
(in Haitian Creole)
Grown by the subsistence coffee farmers in the mountains of Baradères, Haiti, (yes, Haiti, I'll bet you never tasted Haitian coffee before, have you?), this rich, darkly roasted,
low-acid coffee is velvety smooth but with a full-bodied mouthfeel.
This is a sweet-smelling coffee with notes of chocolate, caramel, and (as it cools), hints of dried apricots. My husband and I never tire of brewing and savoring it and the best news of all, every package we buys helps the people of Haiti help themselves.
As most of you know, Haiti was hit by a catastrophic earthquake earlier this year, killing tens of thousands and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Although the coffee growers of Baradères are located about 100 miles from the epicenter of the quake (see map below), their chief concern is a flood of earthquake refugees who came to their region lacking adequate food, shelter
and medical care.
Above map of Haiti shows the epicenter of the earthquake, near the country's capital city, Port-au-Prince. The mountains of Baradères are about 100 miles away. Read more at www.JustHaiti.org
The coffee growers of Baradères are contributing about one-third of the funds from profits they have earned (from sales to the US)

Above photo of Haitian coffee growers loading bags
of green beans - www.JustHaiti.org
To help these growers help
the people of Haiti, you can purchase
Kafe Lespwa by clicking here.
I drink their whole bean, French Roast, which they call "regular" roast.
~ Cleo
If you would like to learn more about "Just Hait," the organization dedicated to helping these coffee farmers help themsleves, visit the www.JustHaiti.org website, where you can read press releases and view photos and video of their work.
BTW - A 12-ounce package of Kafe Lespwa is going to be my featured Free Coffee Drawing prize every week, all summer long. If you haven't signed up yet for my weekly free coffee drawings, scroll down to the green text and learn how. It's free. Sign up once and you're entered in all of my weekly coffee drawings for the life of my website.
Drink with joy,
~ Cleo Coyle (aka Alice Alfonsi)

CLEO'S FREE
COFFEE DRAWINGS
Would you like to
win a package of Kafe Lespwa? Enter next Monday's free coffee drawing (and all of my future weekly drawings) by signing up for my free, seasonal E-newsletter. Simply send an e-mail that says "Sign me up" to VillageBlend@aol.com and you will be entered automatically in Monday's drawing as well as all of my future drawings, just my way of sharing some excellent coffee finds with my readers and site visitors.
Cheers and
Good Luck!
~ Cleo (aka Alice)
How Life is like
a cup of coffee...

Shout-out
to my past
java winners!
Congrats to
last week's
winner...
Travis of
Ortonville, Michigan
And to my previous
week's winner...
Sandra of
Delanson, New York
More past
winners...
* Theresa of Antioch, Ilinois
* Cary of Hartford, Alabama
* Jill of Memphis, Tennessee
* Pattie of Cocoa, Florida
* Veronica of Elgin, South Carolina
* V.S. of Newton, New Jersey
* Sharon of Mamaroneck, New York
* Terry of Memphis, Tennessee
* Marbie of St. Louis, Missouri
* Susie of Gibsonton, Florida
* Mary of Hendersonville, North Carolina
* Ann of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
* Nancy of West Des Moines, Iowa
* Suzette of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota
* Barbara of Memphis, Tennessee
* Janet of Powell, Ohio
* Paula of Akron, Ohio
* Ericka of Plano, Texas
* Michele of Horseheads, New York
* Eileen of Haverville, Massachusetts
* Lyn of Vanceburg, Kentucy
* Jan of Freeport, Michigan
* Madonna of Blue Ridge, Virginia
* Carol of Coral Springs, Florida
Gwen of Sacramento, California
* Connie of Santa Clara, California
* Barbara of Reston,Virgina
* Nancy of Cape Coral, Florida
* Susan of Philadelphia, PA
* Karen of New Haven, Indiana
* Phil of Bronx, New York
* Barbara of Wyandotte, Michigan
* Gayle of Plantation, Florida
* Alexandra of Mercer Island, Washington
*Joe of Chantilly, Virginia
* Heather of Prince George, BC, Canada
To see the names and states
of many more of Cleo's Coffee
Drawing winners, keep scrolling down
this Home Page...

