On What Grounds

By: Cleo Coyle

Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel

Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Clare Cosi used to manage the historic Village Blend coffeehouse…until she opted for quieter pastures and a more suburban life. But after ten years and a little friendly cajoling from the owner (a fresh pot of Jamaican Blue Mountain was all it took), she's back to the grind. With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the Village Blend, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of coffeehouse redecorating ideas, Clare is thrilled to return to work. Until she discovers the assistant manager unconscious in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere. Police arrive on the scene to investigate. But when they find no sign of forced entry or foul play, they deem it an accident. Case closed. But Clare is not convinced. And after the police leave, there are a few things she just can't get out of her mind… Why was the trash bin in the wrong place? If this wasn't an accident, is Clare in danger? And… are all detectives this handsome?

©2003 The Berkley Publishing Group. All rights reserved. (P)2011 AudioGO

Great book!

Fantastic!!! I didn't see that ending coming! Kept me in suspense the whole book! Great read! Will definitely download more books from this author.

Coffee and more coffee

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, not really compelling.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Ending was fine - brought the storyline "up" some.

Have you listened to any of Rebecca Gibel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did On What Grounds inspire you to do anything?

No

Any additional comments?

So-so cozy, Hope you like hearing all about coffee.

Light murder mystery with an education in coffee

If you could sum up On What Grounds in three words, what would they be?

Full, modern, interesting

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked them all

What about Rebecca Gibel’s performance did you like?

She nailed the part as narrator from beginning to end

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The Charity Ball

Enjoyable, easy listening story

Any additional comments?

A fun, easy listen. The story moves easily and I found the narration matched the story. As a coffee-holic I was interested in all the tidbits of coffee lore buried in the story. It was interesting. I enjoyed the story, the mystery was intriguing. I would recommend this story to anyone looking for light listening. The author and narrator have created a good story worth listening too.

Good cozy series

I resisted starting on this series because it seemed too obvious but it is well written and I love the coffee knowledge I'm gaining. And it took me a while to figure out the killer but probably because I was actually more interested in the story than preoccupied with the killer.

Great Beach Book

What a delightful story! Very well read! Excellent light mystery for the beach;-) perfect length.

great book

very detailed & enjoyable I couldn't stop listening! I wish we had a place like this.

Female murder mystery with growth

I love a good book where a women dominates. I also like that the character grows like we all should when learning. I get upset when we see the flaws females have when it comes to their Ex but truth... we desire tenderness. But Claire grows on you and I enjoy that. Age wise I like that this story isn't about some young 20 something. I can relate.

Good, solid, straight forward mystery.

I enjoy a good mystery, which this was. However, when I read the blurb and saw the cover, I was expecting a humorous, fun-loving mystery. This does NOT fit that category. This is a very serious murder mystery and any attempts at humor fall flat. If you're looking for a serious murder mystery, this is the story for you. It's well written and narrated, just not what I was expecting.

Hopefully it will get better

Would you try another book from Cleo Coyle and/or Rebecca Gibel?

Yes, I'm going to give the next coffee house book in the series a go. I'm hoping that it will get better as the series goes on.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

A little more complexity to the plot. Peripheral characters could do with being better developed.

Did Rebecca Gibel do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Not the worse narrator I've listened to. In fact, her voice seems to suit the main protagonist well. That said her Scottish accent blows right through bad and well into comical territory.

Do you think On What Grounds needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

There is a whole series.

Any additional comments?

I bought this book for the following reasons....
1. Just finished Sue Grafton's "Y is for yesterday" and so only one book left in that series.
2. I like a light hearted mystery series with enough books to "binge" through. New series that I have to wait for can either stop at a small number of books or be too infrequent so that I forget the characters and "story so far."
3. Audiobooks are heavily reliant on the narrator, so I hate it when a series keeps changing from one performer to another. This series has the same narrator throughout (so far) which is a big plus. I am just hoping for not too many more Scottish characters in the next book(s.)