Marvels, Mochas, and Murder (Comics and Coffee Case Files, #1) by Christine Zane Thomas

Marvels, Mochas, and Murder (Comics and Coffee Case Files, #1) Reviews

• 
  Carole (Carole's Random Life)

  This review can also be found at
  Carole's Random Life in Books.
  
  I really enjoyed this cozy! I decided to listen to this book because I was in the mood for a cozy and I liked the sound of this story. I also was drawn to the fact that this audiobook was just a few hours long because sometimes a shorter book is exactly what I am looking for. Once I started this book, I knew that I had made a good decision because I was hooked by the story immediately. I just really had a lot of fun with this one until the very end.
  
  I really like the fact that the main character in this cozy is a man. I think that every cozy I have read prior to this one has been lead by a female so this was a nice change. I loved the coffee and comic book store that Kirby owned along with his friend, Ryan. Of course, a little case of murder makes things interesting just as I was really getting to know the characters.
  
  I thought that the mystery in this story was very well done. This is a fairly complex mystery especially considering that this is a shorter piece. I had a few guesses but I was never quite sure exactly how things would work out and loved the fact that the mystery was able to keep me guessing.
  
  Jeffrey Kafer did a fantastic job with the narration of this book. I thought that he really brought Kirby to life very well and all of the character voices that he used seemed very natural. His pacing was great and he had a very pleasant speaking voice that was easy to listen to for hours at a time. I think that his performance added to my enjoyment of the story.
  
  I would recommend this book to others. This was a fun little cozy filled with great characters, an interesting mystery, a little bit of romance, and a cute dachshund. I would not hesitate to read more installments in this entertaining series.
  
  I received a digital review copy of this book from the author/narrator via Audiobook Boom and have voluntarily left this review.
  
  Initial Thoughts
  I enjoyed this cozy. I liked the fact that the story had a male lead. I think that this might be the first cozy that I have read that was led by a male character. The comic book coffee shop was neat and I thought the mystery was well done. I thought that the narrator did a fantastic job with this book and I loved the fact that it was short enough to complete in a single day.
• 
  Cheryl

  Enjoyable to while away an hour or so with something that is not too taxing on the brain. It did throw me a little at the beginning as it's SO rare to find a cosy written from a male main character viewpoint.
• 
  Tari

  This was a such a fun start to a new series! I love that this cozy has a guy protagonist and is told from his standpoint. I've only read one other mystery (first book in the Cat in the Stacks series) that featured a male main character. It was a lot of fun and I happen to remember reading that the husband part of the husband/wife writing team is the one who is writing the Comics and Coffee Case Files series. A well-written, quick read that kept me interested. I had sort of guessed the killer but didn't really know the why behind it.
  
  Kirby Jackson and his childhood friend Ryan Walker owned Kapow Koffee, a comic book and coffee shop. Until Kirby found Ryan dead in the comic book section one night, that is. Kirby's high school crush, Felicia happened to be one of the detectives on the case. Her partner, Alex, didn't seem to like Kirby very much and seemed to think he was guilty. I loved that Kirby sort of inherited Ryan's little dachshund, Gambit who became a good best friend to him.
  
  I'm anxious to read the next book in the series. I'm really hoping that Kirby and Felicia can hit it off again despite the fact that Kirby did go out on a date with his grandma's friend's niece.
• 
  Paula Dyches

  So I finished this one in an afternoon while cleaning my house... It made my cleaning bearable and dare I say it fun. I just need the next book before my next cleaning binge. It starts out with two friends Kirby and Ryan who are business partners in a coffee and comic shop. Their personalities are a little reminiscent of Big Bang Theory I think mostly due to the comic side and the D&D games. Ryan is the lady's man and doesn't seem to mind if the women are married. Everything changes when Ryan is found in the shop murdered and Kirby is being framed for it. Kirby's old high school crush is one of the investigating cops and then he gets set up with another girl on a date... So between the love triangle, his lack of picking up on the subtle hints that both girls are dropping and the murder investigation it's quite entertaining. There are a few bad words but no f-bombs, overall I felt it was a pretty clean book.
  
  I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
• 
  Lucy-Bookworm

  Kirby & Ryan are childhood friends who now own a strange little business that combines their two passions: Kapow Koffee – half comic book store, half coffee-shop!
  
  When Ryan is found dead, murdered, in the shop, Kirby is a key suspect as the only witness is Gambit the dog! Kirby’s high school crush is the cop investigating the crime – is this a help or a hindrance?
  