CLEO'S
COFFEE PICK
FOR SPRING
2010 was...
A "Chef's blend"
created for
award-
winning Chef
Thomas Keller's
world-renowned...
Roasted by
Equator Estates Coffee
"2010 Roaster of the Year"
~ Roast Magazine

COFFEE
CRAZY
Did you know filmmaker David Lynch
not only loves coffee but also sells it
on his Web site?
Click here to visit
Mr. Lynch's Coffee Page.
To see FBI Agent Cooper's "coffee philopsophy"
in Mr. Lynch's classic TV show Twin Peaks,
click the arrow in the window below...

You can see Cleo's (Alice's) past
COFFEE PICKS
by scrolling all the way down
the right column of this site...
Tres cute.
But I just can't see
Clare Cosi teaching Java
or Frothy this trick...
Hi there. Cleo (Alice) here.
Recently I dropped in to post
as a guest blogger
for author Terry Odell.
Hop on over to "Terry's Place"
and visit me at her beautiful blog
in the Colorado Rockies,
where I expound on...
Writer's Block, Thunder Thighs,
Haitian Coffee, and the Most Common
Hazard Authors Face
Click here
to visit Cleo (aka Alice)
at the "Terry's Place" blog
Foodie
Post!
Is Your
Oven Lying
to You?
Find out more
and get 2 delicious recipes
by clicking here
...and jumping to my
weekly post at
Mystery Lovers' Kitchen,
where six mystery writers
are cooking up crime...
and recipes.
You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
It is inhumane, in my opinion, to
force people who have a genuine medical
need for coffee to wait in line
behind people who apparently view it as
some kind of recreational activity.
I bet this kind of thing does not happen to
heroin addicts. I bet that
when serious heroin addicts go to purchase
their heroin, they do not tolerate
waiting in line while some
dilettante in front of them
orders a hazelnut smack-a-chino
with cinnamon sprinkles!
~ Dave Barry
Recipe
Post!
Twilight
Cauliflower
20-Clove
Roasted Garlic
Cauliflower
Possibly anti-cancer.
Definitely anti-vampire...
To get my new recipe,
click below and jump to
my recent blog post at
Mystery Lovers' Kitchen...
where six mystery writers are
cooking up crime...and recipes!
TO GET MY NEW RECIPE FOR
TWILIGHT CAULIFLOWER
CLICK HERE
If you like it,
buzz it!
You can see more of my recipes
by scrolling down this page. You can
also visit the Recipes page on this
website by clicking here...
Reviews of
Cleo's most recent
release...
HOLIDAY GRIND
A Coffeehouse
Mystery

Mystery Scene Magazine
"Coyle's greatest strength is writing characters that feel real. Clare and company are some of the most vibrant characters I've ever read...Coyle also is a master of misdirection and red herrings. I challenge any reader to figure out
whodunit before Coyle reveals all."
The Huffington Post
"Other honorable mentions for new holiday booking? Holiday Grind by Cleo Coyle, a new addition to the coffeehouse mystery series that?adds in jolts of souped-up coffee, sweet cooking?and super sleuthing to deliver a fun and gripping fa-la-la-la latte surprise."
Kirkus
Coyle's coffeehouse mysteries (Espresso Shot, etc.) are packed with believable characters and topped with serious coffee lore and holiday recipes. This one will keep your cup piping hot.
Library Journal
Romantic Times

Lesa Holstine Sunday Salon Review
Click here to read the Full Review at
Lesa's Book Critiques!

