Sinfandel

by Gina Cresse

When the body of a young apprentice winemaker is discovered while Kate Cimaglia’s Zinfandel grapes are being harvested, Kate has no idea there is a connection between the dead girl and her latest assignment to straighten out the California wine grape harvest database. The last thing Kate needs is a corpse to deal with. She already has narcotics Detective Obermeyer hounding her after a stand of marijuana plants is discovered near her vineyard, and she’s sure her low-life neighbor is the culprit, but convincing Obermeyer isn’t easy. On top of that, her lying, cheating ex, Roger, shows up after ten years and wants to pick up where things left off… yeah, like that’s going to happen, especially now that Kate is convinced Roger is the Grass Valley sniper taking potshots at passing cars in the middle of the night. But too-nice Kate can’t bring herself to turn him in until she knows for sure. To make matters worse, she can’t balance the records she’s been hired to fix and it turns out she’s uncovered a massive case of fraud being committed by… well, she doesn’t know who, exactly, but she’s determined to find out. And then there’s Kate’s vineyard manager, Andy Carmichael, who must have been in the chiseled-jaw line when God was handing out charm. The two of them didn’t hit it off from the start, and Kate’s not sure they ever will, but there are times when she could just… punch him or kiss him, depending on her mood. When Kate finally unravels the mystery of who forged millions of dollars worth of Zinfandel grapes, she discovers that the dead apprentice winemaker figured it out, too. If Kate doesn’t want to suffer the same fate, she has to act fast to save herself.

Genres: Mystery

276 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2012

About the author

Gina Cresse is the author of Colton P.I. - Second Unit, an action-filled detective mystery/thriller inspired by Robert B. Parker's Spencer series. Also, Sinfandel, a light-hearted, fun--and sometimes funny--wine murder-mystery set in California's Central Valley. Gina is also the author of the Devonie Lace Mysteries--a series about a woman who tries to simplify her life by becoming something of a "Storage Wars" star, only she has a knack for buying trouble instead of treasures.

Reviews

[Dawn]

Fun read!

I loved it. So much going on and well developed characters made this such a great book. Can't wait to read more from Gina Cresse!

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read. Implausible, stupid protagonist.

[Janejellyroll · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very meh.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of light mystery I enjoy. Heroine Kate buys an old vineyard and immediately starts having problems. Low on funds, she takes a consulting job to straighten out the database on Napa valley grapes. Not only does she find problems with the data, someone reports marijuana growing on her property. And the detective on the case suspects Kate.

Other problems quickly arise. Her ex, who happens to like guns, unexpectedly appears about the time somebody starts taking potshots at motorists. She can't keep a raccoon family out of her cat food stores. An assistant she hires might be hunky but he's not very sociable. Oh, and a missing woman shows up dead--in a cave on Kate's property, guarded by buzzards.

This story has an animal cast (horses, cats, dogs, raccoons, buzzards...) that I loved. And I probably learned more about the different kinds of grapes and their agriculture than I wanted to know. But the real test was in figuring out whodunnit. And I didn't till the very end.

Really good read.

[Germaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

For once, those five star reviews on Amazon are right! This is an well plotted, well written chick mystery set in the "lesser" wine country of California. The author has created an interesting mix of wine, computers, horses, raccoons, and incipient romance. The heroine is a novice vineyard owner and the plot has to do with the fraudulent sale of grapes -- something I'd never even knew existed. The implied romance comes in the form of the hunky neighbor she hires as her vineyard manager. The heroine's ongoing conflict with a family of raccoons who steal her cat food is worth reading on its own merits. Best of all, the author can really write, and the text is free of the annoying formatting and spelling errors which plague many Kindle editions.

This isn't great literature, but it's a good read. I intend to look for the author's other books.

[Jemima Pett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A murder mystery thriller, set in the Californian winegrowing region, with a lover of horses, dogs, cats, but not raccoons, up to her eyes in grapes, debt and databases. Oh and there’s an attractive man as well as various nutcases all trying to get to know her better!

