Welcome! I wanted to share some new books that are coming out June 2 with you. The titles include The Grim Reader by Kate Carlisle, Deadly Sweet Tooth by Kaye George, Rainy Days for the Harper Girls by Rosie Clarke, Amish Generations by Kathleen Fuller, and The Way of Love by Tracie Peterson. I like that there are cozy mysteries, historical fiction, Christian fiction and Amish fiction. Which one of these upcoming releases appeals to you?
Killer Chardonnay by Kate Lansing
has Parker Valentine opening Vino Valentine in Boulder, Colorado. Parker is surprised when food and wine
blogger, Gaskel Brown arrives for a tasting.
His review could make or break her new venture. Gaskel tastes her chardonnay and does not seem
to enjoy it. He then disappears into the
restroom. When the critic fails to
return, Parker finds him dead on the bathroom floor. Detective Eli Fuller, an old school chum, is
on the case and it does not look good for Parker. Gaskel was poisoned which has
#killerchardonnay trending online. Parker’s
winery is in danger of closing if she cannot restore her reputation and prove
she did not kill the critical critic.
Killer Chardonnay is the debut of A Colorado Wine Mystery series. I found Killer Chardonnay to be nicely
written with good pacing which made this lighthearted cozy mystery easy to
read. Parker Valentine is a friendly and
relatable main character with a passion for wine making. I liked her cat, Zin (Zinfandel is full name). There are a variety of secondary characters
that include Parker’s parents, her brother, best friend, and a love interest or
two. I liked the descriptions of Boulder
and Parker’s winery, Vino Valentine. I could imagine the both from the author’s word
imagery. It was interesting learning
about the different wines and how they are made. I am amazed at the different flavor profiles that
can be obtained from grapes (I could envision someone swirling a glass and
taking a taste stating they could taste a hint of chocolate or pear with a hint
of smokiness—you can tell I do not drink wine).
The mystery had a variety of suspects along with misdirection. There was action as the killer attempted to
warn off Parker and keep her from finding pertinent clues. The poison was unique, but I wish it had been
harder to identify the guilty party. I
could see Parker in my mind as she put together the final clue and identified
the killer. There was a little too much
romance for my taste plus I am never a fan of multiple of love interests. I prefer
romantic relationships in cozies to develop slowly instead of instant passion
like a romance novel. I would have
preferred if the author had not used foul language in this story. There was some luscious food served in Killer
Chardonnay. Recipes and wine pairings
are included at the end of the book. Killer Chardonnay is a merry cozy mystery with a butchered blogger, wicked wines, a
cute chef, social media madness, and a cunning killer.
Killer Chardonnay can be purchased from Amazon*. Kate Lansing is award winning short story author who lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, daughter, and a tabby named Maple. Killer Chardonnay is her first novel. Thank you for stopping by today. Next time I am reviewing A Call for Kelp by Bree Baker. It is the 4th A Seaside Cafe Mystery and my first venture into this world. I hope that you have a pleasing day. Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This
post contains affiliate links.
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