I love J.C. Eaton's first series so I was really curious what I would think of the other series about wine. Well, this first book was okay but not sure I am caring as much for the characters in this one as I have the first series.

Norrie can't believe she let her sister talk her into taking over the winery for a whole year while her and her husband go chase some bugs in Costa Rica. Norrie is a screenplay writer not a wine connoisseur, but she is a silent partner in the winery where they grew up called Two Witches Winery.

Norrie hopes that she can just let those that work there do their thing while she can work on her screenplay because she has a deadline, but things don't go as planned. Right after her sister and brother-in-law leave she is woke up in the early morning by a couple of young vineyard workers who found a dead body on the new Riesling section of the vineyard.

Now she is afraid that this is going to kill the winery because who wants wine from a place that a dead body was found, that and any of her people could be a potential suspect.  She doesn't have a lot of faith in the police to do their job and so she thinks since she has written some crime scenes in her scripts that she can figure things out.

So about the characters, I am not a real big fan of Norrie the MC. I think at times she is a complete idiot when it comes to trying to solve the crime. I didn't like the way she handled things with the corporation that she just new had to have something to do with the murder. She doesn't think a lot of things through and it just made me sort of roll my eyes a bit. I do like some of her employees like Cammy who runs the wine tasting. I also liked Theo and Don her neighbors who come to her aid a lot, they were pretty cool.

Overall, I think it was a decent start to the series and I just hope that I will start to warm up more to the MC in the story as the series progresses.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

We arrive at the Two Witches Winery in upstate New York with Norrie Ellington. A family-owned winery that her sister, Francine, and brother-in-law, Jason, run as she is a very silent partner. Her brother-in-law has been given a research grant that will take the couple out of the country for a year and they have asked Norrie to take over while they are gone. Norrie has a job, a full-time job, as a screenwriter and really doesn’t want to step in, but her sister assures her the staff handles most everything. She just needs Norrie to oversee things, attend a few meetings, and handle any emergencies that arise. There will be plenty of time to work on her screenplays and make her deadlines.

Before Francine and Jason even arrive at their, no cell signal, out in the sticks, Costa Rican destination one of those rare emergencies arises in the form of a dead body among the Riesling vines. A woman Norrie had the displeasure of meeting upon her arrival. Elsbeth Waters was the owner of the nearby bed & breakfast and constant complainer of almost everything that happened in the town of Penn Yan and all the surrounding wineries. Let’s just say there is no shortage of suspects. There is also a couple of businessmen trying to buy up all the Penn Yan wineries so that they can open their own mega-winery business. Not really an emergency, because there is no way they are selling, unless they have something to do with Elsbeth’s death.

Norrie feels like she is in the middle of one her drama filled movies. With the body found on her land, and the police are eyeing her as a suspect, she has a vested interest in seeing the killer brought to justice and she doesn’t have a lot of faith in the local law enforcement. She hasn’t been around in a long time so as she gets to know everyone she decides to do a little snooping too.

I am late to the party on this series and am upset with myself. I have been enjoying the author’s Sophie Kimball Mysteries while this one was screaming from my Kindle. I am determined to get Chardonnayed to Rest read too before Pinot Red or Dead? hits stores.

I liked Norrie immediately and Francine too for the short time we got to spend with her. We are also introduced to a large cast of characters that make up the staff at Two Witches Winery, the other local winery owners, the victim, and her niece, and the businessmen that could crush not only grapes but the dreams of everyone in the area. The author’s do a great job of making each character unique so it is very easy to keep everyone straight. Cammy runs the tasting room and she and Norrie become fast friends, as do the men that own the nearby winery. Theo and Don are good friends with Francine and Jason and Norrie knows she can trust them. They really have her back and help her in many ways. I truly enjoyed the way so many rallied around to help Norrie get her feet under herself with the winery and in her mission to catch a murderer.

Two characters I can’t fail to mention and they need their own paragraph is the dog and the goat on the cover. Charlie is a Brindle Plott Hound and Alvin is a Nigerian Dwarf goat. Charlie stole my heart, even if he does need a bath almost every day. Alvin and Norrie don’t get off to a good start but he played a major part when he needed to.

