Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Sipping and Reading at Parkville Coffee (Der Bingle's Holiday Gift Guide)

Parkville Coffee in Parkville, Missouri is a small-town haven on the outskirts of the city where coffee enthusiasts intertwine with book lovers, courtesy of owner and author Kristen Helling.  

First, the coffee.  Parkville Coffee is my favorite coffee shop in the Kansas City area, natch.  Their specialty brews, especially the seasonal drinks that Kristen creates, are sublime.  Summertime features berry-accented hot drinks, Fall (of course) highlights Pumpkin Spice lattes, and the colder months offer such deliciousness as the Campfire Mocha (dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow syrup, espresso, and milk topped with graham cracker sprinkles).  Yum yum yum.

Parkville Coffee also offers small-batch roasted coffee beans (or ground, if you prefer) of several varieties and blends.  Their Guatemala coffee and the seasonally-available "Christmas on the River" blend are my favorites.  Kristen and her crew roast the beans in-house, so you are guaranteed freshness in the coffee you take home with you.  And of course you can order coffee beans online, and Parkville Coffee will ship directly to you.


But what's a cup of coffee without a good book in hand?  Kristen offers full service, my friends.  She is the author of (by my count) 12 novels, most in the psychological thriller genre, but she has also explored straight sci-fi (Capsule) and a modern-day pirate adventure (The Severed Sea).

Kristin Helling


Most recently Kristin has combined her passions for coffee and books with a new mystery series, the Roastwood Hollow Cozy Mysteries.  Set in the small town of Roastwood Hollow, coffee roastery owner Clementine Matthews, along with her beloved bearded dragon Robusta, uncovers crimes and engages in home-grown sleuthery (is that a word?) as she works to solve the crimes that beset her beloved village.  I recently read book 1 in the series, In Roast Mortem, and was delighted!  And, (bonus!!) it was set during the Christmas season.  

All of Kristin's books are available through her website and through Amazon.

Kristin is also a co-owner of Wordwraith Books, a publishing company that she and her writing partners created.  At Wordwraith Books you'll find fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, and the best steampunk western series ever!

So, if your holiday shopping list (for others, or for yourself 😀) includes great coffee and engaging books, visit Kristin's place, Parkville Coffee in Parkville, MO, grab a coffee, buy a book, take home some beans, and maybe even a coffee mug or two.  Tell Kristin that Der Bingle (aka Aaron) sent you!

Parkville Coffee - Order coffee online!

Kristin Helling (Author) website

Wordwraith Books

Kristin Helling on Amazon



1 comment:

  1. I love this place, too. I need a visit soon!

    ReplyDelete