The Coffee Shop Masquerade by T.A. Morton

The Coffee Shop Masquerade

 by T.A. Morton


The Coffee Shop Masquerade by T. A. Morton was published by Earnshaw Books on  22nd April 2025. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.




Synopsis 

 A mysterious mask abandoned in a Hong Kong coffee shop eavesdrops on the lives of those who enter, asking, who are we beneath our masks? The Coffee Shop Masquerade is a captivating exploration of transient lives seeking meaning amid everyday encounters, much like the alluring cup of coffee that unites and intrigues us all. As the enigmatic forces inspired by the Tao Te Ching loom over them, choices must be made, secrets revealed, and unexpected bonds forged-all under the watchful gaze of a mysterious mask.




My Review

This was one of those books that I found both intriguing and disturbing in equal measures. The idea of a mask eavesdropping on the different lives of customers who enter the coffee shop and looking beyond the “mask “ they portray is captivating. I have to be honest I found some of the stories disturbing, however that is also the reality of life and this is what the mask is witnessing . Because of this , even though it is a relatively short book, it took me a while to read it as I couldn’t just move from one person to the next quickly as I needed time to think about each one and the aspect of their life I had been privy to.

I really enjoyed the quotes from Tao Te Ching at the beginning of each chapter, especially the ones where the sentences are turned around on themselves which give food for thought. 

This is a clever book that will stay with me for a long time and I will be looking out for more from T.A. Morton in the future.

This would make for an interesting Book Club read and discussion.


About The Author




T.A. Morton is an Irish/Australian writer. Previously, she worked as a journalist and editor for Longman Pearson in Hong Kong. In 2020, she was shortlisted for the Virginia Prize for Fiction and the Bridport Prize. She has a masters in Crime and Thriller writing from the University of Cambridge. Her novel Someone is Coming was published by Monsoon Books in August 2022 and has been optioned for television


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