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A Riesling to Die–the body in the vineyard
A Riesling to Die
by J. C. Eaton
Can a New York City based screenwriter run the family winery for a year? Norrie Ellington puts that question to the test in J. C. Eaton’s cozy mystery A Riesling to Die. Norrie’s sister, who needs to leave Two Witches Winery to accompany her husband on an insect searching sabbatical in Costa Rica, convinces Norrie to upgrade her silent partner status to overseer of the winery.
Upon her arrival, Norrie realizes that the winery will not run itself—especially after the death of a local owner of a Bed and Breakfast. The mystery has lots of interesting characters, from the owners of other small wineries at Seneca Lakes, to rich developers, to her own well-chosen staff. Since the body was discovered in one of her vineyards, Norrie feels obligated to try to discover the murderer, despite the sheriff’s warnings to stay out of the investigations. A Riesling to Die is a good basic cozy that I think you will enjoy.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books (Lyrical Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #1 in the Wine Trail Mysteries
Publication: March 27, 2018 — Kensington Books (Lyrical Press)
Memorable Lines:
She brushed some wisps of hair from the side of her face and I noticed something interesting—small pierced holes for earrings. At least three. Why was she trying to look like Little Miss Sunshine when her real persona was more Madonna? Maybe our mousey little girl is a rat in disguise.
Francine’s kitchen table wasn’t a bad place to work. The only sounds were birds and the occasional motorboat on the lake, unlike the ongoing cacophony outside my apartment. Endless honking of horns, the rumbling of traffic, and oh yes, expletives that came out of nowhere, usually accompanied by doors slamming.
It was one of those warm summer nights that made people forget about the last time they had to shovel three feet of snow or scrape the ice off their windshields.
The Case of Syrah, Syrah–good story concept, difficult execution
The Case of Syrah, Syrah
by Nancy J. Parra
A Case of Syrah, Syrah starts off as an interesting cozy mystery in a great setting and proceeds with building excitement. Unfortunately, by the time the book reaches its conclusion, the reader is ready to commit a crime against the main character. There are two major issues. First, the usually enticing twists and turns of a mystery evolve into a ride on a hamster wheel, churning round and round on the same territory. Second, the main character Taylor, in her efforts to prove her innocence, refuses to follow instructions from her own lawyer and from the sheriff to stop talking to people and to stay out of the investigation. She keeps exposing herself and others to danger, and her friends and aunt encourage her compulsions. By the end, I was ready to arrest her for obstruction.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #1 in the Wine Country Mystery Series
Publication: December 12, 2017 —Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
It was a fun and carefree moment with the wind whipping through my hair. The night smelled of vineyards and warm earth. Stars twinkled in the dark sky.
Taylor says of her investigative efforts—without altering her actions:
I couldn’t help myself.
It seemed the more I investigated, the more I incriminated myself.
A Deadly Eclair–weak in the deduction department
A Deadly Eclair
by Daryl Wood Gerber
This is a book I really wanted to like. The main character Mimi is a nice and capable person. She owns a restaurant, Bistro Rousseau, and an inn, Maison Rousseau, in Napa Valley. This is a second chance at happiness in her personal life and success in business. She is an understanding boss who has hired an interesting staff. She is creative, has good taste, and is a lover of Impressionism.
As the story opens Mimi is preparing for an out-of-towners’ dinner party for a celebrity wedding also scheduled to take place at the inn. One of the best parts of the book is the presentation of delicious sounding gourmet items on the bistro’s menu. The book closes with recipes the characters have shared.
The focus of the mystery is a murder. When it occurs, Mimi turns into an amateur detective. Unfortunately she is a pretty bad one. She discretely interviews lots of potential suspects, many of whom are guests at her restaurant and inn. They lie to her and she takes what they say at face value and bases her theories on those lies. She also places far too much emphasis on trying to read people’s lips or watch their reactions. Then she draws conclusions willy nilly based on whole conversations that she mentally fabricates.
A Deadly Eclair has a great setting and interesting characters. Past that, I was disappointed in the plot and its resolution, which for me is not very believable.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #1 in the new French Bistro Mystery series
Publication: November 7, 2017—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
Next, I worked as sous chef to a celebrated chef—celebrated was code for crazy—at a snazzy restaurant.
A strong woman is one who is able to smile this morning like she didn’t cry last night.
Of course, there were a lot of ifs in my speculation.
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