The other thing Clare did not count on was on her first day back finding assistant manager Anabelle left for dead at the bottom of the staircase. Not an auspicious beginning to her return, Clare decides. The detectives who investigate decide Anabelle's fall was an unfortunate accident. But Clare has a gut feeling it was not an accident, especially since Anabelle was a dancer and exceptionally graceful.

Clare begins asking around about Anabelle and finds a conniving step-mother, jealous dance rivals, not as talented as Anabelle, and a boyfriend who has a lot riding on his relationship with Anabelle staying a secret. Before Clare knows it, she is knee-deep in suspects and motives and finds herself in a lot more danger than she expected upon her return to Manhattan.

On What Grounds is a great beginning to a new series. Clare is a well-conceived character as she tries to get comfortable in her new life. Even though the setting is familiar, Clare is no longer a college student or a newlywed, and things look different at almost forty. Her daughter Joy is in her first year of culinary school and Clare now finds herself in a more amiable spot with her ex-husband, sometimes more friendly than she'd like.

Clare and Matteo make a great team during the investigation, though Clare is careful to remember the reasons that made Matteo her ex-husband.

There are plenty of viable suspects and Clare's investigation is very methodical, though sometimes she pushes the envelope (breaking into Anabelle's step-mother's hotel room). After Clare has discounted all of her prime suspects, there is but one solution left, though exactly who pushed Anabelle down the stairs and why doesn't become entirely clear until the very end, keeping things a bit off balance and always interesting.

Plenty of coffee lore, trivia and brewing tips scattered throughout the text (and recipes at the end) add an additional, enjoyable element. A fast, one-sitting read, On What Grounds will convert even the most fervent tea drinker into a coffee lover in the time it takes to draw an espresso.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry