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Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery #1
Full Bodied Murder
As the newest member of the Rose Avenue Wine Club, Halsey wants to expand her palate--not solve murders. But when a neighbor is found dead, it's up to her to pair the culprit with a deadly crime . . .
Leaving behind a failed marriage, New Yorker Annie "Halsey" Hall is ready to begin the next phase of her life in coastal Southern California. From the moment she arrives at her new digs on cozy Rose Avenue, she looks forward to joining the neighborhood ladies for their weekly Wine Club gathering. With only a rambunctious yellow lab puppy to keep her company, Halsey could really use a confidant--and a glass or two of her favorite white wine . . .
Unfortunately, she finds nothing but red at the Wine Club meeting--and judging by the dead woman lying face down in the backyard, it's not spilled merlot. Halsey accidentally stumbled into the wrong address at the wrong time, and with suspicions about her past on the rise, she must prove that she isn't a killer. Enlisting the eclectic talents of the Wine Club ladies, Halsey searches for the true criminal at large. But separating friends from foes isn't easy on Rose Avenue, and as she racks up a suspect list, Halsey can't shake the feeling that someone in her inner circle has a taste for murder . . .
Leaving behind a failed marriage, New Yorker Annie "Halsey" Hall is ready to begin the next phase of her life in coastal Southern California. From the moment she arrives at her new digs on cozy Rose Avenue, she looks forward to joining the neighborhood ladies for their weekly Wine Club gathering. With only a rambunctious yellow lab puppy to keep her company, Halsey could really use a confidant--and a glass or two of her favorite white wine . . .
Unfortunately, she finds nothing but red at the Wine Club meeting--and judging by the dead woman lying face down in the backyard, it's not spilled merlot. Halsey accidentally stumbled into the wrong address at the wrong time, and with suspicions about her past on the rise, she must prove that she isn't a killer. Enlisting the eclectic talents of the Wine Club ladies, Halsey searches for the true criminal at large. But separating friends from foes isn't easy on Rose Avenue, and as she racks up a suspect list, Halsey can't shake the feeling that someone in her inner circle has a taste for murder . . .
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published November 28, 2017
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November 4, 2017
After her marriage failed Annie "Halsey" Hall decided to get as far from New York as she could by heading out to sunny California. Halsey found herself a lovely new home on Rose Avenue with a swimming pool in back to keep her young lab occupied while she worked. Moving into her new home she wonders about the neighbors seeing her first impression is of the lady next door keeping an eye out on her.
Before long Halsey finds herself making new friends in her new town when she meets a group of ladies that invite her to come to their wine club meeting. As Halsey heads over to the home for the meeting she arrives to find an open door with no one around. Thinking the club may be out back Halsey heads in only to find a dead body. As police arrive Halsey realizes she mistakenly went to the wrong home and now finds herself a suspect in murder. Halsey then enlists the help of the ladies in the wine club to clear her name and solve the crime.
Full Bodied Murder by Christine E. Blum is the first book in the cozy Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries this series comes with it's own unique hook to center the story around and that is the group's love of wine and there are plenty of mentions throughout the book of different varieties. The main character is a new comer to the neighborhood and finding her way into the group and out of a murder charge with the local police.
While in the end I did enjoy this for the most part I also think it did have a few flaws. One that I noticed was there could have been a lot more depth given to the supporting characters to make them stand out a bit more, I would often forget who was who. It seemed the main character's dog, Bardot,was featured more than anyone else but who doesn't love a great animal?? The neighborhood also had a lot of shady dealings for being supposedly a great place to live and the budding relationship had a rough start I didn't quite enjoy. Overall though the story was an OK one that I would probably test out the second book of the series, would hate to miss out on Bardot's latest antics as he stole the show with this one.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Before long Halsey finds herself making new friends in her new town when she meets a group of ladies that invite her to come to their wine club meeting. As Halsey heads over to the home for the meeting she arrives to find an open door with no one around. Thinking the club may be out back Halsey heads in only to find a dead body. As police arrive Halsey realizes she mistakenly went to the wrong home and now finds herself a suspect in murder. Halsey then enlists the help of the ladies in the wine club to clear her name and solve the crime.
Full Bodied Murder by Christine E. Blum is the first book in the cozy Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries this series comes with it's own unique hook to center the story around and that is the group's love of wine and there are plenty of mentions throughout the book of different varieties. The main character is a new comer to the neighborhood and finding her way into the group and out of a murder charge with the local police.
