Krissy Hancock and her pals are taking a coffee break-leaving their bookstore-cafe in Pine Hills, Ohio, and heading to a convention. But this road trip will be more dangerous than they expected . . .

Coffee lovers are gathering from far and wide at the hotel, and Krissy, Rita, and Vicki are excited. But some of the attendees may need to switch to decaf, as a public argument breaks out soon after they check in and then a flavor competition leads to bitter feelings.

When the winner of the contest is beaned with a carafe full of cafe mocha, suspicions swirl-along with accusations of bribery. Was the dead man offering perks to the judges-or was something sinister going on in his personal life? This case is going to keep Krissy up all night long . . .