The Parlor PI's discussion

Well, this month we return to Clare Cosi (whom some of us met in one of her later adventures) as she summers as the chef of coffee drinks in the beach home of millionaire David Mintzer. We open at a large party where Clare is working, though it gets interrupted when one of the waiters (a womanizing one) is found shot in David's bathroom. As it turns out, the waiter and David were dressed somewhat similarly, and Clare thinks David may have been the intended victim. The shot seems to have been made from outside the house, a fair distance away. Clare goes out to investigate and finds spent cartridges and foot prints (actually web-prints from someone who may have been wearing swimming flippers)!

Normally, I am a little leery of a situation where the wrong victim is killed, and that may be a trick, though, the business of the distance from the house the shot appears to have come from, certainly makes it possible.

To make matters interesting, Clare's teenage daughter, as well as her ex-mother-in-law are also present, working as well.

Discuss!

I like how in all of the books in the series (at least I think it is all of them) the book starts out with the reader meeting the killer! I think it's an interesting way to begin a mystery.

Thanks, Mark. Yes, it provides a great hook, Nicole.

Boy, that Treat guy sure's an operator! Looks likes he's cooled his jets some. :-/

And the 40-something celeb. Typical to go after 20 year old.

Thanks for stepping up Mark!
I haven't finished all the chapters in this section yet but wanted to chime in. I like that the murder took place right off the bat. Grabs one's interest immediately. Now the question is not just who is the murderer but was it a mistaken victim?
On a seperate note, Ms. Coyle's description of the Hamptons and it's inhabitants is so spot on I wonder is she has personal experience there. I know she is a New Yorker.

She also seems to have a fairly extensive knowledge of specialized coffee! (Which I do not. Spoiler alert: I don't drink coffee at all. Don't hate me, Ms. Coyle!)

Reading the details of the special coffees is quite interesting to me since I'm a coffee lover!

Nicole wrote: "Reading the details of the special coffees is quite interesting to me since I'm a coffee lover!"

I'm not a coffee lover but I will drink it when necessary. When I go to work, most mornings I drink coffee to take away the grogginess and make me alert. One cup is enough, two would make me sleepy again.

Why do our mystery heroines -- esp. after a murder or robbery -- insist on going off in the dark, on their own? lol

Yes, Tina. After all, what could possibly go wrong???

The police didn't respond fast enough so she thought she'd get a head start looking for clues. After meeting that weirdo neighbor I would have taken that as a sign to get the heck out of there!!

LOL, Pghfan. True, author did cover that bit nicely, Nicole.
Hamptons or no, I'd also get the heck outta there. Good reading just the same. One of my fave cozy authors. She loves her fans and it shows.

Well, the Hamptons are not especially used to murders.

I thought when she picked up the one casing and offered it to police on the scene that when they returned to the site, the other two would be gone. Not that it'd make a difference just that it hit me that way. But I was wrong. Neither here nor there. Just a thought.

I'm into the next section already, and there is a twist to the three casings bit.

Tina wrote: "I thought when she picked up the one casing and offered it to police on the scene that when they returned to the site, the other two would be gone. Not that it'd make a difference just that it hit ..."

I thought the same thing Tina!

J wrote: "Tina wrote: "I thought when she picked up the one casing and offered it to police on the scene that when they returned to the site, the other two would be gone. Not that it'd make a difference just..."

Mark, I'll read on to see what twist is offered up.

J, yes, that did strike me as odd behavior.

Would love to visit the coffee houses author describes in Chptr. 7. Do they exist for real or in the imagination of Ms. Coyle? Anyone know?

No idea, though my guess is they are a composite of real things.

Right, Mark. With just enough tweaks to keep things out of court. lol Might Google it when I feel up for some research. :-)