While in the end I did enjoy this for the most part I also think it did have a few flaws. One that I noticed was there could have been a lot more depth given to the supporting characters to make them stand out a bit more, I would often forget who was who. It seemed the main character's dog, Bardot,was featured more than anyone else but who doesn't love a great animal?? The neighborhood also had a lot of shady dealings for being supposedly a great place to live and the budding relationship had a rough start I didn't quite enjoy. Overall though the story was an OK one that I would probably test out the second book of the series, would hate to miss out on Bardot's latest antics as he stole the show with this one.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
December 29, 2017
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Annie “Halsey” Hall has moved to California and landed on Rose Avenue. She realizes immediately how different it will be from her life in New York. Here she has neighbors that she wants to get to know, so she is excited to be asked to join the Rose Avenue Wine Club. She sets off with her puppy to attend the first club meeting but when she arrives her dog drags her through the house where she discovers a dead woman. Not the welcome she had expected at all, especially when the police arrive and consider her their prime suspect.
She soon learns she was at the wrong address and meets up with the women of the wine club. They promise to help her clear her name and they start their own investigation. Halsey wants to get to know these ladies better as she fears one of them may actually be the killer.
We meet a lot of characters in this first book of the series. The wine club ladies all live on the same street and all of them seems to have a secret. The one thing they all have in common is their love of wine. They consume a bottle or two or more every time they meet. I am not sure if the helped or hindered their investigation 🙂 They do put themselves in some dangerous situations and more than one of them end up in the hospital.
I did enjoy the introduction of Halsey’s love interest. Jack, dog trainer/dog whisperer has been hired by Halsey to help her train her loveable Labrador puppy. Their relationship had a spark from their first meeting and continues to grow throughout the story.
The plot has a fever pitch as so much happens. In addition to the murder, there are drug dealers, middle of the night car deals, rats invading a business, theft, hidden security cameras, angry and nosy neighbors, illegal aliens, and general shady deals all over the place. It all comes together to make a darn good mystery.
Everyone would enjoy this story but wine lovers will find details about all the wine mentioned in the story and a Glossary of Wine Terms and the end of the story.
I feel as if we have just gotten a good sip into the lives of these characters. The author has left them plenty of room to grow. I am excited to see what she decants about them in the next book. Murder Most Fermented will be ready to pour April 24, 2018.
Annie “Halsey” Hall has moved to California and landed on Rose Avenue. She realizes immediately how different it will be from her life in New York. Here she has neighbors that she wants to get to know, so she is excited to be asked to join the Rose Avenue Wine Club. She sets off with her puppy to attend the first club meeting but when she arrives her dog drags her through the house where she discovers a dead woman. Not the welcome she had expected at all, especially when the police arrive and consider her their prime suspect.
She soon learns she was at the wrong address and meets up with the women of the wine club. They promise to help her clear her name and they start their own investigation. Halsey wants to get to know these ladies better as she fears one of them may actually be the killer.
We meet a lot of characters in this first book of the series. The wine club ladies all live on the same street and all of them seems to have a secret. The one thing they all have in common is their love of wine. They consume a bottle or two or more every time they meet. I am not sure if the helped or hindered their investigation 🙂 They do put themselves in some dangerous situations and more than one of them end up in the hospital.
I did enjoy the introduction of Halsey’s love interest. Jack, dog trainer/dog whisperer has been hired by Halsey to help her train her loveable Labrador puppy. Their relationship had a spark from their first meeting and continues to grow throughout the story.
The plot has a fever pitch as so much happens. In addition to the murder, there are drug dealers, middle of the night car deals, rats invading a business, theft, hidden security cameras, angry and nosy neighbors, illegal aliens, and general shady deals all over the place. It all comes together to make a darn good mystery.
Everyone would enjoy this story but wine lovers will find details about all the wine mentioned in the story and a Glossary of Wine Terms and the end of the story.
I feel as if we have just gotten a good sip into the lives of these characters. The author has left them plenty of room to grow. I am excited to see what she decants about them in the next book. Murder Most Fermented will be ready to pour April 24, 2018.
June 5, 2019
Annie “Halsey” Hall has moved from New York City to Southern California, buying a house on Rose Avenue just a couple miles south of Santa Monica. She’s excited about her new neighborhood, except for her snooping next-door neighbor, and pleased to have been invited to join the Rose Avenue Wine Club. On her way to her first meeting, Halsey and her puppy, Bardot, stumble into the wrong house and find a dead body in the backyard. Even though Halsey has never met the victim, the police consider her their prime suspect. With the help of her new friends, Halsey begins to investigate. But with everything happening in the neighborhood, will they be able to figure out what really happened in time to clear Halsey?
