Laying Down the Latte, Ellie Alexander’s newest Bakeshop mystery, has a new different and delightful twist with a trip to Costa Rica for Jules and Carlos to their old friend Valentina’s coffee farm.

They take Andy with them as a surprise because they want him to learn much more about coffee so he can run the new roastery they want to open near Torte.

But of course while they are there there’s a murder and Jules wants to solve it before she leaves with Carlos and Andy’s help.

The story gets bumpy and sticky as only Ellie can write it and you’ll absolutely love the windy path and the delicious recipes along the way! Read the book for this rocky and wild ride! You’ll definitely be glad you did!

Jules, pregnant with twins, and Carlos are off to Costa Rica to visit Valentina, an old shipmate of theirs from their cruise days. Valentina and her brother, Miguel, own a coffee plantation so Jules and Carlos bring along Andy, their barista. They are planning to begin roasting coffee beans for their cafe and want Andy to be in on the whole process. Andy is enthusiastic about the process, but traumatized when Miguel dies in a horrific way in front of him. Jules begins investigating since Miguel was thinking of selling his half of the farm to an industrial conglomerate who would change and ruin their lovely farm.
The group is away from Ashland for this story, though email and texts keeps them in touch back home. Costa Rica is a fantastic backdrop and you can almost smell the coffee and the cooking! Everything sounds so wonderful!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

*Book review: Ellie Alexander’s Laying Down the Latte.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur and NetGalley for my gifted ARC of this cozy treat.

Opening a new book in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mystery series feels like catching up with old friends—the kind you don’t see often but always pick right back up with, latte in hand. Laying Down the Latte is the 21st installment, and instead of staying grounded in the Shakespearean charm of Ashland, Oregon, this time Jules Capshaw, her husband Carlos, and beloved barista Andy take us on a tropical detour to Costa Rica. It’s a bold change of scenery, and it works beautifully. Even as murder brews beneath the surface, this story still manages to feel like a warm hug in book form.

The plot kicks off when Valentina, an old colleague from Jules and Carlos’s cruise ship days, invites them to her family’s organic coffee farm in Costa Rica. It’s supposed to be a relaxing weekend—part tasting tour, part business reconnaissance, part vacation. Jules is heavily pregnant with twins, Andy is buzzing with excitement (and probably actual caffeine), and Carlos is ready to reconnect with his friend. But almost immediately, there’s a shadow over the sunshine. Valentina is struggling. Her cousin Miguel, co-owner of the farm, is threatening to sell his stake to a corporate coffee giant. The staff is tense, the atmosphere strained, and before long Miguel is found dead in the pulping machine. “Gruesome” doesn’t usually make it into a cozy mystery—but somehow, Alexander balances it with heart, humor, and just enough danger to keep the stakes real.

What this book does better than most in the genre is location. The descriptions of Costa Rica are lush and cinematic—steamy air, volcanic soil, chirping birds, sunsets that spill gold over the mountains. You can feel the mist and taste the boldness of every bean. Ellie Alexander has a gift for writing settings you want to live in, and this is no exception. The coffee farm is both idyllic and fraught, a perfect contrast to the calm, controlled world of Torte back in Oregon. And don’t worry—though we’re away from Ashland, familiar voices still come through in texts and calls. Lance, as always, steals the scene without even showing up. His wedding planning texts are absurd in the best way and provide much-needed comic relief.

I especially loved the character arc for Andy in this book. He’s long been a standout side character, but here he really gets to shine. Watching him soak up every detail of the coffee production process and take tentative steps toward becoming more than “just” a barista felt rewarding. It’s clear Jules and Carlos see something big in his future—and so does the reader. Jules herself is still the cozy mystery gold standard: intelligent, intuitive, and full of quiet strength. She’s not quite waddling (yet), but the pregnancy is ever-present, and it gives her sleuthing a fresh emotional weight. She’s solving for two now, and that comes through in every decision she makes.

