Life’s a Beach – Until Someone Dies

Tara Lush’s ‘Cold Brew Corpse’ Mixes Murder, Nude Yoga and Romance

By Amanda Hagood

Tamara Lush (who also writes under the name Tara Lush) with her Coffee Lover’s Mysteries at a recent event at Tombolo Books.

Via Tamara Lush

Life is a beach for Lana Lewis, the protagonist of Tara Lush’s new mystery, “Cold Brew Corpse.” After losing her job as a hard-bitten crime reporter in Miami,as well as divorcing her smug TV news husband, she returns to her quirky seaside hometown, Devil’s Beach. She runs Perkatory, a coffee shop inherited from her mom, and townies and tourists alike go wild for her caffeinated concoctions and confections, especially her newest offering – cold brew coffee. And love is in the air, with a heavy crush blooming between Lana and Noah Garcia, the town’s hunky chief of police.

But when the body of a local yoga instructor is found in a nearby swamp, Lana can’t resist the lure of a good mystery. As she chases down the story, notebook in hand, she plunges into the darker side of paradise: scams and betrayal (and also something called Nude Candlelight Yoga) at the yoga studio. A cold case involving a missing childhood friend. And, worst of all, something’s terribly wrong with the café’s cold brew, which now has a distinctively dishwatery aftertaste.

Cold Brew Corpse is the second of Lush’s Coffee Lovers Mysteries, following the 2020 debut, “Grounds for Murder.” After years of writing romance novels, the author returned to her roots as a crime reporter for the new series and enjoys blending what she calls the “puzzles and clues” of mystery plotting with the “emotions and angst” of romances. This marriage of forms comes together wonderfully in the oh-so-close-but-notquite romance between Lana and Noah, who experience a fair measure of sexual frustration, along with the thrill of cracking a case.

The setting’s another high point. Devil’s Beach is rich in delightful #beachlife detail. From the array of eccentric characters – most notably Lana’s dad, a sweetly gossipy, somewhat pot-addled real estate agent who knows all the dish on the neighbors, but can’t always remember it — to the cheeky names Lush gives the town’s hot spots (like rival coffee shopIsland Brewnette), the novel immerses readers in a sunny, quirky, only-mildly-disturbing world they won’t want to leave.

While we eagerly wait for Lana and Noah’s amour to unfold, the greatest romance the novel offers is a passion for coffee, which is fragrantly evident in every chapter.

“As a journalist, I drank a lot of bad coffee,” Lush explains, “but since moving to St. Petersburg, I’ve been able to enjoy many quality cups.” Brendan Smith (St. Pete Craft Coffee Tour) served as “coffee consultant,” providing the expertise that makes the book’s scenes with baristas describing and preparing coffee drinks so deliciously realistic.

Maybe it’s just the macchiato talking, but I have a suspicion that, just like a perfect cup of coffee, “Cold Brew Corpse” will leave readers feeling cheerful, satisfied, and just a little bit warm and fuzzy inside.