*...and there was much rejoicing and drinking of coffee in the Coyle household.
To find out more about the books in Cleo's
Coffeehouse Mystery series...
CLICK HERE
and jump to the Village Blend's
About the CM Books page
Guess What
Julia Child Loved
To Do?
To find out, click the arrow
in the window below...
AND...
Get my past
recipe for...
Corn Muffin Tops
"a la Julia Child"
To Read
"3 Things Julia Taught Me"
by Barbara Fairchild,
Editor-in-Chief of
Bon Appétit...
click here.
Frozen Pizza
Yes, it's true. The pizza in the photo above
CLICK HERE TO READ
And take my
Foodie
Post!
Doctor
&
Toppings Poll
began its life frozen in a box. Learn a few tricks to greatly improve a frozen pie (and save $$ on delivery). Read my new post at... Mystery Lovers Kitchen,
a group blog where six mystery writers enjoy cooking up crime...and recipes!
MY PIZZA TOPPINGS POST!
Pizza Toppings Poll, too...
"Library Thing"
The above gorgeous photo of my Cappuccino Muffin with Sweet Frothy Top is courtesy of and copyright (c) 2009 to Brandi Evans of
~Cleo Coyle
Hi!
I have a food/healthy living blog and I made your Cappuccino Muffins today out of one of your Coffeehouse Mystery books. They turned out wonderful! ...
Best,
Cleo's reply:
BTW: Clare served these muffins to a character just before interrogating him. (Yeah, I'd say these muffins are just about good enough to make anyone talk. :-)
To read Brandi's post about making my Cappuccino Muffins, including some amazing step-by-step photos, CLICK HERE, and you will jump to her recent "mysterious muffins" post at her delightful "Branapetit" blog.
Java joy you, Brandi!
~Cleo

hosted a
Chat with Cleo.
The chat is no
longer live
but you can
read the
conversation by...
CLEO'S
CAPPUCCINO
MUFFINS!
branappetit who also baked my muffins and posted the following message to my Coffee Talk message board...
Brandi
http:/branappetit.wordpress.com/Thanks, Brandi! I am so glad that you liked the recipe. For anyone interested in making my Cappuccino Muffins with Sweet Frothy Tops, Brandi used the recipe out of my 5th Coffeehouse Mystery: Decaffeinated Corpse.
Thank you again, not only for
making my muffings but also
for blogging about them! Woot!
Huzzah!*
Espresso Shot
It also hit #8 on Bookscan's Mass Market
#2 bestselling paperback mystery
* and there was much rejoicing
Thank you, Coffeehouse
Now Available
*
Recipes, romance and caffeine-fueled detection
*
Strong personalities abound in this sophisticated
Oh, Espresso Shot is a fun read?I kept turning the
A Fresh Fiction
CLICK HERE TO READ
The Divine
Agatha Christie,
Jane Marple is an unlikely literary heroine," writes Kate Mose in the foreword of a newly published Marple collection, "an elderly unmarried lady of a certain age living in St Mary Mead, a fictional village in the South of England.
The above was excerpted from the foreword to a new collection entitled The Complete Miss Marple, containing all 12 Miss Marple novels and 20 short stories by Agatha Christie,
Yes, yes, I say! Three cheers for Miss Marple! How could I not love the Divine Miss M? She is, of course, the literary grandmother to my own amateur sleuth, Clare Cosi.
A final quote...
"So what is it about Miss Marple that still attracts readers some 80 years on," Ms. Mose asks in her foreword. "Changing times notwithstanding, the human heart does not change so very much. Love, jealousy, greed, anger, revenge --these are characteristics that endure, whether it be on a Caribbean island, among the tombs in Luxor, on the Devon coast or in an English village much like St Mary Mead. And, perhaps most important of all, because we recognise what Miss Marple's companion, Cherry, says in Nemesis to be no more than the truth: 'Good people are scarce.' In art, as in life."
I could not agree more!
Till next time,
A Coffeehouse Mystery reader from
(Recipes follow...!)
Re-posted from Cleo's e-mail box
Hi Cleo,
I'm a big fan of your books and your Web site. My aunt sent me this picture of a rattler! I don't know if you are from Texas, but those rattlers (rattlebugs, that's what my grandmother and I call them) get huge!
Take care,
Hi, Tiffney. Cleo Coyle here. Obviously, I love that picture and your story, too. I hope your aunt doesn't let that delicious rattlesnake go to waste. Because... although I'm not from Texas (I grew up in Western, Pennsylvania), even I know that rattlesnake is good eatin'!
CLICK HERE
Till next time


