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Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery #2
Murder Most Fermented
Murder and merlot! The ladies of the Rose Avenue Wine Club are back to track down another killer . . .
When New York transplant Annie "Halsey" Hall starts digging for her tiny SoCo dream vineyard off Rose Avenue, the last thing she expects to unearth is an elderly woman. Between decanting chardonnays and roses, Halsey and the women of the Wine Club pour over the list of suspects. Could the old woman have bottlenecked her great grandson's latest scheme? Was it a case of super sour grapes with the local historical society? Or did a devious developer close a killer deal?
With the help of the Wine Club and her enthusiastic yellow lab, Bardot, Halsey must untangle the twisted tendrils of the mystery to clear her name and end a murderer's reign of terroir . . .
When New York transplant Annie "Halsey" Hall starts digging for her tiny SoCo dream vineyard off Rose Avenue, the last thing she expects to unearth is an elderly woman. Between decanting chardonnays and roses, Halsey and the women of the Wine Club pour over the list of suspects. Could the old woman have bottlenecked her great grandson's latest scheme? Was it a case of super sour grapes with the local historical society? Or did a devious developer close a killer deal?
With the help of the Wine Club and her enthusiastic yellow lab, Bardot, Halsey must untangle the twisted tendrils of the mystery to clear her name and end a murderer's reign of terroir . . .
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 24, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 4, 2018
Halsey and her friends in the Rose Avenue Wine Club are back! While digging to plant a small vineyard in the community garden, Halsey and her dog, Bardot, discover a body. Soon, Halsey is investigating the death. Of course, she has the help of the other wine club ladies.
This is the second book in the Rose Avenue Wine Club mystery series. I read the first book, so I was already familiar with Halsey's story and the women in the wine club. This book could be read as a stand-alone, but the first book is referenced a few times.
The normal formula for a cozy mystery - female protagonist restarts her life in a new place and acts as amateur sleuth. Bonus points for the wine club and lovable, but hyperactive dog. Kooky neighbors and shenanigans galore... Halsey even gets herself arrested. A light, fun, and entertaining cozy mystery.
For wine drinkers - In the back of the book, a list of wines the women drink is included. There is also a food and wine pairing list.
I received a digital copy of this book from Kensington and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book in the Rose Avenue Wine Club mystery series. I read the first book, so I was already familiar with Halsey's story and the women in the wine club. This book could be read as a stand-alone, but the first book is referenced a few times.
The normal formula for a cozy mystery - female protagonist restarts her life in a new place and acts as amateur sleuth. Bonus points for the wine club and lovable, but hyperactive dog. Kooky neighbors and shenanigans galore... Halsey even gets herself arrested. A light, fun, and entertaining cozy mystery.
For wine drinkers - In the back of the book, a list of wines the women drink is included. There is also a food and wine pairing list.
I received a digital copy of this book from Kensington and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2020
Annie “Halsey” Hall is enjoying her new life in Mar Vista, California, although she’s not so sure about her birthday present from the women in the Rose Avenue Wine Club – a plot of dirt in the community garden. She’s hoping to turn it into a small vineyard, but her first day digging in it turns up the body of a missing elderly neighbor. With the police again looking at Halsey as a suspect, she and her friends begin to try to find the killer. Will they succeed?
I had a mixed reaction to the first book in the series when I read it last year, but since I already had book two, I decided to give this one a chance. The plotting is better and more focused here with sub-plots that stay in the background. I enjoyed the story and trying to figure out what was going on, although one part of the plot was dropped. The rest reached a logical conclusion. Once again, the story takes place over several weeks, but I was expecting that, so I wasn’t nearly as confused by the timeline. Unfortunately, the characters are still thin outside of Halsey and one or two others. I love the Southern California setting; those always appeal to me. If you enjoy wine, you’ll enjoy the wine list and pairings at the end of the book. I wanted to like this book more than I did, although there were definitely things that appealed to me, and it does show the author is improving.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I had a mixed reaction to the first book in the series when I read it last year, but since I already had book two, I decided to give this one a chance. The plotting is better and more focused here with sub-plots that stay in the background. I enjoyed the story and trying to figure out what was going on, although one part of the plot was dropped. The rest reached a logical conclusion. Once again, the story takes place over several weeks, but I was expecting that, so I wasn’t nearly as confused by the timeline. Unfortunately, the characters are still thin outside of Halsey and one or two others. I love the Southern California setting; those always appeal to me. If you enjoy wine, you’ll enjoy the wine list and pairings at the end of the book. I wanted to like this book more than I did, although there were definitely things that appealed to me, and it does show the author is improving.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
May 5, 2018
Dollycas’s Thoughts
We are back on Rose Avenue with Halsey and Bardot. Halsey has been gifted a spot in the community garden and hopes to plant some grapes for her own mini vineyard. But as Bardot starts “helping” her turn over the soil he makes a shocking discovery. A body has been buried in her garden and it turns the neighborhood upside down. Halsey doesn’t waste any time getting involved in the investigation and the members of the Rose Avenue Wine Club are tipping their glasses and putting themselves in danger to help.
