While I didn't realize this was a Christian book when I picked it, please don't let it dissuade you from enjoying this group of mysteries set in the same town with the same characters. The hardest part for me, was because each story is written by a diffent author, the same characters "sound" different. When I changed my mindset to thinking that is true of life, for example how I hear my inner narrative is different from what people percieve, I was able to enjoy the stories more. While there are references to the bible, they are not gratuitous or in your face, and did not turn me off. If your are looking for a fun, cozy mystery, give this one a chance.

This is a collection of 6 shorter mystery stories set in small town Kansas. Six Mysteries Are Brewing in Small-Town Kansas. I like anthologies with short stories on busy days. I really like the fact that the 6 different authors write about one book club, and their friends are present in every story.
The coffee shop on the corner of First and Main in Oak Grove, Kansas, seems to attract a series of mysterious events. Or perhaps it is the six women who frequent the shop for book club who are the magnets for trouble. . . .
Morgan Butler, owner of the Coffee Perk, finds a project worker hanged at her shop.
Evelyn Kliff discovers a church meal organizer dead.
Harper Daggett is being stalked for an antique jade owl she bought.
Baker Jeanine Gransbury’s charity event money goes missing.
Jo Anderson shares hazelnut coffee creamer, sending a man into anaphylaxis shock
Penny Parson finds a gun in one of her beehives.
I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read this book. I typically don't like books that take turns telling the story from different character's point of view but this book just may have changed all of that for me. Wow, this book seemed very long which was nice, and although it is kind of a Christian book, that was enjoyable too. The characters were an amazing group of women that were members of a book club, although, I don't remember many discussions about books taking place. The characters were great, and being told by different authors, it somehow worked perfectly. Each character and story each had a different personality and were described in detail. Each story building off of and adding to the characters and stories, making each fully developed and detailed. The setting was wonderful as well and this book more than any I have read, give a real sense of community, Each character had the freedom to introduce characters and parts of the story that the others would not. Overall, instead of feeling like a collection of short stories, it weaves together one story, from beginning to end, well, the end of this round of murders at least. I can't imagine that it was easy to have this seamlessly come together into one book.

I expect a lot out of books like this. It’s not easy to pull off but if it’s done well it’s such a great thing. I loved the town and Perk. This book didn’t disappoint.

I Love how all of these cozy mysteries are Christian based, share the same cast of characters and hometown setting in each, and have a group of friends solving a different mystery in each novella. Some are a bit more fast-paced than others, yet they are all well-written, enjoyable mysteries that can be read in one setting. Reminds me of the Hallmark Murder She Baked Series. I’d love to read more stories about the book club girls from the Coffee Perk. 4/5. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary ebook edition from NetGalley for review.

Other reviewers as well as the Goodreads stock synopsis give more or less detailed summaries of the stories, so I will not repeat them, and only offer my own impressions.

This is series of six novellas by six different authors, each one featuring one of the members of a book club that meets regularly at a small town coffee shop.

The first story, with Morgan the coffee shop owner as the protagonist, reads much like the Nancy Drew books I devoured as an adolescent. It's a pretty straightforward nosy sleuth story. The plot had no particular twists, but then again, being a novella, perhaps there simply wasn't room for the story to detour in different directions on the way to the solution to the mystery.

And for a Christian-themed story, the protagonist fell awfully fast for a man without, apparently, learning whether or not he shared her faith and philosophy of life. Only later in the book did the author throw in some references to the protagonist praying before running off in all directions at once, and the boyfriend mentioned something about church. It almost seemed as if the faith aspect was rather hastily tacked on to make the story "Christian." If the few faith elements were removed, it would be pretty much the exact same story. For me, the characters' faith needs to permeate their lives and their choices much more deeply than what I saw in this story.

The second story, featuring Penny the beekeeper, caught my interest from the very first page. She is a fairly recent widow, still grieving the loss of her husband, tending her bees and producing honey. Unlike the first story in the book, this protagonist's faith shows up in every facet of her life. Other than the murder, two mysteries ensue: What is the possible "treasure" that the newly-dead neighbor was hiding, and who really owns a certain strip of land? One of these is resolved by the end of the story; the other is not. I would have liked to learn the outcome of both of these, and I find any author's failure to tie up all the loose ends very frustrating.