Even though I don’t drink wine, I decided to give this book a try after meeting the author. I wanted to like it since it is set in Southern California, and I got a kick out of seeing the characters going to places I’m familiar with. However, I found the book was just a bit too unfocused to really work well. I thought there were timeline issues early on until I began to realize that the book takes place over several months. This wasn’t obvious early on, so maybe it helped explain some of the timeline issues I thought I saw. While Halsey is developed as a main character, many of the rest are still fairly flat. They can certainly develop as the series progresses, so I’m not too concerned about that yet. The book has a couple of interesting sub-plots, but they take over at times, and too much happens in them over the course of the book. It would have been better to stretch them out over the course of several books. The mystery plot has a lot going on, but it worked to keep me guessing until the very end. However, one key piece of evidence made me shake my head. It would have made more sense if the book took place over a week instead of many months. There is quite a bit of foul language for a cozy, even compared to some of the cozies and traditional books I read that are pushing the boundaries. Overall, this reads more like an early draft that needed some polish to find the gem inside, because there is certainly a gem here. Since I already have the second book, I might find some time to read it to see if the issues resolve themselves as the series progresses.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Even though I don’t drink wine, I decided to give this book a try after meeting the author. I wanted to like it since it is set in Southern California, and I got a kick out of seeing the characters going to places I’m familiar with. However, I found the book was just a bit too unfocused to really work well. I thought there were timeline issues early on until I began to realize that the book takes place over several months. This wasn’t obvious early on, so maybe it helped explain some of the timeline issues I thought I saw. While Halsey is developed as a main character, many of the rest are still fairly flat. They can certainly develop as the series progresses, so I’m not too concerned about that yet. The book has a couple of interesting sub-plots, but they take over at times, and too much happens in them over the course of the book. It would have been better to stretch them out over the course of several books. The mystery plot has a lot going on, but it worked to keep me guessing until the very end. However, one key piece of evidence made me shake my head. It would have made more sense if the book took place over a week instead of many months. There is quite a bit of foul language for a cozy, even compared to some of the cozies and traditional books I read that are pushing the boundaries. Overall, this reads more like an early draft that needed some polish to find the gem inside, because there is certainly a gem here. Since I already have the second book, I might find some time to read it to see if the issues resolve themselves as the series progresses.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
December 21, 2017
I received an advance uncorrected proof of the novel via a Goodreads giveaway. This is my review of that copy.
Fleeing to Southern California from a broken marriage in New York, Halsey (painfully named Annie Hall by her clueless parents) wastes no time joining a wine club with her new neighbors on Rose Avenue. Unfortunately, she has woefully bad timing and finds herself (and her dog, Bardot) at a murder scene instead of a club meeting.
As the first in a series, this fell short in a lot of ways. Secondary characters (aside from the enigmatic next-door snoop, Marisol) weren't fully developed. There was a LOT of description of wine. So much so that I felt at times the author was an obtrusive sommelier, pointing at the wine menu, taking great care to pronounce the things you probably wouldn't be able to with your peasant tongue, and going into great details of the subtle hints of flavor each contained, and which entree it would best accompany.
If you've ever read Janet Evanovich and thought to yourself, "Gee, I could really like Stephanie Plum if she were only a closeted alcoholic," you will probably enjoy this book.
The plot felt contrived, was unfocused, and didn't end in a satisfying way (except the induction to the wine club of the newest neighbor selected to experience liver failure in the not-too-distant future).
I was hoping for a little more humor, a little less insta-love, and a more complete read. The first chapter of the second book in the series appears in the back of this book, but to be honest, I wasn't interested enough to read it.
I think it will likely appeal to some readers, but I am not one of them. 2 out of 5 stars.
Fleeing to Southern California from a broken marriage in New York, Halsey (painfully named Annie Hall by her clueless parents) wastes no time joining a wine club with her new neighbors on Rose Avenue. Unfortunately, she has woefully bad timing and finds herself (and her dog, Bardot) at a murder scene instead of a club meeting.
As the first in a series, this fell short in a lot of ways. Secondary characters (aside from the enigmatic next-door snoop, Marisol) weren't fully developed. There was a LOT of description of wine. So much so that I felt at times the author was an obtrusive sommelier, pointing at the wine menu, taking great care to pronounce the things you probably wouldn't be able to with your peasant tongue, and going into great details of the subtle hints of flavor each contained, and which entree it would best accompany.
If you've ever read Janet Evanovich and thought to yourself, "Gee, I could really like Stephanie Plum if she were only a closeted alcoholic," you will probably enjoy this book.
The plot felt contrived, was unfocused, and didn't end in a satisfying way (except the induction to the wine club of the newest neighbor selected to experience liver failure in the not-too-distant future).
I was hoping for a little more humor, a little less insta-love, and a more complete read. The first chapter of the second book in the series appears in the back of this book, but to be honest, I wasn't interested enough to read it.
I think it will likely appeal to some readers, but I am not one of them. 2 out of 5 stars.
November 20, 2017
As a first in a new series, Full Bodied Murder is a solid hit.
Annie “Halsey” Hall has left the east coast and a bad marriage behind. Spreading her wings and looking for a change, Halsey heads to California.
A new house and new friends are part of her plan, but walking into a murder scene and not wine club was not in the picture.
As Halsey tries to find some answers, she finds herself with some quirky friends as well.
This is a lighthearted cozy mystery and has the potential to become a popular series.