These ladies take their wine very seriously and when trying to catch a killer they meet more often and that means more wine for everyone. Every time one of them opened another bottle I chuckled just a bit. They do uncover clues and do get themselves in some dicey situations. Halsey even takes on the police after being arrested for trespassing. She wants answers and she wants them now.
I do like Halsey, she is not afraid to get her hands dirty to solve a crime, and she is not timid in her dealings with anyone. Her relationship with dog whisperer/trainer Jack is progressing but he hates that she is putting herself in danger. Bardot is quite a dog. He is a quick learner and just the type of dog Halsey needs especially when the chips are down.
Ms. Blum gives great descriptions of everything, the place, the people, the food and the WINE!
The characters are quirky, some more than others. Some strong friendships are made while a certain neighbor is mostly just tolerated for good reason. They are genuine and the dialogues between them ring true. And like I said, they love their wine.
The mystery was a tangled web but I had my killer chosen before Halsey and the ladies. It was a lot of fun reading on to be sure I was right. After all the years I have been reading cozies I still get excited when I catch on before the protagonist.
Wine lovers or book clubs that serve wine, this is a book for you, but all cozy lovers will enjoy and like me find it very entertaining. I like learning about the different wines too. If the book only came with free samples 🙂
I am excited about the continuation of this series. I can’t wait to visit these characters again. The Name of the Rosé will be released November 27.
We are back on Rose Avenue with Halsey and Bardot. Halsey has been gifted a spot in the community garden and hopes to plant some grapes for her own mini vineyard. But as Bardot starts “helping” her turn over the soil he makes a shocking discovery. A body has been buried in her garden and it turns the neighborhood upside down. Halsey doesn’t waste any time getting involved in the investigation and the members of the Rose Avenue Wine Club are tipping their glasses and putting themselves in danger to help.
These ladies take their wine very seriously and when trying to catch a killer they meet more often and that means more wine for everyone. Every time one of them opened another bottle I chuckled just a bit. They do uncover clues and do get themselves in some dicey situations. Halsey even takes on the police after being arrested for trespassing. She wants answers and she wants them now.
I do like Halsey, she is not afraid to get her hands dirty to solve a crime, and she is not timid in her dealings with anyone. Her relationship with dog whisperer/trainer Jack is progressing but he hates that she is putting herself in danger. Bardot is quite a dog. He is a quick learner and just the type of dog Halsey needs especially when the chips are down.
Ms. Blum gives great descriptions of everything, the place, the people, the food and the WINE!
The characters are quirky, some more than others. Some strong friendships are made while a certain neighbor is mostly just tolerated for good reason. They are genuine and the dialogues between them ring true. And like I said, they love their wine.
The mystery was a tangled web but I had my killer chosen before Halsey and the ladies. It was a lot of fun reading on to be sure I was right. After all the years I have been reading cozies I still get excited when I catch on before the protagonist.
Wine lovers or book clubs that serve wine, this is a book for you, but all cozy lovers will enjoy and like me find it very entertaining. I like learning about the different wines too. If the book only came with free samples 🙂
I am excited about the continuation of this series. I can’t wait to visit these characters again. The Name of the Rosé will be released November 27.
July 8, 2020
3 stelle e mezza
Ho comprato i primi tre libri di questa serie in offerta, ma poi non li ho letti. Ora l'ho fatto con questo, che è il secondo della serie, perché mi serviva per diverse challenge. Sinceramente non so cosa pensare... All'inizio mi sono persa fra i vari personaggi e un paio di volte ho avuto l'impressione che mancasse un passaggio nella storia. Il problema più grosso, però, è che la protagonista non mi ha "catturato", in più occasioni ho trovato da ridire su cose fatte o dette da lei. Quando mi sono concentrata sulla sola storia gialla, cercando di accantonare il problema della protagonista, sono riuscita a godermi un po' il libro, anche se avevo capito praticamente da subito chi fosse il colpevole.
Ormai ho già altri due libri: non credo che li leggerò presto, almeno che non mi servano per qualche challenge...