The third story, with Evelyn (also a widow) and her rescue dogs, has more characters with backstories and connections than I could keep track of, frankly. And I wasn't terribly convinced about the heroine's commitment to her faith.

The fourth story featured Jo, a never-married, recently retired protagonist who has just celebrated her 75th birthday. A woman connected with her former employer's company is the latest murder victim. There were a couple of references to the protagonist's faith, but the story probably could have been told just as easily without them. And this story also had more suspects, with their backstories and intertwined relationships, than I could easily follow.

The fifth story featured Harper, an elementary school teacher, whose faith never exactly jumped off the page for me. Nor did the faith of her romantic interest. One feature of this story that did jump out at me was the lack of a murder; only attempted murder and theft. I have been told in the past that by definition a cozy mystery always includes a murder. Apparently this publisher thinks differently. If lack of a murder is a deal-breaker for some readers, then take heed.

The sixth and final story takes place in Jeanine's bakery as she rushes to bake 117 fruitcakes to fulfill a mission fundraiser. There's a bit more convincing faith aspects in her story than some of the others, as well as a budding romance with her bakery assistant's widowed father. Like the fifth story, this one has no murder, again only a theft.

To sum up, these six stories were light, easy reads, some a bit more engaging than others. I do like stories with more twists and complications, but again, as these stories are not full-length novels, it would have been hard to fit in more twists and subplots. I also prefer Christian fiction to, well, actually have more Christian content, not preaching, but showing how the characters' faith permeates and undergirds every aspect of their life. That was absent in some of these stories, and thus the lower star rating than I might have given otherwise.

I began this book and received exactly what I expected, a cozy mystery. The stories, by various authors, are intriguing and the characters are just what you would expect from a small town. If you are looking for a light, cozy mystery, this book has everything you are looking for. I would recommend this book for reading while on a cruise or at the beach. This book was provided to me free for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Six authors contribute six cozy mysteries to this anthology. Murders and robberies seem to define the small town of Oak Grove, KS. The collection of stories has differing levels of quality - though the further this reader got into the book, the better the stories became - the last two stories were, to this reader, the best of the lot. The stories consist of 13-15 chapters each of about the same length:

Coffee, Tea, or Murder by Cynthia Hickey The Honey Hive Mystery by Dana Mentink Chili Con Carne Murder by Candice Prentice Nuts for Coffee by Darlene Franklin In Hot Water by Elizabeth Ludwig Nutty as a Fruitcake by Janice Thompson

The stories take place over a year with the members of a local book club that meet weekly on Tuesday evenings at the The Coffee Perk serving as the amateur sleuths. Along with the help of a few neighborhood friends, a newly arrived writer, and a weirdly suspicious sheriff (could he have been the killer?), crimes are solved and things are put right.

Each of the stories demonstrate a bit of faith, though, as I said earlier, the quality varies from story to story. Though the main protagonist of each story varies, the same characters continue to define the book club and the same community shops define the nature of the town. The stories tie loosely together much like a scripted TV show is tied together week by week - the stories do not rely on each other and can be read separately, they share characters and settings.

If a reader enjoys cozy mysteries, these stories and the book would be easily enjoyed over the course of a long weekend.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this collection of novellas. I liked that it centered around a group of women who appeared in each of the mysteries. The main character was different in each story but the supporting characters were consistent and gave a good sense of cohesiveness to the collection. As is often the case with a collection of authors, the quality of the writing varied. None of them was bad, however, and I was pleasantly surprised at that. The plots range from a murder to stolen money but they all involve some kind of mystery. The lengths of the novellas are different too, succeeding ones getting shorter, it seemed.

The setting of the stories is a small town. The women involved are good friends and come to the rescue when needed. Their investigations were out of the ordinary, much to the dismay of the local sherrif. The ages of the women involved are on the older side but there are young characters too so women of all ages would enjoy this collection. The women meet at a coffee shop and there is lots of talk of food. In fact, there is even a recipe for fruitcake included.

Readers who like women amateur sleuths will enjoy this collection. It's a good way to be introduced to new authors too.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This book is a collection of short stories by six different authors. Each story has the same characters and each story is about a woman that belongs to a book club, and have the same friends. Each character is a Christian and nothing in the stories would embarrass you in front of your church group. There is a hint of romance thrown in with the mysteries.

