Dollycas's Thoughts

The Rose Avenue Wine Club is all ready to take on another investigation, especially when one of them is accused of being a drug smuggler and other people they care about could be in trouble too. Their snooping takes them to the Santa Monica Airport but instead of finding a way to clear Sally's name they find a mechanic dead . . . murdered. It going to take more than a wine flight to get to the truth and the killer but these ladies are up to the task. The wine flows but no whining is allowed.

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The ladies of the Rose Avenue Wine Club are a hoot! Some more than others. Halsey, with her dog Bardot by her side, can get herself into so much trouble. Even doing something normal like picking a piece of fruit off a tree turns into a drama-filled event that is written in such a humorous way. Sally is really put on the spot in this story. She says the Curse of Rose Avenue is back as she is taken in by the police for questioning. Then she learns Charlie was piloting the plane that carried the drugs addressed for her and it crashed into something on the runway when landing, landing him in the emergency room. Followed by new club member Mary Anne announcing that her husband is missing. These ladies' wine classes are overflowing with everything happening even before they find the mechanic's body.

Ms. Blum sets a quick pace as we tag along with the wine clubbers as they uncover each clue and follow each turn in a comical way to catch a killer and a smuggler. It was a wild ride, that is for sure. I was doing my best to figure it all out too in between all the laughing I was doing.  It is the strong friendships these ladies have built that really shines though. The way they team up together to solve the mystery is fantastic. They follow each other into some crazy and scary places much to their friend, detective Augie's dismay.

The key to all the humor is the way the author describes each situation and the dialogue between the characters. Perfectly timed and written while still getting across the seriousness of the murder.

The Name of the Rosé was a fabulous lighthearted read. I am unsure how I missed these books when they were released but I plan to read the final book in this series, Clarets of Fire very soon.

Annie "Halsey" Hall is enjoying time by the pool and sipping wine with her neighbors when they hear of a plane crash at the nearby local airport. It turns out to be a relative of one of her neighbors and that there was a suspicious package (drugs!) addressed to her best friend. Halsey scrambles to help the local police find out where the package originated and why it was earmarked for a Rose Avenue address.

This is a fun series, quirky characters and good wine abound!

The third book in the Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery series by Christine E. Blum is The Name of the Rose. Annie and her fellow wine club members find themselves in the middle of another mystery when one of the members is accused of being involved in illegal drugs smuggled through the local airport. When a mechanic at the same airport is murdered, the mystery becomes more complicated. The characters are fun and quirky. While I know very little about wine, I do enjoy this series. This book did not disappoint.

Annie and her friends at the Rose Avenue Wine Club have been together now for 3 books and their friendships are growing. The ladies are enjoying themselves by the pool when they hear a plane crash at the nearby local airport. When they find illegal drugs in the plane addressed to Sally. The gang works together to clear her name and romances are flourishing. I like this series and I appreciated the wine list to pair with foreign foods. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a quick and fun read. It’s a good series and I look forward to more. I truly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books in return for an honest review. This is an enjoyable cosy mystery. It's California, wine, five great female friends, mystery, murder - all well done in this book! One of the wine club members is accused of shipping heroin and the ladies are off on an adventure to figure out what happened and why a murder occurs, when all they want is to have their weekly wine tasting meeting and decide which wines they'll order next. Aided by Bardot, the dog, all comes to a successful conclusion. This is the latest in a series and it isn't necessary to have read the previous ones to enjoy the humor and female companionship in this book.

If you want a mystery and some laughs this is the book for you.

As usual Halsey is minding her own business when tragedy strikes. As she just wants to mind her own business she ends up getting involved with the help of the Rose Avenue wine club girls.

This was a great story that you will not want to put down.


** I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review**

Knowing a red wine from a white wine and that champagne bubbles tickle my nose is about the extent of my wine knowledge. That in no way lessen my full enjoyment of this series. The Rose Avenue Wine Club members are a great group of ladies and, this time around, one of their group is suspected of dealing heroin when a plane crashes and a package of the drug is found with her name on it. Sally is in very deep trouble and the ladies step in to find the real dealer. When they start snooping around the airport for clues the dead body of Jonas, a mechanic, is not what they expected to find. Was he involved in the drug dealing or did he cross paths with the wrong person?
This entry is the third in the series but can be read as a stand alone. It's a nice balance between a well crafted mystery and humor. I love hanging out with Annie, Sally, Aimee, Peggy and Mary Anne, the newest member. And I mustn't forget the wonderful dog, Bardot. This all makes for a great cozy mystery. Now I'm ready to read #4.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The ladies of the Rose Avenue Wine Club are enjoying their drinks when they hear a small plane crash at nearby Santa Monica Airport. Detective Augie comes visiting since a package of heroin was found on the plane with wine club member Sally's address, as well as fish stuffed with other illegal drugs. Halsey and the rest of the wine club members snoop around the airport and end up finding mechanic Jonas murdered in the hangar. Was Jonas involved in the drug smuggling or was he an innocent victim? Although this is the third book in the series, it was the first one for me and was a quick and entertaining read. Each of the feisty wine club members uses their talents and contacts to collect clues and question suspects. The trail leads to a San Diego restaurant and its staff, as well as several local suspects. With the help of law enforcement, a trap is set at the airport to nab the smugglers. Wine club lists and suggested food pairings are listed at the end of the book.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

The Wine Club is back in detective mode after a small plane crash leads to one of their members being accused of drug smuggling. A fun, cozy mystery with plenty of twists and turns.