The mystery is layered enough to keep you guessing but not so complex it gets muddy. Ellie Alexander has a firm grasp on pacing—she knows when to slow down for a quiet moment by the pool with a pastry, and when to crank up the tension as Jules closes in on the truth. The suspect list is solid, and while I sniffed out the killer earlier than I’d hoped, the “why” still delivered a twist. And the final confrontation? Classic Jules: calm, clever, and just dangerous enough.

Of course, no Bakeshop book would be complete without food, and Laying Down the Latte delivers. From flaky empanadas to cloud-soft suspiros cookies, to the Pura Vida Latte that had me seriously contemplating roasting my own beans—this is a story that cooks while it kills. The included recipes at the end are a lovely bonus, and you’ll want to try at least one. Probably while rereading your favorite chapters.

This book is everything a great cozy should be: heartfelt, atmospheric, and rich with flavor—in both plot and food. It also subtly touches on serious themes like sustainability, family legacy, and what happens when tradition meets corporate ambition. Yet it never loses its comforting tone. As Jules says, “Even in the darkest roast, there’s room for a little sweetness.”

Five steaming stars from me. Laying Down the Latte is proof that this series still has plenty of bold flavor left, even after twenty-one books. Ellie Alexander never phones it in—each story is crafted with love, skill, and a deep understanding of why readers keep coming back: not just for the mystery, but for the community, the comfort, and the croissants.

#LayingDownTheLatte #BakeshopMystery #EllieAlexander #CozyMysteryBooks #CoffeeAndCrime #MysteryReaders #CulinaryCozy #NetGalley #StMartinsPress #TorteTime #BookReview #MysteryBookReview #CostaRicaSetting #LatteLoversUnite #PregnantSleuth #CozyBookClub

This is one of my favorite cozy series & coming back to it is always like seeing old, familiar friends. Luckily Alexander is prolific so we get books often!

Jules, Carlos & Andy are headed to
Costa Rica for a coffee excursion, to see one of their former colleagues & experience her organic coffee farm. Of course a dead body turns up & leaves Jules to use her vacation to sleuth. While I miss Ashland, it’s nice every once in a while the books take place elsewhere to keep it fresh. The location lends itself to rich descriptions of food & foliage. It’s the perfect cozy to end off the summer reading for me. The mystery as always is taut & well thought out. and I love that this one features Andy so much, he’s one of the best supporting characters. This one is very coffee-centric so if that’s your cup of tea (pun intended) you will enjoy it immensely.

You truly can’t wrong with this series. Or anything Alexander writes. She is consistently one of the most imaginative & strongest authors I read.

☕️

Read if you like:
* Noodle Shop series by Vivien Chien
* Beacon Bake Shop series by Darci Hannah
* Cheese Shop series by Korina Moss

It was fun reading about Jules, Carlos and Andy being in Costa Rica and even cooler when I read Ellie Alexander’s newsletter the same day telling how she’d gone there last year. I figured she must’ve been there at some point since the coffee facts and everything was described like someone who’d actually seen all this firsthand. Obviously except for the murder, lol.

Jules found herself investigating a murder even while on vacation and getting a little help/encouragement from back home from her mom and Lance. Lance was a hoot without even being there while he was energetically searching for a wedding venue for him and Arlo, and bouncing ideas off Jules probably the same way he was bouncing on caffeine.

My final guess for the killer was right (after a couple fails and my suspects didn’t pan out), and it was awesome what Jules did to said killer. The ending was filled with food and fellowship as everyone was now at home celebrated Andy’s trip to Costa Rica with Jules and Carlos and their safe return. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by St. Martin/Minotaur Books via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Even though beloved baker Jules Capshaw and her husband Carlos are having twins, they are also looking to the future of Torte and wanting to expand their business. Specifically, the coffee business. They have an award-winning barista, Andy, who has expanded to roasting his own beans for the perfect blend. Jules and Carlos want to find a commercial place where they can set Andy up to roast all their beans in-house. But first, a trip to the beans.