The main character is easy to relate to and the cast of colorful characters add an exciting twist to this series.
I voluntarily read an ARC of this book offered by the publisher and NetGalley.
Annie “Halsey” Hall has left the east coast and a bad marriage behind. Spreading her wings and looking for a change, Halsey heads to California.
A new house and new friends are part of her plan, but walking into a murder scene and not wine club was not in the picture.
As Halsey tries to find some answers, she finds herself with some quirky friends as well.
This is a lighthearted cozy mystery and has the potential to become a popular series.
The main character is easy to relate to and the cast of colorful characters add an exciting twist to this series.
I voluntarily read an ARC of this book offered by the publisher and NetGalley.
November 22, 2017
Full Bodied Murder is the first book in Christine E. Blum’s Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery series. This is a lighthearted cozy with a cast of colorful characters, but it seemed to me that there were too many strange happenings occurring simultaneously and it was hard to follow.
After her divorce, thirty-six year old Annie Elizabeth “Halsey” Hall left her home in New York City and moved to Southern California. Looking forward to a new start, Halsey purchased a lovely home on Rose Avenue with a swimming pool to keep her Labrador Retriever, Bardot, occupied while she works. Her new neighbors invite her to their Wine Club meeting, but she wasn’t paying attention to the address and winds up entering the wrong house, where she discovers a body in the backyard with a knife plunged into her back, and becomes a suspect in the murder of Rosa Sobel. She enlists her new friends and a nosy neighbor to help clear her name and find the true culprit.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
After her divorce, thirty-six year old Annie Elizabeth “Halsey” Hall left her home in New York City and moved to Southern California. Looking forward to a new start, Halsey purchased a lovely home on Rose Avenue with a swimming pool to keep her Labrador Retriever, Bardot, occupied while she works. Her new neighbors invite her to their Wine Club meeting, but she wasn’t paying attention to the address and winds up entering the wrong house, where she discovers a body in the backyard with a knife plunged into her back, and becomes a suspect in the murder of Rosa Sobel. She enlists her new friends and a nosy neighbor to help clear her name and find the true culprit.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
March 21, 2018
Fun to read a book written by a friend. Good job, Chris. Looking forward to the next installment with this wacky crew...and Bardot!
January 8, 2018
This is a good start to a new cozy mystery series. (Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery). Halsey moves to California from NY after a divorce and ending a partnership in a business. She arrives on Rose Avenue in time to walk into her first meeting of the Rose Avenue Wine Club and finds the hostess dead in the kitchen. Meeting a new man, finding fellow dog lovers, and helping solve the murder certainlly keeps Halsey busy. There's something mysterious going on in her new neighborhood and she's wondering if she should pack up and move back to the east coast. Looking forward to book 2.
November 11, 2017
#FullBodiedMurder #NetGalley
August 24, 2019
A good read but not outstanding. More development of the characters, fewer instances of Halsey getting caught by the bad guys and ending up in precarious situations. Toward the end the focus seemed to be one action scene after another and another and was a bit tiresome. I found myself skimming through these rather than reading them one word after another. Maybe focus instead on building suspense more slowly.
December 29, 2017
Halsey has moved into her new home. To get to know her neighbors better, she joins their Rose Avenue Wine club. Not long after that, she finds one of her neighbors dead. Sadly, this makes her the main suspect. Now Halsey must work to discover who is the real murderer.
This is book #1 in what a fun cozy mystery series. In knew I was going to like this story when they author made my chuckle a few times in the first chapter. Halsey is smart and has a wry sense of humor. Her neighbors and wine club members are a mixed bag of eclectic characters. There is a small bit of romance. I'm glad I got in on this series at the ground floor and look forward to seeing what happens with this group in future installments.
Thanks to Kensington books for providing this ARC via Netgalley.
This is book #1 in what a fun cozy mystery series. In knew I was going to like this story when they author made my chuckle a few times in the first chapter. Halsey is smart and has a wry sense of humor. Her neighbors and wine club members are a mixed bag of eclectic characters. There is a small bit of romance. I'm glad I got in on this series at the ground floor and look forward to seeing what happens with this group in future installments.
Thanks to Kensington books for providing this ARC via Netgalley.
June 24, 2019
Annie "Halsey" Hall has just made major changes in her life: she's left her husband behind in New York and packed up her vehicle with her belongings and her lab Bardot for sunny California. She's happy (mostly) to be starting a new life.
But when she accidentally walks in a home and finds a dead body in the back yard, the police are watching her very closely because they think she's a killer. Now she's hoping that her hostile neighbor will leave her alone and her new friends will help her figure out who killed Rosa so she can start her life, not wind up in jail before it begins...
Okay, I should have known when the tone of the book was set almost immediately - the fact that 'Halsey' wanted to move in on a Wednesday so she could get started with her drinking in her new wine club. If this had been stated on the blurb, I would have passed the book on by.
