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The Maggy Thorsen series... Just out!From the Grounds UpWhen Maggy Thorsen's coffee house, Uncommon Grounds, is virtually obliterated by a snowstorm, she and her friend Sarah resolve to reopen - and Maggy's found the perfect spot near the train station, just in time for the opening of the new commuter route. But when Sarah's uncle dies suddenly, in the first of a series of "accidents," it's clear that someone doesn't want Uncommon Grounds to reopen. Maggy, however, has no intention of yielding . . .Publishers Weekly: "Maggy Thorsen, the proprietor of Uncommon Grounds, finds that rebuilding her coffee shop in the "Old Brookhills" section of Brookhills, Wis., can be murder in Balzo's witty, smoothly plotted fifth cafffeine cozy...sassy, lighthearted whodunit..."Booklist: "A witty cozy with eccentric characters and a fast-moving plot."
And already available:
Brewed, Crude and Tattooed
A Maggy Thorsen Mystery
Severn House - June 2009
It's May first and in Wisconsin that means the daffodils and hyacinths are poking up their heads.
Unfortunately, it also means they may freeze their little buds off. The freak snowstorm arrives without warning or so it seems to Maggy Thorsen, co-owner of the coffeehouse Uncommon Grounds.
Trapped, Maggy ventures out into the service corridor looking for sustenance, only to find the body of Way Benson, local developer and owner of the mall. Maggy's discovery unearths other refugees of the storm, most of them with reasons to kill the arrogant Way.
Cut off by the snow, Maggy has to be content to leave Way to become a corpse-sicle. Content, that is, until another member of their intrepid little group is killed and the coffee - sans electricity - gets even colder than the bodies.
See what they're saying about BEAN THERE, DONE THAT...
 Bean There, Done That
A Maggy Thorsen Mystery
October 2008
Severn House
ISBN 978-07278-6653-0
Here's a tip: if your ex-husband's mistress-cum-missus asks for your help in proving that he cheated on her while he was married to you, just say no. And, whatever you do, don't invite her in for a cup of coffee...
"Wine?" coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen offers, moving aside reluctantly to let the home-breaking Rachel into her living room and her life. When the new Mrs. Thorsen disappears that same evening, Maggy finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation involving Rachel's hotelier family - Milwaukee's answer to the Hiltons.
Torn between her desire to see her former husband fry and her need to protect their son's college fund, Maggy decides to search out the truth, both about Rachel and the other other woman.
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 Grounds For Murder
A Maggy Thorsen Mystery
UK: September 2007
US: December 2007
Severn House
Hardcover: 978 0278 65496
Trade Paper: 978-1-84751-027-3
At a scaldingly competitive trade show in Milwaukee for the coffee industry, egos and tempers are steaming over such burning issues as store rivalries, product quality and employee-poaching. But events reach a head when coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen discovers a body under a table at the conference center. As the reluctant conference coordinator -- and a potential suspect - Maggy must track the murderer, save her coffeehouse, and -- hopefully - put some froth into her love life...
What they're saying about GROUNDS FOR MURDER...
***Booklist -- Starred Review:
Feisty, sassy female lead? Check. Hunky, handsome love interest? Check. Sparkling, witty dialogue? Check. Amateur sleuth outdoes the pros? Check. Balzo's latest Maggy Thorsen mystery has all the right ingredients to fit the female-sleuth formula, as refined from Marcia Muller forward. Wisconsin PR consultant-turned-coffeeshop-owner Maggy unwillingly agrees to organize the finals for the Barista of the Year contest at the local Java Ho coffee convention. She has arranged everything down to the milk for the lattes, prepped the judges, tested the microphones . . . what could go wrong? Everything, apparently, after Maggy discovers the bludgeoned body of Marvin LaRoche, owner of a rival chain of local coffee shops, lying underneath the trophy table. No one liked LaRoche, so there are plenty of suspects, and Maggy's love interest, Sheriff Jake Pavlik, is determined to figure out which of the coffee magnate's enemies killed him. But instead, it's Maggy who unearths the evidence, uncovers the motive, and nabs the killer.
Maggy is charming and extremely funny, and Balzo's keep-em-guessing plot and fresh, breezy prose are more than enough to ensure that this series will continue to delight. Give this to fans of female sleuths as various as Muller's Sharon McCone and Maron's Deborah Knott.
Emily Melton
Kirkus Reviews:
Can too much caffeine lead to murder?
Though she still has bitter thoughts about her dentist husband dumping her for his 20-something hygienist, attractive divorce Maggy Thorsen has channeled her energies into making her coffeehouse a success after the untimely murder of her partner (Uncommon Grounds, 2004). Now she faces serious competition from Marvin LaRoche, owner of HotWired, a big chain of coffee shops, one of which has recently muscled into her territory. While Maggy's up to her eyeballs working on the creative contest she's running for baristas at Java Ho, Milwaukee's competitive coffee trade show, her partner Caron asks her to steal Amy, the talented barista who manages the shop run by Marvin's wife, Janalee. Despite her budding relationship with Sheriff Jake Pavlik, Maggy feels like a suspect after someone burns down Janalee's Place, and even more vulnerable when she discovers Marvin's body under a table at her mega-caffeinated contest, bashed to death with the first-prize trophy. Marvin's opening speech alienated a lot of people, and his tough business practices earned him plenty of enemies. It's up to Maggy and Jake to figure out who did the deed.
Bright and breezy Maggy makes a charmingly down-to-earth sleuth. A bit of romance and coffee lore provide the froth on top.
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