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Caught in the Traminette–NY winery mystery
Caught in the Traminette
by J. C. Eaton
I am by no means a wine connoisseur and had never heard of “traminette.” Learning new things is part of the fun of reading. Traminette is a variety of a grape hybrid and also the name of a type of white wine made from that grape. It is popular among wine growers in the northeast of the U.S.
In Caught in the Traminette there are a head spinning number of plot threads. The setting is Seneca Lake and Penn Yan in New York. Norrie, a screen writer, is part owner of Two Witches Winery and at her sister’s request is managing the winery while her sister Francine is in the Philippines with her entomologist husband. While reading this fun series you’ll find a lot of information about how a vineyard is managed and the wine is made and marketed. Hint: it’s a lot more involved than squishing some grapes and bottling the juice!
Norrie can jump into an investigating mode at the drop of wine bottle, and she does just that when a body is found wrapped in a tarp at a neighboring winery. To help Madeline, a fellow winery owner who has been arrested for the murder, Norrie puts on her detective hat. There is some self-interest (OK, a lot of self-interest) involved because neither Norrie nor any of the other winery proprietors want to take on Madeline’s role as facilitator of WOW (Wineries of the West), the promotional group for the wineries in their area.
On Norrie’s to-do list, besides discovering the murderer, is protecting the traminette at her own winery, improving the security at the winery and at her house, and stopping a developer from bringing high rises to the lake ruining the popular view currently part of the attraction of the area. Some days just getting from her house to the tasting room on the same property is a challenge given all the snow and ice storms.
On a professional level, Norrie has a rocky relationship with Deputy Hickman because of previous encounters where she just won’t leave mysteries alone. She has even caused Eugene, a technician in the forensics lab, to get a prescription for anti-anxiety medicine.
On a personal level, Norrie has lots of friends including her next door neighbors, Don and Theo, who own the Grey Egret Winery next door. Theo frequently gets roped into sleuthing with Norrie into illegal, dangerous, and sometimes disgusting adventures including “mud” on a cow farm. She has a great and supportive staff at the winery. One of her employees, Glenda, is involved in the paranormal and invites her friend Zenora to ward away evil. When this happens there is a lot of eye rolling at the wine tasting room. Zenora’s “day job” is research librarian at the University library and in that role she can provide some valuable information.
Norrie is dating a lawyer who frequently has to travel. When Bradley is away, she finds her eyes wandering to her dismay. So far, she has controlled her impulses in that area although she does manage to keep all of the men who want to date her content to be friends and serve as resources in her investigations. She is always upfront with potential suitors about her exclusive relationship with Bradley.
One important thread involves entomologists who are devoted to their research in a nerdy sort of way. Another focus is evidence of a break-in at Norrie’s house. Why would anyone rummage through her refrigerator without eating anything? Norrie sometimes does outlandish things, but this is a fun mystery with a lot of humor. Everything gets sewn up with a surprise ending.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Mystery, Humor
Notes: #9 in the Wine Trail Mystery Series. Like many series, you’ll want to read more if you read this one,but it could be enjoyed as a standalone.
Publication: November 7, 2023—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Every winter day is a bad hair day in New York’s Finger Lakes. And those cute little snowflakes weren’t as adorable as they were back in November. By the beginning of January with the holiday decorations down, the dreariest part of the season was about to unfold.
“I’m eighty-six years old. I don’t act fast,” Rosalee said. “I only move at two speeds—slow and slower.”
“You snooped on the chitchat ladies?” “Didn’t have to snoop. They spread the gossip like fertilizer on a field.”
The Guest House by the Sea–difficult situations
The Guest House by the Sea
by Faith Hogan
Esme, with the help of Marta, an energetic Basque woman, operates the Willows, a 200 year old guest house, following the tradition of the women in her family. The Guest House by the Sea focuses on several weeks during “the season” and the guests who abide there.
