Death Unfiltered

by Emmeline Duncan, Carly Robins (Read by)

Overview

A fresh-voiced and witty cozy mystery series set in Portland, Oregon, from rising star Emmeline Duncan, starring twenty-something master barista Sage Caplin. Perfect for coffee-lovers, cozy listeners, and fans of Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mysteries.

Ground Rules isn't the only newcomer set to open in Portland's grand new Button Building. Fortunately, most of the fellow micro-restaurant owners and patrons are great—with two exceptions. There's Rose, a true-crime podcaster and active TikToker who's pestering Sage for an interview about her estranged con-artist mother; and Bianca, the familiar and perpetually unpleasant owner of Breakfast Bandits. Bianca is abrasive to everyone, so Sage doesn't feel singled out . . . Until Bianca falls dead at the building's grand opening—a to-go cup of Ground Rules coffee in her hand. Laced with Ketamine, also known as Special K.

It doesn't help that just before she collapsed, Bianca was publicly rude to Sage. Or that Bianca's boyfriend points the police toward Sage. Or that Rose, still hung up on investigating Sage's mom, has declared she'll solve the murder. Now it will be up to Sage to sift through a complex blend of motives, blackmail, and old and new rivalries to get to the truth of a very bitter brew . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798874769628
Publisher:	Tantor
Publication date:	08/27/2024
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Emmeline Duncan is a writer based out of Portland, Oregon. The author of the Sage Caplin Mystery series, she also writes YA novels under the name Kelly Garrett. She is a 2020 Oregon Literary Fellow, a board member of the Northwest Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, and co-organizer of the Friends of Mystery's Bloody Thursday lecture series. She's also a member of Sisters-In-Crime, Willamette Writers, and SCBWI.

Carly Robins is an actress and voice-over artist. She can be heard on commercials, video games, and promos. Carly comes to narration with a passion for performance along with the capability to span several genres, from romance to children's literature and thrillers.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Ground Rules Mystery series by Emmeline Duncan:
 
“Portland’s beloved food carts provide a tantalizing backdrop for a new cozy mystery by Portland author Emmeline Duncan…A creative way to address both the quirkiness and the more dismaying aspects of life in contemporary Portland.” —The Sunday Oregonian on Fresh Brewed Murder
 
“Duncan’s strong debut and series launch…Lively characters help propel the intricate plot. Cozy fans will hope to see a lot more of Sage and friends.” —Publishers Weekly on Fresh Brewed Murder
 
“Coffee-lovers, this book is for you…Sage Caplin is wise beyond her years thanks to her troubled early childhood. Her deep love and knowledge of Portland, as well as her motley crew of relatives and friends—encompassing bar owners, lawyers, street-wise social workers, and a grifter mother—will undoubtedly populate future storylines.” —Criminal Element on Fresh Brewed Murder

“[A] clever sophomore installment…embraces coffee and music culture in an entirely wholesome way, even as Sage has to puzzle her way through a murder mystery that is light on clues and heavy on suspects. Bonus points, too, for the introduction of an adorable orange cat who adopts Ground Rules for its own.” —Criminal Element on Double Shot Death
 
“A clever sleuth, music trivia, and plenty of West Coast vibes add up to an enjoyable read.” —Kirkus Reviews for Double Shot Death
 
“Solid prose, a well-crafted plot, and plenty of coffee lore draw the reader in.” —Publishers Weekly on Double Shot Death
 
“Great characters, fun setting and coffee–lots and lots of coffee.” —Lisa Joyce, Portland Public Library (Portland, ME)
 
“All of the delicious coffee talk you could want without it ever becoming overwhelming to the story…Perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle, Abby Collette, or Tara Lush.” —Laura Eckert, Clermont County Public Library (Milford, OH)

From the Publisher

2024-01-05
A long-anticipated grand opening doesn’t go quite as planned.

Sage Caplin and her partner, Harley, own Ground Rules Roastery in Portland, Oregon. They're ready to upgrade from their two coffee carts to a brick-and-mortar store in a brand-new building owned by Sage's uncle and filled with small shops, some run by people who aren't fans of Sage, like her former boss Mark Jeffries and breakfast burrito queen Bianca Moore. Between hiring help and marking the approaching debut of a video game created by her fiance, Bax, Sage has been leading a frantic life. On opening day for the building, a local podcaster, Rose, walks around doing interviews. Although Sage likes Rose, she wants nothing to do with her investigation into Sage’s mother, Saffron Jones, an infamous con artist who’s missing, presumed dead. Rose gets two cups of coffee from Ground Rules and starts interviewing Bianca about selling breakfast foods. When Bianca collapses and dies, Sage is one of several candidates suspected of poisoning her coffee. Although Bianca’s abrasive personality made her a lot of enemies and video footage seems to indicate that Sage had nothing to do with her death, the coffee-shop owner still feels the need to clear her name. Meanwhile, Rose has uncovered quite a few people whose lives were ruined by Saffron, who used Sage in her schemes as a child but dumped her when she began to understand more about her mother’s lifestyle. When Rose begins to investigate Bianca’s death and her twisted relationships, it’s only natural for Sage to wonder whether the murder is somehow connected to Saffron’s cons.

Believable situations, a complicated cast of characters, and plenty of odd (really odd) occurrences.

Kirkus Reviews