FATAL BROUHAHA

A Fourth of July festival turns deadly in Portland, Oregon.

Ground Rules Coffee, owned by Sage Caplin and her business partner, Harley, has teamed up with Doyle’s Oregon Whiskey to introduce canned Irish coffee at a festival being held at the distillery. Mark Jeffries, the owner of rival coffee company Left Coast Grinds, has long been a thorn in Sage’s side; an adequate coffee roaster on his own, he stole Harley’s award-winning mix, and he’s known for hitting on his young female employees. Mark was turned down for the festival, but he manages to sneak in one product by sharing the booth of Dulcinea Chocolates & Gourmet Candies. Because Sage doesn’t want to turn him into a martyr, she asks the Doyle brothers to let him stay. She wasn’t counting on Harley to get into a loud fight with him at the Dulcinea booth. The first day of the festival seems to go well, as Sage’s baristas easily handle their coffee cart. But that all ends when she and her team find Mark dead in the parking lot next to the Ground Rules car. Given the number of murders she’s solved and a brother who’s an attorney, Sage has no trouble slipping into investigative mode. She fills the police in on Mark’s background but realizes that Harley, who’s ghosting her, is sure to be the prime suspect. Since his ex-wives only head the long list of people angry with Mark, it will be difficult for Sage to pin down a motive.

Plenty of red herrings, loads of interesting information on all aspects of coffee, and, of course, recipes.