Ho comprato i primi tre libri di questa serie in offerta, ma poi non li ho letti. Ora l'ho fatto con questo, che è il secondo della serie, perché mi serviva per diverse challenge. Sinceramente non so cosa pensare... All'inizio mi sono persa fra i vari personaggi e un paio di volte ho avuto l'impressione che mancasse un passaggio nella storia. Il problema più grosso, però, è che la protagonista non mi ha "catturato", in più occasioni ho trovato da ridire su cose fatte o dette da lei. Quando mi sono concentrata sulla sola storia gialla, cercando di accantonare il problema della protagonista, sono riuscita a godermi un po' il libro, anche se avevo capito praticamente da subito chi fosse il colpevole.
Ormai ho già altri due libri: non credo che li leggerò presto, almeno che non mi servano per qualche challenge...
March 26, 2018
I recieved a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
I wanted to like this book so bad but it just fell flat for me. It wasn't even the fact that I correctly guessed the murderer way before Halsey or anyone else. (That is forgiveable.) I've read books before where the side characters are obnoxious and unlikeable, but you can get past that with a great main character. I didn't find Halsey very likeable. I like wine as much as the next girl, but she needed to lay off a bit. Every other page she is opening a new bottle.
The descriptions of wine and the food paired with wine took up way too much space. I found her neighbor Marisol annoying, yet entertaining.
One of my biggest scene issues: She is released from jail after being arrested for trespassing, and before she even makes it out the door she's pushing herself in the cops face trying to get an update on "the case". Not even five minutes before that she was scared to death of getting a prison sentence.
The mystery itself had plenty of red herrings and clues.
I wanted to like this book so bad but it just fell flat for me. It wasn't even the fact that I correctly guessed the murderer way before Halsey or anyone else. (That is forgiveable.) I've read books before where the side characters are obnoxious and unlikeable, but you can get past that with a great main character. I didn't find Halsey very likeable. I like wine as much as the next girl, but she needed to lay off a bit. Every other page she is opening a new bottle.
The descriptions of wine and the food paired with wine took up way too much space. I found her neighbor Marisol annoying, yet entertaining.
One of my biggest scene issues: She is released from jail after being arrested for trespassing, and before she even makes it out the door she's pushing herself in the cops face trying to get an update on "the case". Not even five minutes before that she was scared to death of getting a prison sentence.
The mystery itself had plenty of red herrings and clues.
June 12, 2019
The story was laughably bad. The only redeeming quality was the dog, Berdot. The wine gimmick was the most blatant gimmick I've seen in a cozy. The mentions of wine just didn't fit. And the main character was incredibly self-centered and annoying. She bemoaned her trials, which didn't really seem like much. It was way too easy to figure out who the killer was, though the motive was silly. I will not be reading another in this series.
March 20, 2018
Cute mystery novel with (no surprise) lots of descriptions of the characters drinking wine while solving the mystery. This is definitely a basic amateur sleuth discovers a body, is suspected by the police, lots of shenanigans and suspects, sleuth solves mystery for police kind of book, but the all girls wine club was a fun addition. I enjoyed that there was a list of all the wines at the end of the book as well, for anyone interested in looking them up. Minus one star for too many references to the first book in the series - I prefer these style mysteries to be a little more stand-alone.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2018
Halsey (and Bardot!) is back! This is classic cozy territory- single woman remaking her life finds new friends and dead bodies and solves the crime! With a dog! Okay, that's a simplistic and bottom line explanation and it's not fair because Blum has created an entertaining character in Halsey. She's also included a list of wines (love that!) and there are some terrific descriptions of wine and food pairings. The woman Halsey finds in her garden plot is at the center of a community struggle between history and land development. You might guess the murderer early on but keep reading because this is a pleasure. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
June 10, 2018
Annie "Halsey" is back with the rest of the Rose Avenue Wine Club searching for another killer. Halsey can't stop finding bodies, this time in her garden plot along with a tin of papers and jewelry. Bardot, her happy yellow lab is again a big help finding the killer from their list of suspects. Lots of good info on wine and food as the wine club meets often to compare notes on the murder. This is book 2 in the Rose Avenue Wine Club series and a good follow up to Full Bodied Murder. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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July 28, 2023Another new series to salivate over.
No one expects to find a dead body while gardening, but Halsey (this is not her first rodeo) manages to do so and becomes a suspect. Why is the one who finds the body always considered a person of interest?
I find it interesting that law enforcement in books and possibly in real life find regular folks to be a pain when they insinuate themselves into a police investigation. But what is a person to do if they are not the killer?
Find the killer without getting killed yourself. right.