hit #3 on Barnes &
Noble's Mass Market Mystery
Bestseller list* and #31 in overall
best-selling fiction for the chain
nationwide!*
Mystery List, and was the...
of the Independent Mystery Bookseller's Association
for the month of October 2009!*
and drinking of coffee in the Coyle household.
Mystery Readers, for making
Espresso Shot a National Bestseller!
"SUPERB...INTELLIGENT...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED..."
~ Library Journal
(Starred review)
in Paperback!
add up to a lively tale.
~ Kirkus
novel, which is part whodunit and part romance.
~ New Mystery Reader
pages long after I should have turned off the light.
~ Armchair Interviews
Fresh Pick!
October 8, 2009
Cleo's recent blog post at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen was about Espresso Shot. To read it and watch a geat little video about a National Barista Champion, click the link below...
CLEO'S RECENT BLOG POST
ABOUT ESPRESSO SHOT...
Miss M
at home in Devon,
England, 1946.
"At first glance there is nothing to mark her out, a relic of her Victorian upbringing, knitting and weeding the garden, not someone to whom anyone pays a great deal of attention. And this, of course, is precisely the point. Behind this façade is a shrewdly intelligent observer who takes advantage of the attitudes of those around her who see only a "fluffy" old woman -- including many literary critics, past and present -- to pursue murderers, blackmailers, fraudsters . . . "
published by HarperCollins. At more than a foot thick, the £1,000 tome breaks the Guinness World Record for book with the thickest spine ever!
Click here to visit
"AgathaChristie.com"
and learn more....
Like Jane Marple, Clare's position as a barista and coffeehouse manager, in the lofty lanes of New York City's rich, famous, and smug, renders her the invisible woman, a service economy employee without the status or money to be of "consequence."
As an art school dropout, however, Clare has a great eye for detail. After years behind her coffee bar, she's also developed an ear for gossip, a talent for talking her way into and out of situations, and Clare's generosity of spirit, considerate heart, and sense of humor have forged a few key friendships among her well-heeled customers, handy connections that help open important sleuthing doors for her around the city when necessary. Those attributes combined with Clare's single-mom instinct for protecting the weak and powerless leave liars, hypocrites, cheats, and murderers at her mercy.
I have found sheer joy in writing the character of Clare Cosi, and she could never have existed without the great Agatha's Miss Jane Marple, who inspired me in Clare's creation. So kudos to Agatha and to the Divine Miss M upon the publication of her complete works!
~ Cleo Coyle
article, "Marple the Feminist,"
by Barry Forshaw, the author of
British Crime Writing:
An Encyclopedia,
click here!
Abilene, Texas
sends Cleo a "rattling" good pic... 
at VillageBlend@aol.com...
This picture reminded me...
I once stepped on one by accident! My grandparents had a house out of the city and all of the family was visiting that day. Well, thank goodness my husband told me to wear my boots that day. It was dark and I was loading my son up in the car, I hear something rattle by my foot! Let me tell you it was a rattlesnake!
