Overall this was a good book however language was too strong and too much reference to sexual content, drugs and drinking.. Good cast of characters. Couldn't even finish reading as it was making me cringe. But this may be some one else's cup of tea. So enjoy .

✍️ Former journalist Lana Lewis moves back to Devil's Beach Florida to manage her family's coffee shop. Everything is going well until she finds her barista Fabrizio dead of an apparent suicide. Her inquisitive nature brings her to investigate his death, with the help of her dad, her new barista, and Stanley, a Shih Tzu puppy.⁠
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♥️ I liked:⁠
☕ The coffeeshop and coffee art. I love coffee, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much thought the author put into describing coffee beans, coffee art, flavours and so on. ⁠
👴 Lana's dad. I loved this character. A sweet and funny man, a hippie that loves his daughter immensely and always tries to make the best of a bad situation.⁠
📰 Lana's journalist background. I've studied journalism as well, and, as Lana, I am not practising at the moment, so I totally understand how much she misses the job. I love her inquisitive nature, and it's funny to follow her while she pokes her nose everywhere to find out the truth. ⁠
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🤔 I wasn't so sure about:⁠
🔍 The whodunit. In the beginning, to be honest, I had no clue who the murderer was. After a while, though, it became quite clear... and, because I love to be surprised, I was a little bit disappointed. ⁠
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⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5⁠ A lovely cosy mystery that will warm you up thanks to coffee art, beach, sea and murder.⁠

This was an okay mystery, there was not a lot of reasoning for the murder but it was possible to deduce the murderer. A lot of the book was setting up the area and characters for a series. Not bad but not one I'd recommend.

This is the first book in a cozy mystery series about former journalist Lana Lewis who moves back to the small Florida town of Devil's Beach to run her father's café Perkatory.

This book was such an entertaining and easy read. The murder mystery is mixed perfectly with the cute budding romance, the main character is interesting and likeable, as are the side characters. I really look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ecopy of this book in exchange for my review.

This is the start to a new cozy mystery series with a coffee theme. I love cozy mysteries, and I love coffee, so I was excited to start this one. While i didn't immediately connect with the main character, she did 'grow' on me by the end, and I enjoyed her animal companion as well. Overall, this is just a general cozy mystery, but a nice fun read. I'll look for the next in the series.

Coffee, competition and a body in an alley make this a frothy mystery to sip on. This story was a great read from the first page right until the end. Fun characters, an engaging plot all rolled into one.

I adore a good coffeehouse mystery and Grounds For Murder by Tara Lush did not disappoint! This cozy mystery takes place in Devil's Beach, Florida featuring a Miami journalist named Lana who returns home and manages the family coffee shop. One of her baristas appears to have uncharacteristically taken his own life and Lana's journalistic prowess to uncover the truth kicks into full gear. The characters in this mystery are nicely developed with some surprising qualities of their own! If you adore coffee, a small beach town, a little spice and even a barista competition, this book is for you. I received this book in exchange for a review.

First in a series can be a rough start and this book was no different. Character growth and writing style have room for improvement. There is room for improvement should there be a next in the series.

A great series that has a great blend of mystery romance and some humor. There’s also a strong willed main character who’s determined to solve the mystery. Whether you like coffee or not this is a great stories and I look forward to more books. This is a great addition to the cozy mystery genre .

Puppies and coffee! Who wouldn’t love this book. It embodies everything I love in a cozy mystery. I found myself a little bogged down in the ebook at first. But the author gave me the information I needed to move forward and, after that, I was in reading heaven!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review this book.

What an enjoyable read! My first thought after finishing was that I can't wait for the next one. This cozy mystery was full of funny lines. The author has a great sense of humor. With lines like "creep up on me while breathing like a monster and dressed like a ghost" and quirky names of businesses like Island Brewnette, Whim So Doodle, and main character Lana's coffee shop, Perkatory there is a lot of fun with words. Throw in fun characters like her yoga loving Dad and Noah the police Chief\potential love interest, plus a giant eyeball and there is a lot to love.

And then there's the mystery. Lana had a plausible reason for investigating the death of her barista, Fab, due to being a former journalist. I was pleasantly surprised by the different things she did in her hunt for the truth. It felt like a real investigation. I also loved who the first character on the scene was during the pivotal moment with the killer and how they helped. The setting in Devil's Beach was nice and I was able to imagine a lot of it. I was surprised to find this is the author's first book.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read!

This is a fun Cozy mystery. Halfway through the book I literally had no idea who the killer was. I like how it's set on a cute little island in Florida and I love Stanley the dog. The dad character is quirky and fun. I also wanted to squish Miles' face. What a jerk! I would love to go back to Devil's beach and I hope that Tara Lush gives me the chance! Thanks Netgalley!

Everything you could ask for in a cozy mystery! Great characters, coffee, a cute dog, and an easy flow! Highly recommend!

Lana Lewis has swapped her press lanyard in Miami for an apron in Devil's Beach. Alongside her hippie father, Lana manages her family's coffee shop, Perkatory, all the while keeping the italian playboy barista, Fabrizio, antics in check. He may be slick but Fabrizio is a brilliant barista, training Lana in the art of coffee for a competition that will put the shop on the map, as well as a charming (albeit arrogant) employee; so when Fabrizio abandons Perkatory and the competition, Lana is furious. She tracks down her ex employee, who is applying his skills at a rival coffee shop, and very publicly berates him calling him out as a menace, a user and wishing that he had never existed. Devastated, Lana escapes Fabrizio and and the rest of the residence Devil's Beach for a night in Miami, returning the next morning to the lifeless body of her ex barista outside her coffee shop. The local constabulary and their new (handsome) Police Chief, Noah Garcia, shift their findings between suicide and murder. Knowing that Fabrizio would never take his own life, Lana uses the skills garnered while a reporter and digs into the case to prove that it wasn't a suicide while staying off the murder suspect list. With the help of her dad, her trusty puppy, Stanley, and her new punk rock bestie, Lana wades through the murky waters of Devil's beach to find the truth.

