From #1 Amazon & New York Times bestselling author Gemma Halliday comes murder, mirth, and mouth-watering delicacies in the next novel in the USA Today bestselling Wine & Dine Mysteries!While Emmy Oak started her culinary career as a personal chef to the stars, she’s perfectly content to now be back home at her family’s Oak Valley Vineyards, running the small but plucky winery. However, … winery. However, when one of her past clients—soap opera star Carrie Cross—purchases a vacation home in Wine Country, Emmy is happy to cater her housewarming party. Only, what starts as a Hollywood- worthy affair ends in tragedy, as one of Carrie’s costar guests is killed, and everyone is a suspect.
Detective Christopher Grant immediately sets his sights on Carrie’s husband, and this time Emmy isn’t so sure the tall, dark, and too-handsome-for-her-own-good detective is wrong. She has her own suspicions about the former child actor and his wife’s costar. But when a blackmail scheme, a wealthy estranged family, and a shifty cowboy from the wrong side of the tracks enter the scene, Emmy realizes Carrie’s husband isn’t the only person with reason to want the victim dead. As the danger mounts, the suspects multiply, and things heat up between Emmy and Grant, the killer homes in on a new target…and this is one party Emmy may not be leaving alive!
Simple and delicious recipes and affordable wine pairings included!
“Ms. Halliday is the undisputed queen of the genre.”
~ Fresh Fiction
“I rank A Sip Before Dying as one of my favorite fun reads. I say to Gemma Halliday, well done!”
~ The Book Breeze
“The Wine & Dine Mystery series is a definite to read and keep an eye out for more to follow.”
~ Cozy Mystery Book Review
Wine & Dine Mysteries:
A Sip Before Dying – book #1
Chocolate Covered Death – book #2
Victim in the Vineyard – book #3
Marriage, Merlot & Murder – book #4
Death in Wine Country – book #5
Fashion, Rosé & Foul Play – book #6
Rating: This story does not contain any graphic violence, language, or sexual encounters. Its rating would be similar to PG-13 or what you would find on a Hallmark Channel movie or TV series.
more
Beautiful setting, well written story & great characters. Wine country, a beautiful place for a celebrity to buy a house to get away from it all. Unfortunately murder follows. Emmy’s friend Carrie buys a house & asks her to cater the house warming party. All goes well until the end of the evening when Emmy stumbles upon a dead body. Unable to stay out of it she gets involved to help her friend. A great read until the end. I look forward to the next book.
Death in Wine Country earns 5+/5 Camera Close-ups…Entertaining Fun!
Gemma Halliday has penned another engaging drama in her Wine and Dine Mystery series set in the middle of one of my own favorite destinations…Sonoma wine country. Fame, whatever degree, is a double-edged sword. Carrie Cross, soap actress, can afford a luxurious second home in wine county, but needs to upgrade security measures to block overzealous fans. Emmy knew Ms. Cross from her L.A. days as a personal chef, and now, Emmy is set to cater Ms. Cross’s housewarming party with more cast members and “network mucky mucks” in attendance. Ava, Emmy’s BFF, is helping, but she’s a bit overwhelmed by the appearance of all the soap stars and accompanying gossip. And there was plenty! One of the guests, who has suffered a “demoralizing” on-screen demise from the show, is not happy or interested in playing nice. The evening of wine and vegan fare goes well, but Emmy overhears uncomfortable conversations, witnesses a few private squabbles, and finds Harper’s body in the corral…death by horse?
I am an eager fan not only of her well-developed mystery with plenty of suspects, realistic motives, enough twists to keep me guessing, and a satisfying conclusion, but for the characters she’s created. Emmy is a creative talent with a very caring nature for her friends, and she’s quite the addition to any investigation, however, she isn’t always forthcoming with law enforcement and is often told to stand down. Ava is also a creative, but with a contrasting over the top personality which often has her doing before thinking. The drama with its greed, women scorned, secrets, a few extra felonies, and lots of personal peril will also have readers treated to winery activities, endearing friendships, and lots of food and wine through bonus recipes offering easy-to-follow directions, Tips! for substitutions, and the best Wine Pairings to make the meal complete: Wine Marinated Stuffed Mushrooms, Seared Wagyu Steak, Prawns, Garlic & Chili Linguini, Blueberry Lemon Bread with Lemon Icing, Irish Coffee, Chicken Piccata, Simple Salmon, and Sherry Potatoes. I love it!
A new Emmy Oak story! Carrie, a famous friend of hers, hosts a housewarming party, with Emmy as caterer, and a woman ends up dead. The woman is a celebrity, too, and all signs seem to point to Carrie’s husband as the killer. Emmy also suspects him, but she finds and sees things as the days go on that make her question her initial thoughts.
Emmy will always investigate a case like this, to help her friends (or herself, in some cases) but more often than not she just winds up in trouble.
This was another fun Emmy story, with the usual characters making appearances, and is a great addition to the series.
Death in Wine Country is another wonderful cozy set at the Oak Winery that Emmy is trying to save. At the posh party she is catering, another body turns up. With too many suspects with too many possible motives, Emmy is once again in the midst of the investigation. This is an intriguing complex cozy with great recipes and wonderful characters. Don;t miss it.
All Emmy wants to do is keep the family winery afloat but a murder at a client/friend’s home has her looking for a murderer. There are plenty of obvious suspects with reasons to commit the crime but she is worried that the friend’s husband has the best motive.
You can’t help but want Emmy to succeed in business. She works so hard at finding new ways to bring in business but something always gets in the way. She is a likable, fun character and mix that with a hot detective makes for great romantic tension. This is the fifth book in the Wine & Dine series and could easily be read as a stand alone but you’ll want to read all five.
I absolutely love these books. Great characters, well crafted stories, just right mysteries that keep me turning pages, and plenty of laugh out loud moments. Emmy Oak runs her family winery in California’s beautiful wine country. She has a fun best friend in Ava, who runs a silver jewelry store and gets herself and Emmy into plenty of shenanigans in wanna be Charlie’s Angels style. In this mystery, Emmy’s old friend from time spent in LA has moved nearby and Emmy is catering her house warming. A murder on the property during the party gets Emmy involved once again in a murder investigation. Her favorite detective, Grant, is back, and as tempting as ever. Watching those two is really fun, though the romantic in me is ready for them to finally catch a break.
These books can be read stand alone, or in any order, but really you’ll want to read them all. They can’t come out fast enough for me. Thank you Gemma Halliday for another great read!
There is just NOTHING to dislike about this book! This well-written story keeps your attention from the very first page until the last word! This fun cozy is part of a series but does just fine as a stand-alone because the characters and plot are so well developed. As always, a dead body surfaces during an event that Emmy is involved in. This time, she has agreed to take a catering job for one of her former clients. Be certain that there is plenty of humor, a blooming romance, and a hunky detective and Emmy just can’t seem to stay out of the fray. Twists and turns that keep you guessing, you will love this book! And, if you haven’t read the others, you will certainly want to if for no other good reason, because they are so enjoyable! I received an advanced copy from the publisher and this is my unbiased, unsolicited review! I have not read a book written by this author that I haven’t LOVED. Go ahead! One-Click Now!