Jules and Carlos met years ago while working on a cruise ship. On the ship, they met Valentina, who since left the ship to help run her family’s organic coffee farm in Costa Rica. Valentina has invited Jules and Carlos to visit the farm, and they extended the invitation to Andy as well. Andy is excited to visit the coffee capital of the world and stuffs his bag with notebooks, so he can makes notes of everything he learns while he’s there. But they had no idea that it would be Jules’s expertise that most comes in handy on the trip.

Jules is really looking forward to a vacation, but as soon as they meet up with Valentina in Costa Rica, she can tell that something is wrong. Valentina and her cousin Miguel have shared the farm for ten years. They used to share a vision for what they want to do with the farm, how they treat their employees, what the future looked like. But recently Miguel had been talking about wanting to sell to a corporate developer, and Valentina doesn’t want to. The farm had been in their family for three generations, and she wants to hold on to it. They had been going back and forth about that for weeks, and the stress of that was showing.

Valentina had invited Jules and Carlos to Costa Rica because they were wanting to set up a tasting room and coffee bar and wanted to learn from Jules how to keep a steady supply of homemade pastries available for customers. But now that Miguel is wanting to sell the farm, Valentina isn’t sure the coffee bar is going to happen at all.

Later, after Jules and Carlos and Andy got settled into their rooms at the farm, Valentina took them on a tour. Andy stays back with farm manager Alex as he does some routine maintenance on the machines processing the beans, while Jules and Carlos move on with Valentina. Not too long after that, a terrible accident leaves Miguel dead. But the more Jules learns about what happened, she’s not so sure it was an accident. And the police agree.

Jules has helped solve a murder or two back in Ashland, Oregon, so she knows what to do. She asks questions and gets answers, honing her list of suspects until there is just one left. But doing that will put her in the sight lines of a killer. Will Jules be able to find a murderer and get herself and her babies back home safely, or will Costa Rica be the end of the line for her?

Laying Down the Latte is book number 21 in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mystery series. This one is especially fun with the tropical location. In addition, Jules’s best friend Lance has proposed to his boyfriend Arlo, and he’s constantly peppering her with questions about their upcoming wedding. And there are bonus recipes at the end, including Torta Chilena with Dulce de Leche, flank steak Pepito Sandwiches, Arroz con Leche, light-as-air Suspiros Cookies, and Empanadas with suggested fillings (I would definitely go with the bananas and Nutella myself). There is even a recipe for Andy’s Pura Vida Latte.

I do love hanging out with Jules in Ashland, with its mountain charm steeped in Shakespeare. But this long weekend in Costa Rica was a real treat. It felt like a vacation, and was so interesting to learn more about the culture of the country and coffee farming. But now I’m ready to get back home to Torte and talk brownies, Lance’s wedding preparations, and babies.

Egalleys for Laying Down the Latte were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

This was a wonderful addition to the bakeshop mysteries! I loved seeing Jules, Carlos, and Andy in Costa Rica. This series is such a comfort read for me and I love revisiting these characters!

Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander has Jules and Carlos as well as their Torte barista, Andy traveling to a friend’s coffee farm in Costa Rica. It was nice to see Jules and Carolos in a different setting. I enjoyed the descriptions of Costa Rica and the farm. The mystery was straightforward. I wish the suspects had been more fleshed out. The guilty party stood out like a woman in red in a sea of ladies in black dresses. Learning about how coffee goes from bean to cup was fascinating. The cooking and baking, though, felt like filler. Jules did hear from Lance while in Costa Rica. Lance has numerous ideas regarding his and Arlo’s wedding and he texts them all to Jules. Jules knows her life is going to change dramatically in the upcoming months. She needs to learn how to delegate because the twins will keep her hopping once they are born. Laying Down the Latte is the twenty-first A Bakeshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series because all the background information needed is provided. Laying Down the Latte is coffee centric cozy with a Costa Rican getaway, decaffeinated java, a land quarrel, a disruptive death, twin tiredness, and a new undertaking for Torte.

