Book review: Eat, Drink, and Get Buried (Coffeehouse Mystery #22) by Cleo Coyle

Eat, Drink, and Get Buried is the 22nd entry in Cleo Coyle's long-running Coffeehouse Mystery series, centered on Clare Cosi, owner of the Village Blend in Greenwich Village. The book follows the series pattern: a murder mystery that forces Clare to use her barista-turned-sleuth instincts while juggling personal relationships and business demands.

The story moves through three main lanes: the high-pressure worlds of catering and event management, the music industry's session-studio environment, and Clare's personal history with Ava and Joy. Joy's emotional outburst at the party becomes a subplot that kept the reviewer invested, even though it doesn't tie directly to the murder. The book uses these strands to examine old relationships, professional tensions, and reputational risk in a city setting.

The book follows the established Cozy Mystery formula for the series: starts with questions and secrets, then launches into investigation and complications. The reviewer describes the pacing as addictive and notes the story keeps mystery until tension forces revelations. The narrator's point of view is Clare's, so the reader learns only what Clare knows, which preserves suspense and can make solving the crime alongside her challenging.

Notable elements and reader experience

• Catering as a setting gives the book a food-and-service angle, with the reviewer enjoying the behind-the-scenes details.
• The music and recording-studio elements introduce a different milieu for the Village Blend to navigate.
• The reveal includes a twist the reviewer found both fitting and somewhat surprising.

The reviewer calls this installment a "fantastic addition" that still finds new places and relationships to develop despite being the 22nd title. Fans who follow Clare's life will appreciate the way the book deepens character threads, while newcomers can still follow the central murder plot, though the emotional weight of some subplots plays better with series familiarity.

Eat, Drink, and Get Buried delivers the familiar comforts of a Coffeehouse Mystery—café life, food details, a tight group of supporting characters—while placing Clare into a murder investigation that ties back to her personal history. The book emphasizes character growth across the series and uses the catering/music-party setting to refresh the formula.