There are plenty of twists and turns in this enjoyable romp through the vineyards, and plenty of danger as well as misdirection. It’s well written, with believable and engaging characters. I love the idea of the heroine uncovering a sophisticated fraud whilst trying to debug some databases. It was nice to get some inside information on the trials and tribulations of wine growers, enough to put any dream of retiring to a little vineyard right out of my mind! It’s a story that appeals to the person that enjoys details as well as a fast paced puzzle.

Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.

[Adite · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title hooked me. It promised intrigue, hinted at a story set in vineyards and the book more than lived up to its promise. It's a mystery story set in an American vineyard. When a body turns up at down-and-out winemaker Kate's vineyard, things go from bad to worse. Trying to make ends meet, her research into zinfandel growing vineyards only makes her an easy target for an assassin. A bit of romance is thrown in with the arrival of vineyard manager Andy Carmichael, complete with chiseled jawline. :) But could he be trying to kill her? Written in chick lit style Kate's humour was appealing though at times it made me wonder how someone who is in so much danger (besides the fact that she is completely broke) could be in constant good humour! Overall, it was a quick entertaining read but more of a mystery than a romance.

[Marla Bradeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sinfandel is an amusing cozy mystery, bordering on chick-lit. Cresse combines humor, fun characters, and a unique setting to create an enjoyable story. There is a slight romantic storyline, which thankfully does not overshadow the mystery element. The numerous animals involved are contributing characters in their own way and added to the entertainment factor. As someone unfamiliar with how wine is made, I found the information on vineyards and the wine-making process to be intriguing.

I appreciated that the book moved at a fast pace, although I felt the final reveal could have unfolded slower. The ending felt a bit rushed. Overall though, I enjoyed this story.

[DeAnna Kinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very delightful and charming. Kate was a character oozing with personality; someone with charm and sass that the reader could relate to and envy at the same time.
As someone who deals with racoons herself, I was totally enthralled at the way the author wove that lighthearted segment into the story and then was surprisingly shocked that those little rascals actually helped a vital clue to the mystery. Brilliant!!
Keep up the good work Gina Cresse. You have what it takes!!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a self-published novel, I have to say I was impressed. This was exactly was I was expecting--a nice, light cozy full of wine (there were even bonus amusing animals). The ending was a bit rushed, but it was an easy read perfect for a bit of escapism. This is one of the few self-published books I think I'd recommend...and it would probably make a fun gift with a bottle of wine and a bar of chocolate.

[Helen Stothard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay crime story, after a lot of suspense it ended pretty quickly once you found out who dunnit, and several questions were never answered about earlier characters in the book and their part in it. I want sure if there was supposed to be a romance between Andy and Kate, if there was it want much to write about and just confused the issue. Idea behind the story was good and it was an okay read.

[Patricia Ibarra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kate Cimaglia embarks in a new endeavor and buys a vineyard to produce high quality wine. Unfortunagely for her a corpse is found in her property and all her activity comes to a halt. Detective Overmeyer is intent on finding the killer. Guilt is cast on everybody, her neighbor, an ex-lover, and workers. Very slow plot and rather than a thriller it ends up being a romantic boring story. I regretted losing my time reading it.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from GoodReads First Reads.

This book was pleasant and entertaining with a main character who was humorous and smart. The plot was interesting, but the only downside was that I figured out who the murderer was pretty soon into the book. I would have preferred more of a twist.

Still, a fun, enjoyable read!

[Cristi DiGenova · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, especially since I'd just vacationed in wine country. I would have traded in some descriptions of the food that Kate ate (which did sound great) for a little more development of the romantic relationships.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story. good mystery, especially when I was able to solve it! thanks for a fun book.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle freebie. Cute story.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle freebie. I enjoyed it well enough, but the end was rather rushed.

[Janice L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

was better than I expected it to be since it was a freebie. I got through Pixel of Ink.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good kindle freebie

[Coralyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very enjoyable comic murder and mystery story!