I love Ellie Alexander's style of writing and always enjoy reading her cozies regardless of the series. This was entertaining, well plotted and solid.
Characters as likeable as usual.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Jules and Carlos take Andy to visit a friend’s coffee farm in Costa Rica. Unknowingly stepping into the middle of a family dispute with Valentina‘s cousin, they certainly weren’t expecting murder to be the next punch on their bingo card. But when Valentina‘s cousin is murdered, and Andy is attacked, Jules finds herself putting on her sleuthing cap yet again. Can she help solve the murder mystery without putting her herself or the baby in danger? After all, Jules is sleuthing for two these days.

Yet another solid entry in this fabulous cozy mystery series. Alexander never ever disappoints. She has several that she has created with characters that do more than just take you through a story, they become friends. I love that she has progress of Jules and the others in the story Along with each and every entry. That and a solid cozy mystery keeps me coming back every single time.

Laying Down the Latte is the 21st book in Ellie Alexander’s Bake Shop Mystery series and is a wonderful addition to the series. Jules, her husband Carlos and their employee Andy travel to Costa Rica to see Valentina, a friend from their cruise ship days and to learn about coffee production. Valentina’s cousin Miguel is creating turmoil with some of his decisions regarding the farm. Someone ends up dead and Jules, Carlos and Andy are pulled into investigating. This was a great cozy mystery and with messages from home it brought Ashland family and friends along. This was a very enjoyable cozy mystery! #LayingDownTheLatte #BakeshopMystery
#MinotaurBooks #EllieAlexander

Laying Down the Latte is book 21 in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander.
I adore this series. When I pick up a new installment, it feels like visiting old friends.
Once again Ellie has delivered another superb mystery that’s filled with excitement, fun, mystery, yummy food, amazing characters, a charming location, everything readers look for in a cozy, and of course a murder victim, and enough suspects to keep you second guessing yourself.
An amazing addition to the series!

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7863724384

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/laying-down-the-latte-ellie-alexander/1146566754

Jules, Carlos, and Andy are off on an adventure visiting a coffee bean farm in Costa Rica. The timing couldn’t be worse as they arrive in the middle of family drama about selling the farm, a possible corporate buyout, and murder.

My favorite of the series so far! We get a new gorgeously described location, new fun and unique characters. But we also get continuing Jules’s relationships back home. She’s constantly thinking of her friends and family, using their advice as she solves this newest murder.

And this was a twisty mystery with a thoroughly satisfying solve. It felt like Alexander was really on top of making all of her red herrings equally suspicious. And, of course, all the delicious food descriptions you could ask for. I cannot wait to try and make one of these recipes at the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc.

While pregnant bakery and cafe owner Jules Capshaw very much loves her life in Ashland, Oregon, she’s thrilled to be traveling to Costa Rica for a weekend mixing business with pleasure. Valentina Espinoza, a former colleague of hers and her husband Carlos’, runs the organic coffee farm Finca las Nubes there and has invited them to come visit. Jules and Carlos want to surprise their barista Andy by taking him with them on the trip too, so that he can see the entire growing and production process firsthand. This will hopefully be in anticipation of promoting him to the newly created position of coffee manager and head roaster at their bakery Torte.

The trio are thus greatly excited to land in San Jose and reunite with Valentina. Unfortunately, amazing coffee isn’t the only thing brewing in paradise. Valentina’s cousin Miguel has decided that he wants to sell his half of the family farm to a corporate developer, Terra Cafe International. Unsurprisingly, Valentina isn’t the only person upset by this. In addition to its hard-won organic certification, Finca las Nubes boasts some of the best worker benefits in the industry. Selling out to Terra Cafe would absolutely jeopardize both qualities.

Miguel is stubbornly undeterred from selling out, despite the entreaties of family, employees, business associates and consultants. The trio from Torte try to stay out of the controversy, though find it hard to avoid witnessing the bulk of the disagreements. The very worst happens, however, when a quarrel between multiple interested parties results in Miguel falling to his death in one of the machines.

