That all changes when she finds the body of Santa volunteer Alfred Glockner in an alleyway a short distance from her coffeehouse. Clare can’t imagine who would want to kill Alfred, or Santa, and gets involved as Alfred’s daughter was a former employee at the Village Blend.  Having more than enough on her plate, Clare still can’t help but feel Alfred’s death wasn’t random and begins her own investigation that takes her to a mob boss’s house on Staten Island. 

Someone knows she’s there, though, and on her way back on the ferry, Clare finds herself man overboard, and in some very deep water. Clare knows time is short before Santa will be coming down the chimney and works quickly, staying one step ahead of a killer. And when, what to her wondering eyes does appear, a possible link to a cold case that has been keeping Mike up at night, Clare knows if she can solve this crime it will be a Merry Christmas.  

Once again, Cleo Coyle has written a fast-paced entertaining mystery. Depicting a different part of New York City during the holiday season gives readers a view other than the lights and glamour of Fifth Avenue and all its trimmings. Clare is very much a part of her neighborhood and takes what happens to the people there personally. She is firm in her dealings  with Matt and his mother, who still harbors hopes that Clare and Matt will reunite, and her patience with Mike has finally paid off as the two finally put both their pasts aside. 

The mystery is not a frothy one, the plotting intricate and the twists unexpected. An added bonus in this book is a large section in the back devoted to how to be a home barista and prepare espressos and lattes. There are recipes for all of Clare’s Fa-La-La-La-Lattes, the syrups needed to create them and other holiday treats mentioned throughout the book. Note: the cherry cordial recipe looks very complicated and time consuming, but it’s not and the results are really worth it and will wow everyone at your next holiday gathering!                                                                          

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry