Double Shot Death

Emmeline Duncan

Apr 2022 · A Ground Rules Mystery Book 2 · Kensington Cozies

About this eBook

Sage Caplin is taking her Portland coffee cart on the road to a sustainable music festival, but murder is an unwanted special guest . . .

At Campathon, an annual eco-friendly festival held on a farm outside of Portland, fans celebrate the Pacific Northwest’s music scene in quintessential PDX style—with gourmet food carts, reusable utensils . . . and lots of coffee. How else to get through three days of nonstop entertainment? Sage has scored a coveted place for her Ground Rules coffee cart thanks to her new-ish boyfriend, Bax, who’s friendly with Maya, one of the musicians performing.

The festivities begin with a stream of customers, friends, and acquaintances stopping by for Ground Rules’ world-class blends, expertly brewed by Sage and her newest barista. But there are tensions between Maya and her former bandmates, who are on the cusp of making it big, and with Ian, the band’s manager. When Sage stumbles upon Ian’s dead body in the nearby woods—his hand still clutching one of her coffee mugs—it’s clear that someone’s grudge boiled over into murder. Can Sage work out who’s responsible before another innocent life fades out, and the curtain falls on Campathon, and maybe her own future, for good?

Praise for Fresh Brewed Murder

“Lively characters help propel the intricate plot. Cozy fans will hope to see a lot more of Sage and friends.”
—Publishers Weekly
 

Ratings and reviews

Double Shot Death is the second installment of the A Ground Rules Mystery series and it was such an enjoyable read! The main character and amateur sleuth is Sage, a coffee-loving entrepreneur who co-owns Ground Rules. And we accompany her and her new coffee trailer to a music festival where a murder happens where Sage stumbles across the body, and as a result is involved in the investigation as being one of the suspects. I really enjoyed the unique setting of the story and that most of the clues into the investigation actually came to her as many treat a barista as a counsellor. The relationship with Sage’s boyfriend, Bax is already established in this story but I really was intrigued with Sage’s childhood and unique upbringing. All the characters were well developed but I’m really looking forward to learning more about the secondary characters. Especially about Sage’s lawyer brother and where his personal life takes him. Overall, a perfect cozy mystery for coffee lovers and lovers of the Oregon setting. Thank you Kensington Books for the advanced reader’s copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

About the author

Emmeline Duncan is the Portland, Oregon-based author of the Ground Rules Mystery Series, as well as YA novels written under the name Kelly Garrett. She is a 2020 Oregon Literary Fellow, a board member of the Northwest Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, and co-organizer of the Friends of Mystery's Bloody Thursday lecture series. She's also a member of Sisters-In-Crime, Willamette Writers, and SCBWI. Visit her online at EmmelineDuncan.com, on Instagram and Facebook as @writeremmelineduncan, and on twitter as @duncanemmeline.