Now, there's nothing wrong with a glass or two of wine, and I know many people drink. But these women have made a job of it. They drink. A lot. Yet for some weird reason, they have no health problems. They don't have hangovers (except in a minor reference), no slurred speech, etc. I kept waiting for one of the older women to show loss of brain function or tell us that she needed a liver transplant. Geez, have a glass of water or iced tea once in a while. I also didn't much care for the fact that Halsey had no problem spending money on booze but wouldn't shell out for a few bags of candy for kids on Halloween. I guess she has her priorities.
Also, who just walks into a home with an open door if you’re not sure you have the right address? What will you say if you encounter some guy sitting on the sofa in his underwear, or a couple of kids playing on the floor? What will you say when they scream that a stranger is in the home? (Especially if you're holding a couple of bottles of wine). Stay outside, put the bottles down and check the address. What a nimrod. No wonder the cops are suspicious.
Then, the police are suspecting only a few hours (again, she moved here so she could have drinking buddies and hasn't even really moved in) of killing someone? A quick check on her background - which could be done in a matter of hours - would show that she didn’t have time to kill anyone, didn’t know the woman, had no motive. Move on, officers. Find the real killer.
I didn’t like any of the women. All they did was drink. Just. Drink. We never got to know them as people. None of them seemed to have anything in common except drinking; there didn't seem to be any camaraderie at all, no connection. Surely there could have been a better plot line than women who like to sit around and get drunk. Where is it? Because it wasn't in this book. Two stars for the writing, but I won't be continuing the series.
But when she accidentally walks in a home and finds a dead body in the back yard, the police are watching her very closely because they think she's a killer. Now she's hoping that her hostile neighbor will leave her alone and her new friends will help her figure out who killed Rosa so she can start her life, not wind up in jail before it begins...
Okay, I should have known when the tone of the book was set almost immediately - the fact that 'Halsey' wanted to move in on a Wednesday so she could get started with her drinking in her new wine club. If this had been stated on the blurb, I would have passed the book on by.
Now, there's nothing wrong with a glass or two of wine, and I know many people drink. But these women have made a job of it. They drink. A lot. Yet for some weird reason, they have no health problems. They don't have hangovers (except in a minor reference), no slurred speech, etc. I kept waiting for one of the older women to show loss of brain function or tell us that she needed a liver transplant. Geez, have a glass of water or iced tea once in a while. I also didn't much care for the fact that Halsey had no problem spending money on booze but wouldn't shell out for a few bags of candy for kids on Halloween. I guess she has her priorities.
Also, who just walks into a home with an open door if you’re not sure you have the right address? What will you say if you encounter some guy sitting on the sofa in his underwear, or a couple of kids playing on the floor? What will you say when they scream that a stranger is in the home? (Especially if you're holding a couple of bottles of wine). Stay outside, put the bottles down and check the address. What a nimrod. No wonder the cops are suspicious.
Then, the police are suspecting only a few hours (again, she moved here so she could have drinking buddies and hasn't even really moved in) of killing someone? A quick check on her background - which could be done in a matter of hours - would show that she didn’t have time to kill anyone, didn’t know the woman, had no motive. Move on, officers. Find the real killer.
I didn’t like any of the women. All they did was drink. Just. Drink. We never got to know them as people. None of them seemed to have anything in common except drinking; there didn't seem to be any camaraderie at all, no connection. Surely there could have been a better plot line than women who like to sit around and get drunk. Where is it? Because it wasn't in this book. Two stars for the writing, but I won't be continuing the series.
October 26, 2017
This is the first book in the Rose Avenue Wine Club mystery series. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books, I was able to read an ARC.
Halsey (given name Annie Hall by her hippie parents - don't ask), is a New Yorker fleeing a fresh divorce for a big change. She is immediately invited to join the block wine club. However, heading to her first meeting in the neighborhood, she walks in the house with an open door and stumbles upon a corpse. Nothing like starting off a new life on the right foot. Even though she had never even met the victim, that doesn't stop the police from suspecting her. Follow Halsey as she acquaints herself with her quirky new neighbors and investigates suspicious goings-on.
I really wanted to like this book. I love Kensington Books, and I love starting new cozy series. This book, however, left me looking forward to the end by chapter 9. I loved the dog, Bardot, but the human characters seemed thrown out quickly without much fleshing out. It felt like there were too many mysteries being thrown out - who's the murderer? What's going on at the yogurt shop? What's up with Mussolini (the neighbor, not the dictator). I did like the wine club ladies, but didn't feel the camaraderie with them I had hoped. Give this one a pass.
