Loved it! A fast moving wine country cozy mystery. The protagonist does show signs of TSTL (too stupid to live), as she goes about solving the mystery despite warnings. Her aunt, best friend, and even a reporter encourage her to seek answers even though she should stay out of it. There is a hint of a love triangle coming up, but I hope that she settles upon one or the other. Give one of those hunks to her BFF. Obviously, I quickly became caught up in the lives of the characters. LOL!

Taylor O'Brian has moved back to beautiful Sonoma, CA to help her Aunt Jemma with her winery. She is also starting up her own tour business. The very first tour seemed to be going great until one of the group members went missing and was found murdered. Taylor is now a person of interest in the death and Jemma convinces her to investigate the murder to clear her name. 

The mystery had some interesting twists and turns and you will probably change your idea of who is guilty many times in the story. This is the first story in A wine Country Mystery series and I felt I could have related more to the characters and setting if there had been more details and descriptions. The author did a good job of teasing us with a couple romantic possibilities in the future and also a new twist to her business that will make you want to be sure to read the next book. 

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley for an advance copy. The opinions are my own.

This was a fun series debut, set in California's wine country. Taylor is starting a series of winery tours, but her first group tour leads to her arrest for murder. She must untangle a web of deception and lies to clear her name, but the danger is very real.

Nice initial entry to what hopefully will be a new series- there's a lot of possibilities here. Taylor is new to Sonoma but she's entrepreneurial and now engaged in running wine tours. Regrettably, she almost immediately stumbles on the murder of Laura, a yoga instructor is not well liked. Of course she investigates, with the help of her friend Holly. There's a little romantic tension with her attorney Patrick and Sheriff Hennessy. Parra has a lot of experience writing cozy mysteries and it shows- this hits all the requisite spots. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC- am looking forward to the next one.

Taylor O'Brien and her Aunt Jemma live in Sonoma, CA. Aunt Jemma owns a small winery. Her home is located nearby, along with a pool and a building for wine tastings, weddings, etc. Taylor lives in the pool house. She moved back to Sonoma six months before after her Aunt had a heart attack. She loves the winery and helping her aunt run her business, but she's getting a bit restless. So, she buys a van and starts planning her own Wine Country Tours as a side business. "Off the Beaten Path'' tours will take people to some lesser known, but fabulous, small wineries in the area. Her first tour is booked by a group of local yoga instructors. The first tour might just be the last, however. One of the instructors is found murdered during the tour. Even worse -- the murder weapon is Taylor's corkscrew. Who bumped off Laura Scott? None of the others who were on the tour seem too broken up about her death. In fact, Laura's husband remarries just days after the murder. Then another body turns up.... Can Taylor discover the identity of the killer before anyone else dies? Or before the murderer comes after her!

The background theme of California wines and wineries was interesting,and gave a nice depth to this book. I don't know a lot about wine so the little facts about wine sprinkled throughout the book were interesting to me. The mystery moved along at a nice pace with some great twists and action at the end. I didn't figure out the murderer ahead of time....it was an exciting surprise. And the case led to some interesting developments for Taylor's tour business. I would have liked a bit more character development, and at times some of the characters and situations seemed a bit trope-y (pretty but snooty yoga instructors for example). But, all in all, this is a nice start to a new cozy series. I am interested in seeing how the characters and locations continue to develop in the second book.

Nancy J. Parra also writes as Nell Hampton and Nancy Coco. For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.nancyjparra.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Taylor O'Brian is starting her new business venture, “Taylor’s Off The Beaten Path Wine Tours,” which takes small groups around wine country. When one of the people in her groups turns up dead, and Taylor looking like a suspect, she is thrown into a murder mystery she just can't quit.
This is the first installment and is a promising start to a new series. The characters are enchanting and the relationships between characters are perfectly developed.The setting is described beautifully and makes you feel as if you are walking along with the characters. The author has weaved a perfect mystery with a strong plot that leaves the reader wanting more.