Luckily, I had stepped on its head. Then, my little cousin came around the corner, and I was holding her away from it so my uncle could pick it up with a shovel and throw it in the pasture!
That whole time I never lifted my foot until my uncle came! I was terrified! When we got home I looked at my boots, and sure enough there was an imprint of where it tried to take a bite of me. Thank you to my husband, uncle, and my thick boots. This is not the picture of my rattler. This one is from my aunt in Odessa!
Tiffney
Abilene, Texas
for Rattlesnake Recipes!
~Cleo Coyle
Cleo's Coffee Pick
Gimme! Coffee's
To see my interview with Gimme Coffee's
Hi there. Cleo Coyle here. I tasted a lot of coffee before selecting my latest Coffee Pick. I wanted to bring you something very different and exotic this fall, and I found it in the Ethiopian coffee Amaro Gayo.
I'd like to thank the person who highly recommended the roaster for this coffee, former college instructor (and Coffeehouse Mystery reader) Mary T. of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Mary T. (right) enjoying a delish cappuccino with
Photos of the shop are by Cindy Dalton (c) and courtesty of
"I went to the woods."
MEET
Photo of Kevin courtesy of Gimme Coffee
Kevin is the CEO of Gimme! Coffee, named by Food and Wine magazine as one of the top coffee bars in the country.
To read Cleo's
Scroll down to read more
Hi Melissa
Congrats! I am so happy that you're happy. (LOL on the teen eyeroll.) The coffee you have won is an exotic Ethiopian drop called Amaro Gayo. It is
In my 4th Coffeehouse Mystery Murder Most Frothy, I had Clare
~Cleo
The note below was re-posted
From far Japan
Above is a photo of Masako's coffee shop in Hiroshima, Japan. Below is Masako posing with two of her baristas, who were University students at the time the photo was taken.
Hello, Masako!
I am so happy that you wrote to me "from far Japan," and I am even more excited to learn that you are running your own coffeehouse, just like my Clare Cosi.
Warmest java wishes,
~Cleo Coyle
Japanese
Coffeehouse
Published in
Japanese
Coffeehouse
Published in
THIS IS BOO.
Click here to go to my
~Cleo Coyle
from fall 2009
Amaro Gayo
CEO and founder, Kevin Cuddeback,
scroll down to the post after this one...
When I first went live with this site a few years ago, Mary contacted me with a helpful e-mail, pointing out some typos on the site. (She has since pointed out some typos in my books, as well, and I was most grateful.)
None of us are perfect, but we can keep swinging with the help of constructive advice. I replied to Mary with a heartfelt thank you. From then on, Mary and I have had some fun, informative exchanges. Mary has sent me links, comments, and info on some of her favorite coffeehouses (see below!), and I've appreciated her valuable input. 
her sister Helen (left) at Mocha Moment in Janesville,
a gorgeous coffeehouse with an amazing location
in the Wisconsin woods. Click this link to read the inspiring
story of this beautiful coffee shop...
Mocha Moment's Web site. Click on photos to visit them online!
~Henry David Thoreau