  It was unusual to have a male protagonist & I like the idea of a comic & coffee shop! I would recommend this book to people looking for a quick-read cosy mystery as it has everything that you expect from a cosy mystery, and has potential to be the start of a fun little series. I definitely want more of Gambit the dog!
  
  
• 
  Laura King

  Enjoyed the first book in the series. The plot is well developed and keeps you guessing until the end. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
• 
  Brian

  I'm a bit of a sucker for cozy mysteries, and I really enjoyed this one. I fall into the nerd demographic, so the setting of a coffee shop combined with a comic book store felt like something my tribe would be drawn to. The story never delves too deeply into the comic book side, but also never gets any details wrong that would make someone from my demographic cringe and be turned off. It's an enjoyable tale with engaging characters and solidly competent narration.
  
  I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
• 
  Bonnie Dale Keck

  NOT kindle unlimited IS NOW, got this as a free book in some giveaway then amazon free day, read a lot of cozies, so gave this a try, was waffling between 4 or 5 but first book of series usually cut slack because of what I call the 1 2 3 process of 1 getting things laid out 2 {second book} developing on 1 and gives idea if want to continue with series then 3 being 3rd book seeing if it's going to stay the same with any problems {or no problems basically but more to interest in series} so went ahead and did 5 as it is irregular type premise. kindle unlimited, got this as a free book in some giveaway then freebie day, read a lot of cozies, so gave this a try, was waffling between 4 or 5 but first book of series usually cut slack because of what I call the 1 2 3 process of 1 getting things laid out 2 {second book} developing on 1 and gives idea if want to continue with series then 3 being 3rd book seeing if it's going to stay the same with any problems {or no problems basically but more to interest in series} so went ahead and did 5 as it is irregular type premise. Did read up to #4, will not be reading more.
  
  Kirby is prime suspect in his friend Ryan’s death when he is found dead in the comics and coffee shop that they co owned. Even worse she was planning to cut him out of the business.
  
  It will be up to him to solve the case before he ends up on jail for a crime he did not do, The only witness is Ryan’s stubborn dachshund but he is only interested in his comfy doggy bed.
  
  Kirby is prime suspect in his friend Ryan’s death when he is found dead in the comics and coffee shop that they co owned. Even worse she was planning to cut him out of the business.
  
  It will be up to him to solve the case before he ends up on jail for a crime he did not do, The only witness is Ryan’s stubborn dachshund but he is only interested in his comfy doggy bed.
  
  
  A Foodie Files Mystery
  The Salty Taste of Murder 1
  A Choice Cocktail of Death 2
  
  Comics and Coffee Case Files
  Marvels, Mochas, and Murder 1
• 
  William Tyler Davis

  I'm not going to put stars to it. I'll leave some thoughts here about my writing of this series. And I want to set some things straight.
  
  Yes, these are short reads. There's a reason for that--there's a few reasons for that.
  
  One reason is that shorter books, novellas, are easier to write. I can put 30-40k words out in the span of three or four months. Moving to 60k words, can push that from three months to six to nine months. It becomes harder to keep track of subplots. It's more difficult to edit, etc.
  
  Another reason is this series was an experiment. Would cozy readers want to read about a male sleuth? It's been a while since THE CAT WHO was prominent. Would cozy readers want to read about a comic book shop? Well, from what I can tell, they do.
  
  My plan is to use this series as a jumping point to a novel series. Again, those take time. But be on the lookout for COMICS and COFFEE CAPERS, starring Kirby, Gambit, Felicia, and Memaw. Coming mid-2020.
• 
  Charlie Oliver

  I'm glad everyone else seemed to enjoy it. I am a big comics nerd and found the FREQUENT references to be a bit much and the story to be a bit dull. The third act reveal wasn't really telegraphed--it's not one of those mysteries where you can figure it out yourself. Having said all that, it's a sweet book that establishes its characters well.
  
  Biggest wow for me is that there is a character that is into D&D, comics, and also is the local casanova. Clearly we live in an alternate and beautiful reality, and that's spoken as someone who has been into D&D and comics for over thirty years.
• 
  Ammon

  This review is for Marvels, Mochas, and Murder (hereafter abbreviated MMM), the first book in the Comics and Coffee Case Files by Christine Zane Thomas, & William Tyler Davis and narrated by Jeffrey Kafer.
  
  Best friends Ryan and Kirby's business partnership comes to an abrupt end with Ryan's unexpected murder. Initially the prime suspect, Kirby clears himself of charges and inserts himself into the investigation. From here MMM clearly draws inspiration from ABC's Castle and it doesn't even try to hide it. The relationship between Kirby and Felicia, a tough and competent local cop, is reminiscent of the relationship between Castle and Beckett minus the steamy tension. Together, they solve the case.
  
