Some books feel like a quiet conversation. Others feel like being dropped into the middle of a storm and told, “figure it out.” The Trier is very much the second…with a strong, steady undercurrent of coffee running through it. From the first pages, Jerry Vanschaik builds a world that feels tense, layered, and just slightly off-kilter—in that intentional way that keeps you leaning forward. There’s a sense that something bigger is always happening beneath the surface, like the story itself is holding its breath.

I was delighted to get my own copy of this book from Jerry to give him my honest feedback on the novel. I am happy to share my reading experience with you and help you decide if this is the book you'll love reading. At The Trier, Jerry lets you peek inside the lives of college students and writers, Altonstreet and Philpatrick. The coffeehouse isn't your typical modern shop setting, so it may feel out of place to some people while perfectly like home to others. These two future authors collaborate on writing the novel they're going to wow the world in an atmosphere with rural midwestern vibes, full of familiar faces in a building steeped with history. Jerry does a wonderful job weaving the traumatic history into the scenery and the personality of the surrounding society. This is subtle, with the coffeehouse as the focal point, where Jerry brings things full circle at the end to help you understand why he wrote the book this way. Not only do you get to see how the characters mature and develop toward their future selves, but you get to feel the history that occurred at the coffeehouse, how it transformed into The Trier, and how the area it's located in is advancing toward its future. As a coffee enthusiast, I found reading a novel that was set 99% inside a coffeehouse very comfortable. My 3rd office location is a more modern coffee chain, but I live in a small midwestern town. The vibe matched my home setting in such a way that I had a comfortable, yet engaging experience reading this book from the first page to the last. I look forward to reading Jerry's next book. A little birdie tells me it will be coming shortly, so I won't have long to wait.

Jerry Vanschaik’s The Trier: A Week in the Life and Death of a Coffeehouse is a fiction novel that blends literary drama, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural, all brewed inside the nostalgic walls of a Dayton coffeehouse in the 1980s. The story centers around Altonstreet, a brooding writer with creative ambition and moral confusion, who frequents The Trier alongside his friend Philpatrick. As the week unfolds, the coffeehouse becomes more than just a setting. It’s almost a living, breathing character filled with history, whispers of the past, and the aroma of secrets steeping in every cup. The legend of a haunted roastmaster and the mysterious tool, the “trier,” give the novel its eerie undertone while grounding it in the universal human rituals of caffeine, conversation, and creation. I’d give this book 5 out of 5 stars. The writing feels rich and textured, like a slow pour-over that rewards patience. Vanschaik captures the atmosphere of a fading independent coffeehouse with both love and melancholy. His characters feel awkward, flawed, but achingly human. There’s a philosophical side to the story that occasionally slows the pace, but that’s part of its charm. Readers who love coffee culture, ghostly mysteries, and reflective storytelling will find themselves right at home here. Content warning: mild language, adult themes, and brief moments of violence. It’s a thoughtful, aromatic read that lingers long after the last page, like the smell of roasted beans at closing time.