Murder Uncorked

Murder Uncorked (A Cece Barton Mystery, Book 1) by Maddie Day
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In general, I like the story, I like the characters I like the city, but one thing that drove me nuts was the continual, and I do mean continual throughout the story reference to a prior case that we have no background on. It might’ve been more helpful if after the first time that it was mentioned, that time was taken out to explain what happened and the people involved because later in the story, it’s brought up multiple times, and even some of the people that are involved in that former story that are not in this story were brought up.

I do like Richard, the neighbor in the 90-year-old who calls himself a VOM, a very old man, I think that’s cute. There are lots of different cultures represented in the story. We don’t hear it in there their speech per se, but they are there. The story also includes a same-sex couple, an interracial couple, twins, and people visiting from other countries. That was very nice to see.

There’s a twin thing that was not overdone, which I’m grateful for, mostly because not being a twin, I don’t quite get it :-)

There was not a love triangle and not many “why did she do that” moments. There were a few “OMG!” Moments and a bit of twist, at least something different from other cozy mysteries recently read.

I am curious about the the priors mystery that they referred to, but I also am all interested in reading the next one in the series.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.
Happy Reading!

Plot Summary:

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 . .