Halsey (given name Annie Hall by her hippie parents - don't ask), is a New Yorker fleeing a fresh divorce for a big change. She is immediately invited to join the block wine club. However, heading to her first meeting in the neighborhood, she walks in the house with an open door and stumbles upon a corpse. Nothing like starting off a new life on the right foot. Even though she had never even met the victim, that doesn't stop the police from suspecting her. Follow Halsey as she acquaints herself with her quirky new neighbors and investigates suspicious goings-on.
I really wanted to like this book. I love Kensington Books, and I love starting new cozy series. This book, however, left me looking forward to the end by chapter 9. I loved the dog, Bardot, but the human characters seemed thrown out quickly without much fleshing out. It felt like there were too many mysteries being thrown out - who's the murderer? What's going on at the yogurt shop? What's up with Mussolini (the neighbor, not the dictator). I did like the wine club ladies, but didn't feel the camaraderie with them I had hoped. Give this one a pass.
May 15, 2018
Eh
I wish there was any one thing I could specifically day I liked or hated...but it was overall. In some places, the characters are well-defined; in others, they are not. The passage of time is hard to follow until it becomes clearer defined toward the end. In some sections, the writing was good but in others it was lacking. I'll try one more book before giving up on the series.
I wish there was any one thing I could specifically day I liked or hated...but it was overall. In some places, the characters are well-defined; in others, they are not. The passage of time is hard to follow until it becomes clearer defined toward the end. In some sections, the writing was good but in others it was lacking. I'll try one more book before giving up on the series.
January 24, 2020
A glass (or a few glasses) of wine and good murder mystery, what could be better? I enjoyed the quirkiness that each member of the Rose Avenue Wine Club brought to the table. I'm interested in reading the rest of the series to see how Halsey makes herself more comfortable in her new home and community.
March 27, 2018
to much time spent on what wine they were drinking and not enough on the story
November 27, 2017
Full Bodied Murder by Christine E. Blum is the first book in A Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery series. Annie “Halsey” Hall is thirty-six years old and starting over. She has divorced her husband, starting a new software apps company, and moved across country from New York to Rose Avenue in California. Halsey was happy to receive an invitation to attend the Rose Avenue Wine Club. She is off to attend her first meeting with her puppy, Bardot. Halsey finds the front door ajar and Bardot runs into the dark house. After some stumbling and knocking into furniture, Halsey finds the homeowner on the floor with a kitchen knife protruding from her body. It turns out that Halsey went to the wrong home for the meeting. The victim is Rosa Sobel and the police have set their sights on Halsey as the killer. To clear her name, Halsey, with the ladies of the Rose Avenue Wine Club, start investigating the residents of Rose Avenue to uncork the culprit. It seems, though, that murder might not be the only criminal activity taking place on their street.
Full Bodied Murder is not what I expected. I thought the characters lacked development (along with the setting---we are told about the street, but what about the town—its name) and Bardot overshadows the secondary characters. There are frequent mentions of wine and wine terminology (with dictionary at back of book for those who need assistance—like me). With the amount of wine the group drank, I am surprised that none of them have problems with their livers. I believe the author tried to cram too much into one story. Every single person on Rose Avenue is quirky and there are numerous activities going on (yogurt shop, nosy neighbor, cars shifting around during the night, drug dealers, theft, illegal cameras, angry neighbors, etc.). The story jumps all over the place with a distinct lack of focus. Of course, let us not forget the police who concentrate their investigation on Halsey who did not even know the dead woman. Halsey contaminates evidence and I am curious how they can get a conviction when she ruins the chain of custody on evidence. Then there is the flirtation, romance and sexual innuendo/tension between Halsey and then men she encounters. Full Bodied Murder also contains foul language (fair warning). The various mysteries can be figured out by the readers. The killers’ identity will come as no surprise.
Full Bodied Murder is not what I expected. I thought the characters lacked development (along with the setting---we are told about the street, but what about the town—its name) and Bardot overshadows the secondary characters. There are frequent mentions of wine and wine terminology (with dictionary at back of book for those who need assistance—like me). With the amount of wine the group drank, I am surprised that none of them have problems with their livers. I believe the author tried to cram too much into one story. Every single person on Rose Avenue is quirky and there are numerous activities going on (yogurt shop, nosy neighbor, cars shifting around during the night, drug dealers, theft, illegal cameras, angry neighbors, etc.). The story jumps all over the place with a distinct lack of focus. Of course, let us not forget the police who concentrate their investigation on Halsey who did not even know the dead woman. Halsey contaminates evidence and I am curious how they can get a conviction when she ruins the chain of custody on evidence. Then there is the flirtation, romance and sexual innuendo/tension between Halsey and then men she encounters. Full Bodied Murder also contains foul language (fair warning). The various mysteries can be figured out by the readers. The killers’ identity will come as no surprise.
