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Death of a Bean Counter (A Maggy Thorsen Mystery, 12) Hardcover – April 7, 2020

by Sandra Balzo (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
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Trouble is brewing for coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen when her barista's wealthy beau is murdered.

Maggy Thorsen's head is spinning thanks to partner Sarah Kingston's latest idea – selling luxe espresso machines in their Wisconsin coffeehouse, Uncommon Grounds. But Maggy soon faces a far bigger problem when her fiancé, sheriff Jake Pavlik, makes an official call on the coffee house’s star barista, Amy Caprese.

Amy’s wealthy new beau, investment adviser Kip Fargo, has been shot dead in his bed – and Amy is the last known person to see him alive. Kip had just proposed to Amy, but she turned him down, triggering a terrible argument and making Amy the prime suspect. Determined to prove her barista’s innocence, Maggy soon makes a number of disturbing discoveries. Can she untangle lies, jealousy and Kip’s shady dealings in time to avert the disaster that’s brewing?
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Previous page
  1. Book 12 of 16
    Maggy Thorsen Mysteries
  2. Print length
    320 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Severn House
  5. Publication date
    April 7, 2020
  6. Dimensions
    5.75 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    072788946X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0727889461
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The twisty mystery is well supported by the coffeehouse frame... And there are also two lovable dogs! A satisfying cozy, perfect for those who enjoys Laura Childs' Tea Shop mysteries starring Theodosia Browning" ― Booklist

"Balzo smoothly blends eccentric characters, lively dialogue, and a fair-play plot with a touch of discreet romance. Cozy fans will happily keep turning the pages" ― Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Sandra Balzo built an impressive career as a public relations consultant before authoring the successful ‘Maggy Thorsen’ coffeehouse mysteries, the first of which, Uncommon Grounds, was published to stellar reviews and nominated for an Anthony and Macavity Award. She is also the author of the 'Main Street Murders' mystery series published by Severn House.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House; First World Publication edition (April 7, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 072788946X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0727889461
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

About the author

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Sandra Balzo

Sandra Balzo

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Sandra Balzo is an award-winning author of crime fiction, including eighteen books in two different mystery series from Severn House--the Wisconsin-based Maggy Thorsen Mysteries and Main Street Murders, set in the High Country of North Carolina and featuring journalist AnnaLise Griggs. Garnering starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, Balzo's novels are recommended to readers of Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, Harlan Coben, Joan Hess and Margaret Maron.

Find Sandy online at www.SandraBalzo.com, Facebook (Sandra Balzo Mysteries) and Twitter (@SandraBalzo).

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
37 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Meg
5.0 out of 5 stars Read this series, you won’t be disappointed.
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
I love this series. Every time a book comes out I read cover to cover within two days. If I could read straight through I would. Maggy & Sarah are the perfect detective pair. If you are looking for a fun read I highly recommend.
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Kris Anderson, The Avid Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars A perplexing puzzle!
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2020
Death of a Bean Counter by Sandra Balzo has Maggy Thorsen discussing a new venture her business partner, Sarah Kingston when Sheriff Jake Pavlik walks into Uncommon Grounds with a deputy by his side. They are there to question barista, Amy Caprese about her boyfriend, Kip Fargo. Kip is dead and Amy is one of the last people to be with Kip before he was murdered. It was reported that Kip and Amy had a loud disagreement and Amy turned down Kip’s marriage proposal. Amy is in hot water and Maggy is going to pull her out of it before Amy gets burned. Death of a Bean Counter is the 12th A Maggy Thorsen Mystery. I did not know that when I requested the book. I did find myself at a loss in the beginning, but I quickly caught up thanks to the background information included. I thought the story was well written and just the right length. The story moved along at a good pace with a variety of suspects and good clues to help a reader solve the whodunit. I thought the mystery was unique. I enjoyed the creativity the author used. Maggy may be searching for a killer, but she does have a business to run. She deals with business issues while trying to clear Amy. I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the story. I thought the main characters were developed and realistic. I liked that Maggy is a mature character who is kind and thoughtful. Death of a Bean Counter is an entertaining cozy mystery with a perplexing puzzle, coffee machine conundrum, a baffled barista, gorgeous gardens, and pizza pie.

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. I am not required to leave a review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
One person found this helpful
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Richard D. Jesionoski
5.0 out of 5 stars The latest Maggy and Pavlik caper
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2022
I love these mysteries especially for the snide sarcasm. Maggy learns more all the time from Sarah. Together they take down bad guys and girls and have fun doing it
Enjoy
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Beatrice
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this series
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2020
I love this series. Sandra Balzo does a great job creating interesting and engaging characters. She then weaves a very entertaining story around the characters. It's easy to be drawn into the story and identify with the characters. The only bad thing about this series is that there are not enough of them. I can't get enough of Maggie and Sarah.
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AnnieB
4.0 out of 5 stars Small town cozy
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2020
Death of a Bean Counter is the 12th Maggy Thorsen mystery by Sandra Balzo. Released 7th April by Severn House, it's 208 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Although this is the 12th book in the series, it works well as a standalone and I had no trouble keeping up. It's a modern small-town cozy with coffee shop amateur sleuth Maggy and her handsome fiance Sherriff Jake trying to solve the shooting death of the fiance of a local businessman (and embezzler) with whom the coffee-shop's barista is entangled. The suspects are legion, the victim seemed to be quite sleazy, and nobody seems to have a solid alibi.

It's a quick and easy read with a plot that moves along at a satisfying clip, light and bantering dialogue, and a satisfying denouement. There are plot twists aplenty right up to the last page. My main quibble is that main character Maggy feeds (or mentions feeding) her two dogs pizza several times over the course of the book. No pizza for pups!

Entertaining and engaging. Well written and fun with pretty clean language (a few "sh*ts" and "d*mns", nothing worse). There's no explicit sexual content or on-page violence. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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Susan E.
4.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable cozy series
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2020
This is the twelfth in the series but works well as a stand alone. It's not a long cozy but is a very satisfying one. Maggy knows her barista, Amy, didn't kill Kip, the man who just proposed to her. She may not have done it but the police are not taking her off the list of suspects - a list that turns out to be very long. Kip may have been seen as a very rich, very successful investment advisor but that's how he was able to fleece his clients. Instead of investing their money he kept it for himself. Yep, it's a long list of angry clients. Maggy is determined to find out who the real killer is and get Amy off the hook. One major snag would be Maggy's fiance, Jake (the sheriff) who really wants her to keep her nose out of the investigation. That's not going to happen.
I enjoy this series not only because the puzzles are very well crafted. Maggy is a 40 something woman who runs her own business and cares deeply for her friends. The humor is perfect, as well. Don't worry if you are new to this series. Enjoy this entry and add the previous eleven books to your TBR list.
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Celia
3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not as good as the others in the series
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2020
This series is a delight with believable characters and laugh out loud lines and situations. This is the last book. Although it was worth reading, it lacked the sparkle the other books in the series had.
One person found this helpful
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kathleen g
4.0 out of 5 stars fun cozy
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2020
Amy didn't kill Kip- who just proposed to her- but there's a long list of possible suspects who might have done it. Maggy has to investigate because Amy works for her as a barista and because she now knows that Kip, an investment advisor, pocketed the money people entrusted to him. Her fiancé Jake, the sheriff, isn't thrilled, of course, but she's off and running. The mystery is nicely interspersed with Maggy's business issues (she has a coffee house with a partner, Sarah - who also lost money). There are some twists and you, like me, might be wrong with your first guess of the villain. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A quick read cozy that would be fine as a standalone.
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