  The best way for me to describe MMM would be to say that it feels like an episode of Castle written for the Hallmark Channel and set in hybrid Comic/Coffee shop. It's light on mystery and suspense, very PG, light-hearted (despite the elements of murder), and just geeky enough to read (or listen to) on the way to Comic-Con.
  
  There's Dachshund named Gambit that serves as a bone thrown to comic book nerds and dog lovers alike. He's not crucial to the plot, but people who really, really, really love dogs and fans of a certain cajun X-man should get a kick out of the eponymous canine.
  
  Jeffrey Kafer nails it in the narration. At first, all I could hear was Merciless from C. T. Phipps Supervillainy series, but he quickly became Kirby and the rest of the cast of characters in such a way that I forgot about his previous role(s) and was able to enjoy his performance of MMM.
  
  MMM is a short read/listen, clocking in at not quite three and a half hours long, and can be easily digested in a single reading. It's enjoyable enough that you just may choose to do so.
  
  ***Full Disclosure: I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
• 
  Emilie

  I noticed what you did there with the characters' names, authors. Gambit the dachshund was the only one who could have deliberately been named after a comic book character within the story. However, there were a number of Ryan the murder victim's friends who played Dungeons & Dragons with him and who had the names of the various incarnations of Robin and other young DC characters. I'm not sure how Damian fits in there, but I know he's in that corner of the DC world, and possibly a vampire(?). I only recognized the names from reading Te's Batman universe fan fiction.
  
  Felicia, a police detective, gave the narrator, Kirby, who had no law enforcement credentials and was originally a suspect, a lot of information during the course of the investigation. I'm pretty sure that wasn't legal, even in a small town. And Gambit the dachshund helps, too, which was at least not breaking the law.
  
  There were a number of red herrings, and much "Who was dating who?" This was especially notable in the murder victim's case, because he'd been dating a number of women and it had gotten complicated.
• 
  Julie Howard

  I enjoyed this book but just wished it had been longer. I liked the characters and the fact that the main sleuth was a male, making it very different. I will definitely be looking into getting the next book in the series. If you are not a fan of MARVEL or super hero's don't let it put you off, as the main character isn't either, even though he own a comic book cafe.
  Kirby and Ryan dream of owning a comic book cafe isn't going well, especially as one of the pair is doing all.the work.while the other one is off having fun. But it doesn't mean Kirby would stab him in the back with a bagel knife or would he? The police seem to think so when that is exactly what happens. In fact the only reason he isn't arrested on the spot is because one of the detectives in charge is an ex girlfriend and she needs more proof, it is a shame she can't ask Gambit Ryan's loveable dachshund who the killer is. The three of them start questioning old friends to uncover old jealousy and old rivalries but it isn't until another body is discovered before they put all the clues together to solve the murder.
  I liked the narrator he had quite a deep voice but I thought it was perfect for this story.
• 
  Krystyna

  Play off
  
  A good start to a new series. Okay the hero isn't really a hero. He's an ordinary guy, a little bit nerdy, a little bit cowardly but a whole lot of a coffee addict. Good characters that build up in layers as you read the book until they become whole.
  After he found his fiancee in a compromising position he returned home and now with an old friend has started his dream venture. A coffee shop. Okay it was a coffee and comic store combined. His friend has always been into comics and together they had enough capital to pull it off. Even if his friend was still working his way through every female available. However when his friend's body is found in the shop he is the number one suspect. The only thing saving him from arrest is the fact that the deed was done elsewhere. Now with his old crush, she's a detective, they start to link the clues. Another body, an attempt to run him of the road and a tangle of affairs are mixed into a very low key way that is a pleasure to read.
• 
  Mark Martinico

  Although I tend to associate the Cozy Mystery genre with small villages in the English countryside, I have to say that other than locale, "Marvels, Mochas, and Murder" fits very nicely into realm of Cozy Mysteries. Small town, seemingly regular folks, secrets, and (despite the requisite murder) a lighthearted tone, are all here. Comparisons made by other reviewers, to the American TV show "Psych" make sense, as far as the lightheartedness, charm, and occasional humor. And like the pilot episode of a TV show, this short is the start of an ongoing series.
  I received a free copy of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review. And honestly I very much enjoyed it. The narrator fits the story well, comfortably carrying the story along, convincingly sounding like a small town, regular guy, shop owner, who is suddenly thrust into the heart of a murder mystery.
  I liked this well enough to go ahead and buy the second audiobook in the series, "Lattes and Lies" (from the same author and narrator), which I look forward to diving into soon.
• 
  Kimberly

  Video review linked here:
  
  
  https://youtu.be/JtH7ksRPPtU
  
  This was such an odd read for the genre... I honestly think in some aspects it was very well written- the dialogue sounds quite natural, for instance- but there were so many strange choices made. I have to assume the author had gotten into Crossfit at the time, because I can't imagine why else you'd choose to spend like 8% of pretty short book walking us through that without making fun of it even a little. That was bizarre.
  