October 29, 2017
I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Halsey moves to Southern California from New York City. Her new neighborhood takes some getting used to, but some friendly neighbors invite her to join their Rose Avenue Wine Club. Halsey enjoys wine and wants to meet her new neighbors, so she happily accepts the invitation. Unfortunately, Halsey goes to the wrong house for her first wine club meeting... and stumbles upon a dead body. The police see Halsey as a suspect, so she and the other wine club members take on a little sleuthing to prove her innocence. It turns out, there are quite a few suspects on Rose Avenue.
I always enjoy a cozy mystery, and I like to read with while enjoying a glass of wine, so this book seemed right up my alley. This was a solid mystery, though there did seem to be a lot of other things going on with the neighbors. Mostly likable characters, but not enough character development to truly care about anyone. The dog, Bardot, was pretty great though. I saw that this is set to be a series, and it was a good introduction to the characters.
I thought the list of wines in the back of the book was a nice touch. Also, the glossary for wine-related lingo could be helpful for non-wine drinkers.
Full Bodied Murder was a light read and good for fans of cozy mysteries.
Halsey moves to Southern California from New York City. Her new neighborhood takes some getting used to, but some friendly neighbors invite her to join their Rose Avenue Wine Club. Halsey enjoys wine and wants to meet her new neighbors, so she happily accepts the invitation. Unfortunately, Halsey goes to the wrong house for her first wine club meeting... and stumbles upon a dead body. The police see Halsey as a suspect, so she and the other wine club members take on a little sleuthing to prove her innocence. It turns out, there are quite a few suspects on Rose Avenue.
I always enjoy a cozy mystery, and I like to read with while enjoying a glass of wine, so this book seemed right up my alley. This was a solid mystery, though there did seem to be a lot of other things going on with the neighbors. Mostly likable characters, but not enough character development to truly care about anyone. The dog, Bardot, was pretty great though. I saw that this is set to be a series, and it was a good introduction to the characters.
I thought the list of wines in the back of the book was a nice touch. Also, the glossary for wine-related lingo could be helpful for non-wine drinkers.
Full Bodied Murder was a light read and good for fans of cozy mysteries.
November 17, 2017
Thank you to Kensington Publishing for providing an ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first in a series. The second book in this series is scheduled April, 2018.
The main character, Halsey Hall, moves to California after a failed marriage. She starts her new life after divorce with a puppy, Bardot, and a change in location from New York. Halsey moves into a neighborhood of characters. Halsey's first social event has Halsey walking into the home of a neighbor who has been murdered.
In spite of the inauspicious start to Halsey's neighborhood socializing, she quickly becomes accepted into the social circle, charms a grouchy neighbor, and investigates the murder so that Halsey can clear her name with the police. There is a lot of wine drinking and appetizer eating. This book made me hungry!
I would get frustrated with the book because the timeline was confusing and the character development was muddy. I think that there can be enjoyable books to read in this series, I will read the next book, and I will hope that more attention is paid to the overall pacing of the next book, Murder Most Fermented.
This is the first in a series. The second book in this series is scheduled April, 2018.
The main character, Halsey Hall, moves to California after a failed marriage. She starts her new life after divorce with a puppy, Bardot, and a change in location from New York. Halsey moves into a neighborhood of characters. Halsey's first social event has Halsey walking into the home of a neighbor who has been murdered.
In spite of the inauspicious start to Halsey's neighborhood socializing, she quickly becomes accepted into the social circle, charms a grouchy neighbor, and investigates the murder so that Halsey can clear her name with the police. There is a lot of wine drinking and appetizer eating. This book made me hungry!
I would get frustrated with the book because the timeline was confusing and the character development was muddy. I think that there can be enjoyable books to read in this series, I will read the next book, and I will hope that more attention is paid to the overall pacing of the next book, Murder Most Fermented.
December 31, 2017
I love murder mysteries. There’s nothing better than finding a new series populated with interesting characters you care about, a plucky heroine, and plot and dialogue you can’t look away from. How exciting to find all that and more in a new mystery series from none other than one of my oldest friends. I’ve known Chris Blum for many years, and had more than one wine on Rose Avenue. What a smart, witty, kind and great woman. Now add talented author to the list. I looked up at one point mid-book, and realized that I was in good hands; this was a thoughtful mystery with a solid story, told well, and with enough heart that the reader sheds a tear before the end. That’s all the ingredients you need right there. So, my fellow murder mystery addicts, add Rose Avenue Wine Club to your list. And I double-dog-dare every one of you to NOT drink a glass while you read, whatever the hour. Cheers!
February 27, 2018
Unlike most cozies, this book took me more than several days to finish. I was just never fully engaged with the protagonist or the plot, both of which are different from your traditional cozy. In some ways it was refreshing to have a "detective" that isn't a librarian or innkeeper or shop-owner, and it was nice to be in non-small-town Southern California. That being said, I didn't find the protagonist to be that likable, nor did I find her to experience much character development. For once, I spotted the murderer within the first several chapters (that might not be the author's fault; it could be that I'm catching on to cozies in general!). Overall it was relatively entertaining and I don't regret that I read it, but I wouldn't choose to re-read this cozy, and nor would I place it high on my list of recommendations.
