Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. Happy reading and enjoy

Flat White is the thirteenth book in a series by Sandra Balzo featuring Maggy Thorsen. Set in Wisconsin, Maggy and her business partner Sarah Kingston run their coffee house, 'Uncommon Grounds' together. Their barista, Amy Caprese is on leave so Maggy and Sarah have hired Christy Wrigley to fill in for her. Christy is having a long-distance, online relationship with a chap from Denver, Barry Margraves and then he turns up one snowy morning at Uncommon Grounds, giving Christy a shock she hadn't bargained for.

An extremely enjoyable cosy mystery with a very likeable protagonist in intrepid Maggy, I was thoroughly engrossed in this story. The plot was engaging and it sported a colourful cast of supporting characters, including Maggy's love interest, Sheriff Jake Pavlik. This was my first leap into the series at book thirteen, and it was a good standalone read as I did not feel lost. A great tale that has left me keen to check out some of the other instalments.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Severn House Publishers via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This book is one of a series that features the owner of the Uncommon Grounds coffee shop outside of Milwaukee. Maggy hired Christy to fill in for her regular barista Amy. Christy claimed to have found her match on an online dating site, but there is something fishy about the situation. When a murder by snowplow kills Barry, the online match, Maggy and friends try to solve the mystery. I liked it and look forward to the next installment. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a nice series and this book is an entertaining addition.
I enjoyed it and found it engrossing.
It was good to catch up with the characters and the solid mystery, full of twists and turns, kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Yikes! Christy met Barry on line - and she's never met him in person- but suddenly he's not only arrived in Wisconsin, he's run over by a snow plow almost immediately! Maggie, always eager to solve crime is on the case because Christy's been working for her as a barista and well, she can't help herself. Cozy readers know Barry had not been honest with Christy but seriously? This is a fun read that. while it's the latest in a long running series, will be perfectly fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Maggie's got spunk, her love interest Sheriff Jake is a treat (and he's supportive!), and the plot has just the right amount of twists.

We are back in Wisconsin with Maggy and her partner Sarah at their coffee shop, Uncommon Grounds. Amy is taking a vacation so the ladies have asked their neighbor, Christy to fill in as barista. Between her cleaning obsession and her talking about her new beau, Barry, they could have probably done the job themselves.

Christy is an odd duck. Her last beau was in prison but this time she jumped into the online dating scene. And she believes her love life is about to improve vastly. The girls are skeptical at best until she lets them know that Barry is coming to town! To bring her a gift.

On the day he is due to show up, there is an awful snowstorm (remember this is Wisconsin) and while they may not have many customers, Harold has parked the snowplow at the top of the street and is in need of not coffee, but the bathroom. STAT!

Alas, the lover of Christy’s life is about to be as dead as a doorknob. As Barry crosses over to the coffee shop, the snowplow suddenly roars to life, or is that the storm? Before you can breathe, Barry is flat and white. And Christy is in shock.

As Maggy tries to help Christy, things just get worse. A wife, a lying friend, and secrets come out of the storm.

I love this series. Mainly because of Sarah! I tell you that woman has the smartest mouth, and I adore her! I went around telling everyone I knew about Flat White, just so I could tell them how the man died. Clever language and mysterious characters abound in this new mystery at Uncommon Grounds.

NetGalley/ May 4th, 2021 by Severn House Publishers

Maggy Thorsen and her business partner Sarah Kingston run the Uncommon Grounds coffee house. While their barista is on vacation, they hired Christy Wrigley, who has proceeded to drive them all crazy with her excessive cleaning, and her constant gushing over her new boyfriend. When Maggy finds out that Christy met Barry through an online dating site, she advised her to proceed with caution, especially when she discovers he has been sending her expensive presents even though they haven't even met in person yet. However, when Barry turns up at the coffee house unexpectedly and things take a downward turn, Christy is in for more than one bad surprise.
This is the 13th book in the series, but the first one that I have read, and I wasn't at all lost. The author did a very good job giving you enough backstory but making it so that it would be fine as a stand alone as well. This is perfect for anyone who is in the mood for a good mystery.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Canongate Books/Severn House, in return for an honest review. While the 13th book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Maggy and her business partner, Sarah, own the Uncommon Grounds coffee shop and take advantage of all the business of the commuters transiting through the building. When their regular barista is on vacation, Christy steps in to help out. Christy doesn’t have much of a life, other than really enjoying cleaning to the extreme. So, Maggy and Sarah are really surprised to learn, in great detail, all about Christy’s new boyfriend. Exchanging phone calls and text messages is how Christy and Barry are managing their relationship although Christy is helping Barry manage his money because he’s always on travel out of the country. Or is he really? When Barry comes to town, delight is not what he exhibits when meeting Christy for the first time in person. As things go badly, Maggy takes on helping solve the resulting murder to understand what happened, why and how. Death by snowplow definitely qualifies as a unique murder weapon!
I enjoyed almost all of this story. Like other reviewers, I find Maggy’s business partner, Sarah, to be an annoying woman and wonder why Maggy puts up with her. Otherwise, its an engaging story and a well-written storyline. Again, the method of murder is really unique and very clever, as are the suspects and their motives.

Barista Woes.....
A Maggy Thorsen mystery set in Wisconsin and centred around coffee shop, Uncommon Grounds. A new barista brings problems which soon escalate out of all proportion. Amusing mystery, well plotted with a neat twist and populated with a colourful cast of characters. The most enjoyable to date.

Flat White is the latest, and probably the wittiest, in the author's coffee house mystery series. All the usual characters are there, including her fellow baristas and Jake Pavlik her Sheriff-cum-fiancé. And the two dogs, including recent acquisition to the family Mocha. But if this is your first time, you won't feel at all lost and will revel in the dry humour of proprietor and unwitting detective Maggy Thorsen. A great escapist, and funny, read - oh, and the mystery is not bad too.

While Amy is on vacation, Maggy and Sarah are getting help from Christy. Christy is bland. She is an OCD cleaner but everything else about her is lackluster. To their surprise, Christy has herself a new boyfriend and he sounds like a successful business man and he looks really attractive. Though having met on a dating site, they have yet to meet and the ladies have to wonder if Christy isn’t fooling herself a bit.

When Barry appears in town, Christy is excited to see him and he seems mortified to see her. Things aren’t what they seem and Maggy is guaranteed to get to the bottom of it, even if her fiancé the sheriff doesn’t want her involved.

This is the 13th book in the series, but the first I have read. While there are some references to exes and others, there is nothing that leaves a gap, so it reads perfect fine as a stand alone. It was rather good, but I find Sarah annoying and she may be enough to keep me from reading more if she is as prominent and annoying in other books. We’ll see, as I think Maggy is quite a spit fire and enjoyable.

I’ve read quite a few in this series and the books never disappoint. Characters that are likable and relatable make it feel like you are reconnecting with old friends. Laugh out loud funny humor, but with believable plots.
This latest had me stymied, I did not see the twist at the end. If you’re looking for a quick and entertaining read, look no further. Highly recommend. Although a series, it is not necessary to read in order.
Thank you to netgalley and Severn House for a preview copy. I enjoyed it immensely.