Photos of the shop are by Cindy Dalton (c) and courtesty of
Mocha Moment's Web site. Click on photos to visit them online!
daughter, Shelley, who discovered an excellent roaster that sells coffee online. The coffee Mary received was roasted by Gimme! Coffee. (See photo of Shelley's Mother's Day gift to Mary. Isn't that the greatest cup?!)
TO ME...
are big fans of the Green Bay Packers!
"Go Pack!"
~Mary T.
Appleton, Wisconsin
or to purchase it for yourself,
CLICK HERE.
See my interview with Gimme Coffee's
CEO and founder below...
Cleo
Coffee Break
Feature
KEVIN CUDDEBACK
exclusive interview,
CLICK HERE
about my fall 2009
Coffee PIck: Amaro Gayo...
Melissa of Austin, Texas, was
one of my many winners of my
2009 Coffee Pick: Amaro Gayo.
Below is her e-mail to me
and my reply...
I am ecstatic to have won a free pound of coffee! Thank you! My three teenagers looked at me like I had two heads as I jumped around yelling "I won! I won! I won!" After about 10 seconds they did the traditional teen eye roll that means "Mom has lost it again" and then went back to doing their homework. My hubby, however, was excited as well. (He didn't jump and yell though, he is the mellow one.)
I look forward to curling up with a cup of Amaro Gayo java and one of your books!
Thanks again,
Melissa
P.S. I think my teens will take back their eye rolls when they smell my exotic coffee!
Cleo's reply
to Melissa below...
exported by the only female miller and exporter in the whole of Ethiopia (Asnakech Thomas, pictured left), and her coffee has a very unique flavor profile...
Cosi drinking a Ugandan coffee with notes of strawberry. It's taken me a long time to find one like it that I can share with my readers, but I finally found it: Amaro Gayo has the oddest hint of strawberry and the roasting makes it taste almost baked. To me it tastes like a strawberry donut! But of course it's also coffee so it's one very unique drinking experience.
(UPDATE - Note from Cleo: My original 2009 pick was a "dry processed" Amaro Gayo with notes of strawberry. At this time, it is sold out, but I have linked to the wet processed Amaro Gayo, which is available for purchase. The wet processed is still an amazing coffee, but it has different flavor notes than the dry processed Amaro Gayo. Keep watching the Gimme Coffee website for news of the dry processed being available again. To learn more about the difference between wet and dry processed coffee, read the Recipes and Tips section of my latest Coffeehouse Mystery, Roast Mortem.)
This is one coffee that proves premium coffee can have the complexity of fine wine...
As you can see I'm personally coffee crazy -- just like Clare Cosi?and filmmaker David Lynch. I know I'm in good company because Mr. Lynch actually sells his own brand of coffee on his Web site! LOL!
Java joy to you,
from Cleo's e-mail box at
VillageBlend@aol.com
Hello
I am running a small coffee shop in
~Masako