Lots of suspects in this murder including of course the main character, Tayor. I enjoyed the Sonoma County setting and Taylor's sidekicks. It will be interesting to follow the series.

I received am ARC from Netgalley for an honest review

In A Case of Syrah, Syrah by Nancy J Para main character, Taylor O'Brien has moved to her aunt's vineyard and started a new business giving wine tours.. She is giving her very first tour when she discovers the body of the yoga leader that arranged the group outing. Before long Taylor is accused of murder and feels she must investigate to clear her name. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. I think if this book becomes a series the characters will become more developed and more likable. Not that I disliked them now, but sometimes felt like I just didn't understand their motivations. That being said I would read more from this author.

A Case of Syrah, Syrah is a great first book in Nancy J. Parra’s new Wine Country Mystery series. It has a very interesting and fast-paced mystery and although the lead character needs more personality, the secondary characters are great.

Our protagonist is Taylor O’Brian who has moved back to Sonoma and lives on a small winery with her Aunt Jemma. She has recently started her own business giving tours of the hidden gems in Sonoma. However, on her very first tour, disaster strikes. She finds Laura, the domineering leader of the group of yoga instructors that she’s accompanying, dead with one of Taylor’s corkscrews in her neck. Taylor is soon framed for murder and arrested. She must solve the mystery before her tour business goes under and she becomes the next murder victim.

The novel begins a little stiffly and sometimes, there is info dumping in an obvious attempt to move the plot along. This leads to some stilted dialogue. However, a few chapters in, the book finds its stride and the plot soon progresses at a quick but natural pace. There is a lot of action, making the novel an exciting and enjoyable read. There are numerous suspects, including the dead woman’s husband and sister-in-law who both accuse Taylor of murder as well as the yoga masters who gain clients in the wake of Laura’s death. There is even a dognapping, an identity theft ring and Taylor soon finds another body, adding even more twists and turns to this mystery. I like that I couldn’t easily figure out the killer’s identity nor their motives. I also really like that all the suspects seemed plausible.

However, I would like to see Taylor be a more interesting narrator. On the positive side, she takes a very active sleuthing role and while she is extremely reckless, she’s smart and determined. However, she doesn’t have much of a personality otherwise. Awful things are happening to and around her and yet, we rarely know what she’s thinking or feeling. I would really like to see some more emotion and personality from her.

The supporting characters are great, especially Taylor’s best friend, Holly, who has a larger than life personality and is always up for playing detective. Parra also introduces Taylor’s potential love interests: her lawyer, sexy Patrick Aimes and the sexy Sheriff Hennessey who must prosecute Taylor. Other than being good-looking, neither of them are very interesting. I hope that Parra will flesh them both out as the series progresses.

A Case of Syrah, Syrah is a quick and easy read with a well-developed mystery. The plot has many great twists, but everything comes together quite nicely in the end. Although Taylor and her love interests would benefit from better characterization, I really enjoyed this book. I am definitely looking forward to more wine mysteries!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three irrepressible women and one very patient Sheriff lead readers through a page turning journey to find the killer who's trying to frame Taylor O'Brian for the crime. On an 'Off the Beaten Path' Wine Country Tour one of the participants is murdered with Taylor's corkscrew. Since this is Taylor's first tour for her brand new business, things couldn't be worse. Taylor's best friend Holly insists she, Taylor, needs to catch the killer. And Taylor's Aunt Jemma, who owns a small Winery, wants to help. Tensions mount when Taylor is indicted for the crime and jailed overnight while her aunt leverages her winery for the million dollar bail. Naive but determined best describes this threesome's approach to investigation.

The fun here is tagging along with these three as they give life to the phrase "from the frying pan into the fire". This is a well plotted mystery with interesting characters, lively dialogue and enough twists to keep the reader engaged. The Sheriff's role grows as he tries to moderate the antics of the amateur sleuths and there are hints he may play a more prominent part in future adventures. Looking forward to the next tour....

