Peril by Pinot

Simply Scrumptious #2

by Tessa Aura

When a renowned wine critic is poisoned at the annual Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival, Anya, the talented chef at La Cucina, suddenly finds herself embroiled in a chilling mystery.

Anya is no stranger to pairing wine with gourmet Italian dishes, but when a notorious critic drops dead in front of her tasting booth, secrets and suspicion begin to swirl.

She’s a chef, not a sleuth, yet when Detective Ethan asks her to use her wine expertise to help solve the mystery, Anya dives in.

Suspects range from a slick wine merchant, Damiano, to a suspicious sommelier, Antonio; even her lifelong friend, Fabrizio, isn’t above suspicion.

When Corky, her clue-digging beagle, sniffs out a crucial wine bottle, Anya’s knowledge of a deadly scam in the wine world is now enough to get her killed.

She must uncork the truth and expose the culprit before the killer decides Anya is going to take her last sip.

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 3, 2025

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good cozy mystery taking place during a local wine festival. There are wine pairings with various meals with the chef, Anya who also is the amateur sleuth in this story. And as you might expect - a local critic who always seems to be rather negative in his reviews, ends up dead and from first look, it appears to be murder.
Her little beagle, Corky has a great ability to sniff out clues. Though Anya works with Ethan from the local police department, she does tend to rush off without him to find clues without much concern about her own safety. There is a lot of action and a number of possible suspects. Other than a couple suspects getting away from Anya when she was following them, there wasn't that good tension where the 'sleuth' almost gets caught or does get caught or you feel a sense if danger.
Overall a comfortable read and would recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an execellant written story that was very hard to put down until you finished it. The main character Anya Lombardi is a chef and a wine pairing expert, Who just happen to watch as the wine critic drop dead in front of her at the annual wine festival. There are so many suspects as the wine critic had a thing for giving some pretty bad review about the wines and food. The detective that is handling this case ask Anya for her expertise as she know wines so well. Anya and her dog Corky are willing to help in any way that they can. It takes just about the whole story to figureout who the murderer is but it helps the town to come together and finish having the last few days of the wine festival to heal some of the problems. Anya and the detective Ethan do have a very good working relationship and it looks like that could continue in their next story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A renowned wine critic is poisoned at the annual Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival. The wine critic dies in front of Anya's tasting booth. Anya is asked by Sheriff Ethan to help with the investigation as she knows a lot about wine. Anya is happy to help the sheriff out. There are a few people on Anya’s suspect list.

Peril by Pinot is a short, sweet, and cozy read that will keep you hanging on page after page chopping at the bit as you follow Anya with her little dog Corky as they look into the murder of the wine critic. Peril by Pinot kept guessing as to who the murderer was. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out who did it and why.

I can’t wait to read more in Tessa Aura’s Simply Scrumptious Cozy Culinary Mystery series. I recommend Peril by Pinot to all mystery and suspense fans! Grab your copy of Peril by Pinot today!

[R.S.05 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this cozy, culinary mystery book.

Unfortunately for me, it fell pretty flat.

It was an ok, average read - nothing really stood out as being good.

The writing style wasn’t the best, and I wasn’t a big fan of the characters.

The plot sounded interesting in the description, but the execution was lacking.

I was pretty bored while I read this. The suspense wasn't there, and nothing really kept me captivated with the story.

All in all, this was an ok read - The plot and execution fell a bit flat, and the suspense wasn't really there, but an ok read nonetheless.

With a bit more thought behind the execution of this story, I think it could have been better.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
⭐️⭐️

[Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful and delicious adventure in Riley’s Harbor and La Cucina restaurant. It’s a little difficult in reviewing such a richly plotted book with such great characters to avoid spoilers. The opening chapters about the wine festival and the pairings of food with particular wines are fascinating even though I am sure I could not afford some of the wines mentioned, and then, of course, someone dies. Our heroine, Anya Lombardi, continues to help run the festival and run the restaurant while solving the mystery of the death with the help of her faithful sidekick, Corky, a very smart beagle, and meanwhile, relationships develop nicely with a warm fuzzy ending just leaving us knowing there will be more. I can’t wait. This is a cozy mystery to satisfy all mystery fans, and I can recommend it without reservation.

[Willow Poteet · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the annual Riley's Harbour Wine Festival, La Cucina’s Chef Anya, finds herself in the middle of a murder when a local food and wine critic drops dead in front of her tasting booth.
Detective Ethan Moretti and his forensic team determine that cyanide is the poison that killed the critic, who is known for being impossibly picky and a bit of a jerk. The suspects are many and Detective Moretti asks Anya, with her extensive background in wine, to assist with the case. With the aid of her canine sidekick sniffing out clues, Anya can't help but get heavily involved.
This is a great book with plenty of twists and turns! The descriptions of the town and the food and wine make me want to visit Italy!
I also really liked the blossoming relationship between Anya and Ethan.
I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy and I am happy to leave this voluntary review.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is time for the annual Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival, and Anya, chef at La Cucina who is an expert with wine pairings and has a tasting booth there along with her smart, adorable beagle, Corky. She is also an amateur sleuth. When an obnoxious and not well liked wine critic drops dead in front of her booth things begin to change,especially when the medical examiner says it was poisoning. Detective Ethan asks the amateur sleuth, Anya and her clue sniffing beagle Corky to help with the case since she is an expert in the wine area which is directly involved in the murder since the poison had to do with tainted wine. There are so many twists and turns can Anya and Corky solve the crime? Once you begin this book, you just can't put it down until the surprise ending. I highly recommend this book! I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peril by Pinot: A Simply Scrumptious Cozy Culinary Mystery Book, my first enjoyable 128-page read from author Tessa Aura that I finished in under two hours. There are so many cozy mysteries out there and so many authors writing them they're like the old Bing Crosby song Gee, I Wish I Was Back In The Army "all you had to do was pick the age, the weight, the size", but they're popular and I read my share of them. “I received a Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I'll read more from this author, owning 4 other books by her. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018

[LuAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time I’ve read anything by this author. The story takes place in Italy, so it was a bit of a different read than I’m used to as most of my books have been in the U.S. The scene is a street market, so it was fun learning a bit about that culture. Unfortunately, the festival is interrupted by a murder and the story takes off from there. The main character is the chef at one of the best restaurants in the city, but I don’t think she was developed enough for the reader to get to know her. Other than that, the story was interesting, although somewhat predictable. For a cozy mystery, it did have the necessary parts so it’s worth the read.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like a good wine this series gets better with time. Anya is up against some master criminals this time. But Ethan is there to help. Almost as much as Corky. I loved the description of the festival and the harbor. Made me want to visit. Corky finding the important clues for Anya is fun. Just shows that animals have more going on than we realize. The characters are well written and you can't help but hate the villain. And anytime time an author can make you hate a character you know there is some good writing. Join Anya and Corky as they solve the latest mystery!

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anya is the very talented chef at La Cucina. When a wine critic suddenly drops dead at a Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival ,and in front of her tasting booth . She’s called by detective Ethan to sift through the clues as her trustee beagle sniffs the tones to find a clue to the mystery before she herself becomes history. And what IS her friend Fabrizio up to. It’s truly amazing ,what Tessa Aura lays out in her books , every clue is there if you know where to look. Immersive fun for everyone ,there’s great characters too .

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anya is an exceptional chef in Riley's Harbour. She is showcasing her food and wine pairings at the Riley's Harbour Wine Festival. After visiting her tasting booth, the food critic drops dead from poisoning! She joins forces with Detective Ethan to use her wine expertise to help solve the murder. With the help of her clue-sniffing beagle Corky, can they sort through the clues to find the killer? Short read with some interesting characters and a touch of romance, it grabs you right from the beginning! Perfect read for a cold winter day!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anya's town of Riley's Harbour is hosting a wine festival. The first night does not end well. Anya is determined to solve the mystery. The Local detective, Ethan accepts Anya's help. Along with her beagle, Corky, who is amazing at sniffing out clues, Anya gets to work helping to solve the crime. Anya is a chef and is an expert at pairing wine with food at the restaurant she works at, La Cucina. A good cozy for those who like wine, Italian food or adorable beagles.

[Big Fat Hairy Man · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anya, current chef at La Cucina, is manning her wine tasting booth at the local wine festival when a local critic falls dead in front of her poisoned. It's up to her and her dog, Corky, to help out local detective, Ethan, get to the bottom of things. This is a quick, cozy mystery with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged till the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jean Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anya's town of Riley's Harbour is hosting a wine festival. The first night ends with the discovery of the murder of a food critic who was disliked by all. Anya is determined to solve the mystery, so teams up with her beagle Corky and detective Ethan to solve the crime. A short, quick read with a touch of romance and interesting characters. I received an ARC copy of this book and this is my honest, voluntary review.

[Dwayne Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wine critic drops dead in front of Anya’s booth at Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival. Ethan, the sheriff, asks her to help with the case as she is more familiar with wine than he is. The more she investigates, the more suspects she finds. Can she unearth the true killer before becoming the next victim?

[Marsha Asquith · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a renowned wine critic is poisoned at the annual Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival, Anya, the talented chef at La Cucina, suddenly finds herself embroiled in a chilling mystery.

Can Anya and Corky, her dog, find the truth before the danger finds them?
This fun page turner will have you on the edge of your seat!

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the wine critic dies during the festival and Anya, and Corky, find evidence they just have to dig deeper.
A fun cozy mystery with great characters and a storyline the kept twisting and turning. A relaxing read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Eliz Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC and this is my voluntary review. A good fast read cozy that has great food, wine and plenty of suspects. Anya, her loyal pup Corky and Ethan have to sleuth and find a murderer. A good book that has wonderful character development and look forward to reading more from this talented author.

[Deborah Ortega · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun story with a lot of suspects. The town is enjoying a Wine Festival until a Wine Critic dies after drinking a glass. This was fun trying to figure out who killed the critic and why. He was disliked since he gave harsh reviews and was very critical. I enjoyed this book and I recommend it.

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anya looks into the death of a food critic with the help of her canine companion, Corky. Corky is able to sniff out the clues that the police otherwise wouldn't find making Anya and Detective Ethan the perfect pair to get to the bottom of the murder. This is a quick and enjoyable read.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable story. I really liked the characters. I enjoyed following them as they searched for clues to solve the murder. The pacing was perfect. The story kept my interest until the end. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anya is working at the La Cucina booth at the wine festival when she sees a man grab his throat and fall to the ground dead. It is the local wine/food critic and someone has poisoned him. Anya and her beagle Corky are investigating with the local police detective Ethan and bring down the bad guys.

[Michelle Custer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good set at a wine festival a wine critic was murdered. He must have sensed something was about to happen because he wrote a letter to the editor and dropped off hours before the murder happened, on this letter he had stated about illegal wine companies and payoffs

[Emmy McCabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riley's Harbor Wine Festival is in full force when Bernard Ricci, the local wine and food critic is murdered by poison. Anya saw the incident and along with Detective Ethan Moretti, they team up to find out what happened.

[Lisa Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has a talent with her books. She got me on the first page! I could not wait to read who the killer was. You will love chef Anya and her partner in crime Corky her beagle.

[Beth Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute! Anya and her dog, Corky, go on quite the adventure trying to solve a murder in her town. She does help find the suspect but also finds love too. What a fun read!