Brewing Up Murder by Neila Young

"Brewing Up Murder" is the debut in a new series by Neila Young. Titled the Mystery Cup Cafe series, it takes place in Wilton, Missouri and features Blake Harper, the owner of the aforementioned Mystery Cup Cafe. She is drawn into a murder when her barista, who had volunteered to stay after hours and complete inventory, is found strangled and face down in a pile of coffee beans. This mystery steadily grew on me as I read it. Blake is extremely appealing, good natured, a little goofy and out of her depth when investigating a murder....but extremely capable when it comes to whipping up coffee drinks and pastries for her cafe. Neila Young has created a great cast of supporting characters, including Blake's brother, sister, and the brooding-but-oh-so-sexy owner of the bookstore next door to the cafe.

Young has also created a couple of interesting twists on cozy mystery conventions. Blake is constantly being reminded by the town police to stay out of the murder investigation, but unlike in other cozies, the town police is not a current or potential love interest, but Blake's little sister, Kyle. This creates a dynamic between the two sisters that was explored in this book. I hope it will continue to be explored in future books. Also, the small town of Wilton has an unusual quirk: it is known for a series of killings by the Wilton Strangler that took place there about 50 years ago. Not only are the murders the main tourist attraction, but the businesses along Main Street are named with murder themes: Macabre Reads (the bookstore), Cafe Muerte (a rival cafe), Sliced (the restaurant). There is only a brief description of the murders, so I hope they get more attention in a future book. The mystery itself is well plotted, and there are enough suspects to keep the reader guessing. I didn't guess who the killer was and it came as a surprise. The author also does a very good job of balancing introduction of characters and description of settings with the murder investigation. I felt like I could really visualize the town and the people, and I did enjoy spending time there. A very promising start to what I hope will be a long series. Oh, and there's one other thing. Blake has a "mystery ingredient" every month at her cafe that gets featured in the pastries she bakes for the cafe. The ingredient for this first book is Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, and yes, there is a recipe for Espresso Bean Brownies at the end of the book. I can only hope that this tradition continues throughout the series.