Live and Let Grind
Laid-off journalist Lana Lewis is thriving as the proprietor of Perkatory, a coffee shop on quirky Devil’s Beach Island, Florida. She’s juggling a relationship with police chief Noah Garcia, enjoying the company of her best friend, Erica, and relish the companionship of her golden Shih Tzu, Stanley. The only problem is her neighbor, Gus, who incessantly uses his leaf blower, disturbing everyone in the neighborhood. Lana has learned to tune it out, but Erica’s rage boils over, and she confronts Gus.
Then Gus is found dead, killed when his leaf blower explodes. Erica immediately becomes suspect number one. But there are plenty of other candidates as well: Gus’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Honey Bailey, who thinks she’ll be written out of his will; Mickey Dotson and Doug Beck, who were scalded financially after purchasing a pirate-themed tourist cruise business from Gus; and plenty of angry neighbors who’ve had run-ins with him.
As the clock ticks down, will Lana get someone to spill the beans on the killer so she can clear her friend’s name, or will Erica go to jail for a crime she didn’t commit?
The Details
Series: A Coffee Lover’s Mystery – Book #3
Author: Tara Lush
Genre/Category: Cozy – Coffee Shop/Reporter
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
ISBN: 1639101128
Page Count:320
Rating: 
The Review
I have had a love-hate relationship with this series. Even though Live and Let Grind is only the third book, it felt as though there had been a few more. Lana, the main character, is hard to like. She is pushy and demanding; at other times, she is too worried about what her father and boyfriend think, and still, at other times, she is single-minded and walks around with blinders on. In this installment, with an exploding leaf blower, roller skating widows, and a best friend accused of murder, Lana has her hands full.
Unfortunately, the suspects all revolve around Gus; and the victim’s terrible relationships. His famous roller-skating wife, his angry neighbors, disgruntled business people, and a few others had it out for him. But when the police zero in on Erica, Lana’s best friend, readers shake their heads in wonder. Why would she become the number one suspect simply because she had an argument with the victim the day he was killed? There is no motive or evidence for the police to suspect Erica, and Lana’s involvement just makes things worse. Then someone else dies after drinking coffee that Erica served to them, but this doesn’t seem to cause as much suspicion as when the leaf blower exploded. Why is that, exactly? Why does Lana think that the two murders aren’t connected, and why is no one else taking it seriously?
The first victim, Gus, was not a great guy, and no one will really miss him. His widow is famous because of her roller-skating videos and doesn’t mourn him or pretend to. No one in the neighborhood really cares that people are dead, but it gives some of them their moment in the spotlight, which it seems is all they care about. The evidence, what there is of it, doesn’t narrow down the suspect list or help readers understand how someone killed Gus with a leaf blower. Once Lana starts investigating, the waters get even muddier.
The romance angle of this story left a lot to be desired. Honestly, if my partner pulled the stunts that Lana’s boyfriend did, there would be no relationship to work on. In turn, if a police officer’s girlfriend stuck her nose into a police investigation like Lana does, again, there would be no relationship at all. Even in a small town, you can’t get away with interfering with the police. I had hoped for more in Live and Let Grind. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the leaf blower being used as a weapon, and I actually liked the victim’s widow, Honey. The roller skating was funny but also unusual and gave the story an original flare. I had no trouble figuring out who the killer was, but I felt the motive was shaky at best. Unfortunately, I am still not crazy about Lana; I can only hope she grows up sooner rather than later.
The Author
Tara Lush is an RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and the winner of the George C. Polk award for environmental journalism. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations under the name Tamara Lush. For many years, she was a journalist with The Associated Press.
Tara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee, and newspapers. She lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband and two dogs.
Another book from the “A Coffee Lover’s Mystery” series readers may enjoy is Cold Brew Corpse.
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