French Roast

by Sandra Balzo Balzo

Overview

Things go from bad to worse for Wisconsin coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen when her cousin Jacque Oui finds himself in hot water.

Coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen's cousin, Jacque Oui, is in trouble. Big trouble! Not only is his cash-strapped Schultz's Market facing competition from a big bucks grocery chain, but his supposedly ex-wife Paulette has arrived from Paris, spectacularly claiming that she and Jacque are still married, despite Jacque being engaged to Maggy's friend and star barista Amy Caprese.

 

Maggy is keen to avoid this troubling brew – until a huge fire rips through Schultz’s Market and a gruesome discovery is made in the store's flat, reluctantly drawing her into Jacque’s affairs. But where is he? With her cousin suddenly missing, can Maggy uncover the truth behind the disturbing events triggered by Pauline's arrival, or is she about to be scorched by a determined killer?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781448312764
Publisher:	Severn House
Publication date:	02/27/2024
Series:	Maggy Thorsen Series , #16
Edition description:	Main - Large Print
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.79(w) x 8.74(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Sandra Balzo built an impressive career as a public relations consultant before authoring the successful 'Maggy Thorsen' coffeehouse mysteries, the first of which, Uncommon Grounds, was published to stellar reviews and nominated for an Anthony and Macavity Award. She is also the author of the 'Main Street Murders' mystery series published by Severn House.

Editorial Reviews

Balzo's latest will keep readers on their toes . . . Solid cozy fare

Booklist

Numerous plot twists, nicely delineated characters, dry humor, and details of running a coffeehouse define this cozy. Suggest to those who enjoy Laura Childs' Tea Shop mysteries

Booklist on Flat White

10/17/2022

In Balzo’s entertaining 15th Maggy Thorsen mystery (after The Big Steep), Maggy, co-owner of the Uncommon Grounds coffeehouse in Brookhills, Wis., must deal with complicated and ultimately dangerous liaisons involving her friends and family. Primary among these is the one between Maggy’s distant cousin Jacques Oui, owner of Brookhills’s upscale market, and coffeehouse barista Amy Caprese. The two seem on the verge of marriage until Paulette Badeux arrives in town from Paris, claiming to be Jacques’s long-lost wife. Within days, Jacques’s market is set on fire. The charred remains of two bodies are found in the smoldering rubble, their identities uncertain. Later, Maggy, whose snarky business partner, Sarah Kingston, refers to her as the corpse-stumbler, does indeed come upon a third body. Are the deaths related? Do they share a motive? Suspects and potential motives abound. One of this series’ many strengths is the anxiety-free rapport between Maggy and her beau, Sheriff Jake Pavlik. He respects Maggy’s investigative skills and even encourages her participation. Vividly drawn characters and dialogue crackling with wit propel the fair-play plot. Readers will hope Maggy has a long run. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

2022-11-16
A reunion between long-parted spouses goes horribly wrong.

When her barista, Amy Caprese, announces that she has an appointment with a psychologist, Wisconsin coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen senses trouble. Not only does Amy whip up a tasty latte, but her constant good humor helps keep Maggie and her business partner, Sarah Kingston, on an even keel. Could a romance with Maggy's cousin Jacque [sic] Oui, the irascible owner of Schultz’s Market, be enough to send even sunny Amy running for the nearest therapist? Amy knows about Jacque’s previous wife, the late Naomi Verdeaux. But when an even earlier spouse named Paulette Badeaux surfaces, Amy freaks, especially since the first Madame Oui claims that her divorce from Jacque was never made legal. Paulette camps out in Jacque’s apartment above Schultz’s while Jacque moves in temporarily with Maggy and her fiance, Sheriff Jake Pavlik. That night, Schultz’s burns to the ground, leaving behind two charred bodies: one male and one female. Maggy awakes to find Jacque missing. Did the temperamental grocer perish in a midnight assignation with his ex? Did Paulette’s plans for a romantic reunion get too hot to handle?

The body count rises quickly as Balzo’s quirky cozy turns darker than a freshly brewed espresso.

Kirkus Reviews