Death Unfiltered is the4th book in the Ground Rules Mysteries by Emmeline Duncan. Once again we head to Portland Oregon to follow Sage Caplin and her Ground Rules Coffee team as they get ready to open their very first brick and mortar shop. The Button Building is ready to go and many former food carts are launching new ventures. Sage is also dealing with her past, as her mother's grifting ways have become the topic of a new podcast. This brings out past victims and sends Sage into a panic worrying her past may affect her business now.
There is also bad blood between Sage and her former boss who is working with another business in the building, Breakfast Bandits.
Breakfast Bandits owner Biana has taken a disliking to Sage and Ground Rules and is out to bad mouth them any chance she gets.
Things get even worse when Bianca drops dead after drinking a Ground Rules coffee during their grand opening.
How did she get drugged? Was it one of her new staff, a customer, the nosy podcaster or even one of her mother's old victims? Sage must find the killer, all while under suspicion herself. Well plotted, with lots of twists and red herrings. It will leave you dying to read the next book!

Enneline Duncan continues her series about a coffee shop owner whose missing mother is a notorious grifter. Jane is opening her first coffee shop and another shop owner falls dead after drinking coffee from her shop. Whodunit? Lots of suspects and great coffees.

There are so many layers to this whodunnit! The way the plot rippled through so many relationships and situations was fabulous. I thought I had it figured out twice, plot twist I was wrong. I can definitely see (hope for) a sequel.

This was a new author and series for me. Didn't realize it was book four in the series, but that's alright. The author did a good job letting you know what was going on and the relationship between the characters. The fact that the main character's backstory is very much tied up in the mystery only helps you to keep up with no issues. Sage and her partner finally add a brick and mortar location to their business besides the coffee truck and beans distribution center. This is a center where mutiple food businesses like the Ground Rules can finally have a set location and support one another. Unfortunately some of these businesses have had a run in with Sage at other locations where they have been located, and to add to the drama a young podcaster is trying to dig into Sage's mother's past, and it's not a pretty one. When a cup of coffee from Ground Rules leads to the death of a neighbor, what will that mean for Sage and company? I thought this was a well written and compelling mystery with lots of good suspects and a lot of interesting characters that I was immediately drawn to. Will definitely read more in this series.

This is my favorite in the series so far! I loved anything that has to do with using a podcast to investigate. Add in the glimpses into Sage’s past and the information about her mother and I was hooked! The mystery was well-paced and kept me guessing until the very end. Can’t wait to see where the surprise reveal at the end leads.

The next Ground Rules mystery finds Sage investigating the murder of a neighboring brunch spot while at the same time dealing with a podcaster who is exploring her mother’s crime.

Another good mystery in this series! While the whodunit and motive was a little underwhelming, I think the sleuthing was on point here and made up for it. Can’t wait to see what awaits Sage next!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sage has finally opened a Ground Rules coffee shop in a new building with other micro restaurants in it. On opening day things turn a little deadly.
There’s a lot of characters in this story that could have done it. A podcaster that’s doing a series on Sages mother, numerous workers from the other restaurants and even a ground rules worker.
This is probably my favorite of the series so far. I liked where the plot was going towards the end too. Even though I figured out who did it I still really liked it.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc

The Ground Rules baristas are back in the fourth installment of Emmeline Duncan’s Ground Rules Mystery series with Death Unfiltered! While Sage and the crew would rather focus on coming up with new signature blends and brewing up delicious beverages - they are caught in yet another scandal! With a mysterious death, a nosey true crime podcaster and some suspicious new faces in town, it’s up to Sage to sift through the clues and solve the mystery before it’s too late!

📚 4th in the Series
🔍 Cozy Mystery
☕️ Coffee, Coffee & More Coffee
🐾 Adorable Animals
🫶 Friendship
🎙️ True Crime Podcast
🎮 Video Game Development
❤️‍🩹 Complicated Family Relationships
✉️ Blackmail

I absolutely loved being back in this cozy & caffeinated series and cannot wait to see what Emmeline Duncan brews up for us next!!

Method Read: 📖

Thank you Kensington Books for the gifted copy!

I continue to love this series! Sage is not the overly bubbly young shop owner and sleuth. She is passionate and knowledgeable, but she has had an childhood that was tumultuous with many obstacles to overcome. And I love how she is so personable without being over the top bubbly. I was fascinating by learning so much about her mother and her past and all the links of her past and her present. I also was craving caffeine like crazy the entire time and had to have a warm beverage at all times. I could picture the wonderful Button Building and could almost smell all of the culinary delights from the shop owners. I love all the conversations about how to help the unhoused and how dedicated Sage and her friends are to helping however they can. Bax and Sage continue to be adorable, though with his big launch I was missing him at bit! I was completely shocked by so many parts of the ending!! And that cliffhanger.... I need more!

It was great catching up with Sage, her family and friends in this new installment. She finally had the actual shop she’d always wanted but one of the shop neighbors was a royal pain. I remembered her all too well from when Sage was set up at the music festival and couldn’t help being glad about what happened with her.