The police immediately arrest Alex, the farm manager in charge of the machinery. Someone had clearly set up the equipment to operate at deadly speeds, and Alex had the trifecta of motive, means and opportunity. But Valentina refuses to believe that Alex, no matter how much he’d disagreed with Miguel, would have actually harmed him. She asks for Jules’ help in clearing Alex’s name and finding the real murderer.

Though Jules has had plenty of experience sleuthing back in Ashland, investigating in a foreign country is an entirely different proposition. She’s determined to not let an innocent man go to jail, however. With Andy and Carlos’ help, will she be able to figure out who really killed Miguel?

Despite Jules being far from home, there are plenty of cameos from the regular cast of the Bakeshop Mystery series, as everyone has input for her, helpful or otherwise. Jules herself finds her imagination – and sometimes paranoia – running wild as she sorts through the many people who might have wanted Miguel dead. It’s certainly far from the restful semi-vacation she imagined when she and Carlos first conceptualized the trip!

There were seven food and drink recipes here, almost all inspired by Costa Rica. I, however, was feeling more in the mood for American comfort food this week, so decided to try out this recipe instead:

QUOTE
Peach Cobbler

For the filling:
5 cups sliced peaches (fresh or canned, drained)
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

For the topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

Preheat oven to 375°F. and grease a 9-inch square baking dish. Combine peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Whisk the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until dissolved, then stir into the peaches.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the cold butter cubes and use a fork or your fingers to mix until the texture resembles coarse crumbs. Press about half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Pour the peach mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining topping over the peaches. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the peaches are bubbling. Serve warm (with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream, if desired.)
END QUOTE

This is such an easy recipe for such a delicious result! My family adored this, with and without ice cream. I did wind up using quick-cooking oats instead of rolled, but don’t think that really affected the taste or texture. And while we definitely preferred the cobbler when it was fresh out of the oven, it still keeps for a bit in the fridge: just microwave an individual serving for about thirty seconds before topping with ice cream or whipped cream.

Next week, we’re roaming farther afield again from another cozy heroine’s usual small town setting, to investigate a murder and a theft while whipping up some delicious sandwiches. Do join me!

Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander offers a fascinating glimpse into the coffee industry, with plenty of rich details that make you appreciate every cup a little more. While I did miss the lively interactions with the supporting cast—texts and phone calls couldn’t quite capture the same charm as in previous books—I still enjoyed following along with the story. Though not my favorite in the series, it was an engaging read that added an interesting new layer to the world of the Bakeshop Mysteries. (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.)

Laying Down the Latte is another delicious and cozy installment in Ellie Alexander’s beloved Bakeshop Mystery series. This time, Jules, Carlos, and Andy head to Costa Rica for what should be a relaxing weekend of coffee tastings and tropical breezes. The setting is richly described—the coffee farm, the vibrant colors, and the aromas of fresh brews practically leap off the page. Ellie Alexander once again shows her strength in blending mouthwatering foodie details with a charming sense of place.

Of course, Jules’ vacation doesn’t stay tranquil for long. When a worker is found dead in a pulping machine, the story pivots from relaxation to investigation, and readers are swept into another engaging mystery. I really enjoyed how the coffee culture and Costa Rican setting were woven into the puzzle, making it feel fresh and different from Ashland while still keeping the warm, cozy tone of the series.

This installment balances atmosphere, character development, and intrigue beautifully. While the mystery itself felt slightly more predictable than some of the earlier books, the charm of the characters and the lush new backdrop made this a very satisfying read. Fans of the series will love this coffee-flavored escape, and cozy mystery readers new to Ellie Alexander will find plenty here to enjoy.