Overall, I have mixed feelings over The Coffee Club Mysteries. The first three stories followed a similar thread, and the gals from the book club found themselves in the role of amateur sleuths in a town apparently full of murderers. That being said, each novella was well-written. The characters were fun, quirky, and good at jumping to conclusions that led them to the bad guy before the Sheriff could gain any momentum in the investigation.
I think Harper's story was my favorite as it felt more like a romantic suspense running-from-the-bad-guy type of story.
Of course, you have to despise Sheriff Hayden, poor man, he couldn't find his way out of a paper bag if one end was open with bright sunlight streaming inside. The Coffee Club Mysteries was a clean, straightforward read with an occasional mention of God. Some of the stories were heavier on the romance than others, and I liked the balance that difference created. Although six different authors penned their own individual story, they all work together to make a tidy package.
I could envision each of the six women of the book club as their story took place and I loved the friendship and camaraderie between them all. With wonderful dialogue and picturesque settings, The Coffee Club Mysteries was a good read. If you're looking for a good, clean read with witty banter and female amateur sleuths, this is a good choice for you.

Overall I would have liked a more complicated story. I can see other people enjoying it, but it just wasn't for me. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Six stories, Six authors, and all in the same cozy town of Oak Grove. While the stories may be by six different authors, they all share setting and characters. This makes for six wonderful intertwining stories in one book. I have found it hard to find good Christian mysteries, but this book has six.

While all these stories do have the themes of a thriller, they all focus on leaning on Christ in our times of need. This makes for such a good read because life is so unpredictable. We may never face anything as unexpected as what the characters in these stories face, but it is an important reminder to trust in God.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries. You get six wonderful stories for the price of one.

I received this book for free from netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

I loved these stories and the fact that they were all connected but featured a different main character and their story was different. I usually don’t read books of short stories but I’m glad I read this one

I enjoyed this series of stories very much. I read every Dana Mentink offering that I can get my hands on and I was happy with this new story she has written. It certainly embodies the love a long time married wife feels even after the loss of her husband. I have been introduced to new to me authors with the other stories in the collection. I really enjoyed how each author has a specific character from the group in the ladies book club. It's a tribute to solid team work that each story meshed with the others. There has to be some great planning sessions in my mind. Each story smoothly introduced a mystery then the characters went forward to solve each individual one. It was nice to have a few romances for various ages sprinkled in.
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book. I highly recommend it it to readers who enjoy sorter mysteries and a group of magnetic characters. Excellent read overall.

A Book Bar Review: ☕☕☕

“Given enough coffee you can rule the world”

I found this to be a great choice for a weekend read or anything to take your mind away from all the stresses of adulthood. It was filled with all things I enjoy; book club, fellowship with friends, coffee, mystery and small-town vibe.

In The Coffee Club Mysteries, you get a collection of six short stores told from a different voice of the different authors. One book with six different stories:

Coffee, Tea or Murder by Cynthia Hickey
The Honey Hive Mystery by Dana Mentink
Chili Con Carne Murder by Candice Prentice
Nuts for Coffee by Darlene Franklin
In Hot Water by Elizabeth Ludwig
Nutty as a Fruitcake by Janice Thompson

After reading the stories I found that were a little predictable, but it didn’t stop you from having a good time with each case.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley for my unbiased review
#TheCoffeeClubMysteries #NetGalley

What a fun collection of cozy mysteries! Each story is clean and sweet; the mysteries held my attention; and each storyline has a little bit of faith mixed in to keep this book in the Christian cozy mystery genre. I loved that each book in this collection involved the same characters, but focused on a different Coffee Club member each time. All the characters were interesting and even with all the different writers, kept their distinct personalities. The setting is small-town perfect. This is a good collection of stories from some great authors.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