Cleo's reply:
For my readers here in America, I have posted some of the Japanese versions of my books that you are reading and enjoying. I am so proud of these beautiful, little Japanese editions of my books. The interiors are fantastic, too, and even include illustrations.
Thank you again for writing, Masako. Please keep in touch. Send a photo of you and your coffee shop and I will post it for everyone to see.
"from far" New York City!

cover for...
Coffeehouse
Mystery #1:
On What Grounds
by Cleo Coyle
Published in
Japan by
Random House
Kodansha

Japanese
cover for...
Mystery #2:
Through the Grinder
by Cleo Coyle
Japan by
Random House
Kodansha

cover for...
Mystery #3:
Latte Trouble
by Cleo Coyle
Japan by
Random House
Kodansha

message board and meet
Boo and her owner,
CM reader Adelia...

I recently answered a
Dear Cleo,
~Pam in
MY REPLY...
Hi, Pam,
Thank you for posting. I am very happy to hear that your book club is enjoying my books. Please wish them a Happy New Year from me!
OK - Here is an answer to your question about drip coffeemakers...
With the understanding that I am not officially endorsing any products and the understanding that no drip maker is perfect, here is what I can tell you...
We buy economical drip coffeemakers in our house--because my husband and I are writers and not investment bankers, LOL :). FYI - this is why Clare's "democratization of luxury" philosophy is a
Okay, so the brands we use (at the moment) to make our drip coffee are Cuisinart and DeLonghi. Both coffeemakers sit side by side on our counter. The Cuisinart (12-cup, model DCC-1200 series) is for larger pots. This pot has an automatic turn off, a good and safe feature. It also beeps you when the coffee is ready and when the burner is about to turn itself off. We also use a DeLonghi (Twenty Four Seven model). This is a 4-cup maker for very small pots. This model does NOT have an automatic turn off so you have to remember to turn it off yourself. But it's great for a small pot of joe.
Just like you, we have other methods of making coffee: French press, Moka express pot, but you were asking about drip.
We have also used Braun and Krups brands in the past and were happy with both of them. We don't think the expense of a thermal pot or grind-and-brew combo is worth it for us. We like to grind our coffee separately with a burr grinder. A burr grinder, by the way, (and not a blade grinder) is the very best way to grind whole bean coffee. Whole bean is the only kind we make because after coffee is ground in rapidly loses its flavor and aroma.
Anyway, what concerns us most when we shop for a drip coffeemaker is the SHAPE of the filter. A CONE filter is a more economical way to make premium coffees and that's what we use. Flat-bottomed filters do not concentrate the flavor as well and you end up using more coffee to get the same strength as you'd get with a cone filter. Pot after pot, using more coffee adds up, so a cone filter is more economical. Both our Cuisinart and DeLonghi brand
You can always check out the Consumer Reports run down of drip coffeemakers. Here is a link for you if you're interested...
Consumer Reports often gives ratings on coffeemakers.
NOTE: Consumer Report ratings are for subscribers only,
~Cleo
I belong to a mystery book club and chose the first book,THE GHOST AND MRS MCCLURE, in the haunted bookshop series when it was my turn to introduce a new book and author. We all loved it! Everyone wants to now read the series along with the Village Blend books. We meet monthly on the first Monday, mid- morning for coffee and treats which brings me to my question.
I am in the market for a new coffee maker. I just want an everyday drip version. I have plenty of the 'fancy' types--french press, espresso, etc. and don't want to break the bank! Do you or any of your readers have any suggestions? Thanks for 2 great series and the help! 
lot like ours. Murder Most Frothy and French Pressed are the books in which she speaks about this the most: When folks can't afford a $5,000 trip to the South of France, they take a $5.00 trip to a cozy coffeehouse to enjoy an excellent coffee drink. And that's what the coffeehouse experience is really all about: an oasis in the middle of a hectic day; a place to relax and rejuvenate for people who cannot afford the time and money for a full body massage at a day spa!

drip makers have cone-shaped filters.
You can also look into "pour-over" methods for economical drip coffee making. This is when you heat the water yourself, then pour it over a cone-shaped filter and the coffee drips down into the carafe. Two popular pour-over brands are Mellita and ChemEx.
CLICK HERE to read their general buying guide,
which will give you an overview on the brands and types
of features on today's coffeemakers.
but their very informative general buying guide is
freely posted on the Web. CLICK HERE
Thank you so much for posting, Pam, and especially for reading my books. Java joy to you and your Mystery Book Club in beautiful Nebraska!
HAVE YOU
YAWPED
TODAY?