LAYING DOWN THE LATTE is the twenty-first book in the Bakeshop Mysteries by Ellie Alexander. This exotic addition to the series captured my attention with the strong descriptive language used by the author… from the lush locale of Costa Rica, to the mouthwatering food prepared and served, to the intricacies of running a coffee farm, and the tension between co-owners of the farm and employees. Ms. Alexander delivers a finely tuned story featuring a pregnant Jules Capshaw, her husband, Carlos, and barista extraordinaire, Andy. While a part of me missed the usual gang at Torte in Ashland, Oregon, this newest story had a quick pace with a fascinating setting that kept me turning pages. The mystery was well-plotted and wove in the coffee farm theme to great effect… wow, what a murder weapon! Plenty of suspects were delivered while bringing the environmental issues facing coffee farmers to the forefront. It was perfectly executed without slowing down the pacing one iota. With hints of things that might come next (aside from the twins Jules and Carlos are expecting) I can’t wait for the next installment!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Laying Down the Latte is the 21st book in the Bakeshop Mystery series. In this book, the main character Juliet "Jules" Capshaw and her husband, Carlos, travel from their home in Ashland, Oregon to Costa Rica. Their friend Valentina has invited them to visit her family's coffee farm for a tour and to advise her on a few issues regarding her business. Andy, the barista at Jules' bakery also goes to learn more about coffee, a subject he's passionate about. Everyone is impressed by the beauty of Costa Rica and the farm, but the pleasant trip takes a turn when Andy witnesses the tragic death of Valentina's cousin and business partner. Jules is determined to find out who the killer is and help Valentina save her farm which is in danger of being bought by a large coffee corporation.

I've been reading this series for a long time. I love Jules and Carlos and the premise of them traveling to Costa Rica was an interesting change. I enjoyed learning about the coffee farms, but I missed seeing Jules and the employees of her family bakery Torte working together. One of my favorite characters in the series is Jules' best friend, Lance. Although he checks in with her via text advising her on the investigation, it wasn't the same as having him playing an active role in the investigation with Jules. Also, with the exception of Valentina, I didn't warm to the other characters in Costa Rica.

There are some tense moments as Jules questions farm employees to try to get to the bottom of what really happened. The ultimate resolution of the case had some surprises, but also some things that didn't add up for me. Overall, the book was entertaining, but I will be glad to see Jules, Carlos, and Andy back in Ashland for the next book. As always there were some delicious-sounding recipes at the end of the book.

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Minotaur Books and NetGalley for review consideration, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Wow! Book 21 in the Bakeshop Mystery Series.

This book takes us away from our beloved Ashland to beautiful Costa Rica!

Jules, Carlos, and our favorite barista Andy head to Costa Rica to see a real working coffee farm.

The trip is a surprise for Andy, as Jules has something very special planned for him back in Ashland with his roasting.

The trip is hosted by a former coworker from the ship, and of course, there is a murder!

Can Jules (who is very pregnant remember) solve the mystery without The Professor and Lance helping her?

I can’t give too much away, but there is definitely some text wedding planning with Lance. And a little something that was briefly noted on a previous book is confirmed in this book (it’s good news).

I've been curious to see how the series evolves and Jules and Carlos have some major life changes coming up. The trip to Costa Rica makes sense for the growth of the business and for Jules and Carlos personally as they are friends with the coffee farm owner. The inclusion of Andy also makes a lot of sense and I was so glad to see as he's one of my favorite characters. It was good to see them away from Ashland and I think wedding Lance is best only dealt with in text message form!

I wasn't sure who the victim would be and I had no clue how it would come to be. I also wasn't sure how Jules and Carlos being involved in the investigation since they are in a foreign country. That part might not have been the most realistic but it's also not realistic that a bakery owner would be involved in 21 murder investigations so I'm more than happy to let that go!

I enjoyed this book and it made for a nice little bit of escapist reading. I've never really thought much about coffee growing so the coffee farm setting was one I really enjoyed. The mystery was an easy read and kept me guessing. I love Ashland but it was nice to see the three characters off on a bit of a vacation. This is a series that I've enjoyed from the beginning and really loved revisiting this world.