A Bean to Die For by Tara Lush Published by Crooked Lane Books on January 9, 2024
Genres: Cozy Mystery
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Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, InstagramPerfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette, reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis is back on the case when a body is dug up in the community garden.
Lana Lewis is brewing up new concoctions at Perkatory, a popular café in Devil’s Beach, when she decides she wants to try her hand at growing her own coffee. She secures a gardening plot in the community garden, thanks to her father and the garden’s owner, Darla. Darla’s list of rules is long, but that doesn’t stop someone from leaving Jack Daggett’s body amongst the gardening plots.
Jack, an environmental activist, had been banned from the garden previously, because of his many fights with Darla about organic produce. Lana promises her boyfriend, police chief Noah, that she’s going to stay out of this case, having been too involved in previous cases. But when she learns that Jack died from an accidental overdose, and Darla is the top suspect because of her shady past, Lana can't help but poke around in an attempt to clear Darla's name.
As Lana dives deeper into the case, she learns that Jack had more enemies than she realized. When Darla turns up dead, Lana has to turn up the heat on her investigation. With Lana on the case, it won’t be long before someone spills the beans to crack this case wide open. But will she able to find the killer before they strike again?
My Thoughts
This was an entertaining story. My interest was peaked by the mystery and plot twists. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters, but Lana is my favorite. I believe I’ve uncovered a new series; therefore, I’m going back to read the others before continuing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
About Tara Lush
Tara Lush is a RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow and the winner of the George C. Polk award for environmental journalism.
She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations under the name Tamara Lush. For many years, she was a journalist with The Associated Press.
Tara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and newspapers. She lives on the Gulf coast with her husband and two dogs.
