Murder in the Wine Country

Murder in the Wine Country by Janet Finsilver takes us back to Red Cove, California. Kelly Jackson, manager of Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast, is participating in an event to raise awareness on the plight of veterans. Kelly is looking forward the foraging expedition to look for edible greens. She is surprised when the game warden advises them to go in pairs because of poachers making off with a rare succulent, Dudleya farinose. The Silver Sentinels need a new project, so they begin looking into the poaching problem. Before the events can begin, a friend of Phil’s, Eric Stapleton is killed. Eric was acting as a consultant on the sale of the Sagatini Winery. Everyone is shocked when Phil ends up at the top of the suspect list. Kelly and show more the Silver Sentinels set out prove his innocence. Murder in the Wine Country is the 6th A Kelly Jackson Mystery. Each book in this charming series can be read on its own. I like the variety of characters in this series especially the Silver Sentinels. Tommy, Helen’s son, is a cutie who is full of energy. The setting of Redwood Cove is just lovely. The author’s vivid word imagery brings the setting to life. I found Murder in the Wine Country to be well-written and engaging with the story moving along at a steady pace. It was interesting learning about edible greens. The chefs make some tasty dishes with their foraged ingredients. I appreciate that the romance between Scott and Kelly moves along slowly. The spend time together when they can, and they are taking their time getting to know each other. The mystery had a couple of different components to it (which I loved). I liked that Kelly took a more active sleuthing role in this book. It is always entertaining following Kelly and the Silver Sentinels as they dig up clues and uncover the guilty party. Murder in the Wine Country has a great conclusion that nicely wraps up the mysteries. Murder in the Wine Country is a diverting cozy mystery with foraging for flora, wonderful wines, succulent stealers, valiant veterans, and a perplexing puzzle. show less

Local wineries in Redwood Cove are sponsoring tastings, in preparation for a cooking competition where professional chefs will cook with wild edible greens that they found in the local forest. Kelly Jackson, the manager at the B&B wants to join in even though she has been warned about poachers, who have been stealing a locally growing wild rare succulent, Dudleya farinosa. The Silver Sentinels, who normally only investigate mysterious events decide to join forces with environmental activists known as the Succulent Saviors to catch the poachers. When a wine merchant is found murdered in the forest and others begin to disappear, Kelly and the Silver Sentinels are back investigating as normal, but the circumstances aren't normal.

This show more mystery had me on the edge of my chair waiting for the rescues or tragedies - wasn't sure what was going to happen.

Love the locale and characters - read it with a glass of wine! show less

“Murder in the Wine Country” includes two mysteries to be solved. Innkeeper Kelly works with members of her community to devise a special weekend, designed for philanthropists who might be interested in creating a community like Redwood Cove. When one of the presenters is killed, Kelly joins with the Silver Sentinels to look into the situation. Poachers, a possible kidnapping, forgery, and theft combine to make two differently dangerous mysteries in which Kelly involves herself. The book wraps up with an overview of what the Redwood Cove community is all about. This information would have made more sense to me if it came at the beginning of the novel.

The characters are quirky and interesting, although the plot seems to drag at show more times. While I enjoyed the book, the two plots running parallel to each other seemed confusing at times. They could just as likely have been written as two novellas, which may have been more enjoyable to readers. Although this is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. The author provides enough information at the end to lead into the next book in the series. This is a cozy mystery with no overt or descriptive violence, adult situations, or “colorful” language.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. show less