From #1 Amazon, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Gemma Halliday comes a brand new series full of mystery, laughter, and murder in wine country…The Oak Valley Vineyard has been in Emmy Oak’s family for generations. So when the small Sonoma winery is suddenly in financial trouble and in danger of being gobbled up by the corporate giants, Emmy moves home to try to save her legacy … legacy with her modern culinary know-how. First step-she throws a party showcasing her latest vintage and signature tasty treats to a group of wine country’s most elite enthusiasts. Only when one of her VIP guests sips a glass of poisoned wine and dies in her cellar, Emmy’s name is on everyone lips for all the wrong reasons.The victim was the young, boy-toy husband of one of Silicon Valley’s most successful female CEOs… and his playboy ways and suspicious spending habits have almost no one mourning his death. Enter Detective Christopher Grant, recent SFPD transplant, who is assigned to the case and immediately hones in on Oak Valley. But Emmy is determined to clear her winery’s name-even if Grant’s dark eyes, sexy smile, and mysterious past threaten to distract her. After calling in the big guns to help her-a.k.a. her jewelry designer best friend and copious amounts of cookie dough ice cream-Emmy finds herself digging through a slew of suspects to uncover crimes, grudges, and secret affairs that could put a soap opera to shame. Can Emmy find out just which of the upper crust poisoned the victim’s vintage…or will Emmy’s next sip be her last? Simple and delicious recipes included!
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I enjoyed this book. It was fun, cute and kept me interested throughout.
Enjoyed the book and looking forward to the next one!!
Fun characters in a great setting; full of mystery, suspense and a super hunky detective as well. A family-owned winery/vineyard in Sonoma sets the stage for this wonderful cozy that will keep you entertained and swiping the pages on your Kindle to find out who the killer is. Gemma Halliday is a master at penning cozy mysteries and this one is no exception. Super enjoyable from the very first page, well-developed story, and characters. One click this book now!
A truly enjoyable and entertaining read! If you love fun cozy mysteries, come along for a ride through wine country with Emmy, her friend Ava, and that blasted but oh so adorable new investigator in town, Detective Grant! Emmy is trying to get her vineyard back into the black when a dead body turns up in the wine cellar. What else is an enterprising owner supposed to do but sleuth her way to the answers before sales get any worse.
It’s quite the cast of characters you meet along the way. All are well developed, complex, and thought provoking. Was the deceased a cheater and gold-digger? Was it the jealous step son or the grieving widow? Emmy has her challenges ahead and someone is clearly trying to dissuade her sleuthing. This is a page turner. You will smile and wonder your way to the end, and if you are like me, you won’t be able to stand the wait to see these folks again. Gemma Halliday does it again. Don’t miss it!
A Sip Before Dying is an interesting cozy mystery set in wine country. There are many suspects and a lot of plot twists. A bonus is that I did not guess the murderer! Emma and Ava are both very vested in seeing their businesses succeed. When a murder occurs at the invitation only party Emmy planned to showcase her winery, she and Ava attempt to find the murdered. With sparkling characters and a hunky detective, this is a cozy mystery you will not want to miss.
A Sip Before Dying by Gemma Halliday was decent, but nothing that I’m going to rave about. I was really excited since I enjoy drinking wine and the tech mogul is a woman, but that wasn’t enough for me to really get into this cozy.
All the tropes of the typical cozy are here; young woman given a business, hot cop who the protagonist doesn’t tell any clues to, and a best friend side-kick. There was nothing that really made this cozy stand out though. Even the killer was pretty easy to spot by way of no one talking to them. And as far as Emmy talking to the suspects, I was really surprised by how quickly and in depth everyone answered her questions… that was just a bit too unrealistic…
I would give the second book in the Wine & Dine Mysteries a read if it magically showed up in my TBR pile, but I wouldn’t go seeking it out.
Gemma Halliday is a new author to me but I am loving this first cozy mystery in this series. What’s not to like, it is set in Sonoma’s lovely wine country. The lead character is Emmy and she has come back to run her father’s winery. Emmy is funny and smart and just getting to know the ins and outs of running the winery. I can see this series just getting better and better.
Cute premise but somewhat ridiculous dependence on suspects answering questions from someone outside their social circle and not at all connected with the police.
This book wasn’t very long so if you want a light read it fits the bill. It’s a typical nosy person trying to solve a crime book but I enjoyed it and would read the second one in the series.
“A Sip Before Dying” earns 5/5 Glasses of Petite Sirah…Clever & Entertaining!
Cheers to a great beginning! Gemma Halliday’s signature well-written story filled with wonderful characters is just what I expected. At the age of twenty-nine, Emmy Oak inherited. her family’s Oak Valley Vineyard with its ten-acres of vines, oak-lined driveway, Spanish-style buildings, and “the cave,” a wine cellar housing a variety of reds and whites. It’s true most business owners worry about the ratio between assets and debts, but for Emmy this angst could mean ruin. She doesn’t want to be the one to lose the vineyard, so she devises a plan to turn things around and bring the vineyard into the black. Her first event went very well, compliments flowed, and hopes to become a destination are bright, all comes to a screeching halt when one guest is found in the wine cellar…dead! Noooo, this cannot be happening! Ok, the effect on the vineyard shouldn’t really be foremost in Emmy’s thoughts, someone is dead, but after seeing the less-than-encouraging headlines and at her BFF’s insistence, she is spurred on to find out what happened and restore the vineyard’s image.
Unlike some firsts where authors spend several chapters setting up the the setting, characters, and conflicts, Gemma weaves background and connections throughout the story, and quickly arrives to the point of every cozy mystery…the murder. The investigation uncovers multiple suspects with some traditional motives like money and family, but still it ends with a very clever solution. I was engaged with the first-person narrative from Emmy’s perspective sharing her inner thoughts and fears along with vivid descriptions, dialogue illustrating emotion and personality, and enough oops for giggles and peril for nail-biting. All in all, this is the beginning of a great cozy series no one should miss!
And, of course, a book about wining and dining is not complete without some wining and dining. Six marvelous recipes with helpful shortcuts for timid chefs and suggestions for the perfect wine pairing! First, Emmy’s Spanish Style Paella that was a big hit at her evening event. Then be prepared for the delicious Baked Brie Fettuccini, Espresso Waffles with Mocha Sauce paired with Raspberry Bellinis, Mexican Lasagna, and Truffle Risotto Bites. Ok, now my experience is complete!
I really loved this novel. I’m a huge fan of cozies though and it seems to take a lot to disappoint me. I want a great cast, a fun story, and a difficult to solve mystery. This book definitely has it all! Along with wine and recipes. Emmy’s a great character, and it was such a quick read. I highly recommend it!
Loved this book! a fun twisty turvy story set in wine country with interesting characters and a good storyline. romance and murder!