  There were references to things that made me happy- like Sarah getting into Captain Marvel and Ms Marvel- I need to check when this published but it likely was about the same point in time that I did as a teenager.
  
  There were more weird decisions I just don't understand- like Kirby not even being into comics- that I guess is hinted at changing in the books to come. It just would have been so much more fun for its own target audience if the MC wasn't making digs at the stuff that made me read this in the first place, ya feel?
  
  It's also very interesting seeing the female sleuth character exactly inverted. Cheated on, returns to hometown, starts a coffee shop, has a cop and a healthcare worker competing for her- uh, his affection. It's so mirrored.
  At the same time, this book didn't always feel exactly cozy, and I think that has absolutely nothing to do with the gender inversion but more the choice in who got killed and the lack of cozy descriptions for the shop.
  
  I'll probably read at least the next one to see how all this develops.
• 
  Laura

  I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.
  
  This is the first book in the series Comics and Coffee Case Files. It is a cozy mystery with a male lead.
  Here, Kirby, the MC, and his buddy Ryan open a coffee shop/comic book store. Business is so/so. Then Kirby finds Ryan murdered in the coffee shop. Kirby is a possible suspect. On top of that, the female detective investigating the case is his high school crush.
  
  It's a light-hearted enjoyable and quick cozy mystery. There is a touch of romance along with some nice twists with the murder mystery. This story is narrated by Kirby and I enjoyed his wit and humorous observations. Plus, Kirby has a dog -and I love animals in a cozy.
  
  I listened to this book -- the narrator was very good and his narration enhanced the story.
• 
  Saravanan Mani

  Much better than expected - this was a fun and exciting read!
  Ryan and Kirby are friends - and they own a coffee shop which is also a comic book store. The two businesses do not really interesect as they had hoped. But they still try to make it work. When Kirby decides that it is time that the little experiment was brought to a close and continue the shop without his friend, he does not expect things to go smoothly. Things get a whole lot worse when a murder occurs!
  the cozy mystery is a new genre to me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. it was an exciting mystery that has enough twists and surprises to keep the reader engaged. while I read a lot of hard boiled crime, it was nice to read a story that didn't have gruesome crimes. the characters were likeable and the setting was vivid.
• 
  April

  
  Marvels, Mochas, and Murder
  Comics and Coffee Case Files, Book 1
  By: Christine Zane Thomas, William Tyler Davis
  
  
  This short cozy murder mystery is entertaining. In a small town, two friends have a combination coffee/ comic book shop, When murder visits other old friends come together to help the police solve the crime. A great start of a new series. I will be looking for the next book.
  
  
  
  The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. Jeffrey Kafer made this an easy listen.
  
  
  
  I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
  
• 
  Bev

  This is the beginning of a series that shows some very good promises. It is a cozy mystery, but not. Kirby's friend is found dead in the business they co-own. Things weren't all that great between them, and now Kirby wishes he had actually cut Ryan out of the business....too late for that now. There was a witness to the murder and he isn't talking. Ryan’s stubborn dachshund is the witness and if it isn't food or his bed he isn't interested. Will Kirby be arrested for this? You will have to find the answer in the book. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this story.
• 
  Marissa

  Kindle Copy for Review
  
  Kirby is prime suspect in his friend Ryan’s death when he is found dead in the comics and coffee shop that they co owned. Even worse she was planning to cut him out of the business.
  
  It will be up to him to solve the case before he ends up on jail for a crime he did not do, The only witness is Ryan’s stubborn dachshund but he is only interested in his comfy doggy bed.
  
  A new series it with a promising start.
  
• 
  Kim Loomer

  This was a very good book with a murder right off the bat and no idea of who did it or why. I thought the characters were very believable and I loved all the twists and turns to this story. I loved that Kirby decided not to sell the Comic Book side of the store but to try and learn how to run it on top of operating her own Coffee Shop. I also enjoyed Kirby's Grandmother and her wisdom lol. Good read.