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Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Murder Uncorked by Maddie Day

Raise a glass to Cece Barton, a widowed single mom and recent L.A. transplant to California wine country, who suddenly finds herself at the center of a murder investigation in this sparkling new mystery series from Agatha Award–winning and national bestselling author Maddie Day.

As the manager of Vino y Vida Wine Bar in Colinas, Cecelia “Cece” Barton’s first Alexander Valley harvest is a whirlwind of activity. Her twin sister, Allie Halstead, who owns a nearby Victorian bed & breakfast, is accustomed to the hustle and bustle of peak tourist season. But Cece barely has a moment to enjoy her new home in between worrying about her estranged college-age daughter, juggling her responsibilities at the bar, and navigating the sticky politics of the local wine association. Just when it seems things can’t grow any more intense, Colinas is rocked by a murder within the wine community . . . and Cece is identified as a possible suspect!

With her reputation and her livelihood on the line—and the Sonoma County deputy sheriff breathing down her neck—Cece has no choice but to open up her own murder investigation. Tensions are already high in the valley, as a massive wildfire creeps toward Colinas, threatening homes, vineyards, and the vital tourist trade. And now, with a murderer on the loose, and Cece’s sleuthing exposing the valley’s bitterest old rivalries and secret new alliances, Colinas feels ready to pop! But with Allie’s help, Cece is determined to catch the killer and clear her name before everything she’s worked so hard for goes up in flames . .

Paperback, 288 pages
Published October 24, 2023
 by ‎ Kensington Cozies
3.5/5 stars

This is my first time reading a Maddie Day book. While cozy mysteries are really not ones that I divulge into that often I was intrigued by the idea of a new series and a new to me author. Plus the MC  is the manager of wine bar, how could one go wrong with that.

CeCe Barton has moved to the wine country to be closer to her twin sister, and to start a new job as manager of a wine bar in Sonoma county. After witnessing an altercation in her bar, one of the men involved has been murdered, and CeCe is now one of the suspects

As she sets out to find out what happen her journey reveals some of the secrets in this town. This is a fun and quick read. Getting to know CeCe and her sister along with this town was a great setting. Also the start of a new series called Barton mystery.  Though this is the beginning there were times throughout this read that I felt I was missing something in terms of things that happened in her past, they made me feel I should know what was going on and that this was not book one

All in all a fun read that will appeal to those that love cozy mysteries. 

My thanks to Kensington Cozies for a print arc in exchange for an honest review.


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