I was lucky to have Netgalley give me this book in lieu of an honest review.

This was a fun book and the mystery side of the story was well written -I found myself invested in it. I wanted to know what happened. I enjoyed learning about each character, which was done in a very organic fashion. No long list of attributes, or puffed out conversations just to put in descriptions. It was subtle, and I appreciated this. The story flowed nicely as Lana used skills she already had and in a way that wasn't contradictory to her character. She wasn't a menace to the police, as some characters can be in cozy mysteries. She was believable, as were the relationships with each resident in the town. The outcome was also believable and not out of left field which is always a plus.

I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series

I received an e-ARC of this book on NetGalley for an honest review.

A fun first novel in a series set in Florida. So many unique and interesting characters, just like Florida! LOL! The main character Lana has a full plate trying to keep her coffee shop going, trying to solve the death of her employee, and considering getting back into journalism, then add on her growing attraction to the new police chief!

The descriptions of Devil's Island sound heavenly, even more so now that the temperatures are getting cooler where I am. I recommend checking out this book as it will (at least mentally!) whisk you away.

This is a promising start to a new series. I don't like coffee, but the coffee shop in this book feels real, unlike another coffee cozy I just put down. Lana is a likeable main character, and the cast of characters overall is interesting. Latte art, Instagram fame, mermaid tail sewing, hippie dad, and a puppy...plus murder. A nice concoction to relax away an afternoon!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The characters are wuirky and fun. I'm not a big coffee drinker but after reading about all the coffee drinks in this book I want to try some. Great beginning to a new series. The plot was wel thought out and well timed. There's even an adorable dog! The main character makes you want to root for her all the way. Id3be her friend in real life. You should definitely read this book!!

An entertaining new series to read with a spunky and intelligent main character and an interesting cast of supporting characters that help to enhance a well thought out plot. The main character has come home to run the family coffeehouse after being laid off as a journalist so her inquisitive nature is definitely a well honed personality characteristic that is to be expected. Her pot smoking dad is a hilarious side kick, her new bff is also a fun side kick and the hunky Chief of Police gives a bit of flirt to mix in and give the plot a bit more depth. I really enjoyed the plot especially the murder (or is it a murder???) which is the meat of the story. I am quite looking forward to reading more about these characters and seeing where the next book takes them!

Thank you to Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

While I am relatively new to the cozy mystery genre, Grounds for Murder is everything I look for in a book.

Protagonist? Lana Lewis, an ex reporter and coffee shop owner in the small Florida town of Devil's Beach. I loved that her background in reporting helped her with figuring out her suspicions in the murder case in this story. She's a little bit nosy and I appreciated that about her, because I am a very nosy person as well.

It cracked me up when she was telling police chief Noah about some gossip she overheard and he's like, cool cool where did you hear that? And she's like, oh you know I was just peaking through some large leaves hanging from a tree. Haha.

Super casual, you know?

Setting? Devil's Beach, a small Florida town with a cast of unusual characters. I liked Erica, Lana's new friend and coffee shop employee. I loved the give and take between Lana and Noah, the town's police chief. I look forward to seeing their relationship develop in future books.

Please, please say there are more books in this series.

Family? I loved Lana's pot smoking, realtor father. He's a gem. And as you can probably tell from the cover of this book, there's a puppy sidekick as well. His name is Stanley and to find out his part in the mystery, you'll just have to read Grounds for Murder and find out.

Thank you again to Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book. I enjoyed it a lot and hope that there will be more books in this series. I felt like Tara Lush did a great job of introducing us to Devil's Beach and giving us the backstory, so I definitely want to learn more.

I recommend this book to readers who like:
- cozy mysteries
- humorous small towns
- coffee
- cute animals
-smart and educate protagonists

When Lana moves back home after she loses her job as a crime journalist, and her marriage tanks. She is now living in her childhood home and working as the manager of her late Mother's coffee shop "Perkatory". You have to love the name. She is coffee aficionado who is doing her best to master the skills required as a barista and a manager. She and her barista Fabrizio are entered in the State's Barista Championship. She is hoping they win so that the coffee shop will get much needed publicity.

Days before the contest Fab quits with no notification and not only goes to work for the competition but is no going to enter the Barista championship for them. He is found dead in the back alley behind the shop. The police believe the playboy/barista committed suicide. Lana smells a story and is sure it is murder.

When Lana begins investigating she finds that everyone is not what they appear to be. She enjoys the thrill of investigating. Her and the new barista uncover a kinky side of the local citizens. Would the fear of being outed cause an individual to murder.

As clues are uncovered Lana is torn between her love of journalism and he obligation to her Mother's business. She is a busy women unraveling the clues as well as the path her career is going to take. Thrown into the mix is her attraction to the local law enforcement officer. He is a stark reminder of her failed marriage.

This is a well written cozy mystery with relatable characters. I recommend this novel to not only cozy mystery fans but anyone looking for an enjoyable story.