Bookstore Café #14
In the fourteenth outing of Alex Erickson’s Bookstore Café series, protagonist Krissy Hancock has made a comfortable life for herself in Pine Hills, Ohio. She owns and operates a bookstore café called Death by Coffee with her longtime friend Vicki Lawyer. The two of them have worked hard to make their shop a success, as well as a local landmark. Krissy has also picked up a little side hustle of solving crime throughout the town. Local law isn’t exactly thrilled, but they can’t deny that she has been instrumental in solving many murders. However, they can breathe a sigh of relief and get a break from the amateur sleuthing as Krissy is heading back to her hometown of Redwood Village, California, to visit her roots with her father, his girlfriend, and her boyfriend.
The trip is meant to be all about family and fun in the sun, but as it is her first vacation since opening her shop Krissy is more than a little worried. She doesn’t want her employees or locals of Pine Hill to think she is abandoning her shop. Also, being a complete type A personality, it is very difficult for her to completely surrender control of the shop to anyone, even if only for a week. Luckily, there is already something in California to distract her, a copycat business right in town named Death by Java, whose owner just happens to be a woman who tormented Krissy back in high school.
Unable to resist, Krissy goes to check out the shop to see exactly how much Valerie has copied, only to walk in on an argument between her and the health inspector. Not a good look for any business, but even more so for any in the food industry. Valerie latches onto Krissy for dear life, hoping to get some tips and tricks to help save her business. Krissy rises above old hostilities and resentments and tries her best to help the clearly drowning Valerie out. Her act of charity, however, lands her in yet another murder scandal as the health inspector is found dead in the shop. Feeling more compassion and pity for the overwhelmed and dysfunctional Valerie, Krissy decides to take on the case. However, local law enforcement is even less willing to speak to her about an active case than those back home. Good thing her boyfriend and Pine Hill detective, Paul Dalton, is there to smooth relations over a bit and even do some consulting work himself. With a job like health inspector there is no shortage of suspects amongst the restaurant district, and Krissy quickly realizes that the very woman she is trying to help might be more of a hinderance to the investigation than anything.
For those readers who have enjoyed Alex Erickson’s previous thirteen books, Death by Java is a must read. Experiencing Krissy outside of her usual element is fun, as is getting more of a feel for her family and what her life was like before Pine Hills. In addition, there is a surprise at the end previous readers will be very excited about. First time readers will be able to enjoy Death by Java without issue as all characters and their relationships are explained at the start of the book. Given that it takes place away from Pine Hills, it also takes away any confusion of intertown politics that readers might have had to navigate. It isn’t an easy thing to forgive an old tormentor, let alone voluntarily help them to save a business that is a copy of your own. I would even say near impossible, but Krissy rises above it and is determined to do the best she can to both help find justice for the poor inspector, as well as providing Valerie with insight and tools to utilize for her business. Hopefully it won’t take up her whole vacation and Krissy will be able to really enjoy some time away with her family as well. – Carla Schantz