Coffee Origins
C O F F E E
O R I G I N S
In the movie Sideways, when one of the characters opens a bottle of wine, she finds herself considering the origins of that bottle—where the grapes were grown, who harvested them, what the weather was like on the day they were picked. Was the sun shining? Was it raining?
Here's the thing...I like to approach my coffee-drinking the same way. I marvel at how the beans can arrive at my doorstep from half a world away; how they can be grown by people of vastly different cultures, speaking different languages, living a completely different way of life.
When I learn about the coffee beans, I also learn about the people who grew them, about their world,
about the care they took to cultivate the coffee I drink.
Scroll up the right column of this Home Page to read about my past "Coffee Picks" or click on links in my archives below...
Click here to learn
more about this quirky,
award-winning film.
(Not for everyone,
but I loved it!)
You can read more
about Cleo's previous
Coffee Picks
by clicking on the articles
archived below...
- Cleo's Coffee Break with Coffeehouse Mystery Readers...
- blank
- SOME FAVORITE POSTS FROM CLEO'S COFFEE TALK MESSAGE BOARD
- Killer Coffee Club discusses Cleo's Holiday Grind
- A Coffeehouse Mystery Reader Visits Intelligentsia in Chicago and Meets US Barista Champ Kyle Glanville
- Battle of the Instant Coffee Sticks!
- An Angel in Queens
- Reading Guides
- To come
- How to Store Strawberries
- Joanna Ellis and Moosehead Quilters of Maine
- Happy Birthday, Mr. Chandler - Cleo Coyle on Raymond Chandler
- No post
- Industrial Design & the Coffee Cup Lid - Coffee Break with Josh Harris
- MAY - JUNE 2009 COFFEE PICK: Bishops' Blend
- Meet Shirley Jackson: A Queen of the Red Hat Ladies!
- Bruce Porter's Java Art
- SPRING 2009 COFFEE PICK: Rooster Brother (La Minita Estate)
- JANUARY COFFEE PICK: Kopi Luwak? - NOT!
- NOVEMBER - DECEMBER '08 COFFEE PICK: Bouchon Blend
- SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER '08 COFFEE PICK: Joe's Vienna Roast
- CLEO GOES TO JAPAN! - CM Japanese Covers...
- CLEO'S KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL: An Interview with an Exec. Chef
- JULY - AUGUST '08 COFFEE PICK: Solar Roast Coffee
- MAY- JUNE '08 Coffee Pick: Papua New Guinea
- A Conversation with Founder of CozyLibrary.com - Diana Vickery
- Memorial Day 2008 - Patriot Guard Ride by Jim Kerick
- The Return of Java the Cat!
- OH, SNAP! Rachael Ray Makes Gaffe Over...Coffee?
- APRIL '08 Coffee Pick: Purple Princess
- MARCH '08 COFFEE PICK: Kenyan
- How Cleo Spent St. Patrick's Day '08 - NY Parade Pics!
- FEBRUARY '08 COFFEE PICK: Rwanda's Village Blend
- THE AMANDA PROJECT
- MOVIE REVIEW: What is Cloverfied?
- JANUARY '08 COFFEE PICK: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
- DECEMBER '07 COFFEE PICK: 100% Kona
- Author Perfume?
- Taking care of the one behind...
- Alfred Peet and the Birth of Coffeehouse Culture...
- NOVEMBER '07 COFFEE PICK: Major Dickason's Blend
- Coffee Shop Wedding and Coffee Peeps!
- Where CRIME is also brewing...
- Telling Fortunes with Turkish Coffee
- The Art of Roasting Coffee
- OCTOBER '07 COFFEE PICK: Gombe Reserve
- Coffee and Books a Great Combo!
- Newbie Barista Wins Canadian Championship
- 9/11 IN MEMORIAM
- SEPTEMBER '07 COFFEE PICK: Magnolia Grill Blend
- Picture This - Clare's Trip to the Garden
- Remembrance of Foods Past
- On Chandler's Not So Simple Art of Murder
- Q&A with Cleo
- SEXPRESSO - When Coffee is served BY Cheesecake
THE READING
GUIDES
Coffeehouse Mystery Reading Guides
Download for free!
» Books 1 & 2, click here (pdf)
» Books 3 & 4, click here (pdf)
» Book 5, click here (pdf)
» Books 6 & 7 Coming Soon!
» Book 8, click here (pdf)
» Book #9, ROAST MORTEM
posting in late August
Need Adobe reader software for PDF? Get it FREE by clicking here.
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COUNTDOWN
TO RELEASE
5 DAYS!
CLICK HERE
to Read
Roast Mortem's
Prologue &
First Chapter!
CLICK HERE
for a peek
at some of Roast
Mortem's featured
recipes.
Arson leads
to murder
in...

ROAST
MORTEM
On Sale
August 3, 2010
Coming in hardcover from
Penguin's
Berkley Prime Crime

To pre-order this HOT new entry
in Cleo Coyle's bestselling Coffeehouse Mystery series, click on a link below:
Roast Mortem
A Coffeehouse Mystery
@ AMAZON
OR...
OR...
To find an
Independent
Bookstore
near you,
*NEW*
CLEO'S
COFFEE &
CRIME FILE
click below
for stories on
Killer
confesses to
taking coffee
break next to
corpse
NYPD Nails
Coffee-Drinking
Bank Robber
Bikini Coffee
Shop Served Eviction
Notice
Driver puts sugar
into coffee &
plunges into river
more to come...
MIKE
















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