BOOK REVIEW: The Coffee Club Mysteries
By: Darlene Franklin; Cynthia Hickey; Elizabeth Ludwig; Dana Mentink; Candice Prentice; Janice Thompson
This is a collection of six cozy mysteries, with members of the Coffee Perk’s book club solving mysteries happening around their town of Oak Grove. It seems that the local sheriff Hayden is a bumbling cop who needs the help of the amateur sleuths, and the aid of Kansas Bureau of Investigation officer Sheila Waters to solve the crimes.
It’s an enjoyable read, written by a variety of authors, some of whom are new to me.
Although the circumstances seem silly, like how the book club decides to ask around town or eavesdrop, or “help” the police along, there is plenty of humour to offset it. The authors do well, weaving details of the town and secondary characters through each of their stories.
Some mysteries to be solved – a worker dies while hanging a sign outside a local business, a gun is found in a beehive, stalkers, missing money and more.
The stories are a few chapters long so there isn’t a lot of space to get deep into character development or emotional layers. I found myself smirking more than identifying with the characters or the situations.
If you’re looking for a very light, inspirational fiction read then you might want to check out The Coffee Club Mysteries.
I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Do you absolutely love coffee? I do! Although, quite honestly, I usually only drink my one cup of coffee each morning to wake up(with delicious hazelnut creamer of course!). But oh how I savor that one cup! Well, if you like me, enjoy coffee, or if you can’t get enough coffee in a day, or even if you are trying to cut back on your coffee consumption, then I would like to recommend a book that would pair up nicely with your favorite blend of coffee! I would even recommend this book to those like my husband who can’t stand the taste of coffee. 🙂

Introducing–

The Coffee Club Mysteries by Darlene Franklin; Cynthia Hickey; Elizabeth Ludwig; Dana Mentink; Candice Prentice; Janice Thompson. Each author tells the story of the mystery that each coffee club member finds herself in the middle of. So what made these stories a perfect pairing with my coffee?

They are cozy mysteries. I absolutely love a good mystery! But I can not handle much violence and graphic descriptions of murders so cozy mysteries are exactly my cup of tea- or coffee in this case. 🙂 Some of the mysteries do involve a murder but the emphasis is placed on solving the mystery not on describing the murder itself. Some of the mysteries didn’t even include a murder and just happened to be my favorite in the set. They had mysteries more along the line of a Nancy Drew mystery which I still absolutely love. So, if cozy mysteries are your favorite style of mystery, then this book may be perfect for you.
They are shorter than a full length book. Since they are novellas, I was able to read each story in approximately an hour. That was perfect for me since my life has become extremely busy all of a sudden. I was able to feel as if I had read a full book with each story but without the time a full book would have taken. So, if you are looking for smaller stories that you can read during short coffee breaks, then this book is for you.
They include a lot of coffee! Have I mentioned yet, that this book involves massive amounts of coffee? For a coffee lover like me, it was really hard not to go brew a pot of coffee every time coffee was mentioned in each story, which was a lot! So, if you love coffee, then this book is a perfect excuse to brew another pot.
What are you waiting for? Go brew a pot of coffee, pour yourself a mug (with your favorite creamer of course) and curl up with The Coffee Club Mysteries!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I selected this series to read as I was excited that it was set in my home state of Kansas, revolved around a coffeeshop and is a cozy mystery series. However, I didn't look at who the publisher was nor was it advertised as a Christian book series. While that would not have changed my mind about reading it necessarily, I may have gone into the books with a different perspective. These books could be set anywhere and have nothing to do with Kansas other than the one book mentions Topeka once and another mentions Wichita a few times. The first book was ok at best. It starts out with a rather huge leap to murder from how the scene was set up and of course there is a hateful sheriff who out of the blue randomly suspects the main character of murder. About half way through the book, the characters start needing "to pray on" every decision or they "need a sign" to make a decision. At this point, I hadn't caught on that these books were Christian based books so I thought that obviously the author has never been to Kansas and has decided we are all superstitious nitwits. I am glad I kept reading as the books improved from there on and by the 3rd book, I had figured out that these were meant to be a Christian cozy mystery. The other books in the series had well developed characters, a nice mystery woven with plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested and did a nice job of coming from a Christian aspect without making the characters look like nitwits. One book was quite heavy on the bible with bible verses referred to throughout the book, but they fit that character's personality so it fit with the story quite nicely. I will say that I still don't think any of the authors have ever been to Kansas other than to maybe drive across it without stopping, but all in all the books were ok and entertaining. Overall I felt that a couple of the books were a little weak, but still entertaining while the rest seemed to be decent to quite good. If you are looking for a Christian Cozy Mystery series, then this is a good choice for you. I will say it was quite nice in a couple of the books to have mysteries that didn't contain murders, but rather dealt with theft or attempted theft. I will look for books from several of the authors as I thought their character development was quite good and they weave a nice story so I would enjoy reading more from them.