The mystery itself was a real treat. Plenty of suspects and some crazy theories kept me guessing the entire story. I was kinda on the right trail, but some red herrings diverted my attention more than once. Norrie took some huge risks and while scary, the authors added some comic relief at the perfect times and in the perfect amounts.

I probably will never travel to Finger Lakes Wine Country in upstate New York and their 3 Wine Trails, but I sure had fun on my first literary trip there. J.C. Eaton gave us a bird’s eye view and I am excited about my next visit. Chardonnayed to Rest is queued up as one of the next books on my Kindle, just waiting for me to get started. Stay tuned for my review.

Norrie Ellington has been persuaded by her sister Francine to take over the management of the family winery so that Francine and her husband can head to the rain-forest of Costa Rica for an entomology study. They'll be gone an entire year but since Norrie is a screenwriter she can work from anywhere. Hardly gone 24 hours after their departure, Norrie is awakened by vineyard workers yelling a body is in the Riesling vineyard. Unhappy that not only is there trouble at the winery but that she's not finding writing that she needs, Norrie is bombarded with problem after problem regarding the murder and the efforts of Vanna Enterprises efforts to buy up all the local wineries. Could Vanna have gone to far in trying to persuade the victim to sell?

The descriptions of the winery operations as well as the characters were a great start for this new series and left plenty of room for advancement in the future. Love to see Norrie get more into the operations but would also like to see her interactions with her sister on her return..

This was my first book by J. C. Eaton and now I am hooked. I had no expectations going into this book as I received it from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I was beyond pleasantly surprised. Eaton combines the picturesque vineyard scene with humor, wit, and of course, murder. The characters were likeable and relatable. Don and Theo were by far my favorites, I want to hang out with them.

Norrie Ellington is a screenwriter living in NYC as well as a silent partner in her family's upstate winery. When her sister and brother-in-law decide take a year long trip to further his research, Norrie is expected to step up and run the winery. While over seeing the winery, she should still have time to work on her writing... right??? Well her plans take a quick turn when the area's battleax is found dead in the vineyard. With multiple enemies as well as a Mega Corporation trying to strong arm the locals to sell their properties, the suspect list is endless. Norrie, worried this will have a negative affect on the winery, decides to take the investigating and the Coporation on herself. Has she bitten off more that can she can chew? Is the murderer someone that she knows? Will she be the next victim? Read the book and find out.

The second in the series, Chardonnayed to Rest, will be available in late September.

A quick read as Norrie agrees to take over the family vineyard in upstate New York for a time. As a sort of newcomer, when body is found, she kind of stands out. Interesting details about winemaking are also evident.

A Riesling to Die was an entertaining cozy mystery. The cast of characters are eclectic & fun. And the setting is unique- I didn't know much about the winery's in the Finger Lakes area.

This book was the first in The Wine Trail Mysteries & I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Francine Ellington Keane, the older of two sisters, has managed day-to-day operations of the family’s Two Witches Winery for several years. Norrie is the silent partner, trusting her sister’s decisions while she is a screenwriter in Manhattan, living in the apartment inherited from their great-aunt Tessie. She is content with her work as a writer.

When Cornell University’s Experiment Station, where Francine’s husband Jason works, lands a coveted grant to study a special bug in Costa Rica, everything changes. So that Francine could go with Jason for a year, Norrie is convinced to pack up her laptop – because after all, she could write anywhere – and move to the winery that she hasn’t seen since a teenager. With her apartment sublet for a year, she’s kind of stuck now, no matter what happens. And things definitely start to happen within hours after Francine and Jason leave.

Two Witches Winery, so named by the original owner, is on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail in New York, an area rich with vineyards and wineries. One thing Francine advises Norrie about before leaving is how a developer has been trying to purchase their vineyard and winery, and others nearby, to make a mega-winery and vacation spot that would attract tourists from around the world. She tells Norrie also that she can trust the partners of Grey Egret Winery just down the hill, Theo and Don, if she has any questions. Norrie had a crash course in the vineyard and winery before her sister and brother-in-law left. Norrie, however, just wants the year to fly by so she can return to Manhattan.

A peaceful year is not to be. There are two pets that the vineyard guys take care of. Well, one, now. Children love to see the Nigerian Dwarf Goat, Alvin, who seems to like everyone else…saving special treats for Norrie. Charlie is a Plott Hound who appeared at the winery in the past year. Charlie takes a tremendous liking to Norrie, in spite of the special baths she has to give him. He chooses to be her companion, as long as she keeps him out of the tasting room.