Taylor O'Brian has started a new business in the Sonoma wine country. She wants to do bus tours of little known attractions. Her first tour group are yoga instructors including the instructor who had an argument with Taylor when she came late to a class. Laura, the micromanaging instructor, is found dead with a corkscrew in her throat, and Taylor becomes the prime suspect.

Taylor and her friend Holly begin to investigate to clear her name. Then, Laura's sister-in-law is found dead - by Taylor - which just makes her look more suspicious. Despite constant warning by the handsome sheriff and her equally hand some lawyer, Taylor keeps investigating the crime and putting herself and her friends in danger.

I kept hoping that the sheriff would put her in jail for her own protection. She was impulsive, thoughtless, and reckless. Her friend Holly wasn't much better and encouraged Taylor in her reckless behavior. When they teamed up with reporter Chelsea, the dangerous behavior escalated. The girls were trying to figure out who killed Laura and Ivy and why. Meanwhile, Holly has been a victim of identity theft and is dealing with all the issues that comes with that and Taylor is trying to save her fledgling tour business.

Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this one if they can get beyond the reckless behavior of the main character.

A very good start to a new series .Taylor came home to her aunt Jemma because her aunt was ill and then started her own business . With in the winery.
Does Taylor really listen to sheriff Hennessy as she was already charged with a murder, I thought Taylor meddled too much and was getting herself into more trouble, I did skimmed a few pages as in parts was a bit cringey .
A good twist at the end and never saw that coming.
Will look out for her next book in this series.
Many thanks given me a chance to read and review this book .

This is the first book in the Wine Country mysteries, and it's a fantastic start. The characters are interesting and the wine country setting of Sonoma is beautifully described. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Taylor O'Brian moved in with her grandmother in Sonoma after she had a heart attack. She decides to start a tour company she calls Taylor's Off the Beaten Path Wine Tours. The idea is to take small groups to wineries and hikes they might not know existed. For her first tour, she's taking a group of yoga teachers that includes her own teacher Laura and her husband Dan. Everything is going smoothly until Laura disappears and is found murdered with Taylor's corkscrew in her neck. When Dan's sister is murdered, Taylor has a real problem.

Taylor's reputation and her new business are on the line, and she needs to find out who murdered Laura and Dan's sister to save both.

I really liked the writing style in this book; it made the story flow nicely. This was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Taylor O’Brian had moved to live with her Aunt Jemma when her health came into question on her aunt’s small winery. Wanting to make her own way though Taylor decided to cash in on the local scenery and bought an old VW bus much like the famous Mystery Machine and planned to start up Taylor’s Off The Beaten Path Wine Tours.

On the day of Taylor’s very first tour however things did not go as planned. Taylor had set the day up for her yoga instructor Laura and her group but as the first stop is winding down and it’s time for lunch Laura is no where to be found. Taylor heads back up the path to search for Laura and before she knows it she finds the missing yoga instructor with Taylor’s own corkscrew in her back. Now to clear her name Taylor vows to find out who the real killer is before she goes down for the murder herself.

A Case of Syrah, Syrah by Nancy J. Parra is the first cozy mystery in the Wine Country Mystery series. The series is set in the lovely area of Sonoma which is known for it’s many wineries. It was easy to picture Taylor and her VW bus heading out into this lovely setting only to have things go wrong.

I have to say this is one of those books that I found myself easily digging into and enjoying from the start. I liked Taylor along with the other characters in the book as the story went along. There are hints to maybe finding Taylor a match in later books but nothing on that front so far, just a lot of questioning and following the clues with some quirky happenings here and there. With this solid first book with some nice writing I’ll certainly be interested in seeing where the series goes form here.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I know nothing about wine but I do like the mysteries written by Nancy J. Parra so I was looking forward to reading this new series. I was not disappointed. The setting is enough on its own, then add a great cast of characters, a body done in by a corkscrew belonging to the main character, Taylor O'Brian and a bit of future love interest, I was hooked. There were times when Taylor went a bit too far in trying to keep herself from wearing the handcuff bracelets but she did have a big reason to solve the mystery. The writing was good and the mystery played fair with the reader. I'll be looking forward to the next installment of this series.