September 27, 2019
This is the first book in a series and I like to get in on the ground floor. As with many cozy mysteries, the main character is "starting over", in this case a move cross country from NYC to southern California. Early on she finds a dead body, joins a group of supporting characters, and meets a potential love interest. One difference, though, is the time span of the story. Most cozy mysteries take place during a couple of weeks' time, but this story begins in the late summer and it isn't until just before Christmas that the killer is caught and all the loose ends are tied. There is enough here to get me interested in book two of the series, but if there isn't more character development the second book will probably be sufficient. The author includes a list of the "featured" wines, most in the $10 - $15 range.
November 14, 2017
Try this one if you're interested in starting a new series- and keep in mind that it's the first so things might seem bit scattered. Halsey and her faithful dog Bardot have relocated to California. The last thing she expects when she is excited to join her new neighbors for an evening of wine sipping is that she'll find a body and that she will be a suspect in the murder. In classic cozy style, she enlists her new friends in the quest to find the truth. Halsey is the focus so these characters are less well developed (and not always memorable); I expect that to change as the series moves on. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is an entertaining fast read that I expect will launch a good series.
October 23, 2018
Full Bodied Murder, the first book in the Rose Avenue Wine Club mystery series, introduces readers to Annie "Halsey" Hall, a transplanted New Yorker who leaves the east coast for sunny California, where she is warmly welcomed to the weekly Wine Club run by the neighborhood women. As the ladies bond around various vintages, they are drawn into a murder investigation centering around the untimely death of another neighbor.
This a great concept for a cozy series, and features strong female characters and witty, snappy dialogue. As an added bonus, there's a handy list of all the wines mentioned in the novel for those who might wish to find them at their local wine shop, as well as a glossary of wine-related terms.
This a great concept for a cozy series, and features strong female characters and witty, snappy dialogue. As an added bonus, there's a handy list of all the wines mentioned in the novel for those who might wish to find them at their local wine shop, as well as a glossary of wine-related terms.
November 16, 2017
I received a free copy of "Full Bodied Murder" from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Halsey and her spunky Labrador Retriever, Bardot, are new to California but she quickly makes friends with the neighborhood wine club. On her way to her first meeting she stumbles upon a dead body landing on the top of the police's suspect list. With the help of her new found friends and a nosy neighbor, she has to clear her name and find the real killer before they strike again. I enjoyed the new series by Christine Blum and will be excited to revisit the Rose Avenue Wine Club on their next adventure. My own wine club, I mean book club, is looking forward to this selection.
Halsey and her spunky Labrador Retriever, Bardot, are new to California but she quickly makes friends with the neighborhood wine club. On her way to her first meeting she stumbles upon a dead body landing on the top of the police's suspect list. With the help of her new found friends and a nosy neighbor, she has to clear her name and find the real killer before they strike again. I enjoyed the new series by Christine Blum and will be excited to revisit the Rose Avenue Wine Club on their next adventure. My own wine club, I mean book club, is looking forward to this selection.
November 18, 2018
Halsey and her faithful dog Bardot have relocated to California. The last thing she expects when she is excited to join her new neighbors for an evening of wine sipping is that she'll find a body and that she will be a suspect in the murder.
In classic cozy style, she enlists her new friends in the quest to find the truth. Halsey is the focus so these characters are less well developed (and not always memorable).
This is an entertaining fast read that I expect will launch a good series.
In classic cozy style, she enlists her new friends in the quest to find the truth. Halsey is the focus so these characters are less well developed (and not always memorable).
This is an entertaining fast read that I expect will launch a good series.
November 27, 2017
Entertaining cozy mystery. Halsey gets quite the welcome to the neighborhood. Moving from one coast to the other is traumatic enough without finding a body. The wine club sounds like a hoot with a diverse cast of characters. Add in a hunk with a dog, along with Los Angeles area descriptions and it becomes a delightful bit of reading. I look forward to the next one in this series. The publisher provided a copy via NetGalley for my voluntary review.
December 1, 2017
This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
November 5, 2018
Too bad I can't give it a 1.5. The plot was fine; the writing not so much. There are some serious jumps from one set of details to another, leaving the reader with, did I miss something? Some of it was also somewhat unbelievable -- a new person moves in and after one wine club meeting, she is buddy buddy enough to trust people to have her back in solving a murder? As much as I like wine, I don't know if I will read another.
April 15, 2020
Upside - Who does note like wine and a good mystery. As this was the first in series was happy to be introduced to the members of the Rose Avenue Wine Club and am looking forward to the next in the series. Downside - Halsey seemed to endure quite a few near brushes with death hopefully this trend will not continue , but am looking forward to seeing how everything plays out.
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