No one expects to find a dead body while gardening, but Halsey (this is not her first rodeo) manages to do so and becomes a suspect. Why is the one who finds the body always considered a person of interest?
I find it interesting that law enforcement in books and possibly in real life find regular folks to be a pain when they insinuate themselves into a police investigation. But what is a person to do if they are not the killer?
Find the killer without getting killed yourself. right.
July 23, 2018
The group of suburban women who form the Wine Club are horrified when member Halsey finds a buried body on her new allotment. Who was the man, and who is the creep who keeps trying to sell his services to secure the mineral rights beneath their homes. For that matter, what's with the developer who is building a monster McMansion in their quiet, friendly neighborhood. Halsey may, or may not, be able to find answers, with the help of the annoying neighborhood snoop.
May 26, 2018
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am so glad that the Rose Avenue wine club was back for a 2nd fun and entertaining caper.
I can’t wait to see what trouble they get into in the next book in the series called, The Name of the Rose.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a cozy mystery series.
I am so glad that the Rose Avenue wine club was back for a 2nd fun and entertaining caper.
I can’t wait to see what trouble they get into in the next book in the series called, The Name of the Rose.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a cozy mystery series.
November 19, 2018
Annie "Halsey" Hall is gifted a small garden plot by her Wine Club friends to start her own mini vineyard in Southern California. As Halsey starts to dig, she discovers the remains of an elderly woman with a mysterious tin buried next to her.
A light, fun, and entertaining cozy mystery.
A light, fun, and entertaining cozy mystery.
August 13, 2018
The second Rose Ave Wine Club Mystery is as fast-paced and fun as the first. Christine Blum is a master at creating sharp-witted characters. Can’t wait for number three!
April 20, 2019
A great read that will keep you guessing to the very end.
May 29, 2019
Cute story. Just had trouble sticking to it.
August 20, 2023
Cute book. You will love Bardot, she is Halsey’s dog. Easy read.
March 2, 2021
The wine club has a couple of new members with, not surprisingly, quirky characteristics. The "murder mystery" story line is mixed with a couple of continuing side plots. In most cozy mysteries the side plots are used to develop the continuing characters. The main story line was OK, but I didn't think the side plots added much to character development. I might read the next book in the series, but I am not rushing out to do so.
April 25, 2018
I had a lot of fun in reading this book. I liked the plot and the description and the way the story was developed.
It kept me guessing and hooked till the end and I will search the previous instalment.
I really liked the heroine, a tech woman is a bit unusual in the cozy mystery world!
I also liked the description of the friendship amongst the group of wine amateur women and the nosy neighbour.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books
It kept me guessing and hooked till the end and I will search the previous instalment.
I really liked the heroine, a tech woman is a bit unusual in the cozy mystery world!
I also liked the description of the friendship amongst the group of wine amateur women and the nosy neighbour.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books
June 22, 2018
This is the second book in the Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery Series. The characters in this story are funny and I enjoyed reading this! I wish there were less references to the previous book, but all in all I was able to get to know the characters without having read the first.
Annie "Halsey" Hall is gifted a small garden plot by her Wine Club friends to start her own mini vineyard in Southern California. As Halsey goes to check out her plot, she is surprised to see the earth recently turned, as the lot had been unattended for a year. As Halsey starts to dig, she discovers the remains of an elderly woman with a mysterious tin buried next to her.
The Wine Club gets together to come up with a list of suspects, and every member does their part to investigate and ultimately solve the crime. Halsey's neighbor, Marisol, who is related to the Chief of Police, is a hoot and hysterically does a lot of loony things. I enjoyed this book, and as a bonus, the wines listed throughout the book are also listed in the back with corresponding vineyards, for anyone who enjoys wine.
I would recommend this fun, quick read to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery. Thanks to Net Galley for my free ARC.
Annie "Halsey" Hall is gifted a small garden plot by her Wine Club friends to start her own mini vineyard in Southern California. As Halsey goes to check out her plot, she is surprised to see the earth recently turned, as the lot had been unattended for a year. As Halsey starts to dig, she discovers the remains of an elderly woman with a mysterious tin buried next to her.
The Wine Club gets together to come up with a list of suspects, and every member does their part to investigate and ultimately solve the crime. Halsey's neighbor, Marisol, who is related to the Chief of Police, is a hoot and hysterically does a lot of loony things. I enjoyed this book, and as a bonus, the wines listed throughout the book are also listed in the back with corresponding vineyards, for anyone who enjoys wine.
I would recommend this fun, quick read to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery. Thanks to Net Galley for my free ARC.
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July 12, 2018#2 in the series, SoCal & pretty silly!
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