What a fantastic read!!! I loved this book - and am so looking forward to further adventures of Taylor O'Brian.... the perfect amount of mystery, wonderful characters who you wish were your friends, and enough intrigue to keep the pages really turning. I loved the wine details... but you don't have to be a wine lover to become the next fan of the Taylor O'Brian series... please keep 'em coming! Oh, and I forgot.... sweet Millie is the perfect mascot!

These cozy type food/wine mysteries are one of my favorite genres. This one does not fail. It's all about wine and vineyards and a murder. Well done.

A Case of Syrah, Syrah is the first in the A Wine Country Mystery series set in Sonoma, CA and introducing Taylor O'Brian owner of Taylor O'Brian Presents "Off The Beaten Path" Wine Country Tours. Taylor has recently moved back to live with her only living relative, Aunt Jemma owner of Sookie's Vineyard, after the woman suffered a heart attack.

Looking to take people to many of the hidden gems in Sonoma and visit some of the lesser known vineyards, Taylor has purchased herself a 1970's VW Van and is preparing for her first tour. Laura Scott owner of Divine Yoga has signed up her husband and 3 of her employees to visit the Quarryhill Botanical Gardens. The gardens are full of native Asian plants, a babbling creek and impressive waterfall and unfortunately become the scene of a crime.

When Laura goes missing on the hike, Taylor sets out along with her furry puppy companion Mille to retrace the woman's steps. Discovering Laura's bloody body over the cliff's edge, Taylor quickly becomes the prime suspect in the woman's murder - having had a verbal argument the day before at the yoga studio - and the presence of her corkscrew impaled in her neck isn't helping.

Determined to save her fledging business and her Aunt's reputation Taylor sets out with the help of best friend Holly Petree to find the killer. Taylor stumbles across another dead body in the course of her investigation and really rockets to the top of Sheriff Ron Hennessey's suspect list. Working double time Taylor uncovers an identity theft ring that seems to tie the two killings together.

A great start although the storyline seemed a little scattered at times. An interesting cast of characters, I do hope the author tones down Taylor a little in the future. Her constant obsessing about the Sheriff's eyes and her complete disregard for her safety and that of her friends and family was a tad too farfetched. With plenty of other vineyards to visit, the series has a lot of potential.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

First all, the main reason I wanted to read this was because I read one of Parra’s previous books: Kale to the Queen—a cozy mystery series that she writes under the pen name Nell Hampton, and I absolutely loved that so I was excited to pick up something new by the author!

A Case of Syrah, Syrah is the first book in the new Wine Country Mystery series, and I have to say that it was really fun to read! In the book, we meet up with the main character Taylor O’Brian who just started her own wine touring business and while she’s giving her first tour—someone winds up dead with her corkscrew buried in their neck. So Taylor must clear her name before she winds up in prison!

I LOVE cozies, but I’m very picky—I’m quick to DNF if it’s boring or predictable or I hate the characters or the writing style, but I loved everything about this book! It was exciting and easy to read. Taylor was very intelligent, clever and down-to-earth. She made smart, realistic choices in regards to solving the mystery, and I related to her very easily. The secondary characters were all delightful and enjoyable as well, especially her aunt and her best friends. #GirlPower.

The mystery itself unfolded rather quickly and kept my interest throughout the entire book. It was very intriguing and unpredictable—there were so many twists and turns that I didn’t want to put the book down. I literally devoured it in one day because the storyline and the characters were just so much fun to read about, and I had to know who the bad guy was—the author kept stumping me and throwing me off so I wasn’t putting it down until I found out haha.

Overall, a great start to a new series! I do hope we get to learn more about Taylor’s possible love interests in the next book—I can’t figure out which one I like more: the cute sheriff or the sexy lawyer? Oh, well—either way, I can’t wait for the next installment!