Since moving from L.A. to
California’s verdant wine country, widowed single mom Cece Barton has gone from
Colinas wine bar manager to wine bar owner—with a chaser of sleuthing . . .
It’s Memorial Day weekend and Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley is buzzing with
activity. For Cece, business at Vino y Vida is going great, as is her romance
with new beau, Benjamin. Meanwhile, Cece’s neighbor, Richard Flora, is stirring
up controversy with his newest article, an exposé of Regan Greene, power-hungry
director of a valley district organization. Also in the mix is the town’s big
classic car show, paired with wine tastings . . .
At the show, Cece spots Regan, who is displaying her restored green ’72
Thunderbird convertible. As Cece pours tastes, she witnesses several heated
discussions with Regan—including an argument with wine afficionado and new
Colinas hardware store owner Greg Jardis. Otherwise, all goes smoothly—until
Sunday brings shocking news. Regan has been murdered . . .
Rumors fly that Richard may have orchestrated the homicide—or even committed
it. But Cece knows that’s absurd. And others in Cece’s orbit seem to have
discomfiting connections to Regan, from Cece’s employee, Dane, to her
winemaking teacher’s sister, Yolanda, to Colinas Mayor Guittierez. And after
Yolanda visits the wine bar, Benjamin says he recognizes her from a road race.
Determined to clear Richard’s name, and failing to extract any clues from
detectives, Cece once again enlists her twin, Allie, as her
partner-in-sleuthing. But they’ll have to act quickly, before the trail goes
sour . . .
I am at a disadvantage because I missed reading the first two books. From the current book, the reader derives that Cece Barton has moved to Colinas, CA, in wine country, after her divorce to be with her twin sister, Allie, a real estate agent. Although Cece is described as a single mother, her daughter is an adult, studying in Japan, so we don’t see much of that aspect in Cece’s character. Cece now owns a wine bar in the center of the historic district housed in an adobe building. Most of the wines she serves are from local wine makers. A big question I have is how Cece managed to own the bar, which was formerly owned by the town, for free—an arrangement somehow orchestrated by Allie. But then, that question may have been answered in a previous book.
At a town car show where Cece is displaying her 1966 Ford Mustang, she witnesses Regan Greene, the director of a regional organization, have arguments with three people, including one of her two servers at the wine bar, the town’s mayor, and the new owner of the hardware store. Regan is
murdered the following night. When Cece investigates Regan’s office, she discovers that her assistant hated her and doesn’t mind a bit that she’s dead. Eventually, the instrument of the murder is discovered to be poisonous wine, but anyone could have injected poison through the cork so that clue doesn’t eliminate suspects.
One character I loved is Cece’s ninety-two-year-old neighbor, Richard Flora, a former journalist who still writes the occasional feature. Cece and he find friendship in their backyard gardens where Cece’s two cats wander. One of Richard’s recent articles focused on Regan because of her clashes with the town government. Richard is at first considered a suspect because of his article, in which a sharp perspective on Regan’s management is apparent, but town detective Kelly Daniell gives him only a brief glance.
Henry and Ed are a married couple and friends of Cece’s. Henry owns an art gallery. Ed owns a local diner. Both host venues for Cece to investigate and trade informational tips.
The book was a cozy likeable read with a rich backstory and enough twists that it kept me captivated until the last page. The question that remains, which will motivate me to pick up the next book in the series, is what Cece’s beau Benjamin does for a living. His job is a secret!
E. B. Davis
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