The morning after taking her sister and brother-in-law to the airport, two of the men working at vineyard woke her up far too early with an emergency. They found a body in the new area of the vineyard. She called 911 and met the unimpressive Deputy Hickman. When they turned the body, Norrie, a relative newcomer, could make the identity. It was Elsbeth Waters, who owned the nearby Peaceful Pines B & B. She had met Elsbeth twice, a woman who complained about everything occurring at the neighboring wineries and was disliked by most. While there are many good suspects, the sheriff’s office doesn’t want Norrie’s input and doesn’t seem to be making any progress.

Now there are so many people wanting to tour the vineyard that Norrie has to bring in the part-time summer students to lead the curiosity-seekers through. They might be selling more wine than ever, but who wants to be known for this? Norrie continues to “investigate” on her own, making some interesting decisions to try to pin down the real bad guy/ gal.

At first I really liked Norrie. I had empathy for her move from Manhattan to the vineyard, even though I liked the vineyard and most of the employees. Norrie took risks that were above and beyond what I would think wise. Maybe when I get to know her better as the series continues, I’ll like her better. I like Cammy, the tasting room manager who has a good grasp of the business. Lizzie, the cashier and Nancy Drew fan, has expectations that would be hard for any amateur sleuth to live up to while overseeing the operations and meeting a screenplay schedule.

This is a complex mystery that satisfies the armchair sleuth in many ways. I learned a little about vineyards and the dedication taken with the fruit and vines, picturing the distinct beauty of that part of New York. I also see great potential for this series in the way that the authors led us through finding the real killer. The plot twists made the mystery unique in the way the solution lies in a direction not readily thought about, then bringing a satisfying surprise at the end. Overall, in spite of shaking my head more than once at Norrie’s actions, I recommend this cozy mystery to those who enjoy the combination of farming and brewing the fruit of the vine.

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.

A Riesling to Die is the first novel in The Wine Trail Mysteries. Norrie Ellington, a screenwriter, has reluctantly agreed to oversee the Two Witches Vineyard, in which she is a co-owner, for a year while her sister and her husband go off to Costa Rica on a research trip. Norrie believes that with the experienced winery staff, her role will be minimal which will leave her plenty of quiet time to write. The day after Francine and Jason leave the local crank is found dead in the new Riesling vines. Norrie decides to investigate the matter because the winery cannot afford to lose money or have bad publicity. She starts asking questions and believes she has discovered the guilty party. Norrie hatches with a plan to get the individual to confess. Unfortunately, things do not go quite as expected. Join Norrie at the Two Witches Vineyard in her search for a killer in A Riesling to Die.

A Riesling to Die is a light cozy mystery. Norrie is one of those main characters that babbles when nervous and turns into a blithering idiot in front of a handsome man. There was a lack of development in Norrie’s character. The author fails to provide her background which would establish the character (any of the characters). There are some unique people working in the tasting room of the winery. Glenda, Roger, Lizzie and Cammy provide comic relief along with Cammy’s cousin, Marc and Enzo (they cracked me up). There is also a dog that manages to get into smelly messes every day (it makes me wonder if these people have not heard of a leash or a fenced in area for dogs) and Alvin, the spitting dwarf goat that is an attraction for children (just what every vineyard needs when you have guests wandering about). The mystery was straightforward, and the identity of the guilty party came as no surprise. Norrie’s investigation was proceeding nicely until she came up a harebrained scheme to reel in who she believes is the killer (she jumped to conclusions instead of following the evidence and thinking things through). The grand plan jeopardizes the winery and reminds me of Lucy Ricardo’s schemes. Norrie’s spends a significant amount of time speculating on who could have committed the crime. You can really see her overactive imagination at work. All the loose ends are wrapped up at the end of the story. A Riesling to Die had a good start, but then it stalled out for a while and then it became foolish. There is some interesting information about growing grapes, taking care of the vines, running a vineyard and producing wines. I am curious how many dead people will turn up in the area during Norrie’s year at Two Witches Winery (maybe the author will throw in a burglary). A Riesling to Die is a quick read that will appeal to readers who prefer lighter cozy mysteries filled with quirky characters. The next book in The Wine Trail Mysteries is Chardonnayed to Rest.