The Name of the Rose by Christine E. Blum is the third book in Rose Avenue Wine Club Mystery series but can be read as a standalone, and this being the first book I have read I had no problem getting into the story.

This time Annie and her three companions along with the new friend sit around enjoying a glass or two of wine when a plane crashes. Not long after police shows up with a bag of heroine with Sally's name on it. And to make it even worse her cousin is in a serious trouble. Ladies will have to pull their wits together and work fast to solve the puzzle.
I really enjoyed this story. It is fast paced and cleverly written. Girls are amazing and I think I have met new best friends, They are fun, funny and quite extraordinary.

Mystery was well presented with great setting and likable characters.
I will go back and read two previous books but I am eagerly awaiting new book.

This is a hilarious series. The location is familiar so that adds to my enjoyment. The dog and neighbors add to the humor. The solution to the murder mystery and other mysteries left a little to be desired, but still all was resolved. I look forward to the next one.

This is one of my favorite new series as its full of humor, female friendship and great sleuths ! I love the entire series and highly recommend it for your reading enjoyment. The author has her finger on the pulse of wine and the wine descriptions are always fun to read. I love the location of Southern California and the author writes it is vividly with beauty and fun that the location is brought to life for the readers. Annie has a great sense of humor that shines through in this series and always makes me smile. I love the camaraderie of the friends and how close the friendships are of the Wine Club Ladies.

Annie and her neighbors on Rose Avenue are in a wine club together and have become good friends . They are enjoyable a day by the pool relaxing when they hear a plane crash at the local small airport. They find out it was one of their friends that crashed the plane and that drugs were found. The drugs were addressed to one of the wine club members Sally and she is soon charged with drug charges to their horror . They step up to save their friend and solve the mystery.

As the ladies work fast to save their friend another death occurs that may be connected. Annie is a great sleuth and having solved two prior murders she steps up and soon the suspects and the clues are building.

I love spending time with the Rose Avenue Wine Club ladies! Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for the ARC. I look forward to further books in this fun series and more fun with Annie and the crew. I highly recommend this series.

I love this series and this instalment met all my expectations.
It was fun to read, engaging and entertaining.
I love the feisty ladies, their friendship and I liked the mystery.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC

What a great book this is! Halsey is everything you want in a heroine. She’s smart, feisty and funny. The wine club gals are a lot of fun, and well defined. All of the supporting characters are believable and serve the plot well. The mystery is engaging, and every step in solving it is logical and makes sense. I’m eager to read the rest of the series!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sally didn't order heroin to be delivered to her house at all, much less in a fish! AND, her cousin Jimmy isn't responsible for a murder either, is he? These are the questions the women of the Rose Avenue Wine Club work to solve in this latest installment in a funny, light series (don't worry if you haven't read the first two- you'll be fine.). Halsey, Peggy, Mary Anne, and Bardot the dog (he's a hoot) are on the case! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Perfect for a quick, entertaining read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the 3rd mystery in the Rose Avenue Wine Club cozy mystery series and I was lucky to have read them all.
I thought that this was another fun and fast paced mystery and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series to see what trouble Halsey, Bardot & the ladies of Rose Avenue get mixed up in.

This story really had me chuckling. These fabulous ladies are all about the wine, so when murder creeps into their tight knit circle, Annie "Halsey" Hall and the ladies of the Rose Avenue Wine Club work together to solve the crime.
This is a fun, fast paced story that kept me engaged from beginning to end.
This is a fun read for any book lover.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

Annie and her neighbors on Rose Avenue are oenophiles that know how to enjoy a good bottle of wine and solve a mystery. When a friend crashes a plane at the local small airport, he swears he ran over something on the runway. Then drugs are found on the plane and they’re addressed to one of the wine club members.

As the ladies work to keep Sally from being strung up on drug charges, an airport employee is found poisoned. Who can the ladies trust and how to do they keep their innocent friends from going to prison?

Who wouldn’t like to live on a street with their friends and enjoy a good wine club? This series is new to me, but it won’t be a stranger as I look to catch up and savor more time with the Rose Avenue Wine Club ladies!

The Rose Avenue Wine Club is at it again. This group of feisty, intelligent women made up of Halsey, Sally, Peggy and Aimee gets together weekly to sample new wines as well as old favorites and, occasionally dabble in crime solving. When their friend Charlie's plane has an unfortunate accident when coming in for a landing at the local airport and the police find both prescription drugs as well as heroin packed in dead fish, the police focus on Sally since the prescription drugs were in a package addressed to her home. When trying to get to the bottom of who the drugs really belonged to they call on Sally's cousin Jimmy and when the come upon the dead body of an airport employee who Jimmy supposedly had an argument with, Jimmy is arrested. The women begin to investigate the fish, the airport and the prescription drug package and, once again, through bravery and guile they manage to solve the case. This book has a great sense of humor (I especially loved the scene where Halsey's dog Bardot dives into the fish tank at the aquarium), great characters, a complex plot and, of course, great wines. It's a winner!