Uncommon Grounds

By: Sandra Balzo

Narrated by: Karen Savage

A body in a pool of skim milk.

An unsavory discovery at any time, but especially inconvenient when the milk puddle is in front of the espresso machine the very morning you're scheduled to open your chic suburban coffee house, Uncommon Grounds.

AND the body is one of your partners, leaving you and your other partner - the one who's still alive - as suspects.

Which would all be bad enough, even if your husband HADN'T dumped you for his dental assistant, Little Miss Tooth de Lay, leading you to jettison your old life and invest what little you have left in Uncommon Grounds, which now appears - like your marriage - to be circling the drain.

©2004 Sandra Balzo (P)2012 Sandra Balzo

I'll have another cup please

This is one of the most entertaining new series I have read in a while. I was hooked after the first page. In a small town in Wisconsin, Caron Egan, Patricia Harper, and Maggie Thorsen open up a gourmet coffee shop, UNCOMMON GROUNDS. On the day they open for business, Patricia dies in what seems like an electrocution accident. But the sheriff sees things differently. Sheriff Pavlik thinks someone tampered with the latte maker to intentionally kill Patricia. He begins to look at the business partners first.

The characters are realistic, likeable, interesting and well-developed. There are many plot twist to keep you guessing. Other than Maggie my favorite character is Sarah. Her blunt sarcastic comments are funny and keep the story rolling at a fast pace.

I wish the entire 7 book series was available through audiobooks. I bought the rest of the series for my Kindle. If you are a fan of light mysteries you will love this book.

Absolutely mediocre

What did you like best about Uncommon Grounds? What did you like least?

Both the story and the narration are totally unremarkable. No emotions, no thoughts, just a passtime.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Honestly, just a relief that the story has ended.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Karen Savage?

There is no reason not to. Performance is decent, so if the story is worthy of listening, then why not?

Was Uncommon Grounds worth the listening time?

Definitely not.

Entertaining and Refreshing

Sometimes those 3 for 2 sales do work out...

Three friends become partners in a coffee shop. On opening day, one friend is found dead and the other two girls become suspects.

The story moves quickly. Great snarky dialogue and fun relatable characters. The ending is a bit abrupt, but it doesn't leave you hanging.

The narration was good.

Not sure I would have tried these books on my own, but I will keep going with this enjoyable series.

Uncommonly good!

Sandra Balzo has captured the essence of an in-depth murder investigation. This series has a fabulous main character, Maggi Thorsen, who fits in our current political era. It’s nice to see a women’s perspective from a bright coffee shop owner. The narrator, Karen Savage, did a great job! #lovesandrabalzo #whodoneit? #itsallaboutthecoffee #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

A Film Noir Narration of a Well Done Cozy Mystery

What made the experience of listening to Uncommon Grounds the most enjoyable?

The story is written very well and it held my interest. I usually listen while I paint or work in my studio so I'm not looking for a complicated story. I really liked the character development though sometimes it was difficult to differentiate between the different character voices.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

There were a couple parts of the book that were fast paced, but i frequently felt on edge because of the way the narrator was reading. It seemed like she had an artificial urgency in her voice at parts when there was no need.

What does Karen Savage bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I felt like I was listening to a female version of a film noir inner monologue. For me,though, this didn't really distract from the narration, but I didn't find it necessary, nor did it fit with the words she was reading.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this first book of the series and I will continue with it. The narration wasn't ideal, but once I became immersed in the story, I stopped noticing the affectations.

Surprisingly good

What made the experience of listening to Uncommon Grounds the most enjoyable?

The main character is very real-I like that in a protagonist. She leads a life I can relate to and understand.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Uncommon Grounds?

The unexpected plot twist at the end.

Which character – as performed by Karen Savage – was your favorite?

Maggie, the protagonist

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

You'll Get a Jolt from that Espresso :-)

Speed of playback was off - too fast.

Speed of playback was off - too fast. Otherwise, it was an entertaining mystery. Kept me guessing to the end.

Karen Savage as Maggy Thorsen is TERRIFIC!!

I have a bit of a bias here (okay, a HUGE bias), since I wrote the book. But . . . .well, this is the first of my nine books (seven in this series and two in another) and the first available as an audio book.

I auditioned a number of narrators and Karen Savage had me, to paraphrase, at "Chapter One." She IS the voice I hear in my head when I write my books.

Maggy Thorsen, my protagonist, is not your usual amateur sleuth so she's a little tricky to voice. Maggy's got a bit of a chip on her shoulder--she's funny, cynical and all too human. As narrator, Karen Savage does a wonderful job of portraying a woman you may not always love, but you will unswervingly root for.

I'm very pleased to have Karen as the voice of Maggy in this first book and, by the end of the year, another three Maggys!

Karen Savage's narration an excellent fit

She kept me listening to an otherwise "O.K. but not great" mystery. One suggestion though: slow it down - your protagonist isn't a Federal Express person!

Good Coffee Mystery

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone liking mysteries. The murderer isn't obvious. There are plenty of side stories to keep you engaged.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Maggy and Sara. Maggy is funny and so is Sara. They both have a rye sense of humor and Sara is snarky. Frank the dog.

Have you listened to any of Karen Savage’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were plenty of laughs throughout.

Any additional comments?

I like mysteries and coffee references.