This book is formerly called Cappuccino Corpse.
A local coffee competition has Maddie working hard to perfect her coffee. She runs her coffee business, Brewed from Beans, from a truck with her best friend, Suzanne, and her white cat, Trixie. As the competition draws near, the author reveals to the reader that Maddie has a secret crush on Suzanne’s brother, Luke. Maddie debates on whether or not to tell Suzanne, but decides to focus on winning the coffee competition.
The day of the competition arrives and Maddie is nervous about the other local brewers. The judges are impressed with Maddie’s cappuccino. One of the reporters, Dave, is obnoxious enough to blackmail Maddie into giving him free coffee for the day. Just after Maddie is proclaimed the winner of the competition, an announcement that her rival Claudine is clearly unhappy about, Dave is found dead behind a tent with one of Maddie’s cappuccinos in his hand. Claudine happily spreads the rumor that is was Maddie’s cappuccino that killed him, but police investigation reveals that the cause was an overdose. After Suzanne and Maddie delve into their own investigation to find out if Dave’s death was accidental or intentional. Could he have accidentally overdosed on heart medication? Could a rival reporter have had something to do with it? Also, how will Suzanne react to Maddie’s crush?
This is the second book in the Maddie Goodwell series. Visions and Vanilla Cappuccino follows suit to the first book-it is a short read with a clean, cozy murder investigation. The personality differences between Maddie and Suzanne are more pronounced in this book. Suzanne is outspoken, confident, and supportive of Maddie’s endeavors. Maddie comes across as meek, passive, and in constant need of reassurance. If Maddie is the protagonist, then she should be a stronger character. There were a few grammatical errors in this book, which bothered me, as well as the incorrect reference at the end of the story to the witches of Salem burning at the stake. The slightest bit of research would reveal that the witches of Salem were not burned, but were hanged. Despite the tiny errors, Jinty James has done it again in delivering a fast and addictive read that entertains the reader. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Magic and Mocha.