Bottle-Shock: A Deadman Gulch Mystery

by Kim Fielding

Just don’t call it a midlife crisis.

Everett Vaughn divorced his husband, quit his job as a Chicago attorney, and spent a year wandering the country as he tried to decide what to do with the rest of his life. Now he’s landed temporarily in the former gold rush town of Deadman Gulch, California, where he’s helping his sister open a new bookshop just in time for the annual celebration of local wineries.

When property developer Blake Cannon is in need of a handyman, it seems like an easy way for Everett to pad his dwindling bank account—until Cannon balks at paying him. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Everett soon discovers him dead in Cannon’s wine cellar.

Eager to remove his name from the list of suspects, Everett starts to do a little nosing around, much to the displeasure of his sister and the insufferably smug and handsome investigating sheriff, Sergeant Cole McBeth. In a town where most people are happy to see the last of Cannon but otherwise seem like very nice folk, Everett faces a challenge bigger than any of his courtroom battles.

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2026

About the author

Kim Fielding lives in Oregon and travels as often as she can manage. A professor by day, at night she rushes into a phone booth to change into her author costume (which involves comfy clothes instead of Spandex and is, sadly, lacking a cape). Her superpowers include the ability to write nearly anywhere, often while simultaneously doling out assistance to her family. Her favorite word to describe herself is "eclectic" and she finally got that seventh tattoo.

Reviews

[Kim]

I'm so excited for this new series in a new-to-me genre! Bottle-Shock is a cozy mystery set in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Expect an amateur detective in way over his head, a quirky town full of quirky characters, and, of course, a murder to be solved. Oh, and then there's the hunky cop....

If you've read my book Rattlesnake, you can imagine that Deadman Gulch is set not far from there. This is wine country, although it's very different from some of California's glitzier places like Napa and Sonoma. If you're familiar with the region, think Murphys.

This is not a romance, although there's a touch of that in this story (did I mention the hunky cop?). I hope you'll join me in my newest literary direction!

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everett Vaughn arrives in Deadman Gulch, California, courtesy of what can only be described as a midlife crisis. Newly divorced, no longer a lawyer, and trying to figure out what comes next, Everett's initial plan is to help sister open a bookstore. Somehow Everett ends up being hired as handyman by a not-well-liked property developer, and then few days later stumbling across that developer's dead body.

Bottle-Shock is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Kim Fielding, and I think it works well as an introduction. The story is told entirely from Everett's perspective (third person), so we really get to settle into his character.

I enjoyed getting to know the people of Deadman Gulch too and was quite amused to see Everett slowly turn into the town’s everyday jack-of-all-trades. Probably not what he had in mind when he moved there.

The mystery itself was engaging. I liked how Everett approached the investigation and pieced things together. UNFORTUNATELY, the resolution was a bit of a letdown for me as a cozy mystery reader.

Yes, Everett was on the right track -- but he didn’t actually solve the case. The murderer essentially shows up before Everett can fully connect the dots. Even Sergeant Cole McBeth, the lead investigator, doesn't quite get there before the reveal.

So yes, strong setup… but a less satisfying payoff, in my opinion.

That said, I still gave this 4 stars because I'm definitely intrigued by the series. I genuinely enjoyed the small-town vibe of Deadman Gulch. As expected, news travels fast and everyone knows everyone - but thankfully, it doesn’t feel overly nosy or suffocating.

Also, I'm curious to see how Everett settles into his new life - especially with his new cat - and whether a certain romance might develop. (I’m calling it now: Everett and Cole. Feels very on-brand for this genre 😄)

[Tex Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 of 5 stars - Gay City Slicker Is The New Cowboy In This Here Town

I love westerns, historical and contemporary, and enjoyed how Kim Fielding set the small town scene and had her MC imagining what it was like in the Old West. I'd say her initial flurry into writing a cozy mystery was a success.

I'm always amused at the term "cozy mystery," because how is murder cozy? Well, if Jessica Fletcher and Poirot could pull it off, why not Everett? And like Jessica's town, it'll be interesting to see how many murders there can be in a series in this former gold rush town. But for now, I was fully engaged in this one.

For one, the mystery itself was quite good. First, you wonder about the who and how of the murder. And then, how will Everett get out of it. And it's pretty reasonable in how he tries to do that as an amateur sleuth. The clues are there, which helped me early on, even before Everett (lol, *talking to my screen,* Everett, don't you remember this?!).

For two, Everett is very likeable, almost too perfect - visiting to help his sister, can do any handyman job, but forthrightly says he's not licensed (of course, he is escaping from being an lawyer in Chicago, where I live, so I liked those references). I appreciated that he was middle aged (but "don't call it a mid-life crisis," lol, I can relate to that as well). And while this may be termed m/m romance, I'm sure that is coming in the series. A few teases here where seeds are planted and we'll have to see how they grow.

For three, in addition to those possibilities, a slew of other local characters are introduced that I truly enjoyed in Kim's development of them. Look forward to seeing them, as well as any romantic developments, in the coming sequel.

[Jennie Kaplan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this first book in Kim Fielding’s cozy mystery series! The character development - all the details of the side characters that I can anticipate knowing better as the series progresses makes the story relatable and engaging.
In this series, Everett Vaughn is an ex-lawyer with an ex-husband starting over in a small western town. As he figures out what to do next in his life (what to be when he grows up), he finds himself the suspect of a murder. He thinks he just may be able to solve the mystery himself.
I love Everett because he has such a quirky sense of humor and does not take himself too seriously. He has an active imagination and hasn’t quite figured out if he has a crush on the local deputy or the receptionist at the veterinarian’s office.
I definitely want to read what’s next!

[Arlen Orchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small town m/m murder mystery with snark and charm

Strong main character elevates the small town mystery with a very slow burn “maybe” romance. Everett is a 40 something former lawyer wading through his mid-life crises who stumbles on a murder. His vivid imagination and just the right amount of snark make him a likable and unlikely hero. A good start for a very promising new series.

[T K · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I am really enjoying this book.The characters feel well developed, both Everett and the side characters. I also like the small-town setting. The mystery has me interested, and I’m excited to see how it ends and where the series goes next.