Esme is in a high state of frustration because she broke her leg and is mostly blind. So she spends her days in a dome chair welcoming guests and sharing wisdom with those who stop to chat with her. Some of the wisdom comes from the guest register that starts each page with a handwritten quote. When Esme has a guest read a quote, it always seems to apply to that person even though they were written in the book prior to the season’s start.
The cast of characters is diverse and each will tug at your heartstrings as they arrive at Ballycove hoping for space and peace in which to get a grip on their problems. Joel is a lonely engineer staying for weeks to help on expensive repairs to the church’s roof. Cora is a homemaker and teaching assistant with a husband set in routines. After thirty years together, she wonders if she has only staleness left in her future. Phyllis is watching her husband slip away in the same dementia that stole his father. Their son Rob, a widower, and his son Josh join them. As the result of a pregnancy test, Niamh comes to the Willows by herself with a pill to “take care of it” in the words of Jeremy. She is his long-time mistress and co-worker, but she learns a lot about Jeremy, herself, and their relationship through this process.
All of these guests are people you would want to know; they will pull you into their stories. Not all of them will have happily ever afters, but they are all seeking fulfilling lives and you will want that for them. Nothing in this book says that life is easy, but it doesn’t moan and whine while the characters deal with their problems either. Ballycove and the Willows are a great backdrop for their stories and their growth.
Faith Hogan is an Irish writer with lots of books to her credit. I plan on reading more by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Publication: June 8, 2023—Aria
Memorable Lines:
Her heart had missed a beat, in the way it does when you’re young and it feels as if the simple things are absolutely momentous.
She was blessed to have a husband like him. Michael was a true blue. He’d be sleeping in that same bed until the day he died, if he had a choice. So why did she feel this heavy weight of emptiness instead, as if her marriage was some black hole and she was in danger of falling in and suffocating while life went on without her? Perhaps being out here in Ballycove would do her good, give her some perspective on things.
“Maybe, but I think you’ve attracted good people to you because you’re kind and you have a generous spirit. You have probably helped more people than you know over the years, with your wise words.”
The Key to the Last House Before the Sea–developer versus locals
The Key to the Last House Before the Sea
by Liz Eeles
What do you do when you are a single mom in a small tourist town where rentals are sky high? Your mom and dad have both passed away and now you find yourself scattering the ashes of your beloved grandmother. You and your sweet five year old daughter are homeless, and your employer just closed his store, so you are also unemployed. Nessa is in this situation and feels she can rely on the generosity of kind friends for only so long.
She is helping out at Driftwood House, Rosie’s B&B, in an informal exchange for lodging when Gabriel in his suit and tie sweeps into town with plans to demolish “Ghost Village,” including Nessie’s family’s cottage. Nessa scrambles to find a way to stop the plans while still providing for her daughter’s future and happiness.
The story is told from the points of view of Nessa, Gabriel, and Valerie, the mother of Nessa’s ex-husband Jake. Jake is, depending on whom you talk to a star of industry in his new job (Valerie), an unreliable, rarely present or contributing father (Nessa), or a free spirit (Jake). All of the characters have secrets and problems. As they work through them, there are interesting plot twists that arise. Nessa is passionate about her family and their legacy and about doing her best and what is right for her daughter Lily who is an adorable child.
Without indulging in spoilers, I can say that this is a story that became a page turner for me, but not in the sense of a thriller. I became involved in the characters and wanted to see happy endings for them. Like the characters, I could not see how anything nearing bliss could be achieved.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: General Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: #4 in the Heaven’s Cove Series. Although a few characters from previous books have minor roles, this book is basically a standalone. Each book in the series is good, but is different in main characters, plot, and themes. The setting provides the cohesiveness.
Publication: August 19, 2022—Bookouture
Memorable Lines:
She never used to be so nervous about life, but sometimes these days she hardly felt like herself at all. Perhaps it was hitting her mid-fifties and starting to feel the pull of old age. Perhaps that was why she veered between feeling murderous towards Alan and so sad that she could hardly get out of bed some mornings. Thank heavens for Lily, the one bright spot in her life.
