Caroline Fardig

Caroline Fardig writes humorous mysteries whose amateur investigators are defined as much by work and friendship as by the cases around them. Mug Shot is the second Java Jive Mystery, returning to Nashville coffeehouse manager Juliet Langley a few months after Death Before Decaf. When Pete Bennett becomes the chief suspect in a serious crime, Juliet puts her sharp temper and loyalty to work clearing her best friend's name. Alibi released this installment during 2016, and independent coverage identifies its blend of cozy-mystery structure, comedy, and romantic complications. The coffeehouse remains the series' social center, connecting employees, customers, Pete, and Juliet's complicated circle of relationships. Fardig's own varied employment history, including teaching, music, insurance, and funeral-home work, parallels her interest in characters whose ordinary jobs expose them to unexpected worlds. For readers beginning with this book, its strongest features are Juliet's energetic voice, the Nashville setting, and a continuing ensemble whose personal tensions develop alongside a self-contained investigation.