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In the first four books in the Java Jive series, author Caroline Fardig’s feisty heroine, Juliet Langley, has fought to get a fresh start in Nashville after losing everything back in her hometown. But in the fifth installment, Murder Over Mochas, she’s forced to come face-to-face with the people who ruined her life.
The story finds private investigator and coffeehouse manager Juliet confronted by her past when her ex-fiancé, Scott, shows up at Java Jive to ask for her help. The first time he shows up, she punches him in the nose—something that he probably deserves after he took everything she had, bankrupted her business, and ran off to marry another woman just a year ago. But when he comes back and ends up dying in front of her, Juliet and her best friend, Pete, become prime suspects—and, with help from Ryder, another man from her past, they set out to clear their names.
Juliet may have promised that her switch from amateur sleuth to official private investigator would mean more tedious cases and less dangerous ones, but the dangerous cases just keep finding her. This time, she explores the competitive world of pharmaceutical sales on her quest to prove that someone else killed her ex. To do so, she travels back to her hometown to reconnect with people from her past, while dodging someone who clearly wants her out of the way.
Really, though, while Scott’s death is at the heart of the novel, a big part of the focus is on Juliet’s relationships. She’s forced to face her ex’s betrayal head-on while trying to keep herself from being arrested for his murder. But while she deals with the memories and the old hurts, she also deals with her feelings for the other men in her life. Though she’s been secretly seeing her much-younger neighbor, she’s still trying to figure out how she feels about one-time boyfriend Ryder dating her boss. And, of course, there’s always the will-they-or-won’t-they tension with her best friend, Pete. And as Juliet deals with another unofficial case, her mind is more on what could finally be the beginning of a new relationship with Pete.
For that reason, if you’re looking for a gripping mystery, this isn’t really it. But if you’re just looking for some light chick lit with a little bit of mystery thrown in, Murder Over Mochas is a fun, laid-back read.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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