A young winemaker is over a barrel when her new boyfriend is accused of murder in this delightful cozy mystery.It’s fall in Boulder, Colorado, and the leaves aren’t the only things changing. Parker Valentine, owner of Vino Valentine, is finally settling in to her winery and her new relationship with Reid Wallace, a local chef. But their delicate pairing is endangered when Reid’s estranged family … estranged family comes into town to celebrate the opening of his new restaurant.
Reid and his family are immediately at loggerheads, given their often acidic temperaments, but Parker still wants to make a good first impression. However, her efforts might be in vain when Reid’s sous chef is found dead in the alley behind the restaurant, and Reid is implicated in the murder. In order to save Reid, Parker will have to find the real killer, even if the truth is difficult to swallow.
more
A Pairing to Die For is book two in the “A Colorado Wine Mystery” series. Parker is spending most of her time coming up with new wine blends and keeping up with her new boyfriend, Reid. Unfortunately, his arrogant family comes to town, and chaos ensues, childhood mischief comes back to haunt Reid, and murder soon follows.
Parker is a character who is consistent, loyal, and ready to help no matter the personal cost. When Reid is accused of killing another chef, Parker knows he is innocent and sets out to prove it. Reid’s family doesn’t seem to care, and they offer no help. The only person she can turn to is a friend and the lead detective on the case, who happens to be a former love interest. Things get weird quickly as the wine flows, and Parker finds to her horror that she has become the target of a possible killer.
The suspects in this new book center mainly around Reid’s restaurant and his employees. Some have motives to have killed the victim, but none of them seem likely. Reid has secrets, and Parker has to uncover all of them to show that he isn’t a killer. Parkers wine and the winery, as well as Reid’s restaurant, are the primary locations throughout the story but the details and descriptions do not get bogged down or repetitive.
This story revolves around family relationships, as we get a good idea of Reid’s childhood and how he was raised, and the dynamic between Parker and her mother comes more clearly into focus and allows their relationship to mature. Her mother is showing an interest in winemaking and helping Parker with her business, while Reid’s mother tries to convince him that Parker isn’t good enough for him. In the end, the killer is exposed but does not bring comfort to anyone involved. Both parent/child relationships are enhanced, and Parker and Reid are brought closer. My only problem with this book was that I do not like the present tense format of this book; it made it hard to read and stopped the flow. However, I recommend that readers grab their favorite food, a nice glass of wine, and settle in their favorite chair to enjoy A Pairing to Die For.
I really enjoyed this second installment in the Colorado Wine Mystery series. The writing is smooth and seamless, and the setting descriptions draw the reader into the beautiful setting. The wine-making processes are an added bonus to an intriguing mystery and entertaining characters. The only downside, for me, was the present tense style. I found it a bit jarring, just as I did in book one of the series. Other than that, I found the book to be a fun read. Looking forward to more in the series!
The first book in this series was one of the best I had read last year so I was really looking forward to reading A Pairing to Die For. This second book did not disappoint and I’ve already pre-ordered the next book in the series due out later this year. There is so much in this book to keep the reader engaged and turning pages. I really enjoy all of the characters and find them to be well written. The author has done a good job of growing their relationships – especially Parker’s relationship with her mother. If you enjoy wine or have an interest in learning about the process, this series offers the reader a nice peek “behind the curtain” without taking too much from the story or the mystery. The mystery was solid and kept me guessing until the end. The author did a nice job of throwing me off track. About mid-way through the story, I thought I knew the killer’s identity but then the author diverted my attention with some red herrings that fooled me. The story and mystery are wrapped up with an ending that once again finds Parker in danger but coming out only a little worse for wear.
This is a terrific series, and frankly, I’ve not been overly impressed with some of the new cozy mystery authors that have been released by this publisher lately. I’m hopeful that this is a series that will stick around for a while because I would like to see where this author takes the characters and what future mysteries she has in store.
Reid Wallace’s estranged family has come for a visit to Boulder, Colorado, and Parker Valentine is hoping to make a good impression on her boyfriend’s family. However, things aren’t going well as Reid’s family is constantly judging everything she says as not being up to their standards. Never mind their opinions of her wine. The visit is interrupted when Reid is arrested for murder. Oscar, the sous chef at Reid’s restaurant and his long-time friend, was murder behind the restaurant, and the police are certain that Reid did it. Parker doesn’t believe that Reid is capable of murder and sets out to figure out what really happened. Can she free her boyfriend from jail?
The first in this series was one of my favorite books from 2020, so I had high hopes for this one. I’m pleased to say I enjoyed it. There is plenty of conflict in this book to keep us hooked. I did think the pacing started to slow in the middle, but about the time I thought that, it picked up again and kept going until we reached the end. The characters are still rich, and I appreciated the growth in their relationships, while the new characters fit perfectly into Parker’s world. For those interested because of the wine theme, there are plenty of scenes in Parker’s winery. I’d forgotten that this series is written in the present tense, which I don’t mind once my brain adjusts. There are three delicious sounding recipes with suggested wine pairings at the end of the book. If you haven’t started this series, you need to fix that. If you’ve read the first, this book will please you.
“A Pairing to Die For” by Kate Lansing the second instalment in the “Colorado Wine Mystery” series. I struggled sometimes with all the wine references, being a non drinker but over all I enjoy this series. I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in a few days. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises.
I loved the characters which are well developed, especially Parker she makes a good protagonist. The secondary characters Sage, Liam, even her mum were likeable as well. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Parker and Reid.
I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Berkeley Publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The second in the series felt remarkably similar to the first. Parker is “forced” to investigate a murder, this time because her boyfriend Reid has been arrested for the crime. While this mystery was solid, and I pieced together some elements but not all–definitely less predictable than the first–it leaves me, as a reader, wondering what next? Everything seems so neatly wrapped up, both personally and professionally for the characters, and I can’t fathom how Parker could find herself involved in a crime again. Then again, cozy mystery authors always seem to find a way…
This book is a fairly standard cozy mystery–nothing particularly groundbreaking, but nothing bad either. If you’re really into wine or Boulder, you might prefer this to some others. I wish the author had dialed back the references to Redi’s “cocky/cocksure grin”–not sure why that aggressive repetition wasn’t caught in editing. One of my comments about the first book was that I hoped the author would use the location more to her advantage, and I appreciated the further integration of Boulder, CO into the story with references to the mountains, the farmer’s market, and more areas of town.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!
4 stars – 6/10
A Pairing to Die For by Kate Lansing is another great book in the Colorado Wine Mystery series! Once again, Lansing does an amazing job with character development. We meet Reid’s family right away in the book and see that Lansing can write characters who are horrible people, as well as characters you want to be friends with. The dinner scene at the beginning was so excruciating, but felt true to life for me. And if you’ve never experienced a dinner like that before, then I am very happy for you!
Romance is often a part of cozy mysteries since you have to have a contact in the police/legal/newspaper field, but I really enjoy the romance in this cozy series. The way Reid stands up for Parker is wonderful to see in a relationship. I know it’s just a book, but I have seen many couples in real life who do not have this important fundamental part of a relationship, so it’s nice to be able to read about one. Even though Parker’s faith in Reid truly being innocent gets tested a bit, of course, it all turns out well.
I did have a strong and correct suspicion about who the killer was early on, but Lansing really did do well with the red herrings and twists. I just read so many mysteries, that you kind of get a feel for it.
But I will say, with the killer’s reveal, it will add an interesting dynamic to future books in the series. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all will play out, and am looking forward to book three in the Colorado Wine Mysteries.