Clare’s most recent venture is a fund raising bake sale which will benefit the fire fighters’ funds.  Clare has also agreed to take her former mother-in-law, Madame, who is the owner of the coffeehouse and its building, to Astoria to visit an old friend, Enzo, owner of Caffe Lucia, who is giving Madame a coffee bean roaster. 

Readers are privy to the thoughts and actions of the arsonist, and know that he expects Caffe Lucia to be empty that evening; when the fire begins, Enzo and Madame are trapped in the caffe, rescued by the members of the local ladder company, led by Mike Quinn’s cousin, Michael Quinn, with whom Mike Quinn has had a years long feud, but who has taken quite a shine to Clare. 

Enzo is fighting for his life and Clare, convinced the fire was arson, begins looking into who wouldn’t mind if the caffe, and Enzo, were gone for good.  At the top of her list are Enzo’s spoiled daughter Lucia and a businessman who owns the night club next to the caffe, who also has a connection to the fire fighter’s wife who is running the bake sale. 

Before she knows it, Clare is up to her ears in hot water once again.  Mike wants her to stay as far away from Michael’s squad as possible, but Clare feels that’s where the answers are, and she is also curious as to the two Michaels’ feuds and wonders what else her Mike is keeping from her.   

Clare is an independent woman who has proven she can stand on her own two feet, has weathered a marriage to a drug addict, has helped Matt recover, raised their daughter mostly on her own and is now a successful businesswoman who is finally allowing others to help her.  She is very giving of herself, her talents and her business, donating coffee to the bake sale and sharing her espresso expertise with the Astoria fire fighters. Mike tries to keep her safe, but is learning that by not doing, Clare isn’t the woman he loves. 

There is a lot of emotion as Clare and Mike face what caused the feud with Michael and the two men makes steps toward healing their relationship, something Clare and Matt have successfully done.  Clare offers more about her [Italian] heritage and shares stories of her Nonni and her recipes.  There are many suspects who are possible for the arson, though at the end, it is pretty easy to figure out.  This is a wonderful series with plenty of local color, great characters and a setting so real readers will be scouring the streets of Greenwich Village looking for the real Village Blend.                                                  

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry