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    Death Before Decaf
    Death Before Decaf
    Death Before Decaf
    Audiobook9 hours

    Death Before Decaf

    Written by Caroline Fardig

    Narrated by Callie Beaulieu

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    After her music career crashes and burns, Juliet Langley is forced to turn to the only other business she knows: food service. Unfortunately, bad luck strikes yet again when her fiance robs her blind and runs off with her best waitress. Flushing what's left of her beloved cafe down the toilet with her failed engagement, Juliet moves back to her college stomping grounds in Nashville to manage an old friend's coffeehouse. At first glance, it seems as though nothing's changed at Java Jive. What could possibly go wrong? Only that the place is hemorrhaging money, the staff is in open revolt, and Juliet finds one unlucky employee dead in the dumpster out back before her first day is even over.

    The corpse just so happens to belong to the cook who'd locked horns with Juliet over the finer points of the health code. Unimpressed with her management style, the other disgruntled employees are only too eager to spill the beans about her fiery temper to the detective on the case. Add to the mix a hunky stranger who's asking way too many questions, and suddenly Juliet finds herself in some very hot water. If she can't simmer down and sleuth her way to the real killer, she's going to get burned.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateFeb 14, 2017
    ISBN9781515987963
    Death Before Decaf

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    Reviews for Death Before Decaf

    3.5/5

    40 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Juliet Langley has come back to Nashville after losing her fiancé and business partner, her best waitress, and ultimately her café when the fiancé skips town with the waitress and every penny in the company's accounts. Now, days short of her thirtieth birthday, she's starting over, taking over as the manager of Java Jive, a café owned by old friend Pete Bennett.

      The existing staff isn't thrilled to meet her, especially Dave Hill, the head cook. Dave's been acting manager in the café Pete inherited from his father George a few months ago. Pete's been dividing his time between Java Jive and the recording studio where he's a sound engineer. Juliet's appalled to see how standards have slipped since George's death, and she has two arguments with Dave that first day. She takes a break after the second one, and returns to find Dave has left at the end of his shift.

      That night, at closing time, she's doing the last of the clean-up by herself, and finds Dave's body in the dumpster.

      Police Detective Cromwell suggests those two arguments make Juliet a great suspect. Hunky stranger Scott Davis is asking lots of questions, and what he says about his background doesn't add up. Pete's girlfriend Cecilia dislikes her, and the feeling is mutual. Pete's grandmother Gertie is a bright spot, but the adolescent angst of much of the mostly college-age staff is not. Sleazy reporter Don Wolfe wants a juicy interview, and is willing to use his lurid imagination when Juliet doesn't cooperate. Convinced she's going to get charged with murder if she doesn't find the killer herself, or at least come up with good alternate suspects, Juliet starts asking questions of her own. A new picture begins to emerge of the seemingly hostile and indifferent Dave, and Juliet meets some interesting--and scary--new people.

      It becomes clearer and clearer that hunky Scott isn't who he says he is, but he also acts like he really cares about her increasingly dubious safety. Meanwhile, Pete is also too interested in her safety and welfare for girlfriend Cecilia's taste.

      But even after some really scary experiences, Juliet keeps going, and gets into a situation where only her brains and her guts will keep her alive long enough to matter.

      This book is funny, without making fun of the really dangerous stuff that's going on around Java Jive. Pete is a keeper, Gertie is a treasure, and "Scott" may not be gone for good. These are likable characters trying to do the right thing, and being very entertaining while they do it.

      A great light read. Recommended.

      I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
    • 4/5
      After a debilitating round of stage-fright ends her singing career, Juliet Langely opens her own small café. She never expected her ex-fiancé would siphon off all the money from her café and steal all her belongings. Juliet returns to her college town of Nashville where her best friend, Pete Bennett, hires her to manage his coffeehouse, Java Jive. Juliet worked for Pete's father at Java Jive while she was in college. Unfortunately, Pete's father has passed away, and Pete now owns Java Jive. The coffeehouse is losing money, and it is Juliet's job to make it profitable once again. However, she faces an uphill battle, especially with college-aged employees who are wary of her at best, if not downright hostile.David Hill is in charge of the kitchen and was acting manager until Juliet is hired. Dave seems especially resentful of Juliet, and she has two confrontations with him her first day on the job. Later that night, Juliet takes out the garbage and finds Dave dead in the dumpster, stabbed to death. It soon becomes clear that the police are suspicious of Juliet. Stories in the newspaper that speculate on Juliet's role in the murder don't help. Juliet is worried that unless she clears her name and hands the police a list of real suspects, Java Jive will suffer, and she will go to jail. With the help of Pete and Seth Davis, a sexy and mysterious Java Jive regular, Juliet is determined to get to the bottom of the matter.Overall, this was a fun, quick read. There was a little more coarse language in this book than in the usual cozy mystery, but it didn't bother me. I got close to figuring out the murderer but not quite. I do wish the book had included the recipes for the pastries Juliet bakes at Java Jive since they sound tasty! I will definitely read the next book in this series.
    • 4/5
      Juliet had worked her way through college at the Java Jive, along with the owner’s son, her best friend, Pete. Now, at the age of thirty she’s accepted the position of manager at the coffee shop that Pete now owns after having to close her own in another town when her fiancé, a co-owner of her shop, wiped out the accounts and stole everything from their apartment. The staff doesn’t like the idea of someone new taking over and that night, after find a body in a dumpster after hours, she’s the lead person of interest in his murder. Similar to the writings of Janet Evanovich? There is quite a bit of humor, often at another’s expense, but most of it is more subtle. There is one laugh out loud scene, though, that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Juliet feels she needs to find the killer herself or she’ll be arrested and of course she doesn’t have any experience in doing so. She and Pete find themselves in some interesting situations. There are two other characters that could be somewhat compared to the Stephanie Plum series. Both are interesting and one is a hoot.The story had a slow start and for a chunk of it I would have just said the story was okay. Then things started to pick up and I was really enjoying it. I thought the mystery was well done with the twists and some red herrings. I was surprised at the who and why. There is sex but it’s PG with nothing explicit using more of a fade to black technique and picking up the story afterward.Other than Juliet, we learn the most about Pete. No real in depth on any of the other characters and there is definitely one that I believe a lot of readers will want to get to know better. An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review. I liked this well enough to pick up the first book in the author’s Lizzie Hart series.
    • 4/5
      Death Before Decaf by Caroline Fardig is a 2015 Alibi publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.This new cozy mystery series by Caroline Fardig charges from the gate with a whole new cast of terrific characters, a multi-layered mystery, a little bit of romantic angst, and laugh out loud humor. I'm a big fan of Caroline's work, whose style is a blend of mystery and romance, infused with perfectly timed humor that makes the comparisons to Janet Evanovich understandable. This first book in an all new series is centered around Juliet, a singer with stage fright, but who happens to be very good at restaurant management. Down on her luck, her old friend, Pete, puts places her at the helm of “Java Jive”, a small coffee shop and cafe in Nashville. Right away, Juliet rubs her new employees the wrong way, which is especially bad, since one of them is found murdered and Juliet is suspect number one. Fearing she may go to jail if she doesn't find the real murderer, she begins her own investigation into the crime, putting herself in the middle of a wide reaching scam and in serious danger. I believe I mentioned in my review of the last book I read by this author, that I really thought she was hitting her stride, and this new release only solidified that feeling for me. There is a lot going on with Juliet as she finds herself in the middle of, not only a murder investigation, but a little bit of a love triangle between her old friend Pete, and the new guy she's dating, who may or may not be a good guy. The employees at the Java Jive are a real handful, and I thought the descriptions of working for the public and in food service were spot on. Occasionally, the balance gets lopsided with so much going on, but it rights itself quickly and manages to stay on pace. The dialogue is snappy, and hilarious at times, and I think Juliet will be a character everyone will like. She's smarter than she gives herself credit for, is strong, hot-tempered, and doesn't take any crap from people. But, she also cares for those closest to her and is dedicated her work, and puts herself out there in a way I couldn't help but admire. The mystery is one that fits into our modern day society and sadly is something of a cautionary tale as well. The college town atmosphere makes the plot line entirely too plausible despite the lighter tone of the book. So, overall I'm super excited about this new series and I think this author is really coming into her own, and will only get better with time. 4 stars
    • 4/5
      I had read the third book in this series some time ago and decided to go back to the beginning. I am glad I did. It introduced us to the characters and gave us some information about their past relationships. This was told using flashbacks and it filled in the details nicely. Juliet Langley, has returned to Nashville after losing her cafe. She is going to manage Java Jive owned by her best friend Pete. Gertie, Pete's grandmother who raised him, is a lot of the comic relief in this story, I absolutely loved her character. Seth, is a regular at the cafe that seems to have fallen for Juliet, although he picked up quickly on the fact that she has deeper feelings for Pete than just friendship.

      The story is a cozy murder mystery, where Juliet is one of the suspects. As in any cozy, she decides that in order to clear her name, she needs to investigate on her own. What she does, and what she finds will make you laugh one minute, then worry about her the next. She seems to be alienating much of the staff at the cafe while investigating, although she is not doing it intentionally.

      There are many laugh out loud moments in this story, including the funeral of the murder victim. The plot is well developed and includes intrigue, suspicion and especially danger. The twist at the end was great, and I was not expecting it at all. This book has something for everyone, a mystery, humour, some romance, food and drink as well as human dynamics. I am now going to continue to read this series and see what else Juliet gets herself into.
    • 5/5
      his is the first book in Caroline Fardig's Java Jive Mysteries Series. It's off to a great start too. I found this one hard to put down. Juliet comes back to Nashville after she gets totally trashed by her double-crossing, two-timing fiance. She's lost her true love and the love of her life, her cafe that they started together. She's looking for a new start and her old friend Pete gives her the chance to come back to work at the Java Jive where she got her first job working while she was going to university. It was Pete's dad's coffee house that he inherited when his father passed away. It was a win, win situation for both parties!She couldn't have a worst first day as the new manager! She realises that she's in for more than she 's bargained for. Not only is the place in the red, she has inherited the worst employees imageable. To top it all off at the end of the day, she finds one her employees dead! While she's trying to prove her innocence she finds out that there is a lot more going on at the Jave Jive than serving coffee and stale muffins.I loved the snappy dialog and Juliet is a very loveable, strong character who isn't going to take much guff off anyone. I look forward to reading "Mug Shot" Ms. Fardig's next installment in the Jave Jive series. I would like to thank Alibi Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley of this book for my honest review.
    • 3/5
      Death Before Decaf by Caroline Fardig is A Java Jive Mystery novel. Juliet Langley is turning thirty years old and is returning home to Nashville. Juliet is a lovely singer, but unable to perform because of severe stage fright. Juliet was running a café of her own until her scum bag (pardon my language) fiancé cleaned out her accounts, apartment, and left town with the café’s best waitress. Juliet has gotten a job as manager of the Java Jive where she worked while she was in college. On her first day Juliet has a run in with the chef, Dave (who likes to violate the health codes). The next thing you know Dave is dead behind Java Jive. Juliet is told by Detective Cromwell (of the MNPD) that she is a person of interest. Juliet sets out to prove her innocence (no matter what the consequences). Pete Bennett (who owns the Java Jive) who is Juliet’s best friend helps her clear her name. Juliet also gets help from Seth Davis, a professor from the college, who has been hanging out at Java Jive. Pete distrusts Seth (he has good instincts), but Juliet refuses to listen (especially since she cannot stand Pete’s girlfriend who is her arch nemesis). Will Juliet be able to clear her name and find the culprit (and stay alive)?I liked the mystery in Death Before Decaf. It was not as easy to solve as I thought it would be. It was more complicated which I enjoyed (I like difficult puzzles). I did not enjoy the foul language or the sex in the book. I like to read cozy mysteries because they do not contain bad language (there are many creative alternatives) or overt sex (I am not a prude. I just get tired of it being shoved in our faces). I give Death Before Decaf 3 out of 5 stars. A good start to a new series. I am hoping the next book will be much better (I am trying to be optimistic).I received a complimentary copy of Death Before Decaf from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      Death Before Decaf: A Java Jive Mystery by Caroline Fardig

      Juliet Langley, recently moves to Nashville after a break up with her fiance to manage an old friend’s coffeehouse, Java Jive. The Cafe is in financial difficulties and on her first day, finds one employee dead in the dumpster.

      The dead man is the cook who argued with Juliet over the health code, earlier that day. The other employees are not too happy with her management style, and are eager to tell the detective about her temper. Soon Juliet becomes the number one suspect, and she is set on clearing her name, if she doesn't end up dead herself.

      A fantastic murder/mystery. I really liked Juliet, she was cheated on by her fiance, tries a fresh start at (her) life and has a snarky attitude. She definitely is not afraid to speak her mind. Her determination to prove her innocence becomes her main goal.

      The plots moves smooth with a great mix of drama, suspense, a bit of romance and laugh out loud moments. Death Before Decaf: A Java Jive Mystery is the perfect blend of a sweet enjoyable who-done-it. I highly recommend to those who love cozy murder/mysteries.

      *I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book in the Java Jive mystery series. It is a great cozy mystery....light read with lots of fun and good dialogue. Can't wait for the next installment.
    • 4/5
      This was a fun little mystery story. The characters were interesting, and the mystery was a solid one. There were many suspects, and people who were not what they immediately seem to be. There were some humorous moments, especially the funeral scene. Funerals are not usually funny, but this one was hilarious.

      The love triangle between Juliet, Pete and Ryder was a little frustrating. Juliet and Pete obviously love each other, but never say it. I am starting to lose patience with that type of relationship. So much trouble could be saved by just communicating. Ryder and Juliet have chemistry, but too many secrets between them. Ugh!

      I received a free ARC from NetGalley