Author: Nancy J. Parra
Series: Wine Country Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (December 12, 2017)
Description: Taylor O’Brian is a new businesswoman, founder of “Taylor’s Off The Beaten Path Wine Tours,” who lives on a small winery with her Aunt Jemma. She plans to take small groups around romantic Sonoma county to discover some of the county’s outdoor gardens. It’s all running as smooth as can be until Laura, the leader of the group of yoga instructors she’s leading, is found dead. And it’s Taylor’s corkscrew that’s found buried in Laura’s neck.
She’s not sure who to trust, and everyone around suddenly seems suspect. Only two weeks after the murder, her very own administrative assistant, Amy, marries Laura’s husband, Dan, who doesn’t seem very bereaved about being widowed, and the three yoga masters who were also out on the tour begin to seem shady. Taylor can’t afford to jump ship from her new business endeavor, but just as she begins her investigation, another dead body surfaces. This time, it’s Dan’s sister. And the killer is coming for Taylor next.
Now it’s up to Taylor to uncork this open-bottle mystery, before more blood is spilled. For fans of Laura Childs and Ellen Crosby, A Case of Syrah, Syrah is the charming first in bestselling author Nancy J. Parra’s Wine Country mysteries.
My Thoughts: Taylor O'Brian has started a new business in the Sonoma wine country. She wants to do bus tours of little known attractions. Her first tour group are yoga instructors including the instructor who had an argument with Taylor when she came late to a class. Laura, the micromanaging instructor, is found dead with a corkscrew in her throat, and Taylor becomes the prime suspect.
Taylor and her friend Holly begin to investigate to clear her name. Then, Laura's sister-in-law is found dead - by Taylor - which just makes her look more suspicious. Despite constant warning by the handsome sheriff and her equally hand some lawyer, Taylor keeps investigating the crime and putting herself and her friends in danger.
I kept hoping that the sheriff would put her in jail for her own protection. She was impulsive, thoughtless, and reckless. Her friend Holly wasn't much better and encouraged Taylor in her reckless behavior. When they teamed up with reporter Chelsea, the dangerous behavior escalated. The girls were trying to figure out who killed Laura and Ivy and why. Meanwhile, Holly has been a victim of identity theft and is dealing with all the issues that comes with that and Taylor is trying to save her fledgling tour business.
Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this one if they can get beyond the reckless behavior of the main character.
Favorite Quote:
"Nine-one-one. What is your emergency?"I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
"Hi, I'm on a trail at Quarryhill, and I've got an unresponsive, injured woman halfway down the cliff face. Can you send help?"
"I'm sending out a rescue crew now."
"I think I can reach her," I said. "Can I go down and check for injuries?"
The plot was truly puzzling. The murderer had to be someone on the tour, didn’t it? Taylor learned more about the group every day and a variety of motives were uncovered. I didn’t put all the pieces together until the very end. Twists, turns, red herrings, this story has them all.
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