A Reisling to Die by J.C. Eaton is the first book The Wine Trail Mysteries series. J.C. Eaton is actually a husband and wife writing team and among my favorite authors. I enjoyed their first series and love this one as well. Norrie is a screenwriter living in New York City and also a silent partner in her family's winery, Two Witches Winery. When Norrie's brother-in-law gets a chance to travel to Costa Rica, he and Norrie's sister call on Norrie to oversee the winery. On her first day in charge a body is found on the property, and Norrie wants the mystery wrapped up quickly to prevent any bad publicity for the winery. While I figured out the killer quickly, the writing was so good that it did not detract from the book. The cast of characters from winery workers to neighbors makes the book worth reading.

I wanted very much to like A Reisling to Die, but in the end, it was only OK. I found it very difficult to keep the huge number of characters sorted, as none of them stood out particularly for me.I couldn't connect with the main character as well. I see that it has quite a few very positive reviews, so I think it just wasn't for me.

A fun new cozy mystery series !
A Riesling to Die by J.C. Eaton is the first book in The Wine Trail Mysteries series. Norrie Ellington has been asked to return home to upstate New York by her sister to run Two Witches Winery. Norrie’s sister and her brother in law are abruptly leaving for Costa Rica for a year. Norrie has made her life in New York City but she feels obligated to move to the winery and take over. She has a great staff and fits right in running the vineyard. When a murder occurs on the grounds of the winery she feels she must investigate and soon is chasing clues and suspects.
I loved the description of upstate New York wineries, the wine business and enjoyed Norrie as a smart adept protagonist. I look forward to the next in series.
Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

A Riesling to Die by J.C. Eaton is the 1st book in The Wine Trail Mystery series. I really enjoyed this book. It did start out a little slow, but the main character, Norrie Ellington  grew on me and I wanted to know who did it. Norrie returned home to care for the family winery, because her sister and brother-in-law went to study insects in Costa Rica. I also really enjoyed the story line, and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I've really enjoyed the 2 books by this author in another cozy series and there was no way I could resist this one!

My Impression: The Sophie Kimball mysteries by this author is one of my absolute favorite series so far and became an auto-buy on book 1. When I love a series that much and the author comes out with a new series I'm always a little nervous. Can I possibly love a new series as much as the first one? In this case the answer is yes. Now granted the premise is a little bonkers. If someone, family or otherwise, asked me to do a favor on the scale of the one that is requested of Norrie I would stop answering the phone and go off the grid until they gave up. Luckily, for the reader Norrie is a much better person than I am and agrees to her sister's request - even after she sees just how complicated running the winery really is.

I must say I wasn't too surprised (or unhappy) about the choice of victim as she's pretty awful right from the start. I do love a mystery where motives abound and the question really seems to be "Who didn't want to kill the victim?" and this did not disappoint. I found the mystery to be really solid with a conclusion that made sense which I always love. The pacing was excellent but what really made this a thoroughly enjoyable read was the well developed characters and setting. I'm not even much of a wine drinker but reading this made me want to book a wine country tour and gave me a whole new appreciation for just what goes into a bottle.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery and had a delightful time in New York wine country!

A Riesling to Die

by J. C. Eaton

Can a New York City based screenwriter run the family winery for a year? Norrie Ellington puts that question to the test in J. C. Eaton’s cozy mystery A Riesling to Die. Norrie's sister, who needs to leave Two Witches Winery to accompany her husband on an insect searching sabbatical in Costa Rica, convinces Norrie to upgrade her silent partner status to overseer of the winery.

Upon her arrival, Norrie realizes that the winery will not run itself—especially after the death of a local owner of a Bed and Breakfast. The mystery has lots of interesting characters, from the owners of other small wineries at Seneca Lakes, to rich developers, to her own well-chosen staff. Since the body was discovered in one of her vineyards, Norrie feels obligated to try to discover the murderer, despite the sheriff’s warnings to stay out of the investigations. A Riesling to Die is a good basic cozy that I think you will enjoy.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books (Lyrical Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #1 in the Wine Trail Mysteries

Publication: March 27, 2018 — Kensington Books (Lyrical Press)

Memorable Lines:

She brushed some wisps of hair from the side of her face and I noticed something interesting—small pierced holes for earrings. At least three. Why was she trying to look like Little Miss Sunshine when her real persona was more Madonna? Maybe our mousey little girl is a rat in disguise.

