Of Merlot and Murder

Tangled Vines Mystery, Book #2

By Joni Folger

ISBN13: 9780738740768

Author’s website: http://www.jonisauerfolger.com/joni-folger.html

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Synopsis:  

Foul play at the festival

When her family’s winery becomes one of the sponsors at the Lost Pines Food and Wine Festival, Elise Beckett’s spirits soar at the chance to help with their booth. But as the festival gets underway, her cheerful mood turns sour when rival vintner Divia Larson is found dead.

With all clues pointing to her grandmother as the prime suspect, Elise and her deputy sheriff boyfriend team up to clear her name. But Divia’s murder is as complex as a fine wine, with a strong bouquet of suspicion, bitter notes of betrayal, and more than a hint of danger. Will Elise and Jackson be able to untangle the mess before another victim is corked?  

Review:  

I must say, I have not enjoyed a cozy so much as this book!!!! It had all of the requisite components…a murder (or two), great characters, witty dialogue in everyday language and of course…discussions of wine (a personal favorite topic of mine).   Of Merlot and Murder is the second book in the “A Tangled Vines” series. Elise Beckett is the main character. I usually am a bit apprehensive about reading a second book in a series when I have not read the first book however I quickly got caught up in the lives of the main characters and not having read the first book was not a deterrent with respect to my enjoyment of this second book in the series.

Elise is in a new”ish” relationship with Jackson Landry, the deputy of the town. Knowing this, the reader can already surmise there will be tension between the two when Elise puts on her amateur sleuth persona to clear her grandmother of suspicion of murder. You can certainly feel Jackson’s exasperation come into play…but one never loses sight of the fact that her cares for Elise very much.

There were many potential suspects and as such, this kept me guessing throughout the story! This is what I look for in a good cozy mystery…..well…..the mystery. Many characters were hiding something and it made them appear guilty. It took until the very end before I found out “who did it”…..just the way I like my mystery reads J. I also loved that this mystery was chalked full of humor and interesting family dynamics! One favorite character for me was Abilgail (Elise’s grandmother) and main rival of the newly dearly departed Divia. Abigail was humorous and had moxie…. 🙂

I am most certainly going to get the first in the series (Grapes of Death) and read that title as well.