Sage’s had surprises along the line but nothing like the one that came at the showdown. I kinda hope things work out in that regard, then the very ending led to what I hope is gonna be the next book’s partial theme at least. I’m always eager to read the next in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Portland’s Ground Rules coffee cart is expanding to its first stand-alone business in the new Button Building. But the opening day celebrations are tainted by Breakfast Bandits' owner Bianca collapsing after drinking a takeout Ground Rules coffee. Is someone trying to frame Sage for the death? True crime podcaster Rose is on the scene and pestering Sage Caplin about her estranged con artist mother Saffron James & also wanting to solve the murder

This was another good entry in the Ground Rules mystery series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books. All opinions are my own.

This is the fourth mystery in the Ground Rules series and it's just as enjoyable as the first 3. It could be read as a stand-alone. Sage is continuing to grow her business and honestly, that was one of my favourite parts of this story. She has so many interesting ideas of how to grow and diversify. The setting is cozy, with a varied cast of characters. Some are new but there are still her staple family and friends to help her solve the murder. The conclusion was surprising and I didn't see that coming at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This series is quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery series and the latest book was good! I love Sage and her coffee world as well as the Portland setting. This is the best type of cozy mystery -- great characters, great setting and super cozy vibes. I also loved how this book ended as well and can't wait to see what happens next. You can read my review of the first book in this series HERE.

Death Unfiltered comes out next week on March 26, 2024, and you can purchase HERE!

A flash of understanding about how Jackson felt when I was involved, however unwillingly, in murders flowed through me. But at least I hadn't traipsed into the murder with visions of being the next Nancy Drew.

At least, I don't think I had. Maybe I owed Jackson an extra-nice birthday gift this year as an apology. As overbearing as he sometimes was, at least my brother was trying to save me from myself and my good intentions.

This is an engaging cozy mystery with all the right ingredients: a clever plot, red herrings, relatable characters, a loveable cat, and a resilient and likeable protagonist. The book also illuminates the struggles of small business owners trying to keep a once-vibrant city and their start-ups alive in the face of mounting costs and declining profits. The book can be read as a stand-alone, but if you’re a cozy lover, it might be fun to read the whole series. Recommended.

Have to admit I am kinda heartbroken at the ending. Obviously can't say why because that would be a spoiler. But since it is in the summary, I will say I am not upset with the demise of Bianca! I really enjoyed learning more backstory about Sage's con artist mother and it was comforting to have Sage back actually working instead of spending all her time sleuthing. The scenery of snow in Portland and how everyone dealt with it in their own quirky Portland way (snow shoes?) kept a smile on my face while reading the book. And the ending promises that book 5 will be one to not miss!

Sage Caplin is about to open her brick & mortar store in the Button Building in Portland, Oregon. It's the grand opening party, Rose the annoying podcaster is there doing an interview with Bianca. Bianca hates Sage. The series she is working on is about Sage's grifter mom Saffron Jones and the ripples her scams have caused. When Bianca collapses and dies. Rose and Sage are the prime suspects. They work together to find the killer.

I really love this series and the author. The writing and story catch me every time. I always have a hard time putting the book down. I'm excited to see what happens in the series next.

Sage is determined to figure out who killed the annoying Bianca, who died with a cup of her coffee laced with ketamine in her hand- and she's going to do it before the equally annoying pod-caster Rose does. This is the fourth in a series but it will be fine as a standalone. Sage's back story- mostly about her mom- comes out because Rose is interested in it and it gives this cozy a bit more oomph. It's classic cozy in a good Portland setting. And it might give you a chuckle or two. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Another great entry in a great series. Ground Rules is opening their brick and mortar location, and that of course comes with new dramas. An excellent mystery that is resolved but also elements of this book further the overall stories of the characters.

Overall, this was an enjoyable cozy mystery. I did feel the pacing was way too slow and there was a lot of dialogue and not enough character or relationship building that I prefer in cozy mysteries. The red herrings were done well and kept me changing my thoughts on who the murderer was, and I did like that there is an underlining additional story involving Sage’s background that poses to be interesting to learn more. Also, the book ended on a cliffhanger, which was a nice twist. With that being said, I wasn’t hugely invested in the story and the same thing went for the previous novel in the series so I’m on the fence if I’ll be giving this series another shot.

This was a new author and series for me. Didn't realize it was book four in the series, but that's alright. The author did a good job letting you know what was going on and the relationship between the characters. The fact that the main character's backstory is very much tied up in the mystery only helps you to keep up with no issues. Sage and her partner finally add a brick and mortar location to their business besides the coffee truck and beans distribution center. This is a center where mutiple food businesses like the Ground Rules can finally have a set location and support one another. Unfortunately some of these businesses have had a run in with Sage at other locations where they have been located, and to add to the drama a young podcaster is trying to dig into Sage's mother's past, and it's not a pretty one. When a cup of coffee from Ground Rules leads to the death of a neighbor, what will that mean for Sage and company? I thought this was a well written and compelling mystery with lots of good suspects and a lot of interesting characters that I was immediately drawn to. Will definitely read more in this series. Thanks to #NetGalley and #Kensingtonbooks for the opportunity to read!