Francine’s kitchen table wasn’t a bad place to work. The only sounds were birds and the occasional motorboat on the lake, unlike the ongoing cacophony outside my apartment. Endless honking of horns, the rumbling of traffic, and oh yes, expletives that came out of nowhere, usually accompanied by doors slamming.

It was one of those warm summer nights that made people forget about the last time they had to shovel three feet of snow or scrape the ice off their windshields.

Set in Penn Yan overlooking Seneca Lake this story will have you ready to pack your bags for a relaxing trip to wine country. But for screenwriter Norrie Ellington it was a trip she did not want to take because it meant overseeing Two Witches winery while her sister and brother-in-law head to Costa Rica for research purposes. Norrie barely gets settled when a body is found on the property and she quickly gets in over her head with a bold and somewhat amateurish plan to trap the suspected killers.

This story is a good first in a series book. There are some interesting characters, both human and animal, an interesting setting and it leaves us curious to find out what happens next in the life of Norrie Ellington. Thanks to Kensington books and NetGalley for an ARC of this story in exchange for a honest review.

This was a fun cozy mystery, and the first in a new series. . Norrie, our sleuth, comes to New York to manage her family's vineyard while her sister and brother in law are out of the country for a year. Norrie is a little rusty on the day to day running of a winery, but she has a great staff who know what they are doing. It's not even a day after her sister and brother in law leave for Costa Rica when a dead body is found in the vineyard. Norrie doesn't have a lot of faith in the local law enforcement, so she begins her own investigation. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more in this series.

I requested this book on Netgalley as I enjoy the author’s Sophie Kimball Mystery series and it is set on the Finger Lakes in New York. Having lived near Geneva on Seneca Lake for a few years in my teens, I was able to easily see the picturesque scenery. My parents went to many wineries and took us in tow.
Norrie has her work cut out for her as her sister and brother-in-law are off to Costa Rica for a year. Ellie needs to reacquaint herself with the winery operations as she will be overseeing it while trying to keep her day job.
Elsbeth Waters’ demise in her vineyard does not help the transition go smoothly.
Lots of suspects, twists and turns and great characters. Looking forward to getting to know them better in future books. I liked how the neighbors and winery workers were willing to share concerns, knowledge and just be supportive. The if one fails, we all fail attitude made this more than an enjoyable read.

A Riesling to Die by J.C. Eaton is the first book in the new cozy The Wine Trail Mysteries series. Norrie Ellington has been asked to return home to upstate New York by her sister to oversee the family business, Two Witches Winery. Norrie’s sister and her brother in law have been given a grant to study a species of insect in Costa Rica for the next year and while Norrie has made her life in New York City she would be able to continue her job as a successful screenwriter anywhere.

While she’s a silent partner in the winery Norrie has really had no interest in learning the actual business or running it but she finds she just can’t say no and hold her sister back. Upon arriving back home Norrie finds herself quickly learning the ins and outs of the business and those employees that help run the winery and keep it successful.

The one person Norrie doesn’t find welcoming upon her return is neighbor Elsbeth Waters who runs the local bed and breakfast. Norrie’s encounter with Elsbeth didn’t go well with the irate neighbor complaining of the family dog coming upon her property. Little did Norrie expect though was to find Elsbeth dead body in the vineyard and with so many disliking the B&B owner Norrie decides to help the police solve the murder.

Having read another series by J.C. Eaton and really enjoying it I had high hopes for The Wine Trail Mysteries. While I didn’t think this was a perfect start to the cozy series leaving me to rate this at 3.5 stars I did however still enjoy this beginning. What I really found myself wishing for with this one though was a bit more into building the characters and suspects. The beginning felt a little slow building the setting but the characters felt a bit buried in that too. I would still give the next book a go though knowing the authors’ other work.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

An amusing wine trail mystery. Thrilled to see it is the first of a series. This one was funny and entertaining. The Nancy Drew references are a hoot. Wine tastings are an enjoyable endeavor. One I have indulged in throughout the years. Never made it to New York. Fun to do so with a cozy mystery at least.