Dead to the Last Drop by Tonya Kappes is the 8th A Killer Coffee Mystery. It can be read on its own for those who are new to this series. Roxy Bloom owns The Bean Hive in Honey Springs, Kentucky where she roasts her own beans for unique blends of coffee for her customers. She would love to expand her business to have a bigger roaster, but, at this time, there is no extra space available on the boardwalk. It is time for the local theater company to put on their winter production. Loretta Bebe is in charge of the production and she is known for collecting favors. Loretta has called in a favor from a theater actress, Gretchen Cannon who will be playing the lead. This causes an upset because Loretta had already promised Maxine Bloom the lead role. Gretchen called in a favor of her own and has brought in director, Alan Bogart. Alan has ideas of his own which causes disorder and upset egos. Alan soon finds himself dead and Loretta is a suspect. Roxy knows that Loretta would not harm anyone and sets out to prove it. Dead to the Last Drop is a light and humorous cozy mystery set in the charming town of Honey Springs. The word imagery allows us to imagine Honey Springs blanketed in snow. I could imagine the cold temperatures, the icy roads and roaring fires. The mystery had a couple of intriguing components. I liked the unique way the crime was committed. There are several suspects for Roxy to question and clues for readers to discover. As if Roxy does not have enough on her plate, she has a new feline at The Bean Hive looking for a home. The sweet girl needs a name and a good home. Then Roxy finds out that Emily, the local bakery owner, is selling her shop and relocating. Roxy needs to organize a goodbye party (while solving a murder, of course). Then Emily has a suggestion that delights Roxy. It will take a little finagling though. There are recipes at the end for the items Roxy served at The Bean Hive in Dead to the Last Drop. Dead to the Last Drop has theatrical theater folks, roasting room quandary, an annoying actress, a mocha colored moggy, a disputable director and an annoyed aunt.

Share/Like this Review?