He threw the clean towel onto his big, comfy bed and rushed down the stairs, faintly appalled that he felt so rattled by a conversation with a five-year-old. I’m a mature, successful businessman, he told himself, and the sooner I get back to London and my normal life, the better.
Nessa was trapped through financial insecurity and the responsibilities of single parenthood. His life was far more privileged but, in effect, he was trapped, too, by family expectations.
Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea–returning home
Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea
by Liz Eeles
Called home from her life in sunny Spain by her mother’s sudden death, Rosie returns to the chilly English coast and Driftwood House, her family home. Rosie never felt like she fit in when she was in high school where the popular kids called her Weirdo Rosie Merchant.
In Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea, we learn that some of her former classmates have matured and some remain bullies. Liam, the high school lothario was dumped at the altar. Belinda is the local center of information, i.e. the town gossip. Nessa, formerly called Loch Nessa Monster, was rarely seen during her high school years because her mum was terminally ill. Nessa is the survivor of a bad marriage with a little girl and is employed at a hardware store. The little town is full of characters who all want to know of Rosie’s travels and when she will be leaving again.
Most of the plot centers around secrets her mother had kept from her. It seems she didn’t know her mother as well as she thought she did. There were many life changing repercussions from these secrets. To delve into the plot further would disclose too many spoilers.
Rosie is a hard-working, determined, likable character. She changes and grows in the story. Liam is a reluctant love interest. What would be the point? Rosie will be retuning to Andalusia, her two jobs, and her boyfriend as soon as she sorts out her mother’s affairs.
Of course, the author has other plans for Rosie. I think you’ll enjoy watching the story unfold. There are several major plot and character surprises. Even the antagonists experience turn arounds that will have readers smiling happily at a very satisfactory conclusion.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Women’s Fiction
Notes: #1 in the Heaven’s Cove Series
Publication: February 18, 2021—Bookouture
Memorable Lines:
Tea, the British answer to everything from disappointment to grief to crashing guilt.
…it would be good to feel…something. Something positive, rather than the sadness, humiliation, anger and anxiety that had become the four horsemen of his personal apocalypse.
The village was still shrouded but higher up, on the cliffs, the fog had been burned away by the sun, and Driftwood House was now an island in a sea of mist that swirled far below her.
Killer Comfort Food–family you choose
Killer Comfort Food
by Lynn Cahoon
There are lots of threads in Lynn Cahoon’s Killer Comfort Food. Angie Turner is a chef who owns the County Seat restaurant in River Vista along with her friend Felicia, a pastry chef who also excels in front end management of the restaurant. Angie’s initial problem is that a developer wants to buy her beloved home for a soybean plant. Complications arise as Barb, owner of the Red Eye bar, needs her help in finding her missing daughter Susan from whom she is also estranged. Susan had every reason to not just disappear, but an argument with her husband causes suspicions to lie heavily on his shoulders.
There are many other threads in this complex plot, but through them all are two shining themes. Frequently in her books, Cahoon stresses the importance of family, especially the kind of family created by people who have bonded together as a work unit or as a community. She also mentions family heritage a lot in this book, including recipes, relationships, the land worked by a family, and the memories forged there. The other theme is generosity as Angie and her friends go out of their way to support each other and extend that same kindness to people they don’t know.
Lynn Cahoon is one of my go-to authors for cozy mysteries You can even start one of her series in progress as she excels at providing background information. I recommend both this book and this series.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #5 in the Farm-to-Fork Mystery Series, but great as a standalone.
2. Cahoon reached back through the memories of her childhood and included the recipe for Quick Cookies, a cookie that requires a few minutes on the stovetop, but no baking.
Publication: January 5, 2021—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
“No worrying. Not yet. Save your worry for tomorrow.”
“Hate’s a strong word. I just want Todd sent to live on the surface of the sun so I don’t have to think about him ever again.”
…she was surrounded by people who cooked when they were nervous and who also knew that food made everything just a little more bearable.
education pathways 